REINFORCING 5th Open Call (Incubators Call)
Seeks to support the implementation of Open and Responsible Research and Innovation (ORRI) initiatives by funding projects that foster institutional change and engage newcomers in the ORRI approach.
The REINFORCING 5th Open Call (Incubators Call) is dedicated to supporting consortia that aim to implement projects under the Open and Responsible Research and Innovation (ORRI) approach. It focuses on encouraging newcomers in ORRI to lead projects and facilitate institutional change over a fixed 12-month project duration.
Type of projects to be funded: The call seeks projects focusing on ORRI implementation, particularly those led by newcomers in this domain. Applicants should deliver at least one ORRI resource/tool to be included in the REINFORCING One-Stop Source, and provide evidence of initiating ORRI institutional change . Projects should consist of several activities, such as (non-exhaustive list for inspiration purposes):
- Designing and implementing co-creation processes to develop digital solutions and services in the context of “Responsible Digitalization”.
- Developing and formalizing an internal ORRI strategy for digitalisation.
- Designing and testing a stakeholder or citizen engagement model (e.g., user panels, community advisory boards, citizen juries) that can potentially be used regularly in digital development decisions, AI strategy or policies related to digitalisation.
- Future scenario or visioning workshops within a particular organizational or local/regional context with stakeholders, including citizens, that address potential ethical, legal, and social implications of the deployment of digital technologies into particular contexts.
- Developing internal KPIs or evaluation frameworks for ORRI (e.g., tracking how often stakeholder feedback changes product direction, or inclusion metrics in data governance).
Sectors / domain: The projects should align with the ORRI framework, which is aimed at fostering responsible, transparent, and inclusive research and innovation. This ORRI Incubator Call focuses on the topic of 'Responsible Digitalization’.
Individual or consortium: Funding is available for consortia with at least two beneficiaries, mandating at least one newcomer to lead the project.
Specific eligibility requirements: Applicants must be established in EU member states or their associated countries and must not be under EU Council sanctions. This call is open to public and private organizations of all sizes, eligible entities include (but not limited to) CSOs, NGOs, higher education institutions, research centres, and SMEs.
Specific topics or challenges: Projects should focus on developing ORRI tools and initiating institutional changes. Specific challenges “Responsible Digitalization” could address: while the list of challenges is non-exhaustive, two key challenges have been identified for this ORRI Incubator Call under the topic of 'Responsible Digitalization’:
- Privacy, transparency, and trust in digitalisation tools and services: The deployment of digital technologies demands a continual and built-in adherence to basic human rights and obtaining societal legitimacy in a specific region.
- Misinformation and manipulation: Digital technologies have created new and powerful vehicles for old problems around communication and public debate. It is a key challenge to design/pilot internal organisational or regional processes that aim to institutionalize an ORRI approach that can tackle misinformation. Crucially, applicants must demonstrate how their project addresses one or more of these challenges through a process of starting to embed and institutionalize ORRI within their organisation or territory, through experimentation with organisational processes and procedures that ensure long-term commitment to Responsible Digitalisation.
Alternatively, applicants may apply for addressing other topics related to the start of institutionalization of Responsible Digitalisation in their organisation, which they have identified, by justifying the selection in the application process.
Projects duration: Projects are expected to run for 12 months. Projects will start all together on 1st November 2025 and end up on 31st October 2026.
Budget, funding rates and payment conditions:
Funding rate: Not explicitly mentioned.
Budget conditions / limitations: ORRI Incubator grants (Large grants) can receive a maximum grant amount of €60,000.
Payments: Details regarding the payment schedule are not explicitly stated in the guidelines.
Links
Closes
05/08/2025
Max funding per project
60.000€