FAQs

What are the open call dates?

  • The 1st call is closed.
  • The 2nd call is closed.
  • The 3rd and final call for Application Experiments opened on March 16th, 2021. It will close on June 8th, 2021 at 5 pm – Brussels time. This 3rd open call addresses SINGLE and TWIN application experiment, with a specific focus on low digital maturity offering the possibility of additional support (optional) of a DigiFed Technical partner according to the Technology offer as available on the website (https://digifed.org/open-calls/application-experiment/open-call-3/).
  • In parallel 3 generic open calls are now open:
    • Energy-efficient smart LED lighting by BME (closing on June 6th, 2021),
    • Trust Platform for Digital Assets Management by Ikerlan (closing on May 31st, 2021),
    • IoT prototyping in agriculture by ULJ (closing on May 31st, 2021).
  • More info at https://digifed.org/open-calls/generic-experiment/.

How long will the call be open?

  • The 3rd call for application experiment is open for 12 weeks and thus will close on June 6th, 2021. Submission of proposals is only possible in the time that the call is open.
  • The generic open calls are open for nearly 10 weeks and will close either on May 31st or June 6th, 2021 depending on the topic.

Where is the link for registration ?

Please go at DigiFed/Open calls (https://digifed.org/open-calls/) for general information:

  • For Application Experiment call 3 , register HERE DigiFed/Open calls/Application Experiment/Open call 3 (current)
  • For Generic experiment call, registration and proposal submission are done directly online, independently for each topic:
    • Energy-efficient smart LED lighting by BME, HERE
    • Trust Platform for Digital Assets Management by Ikerlan, HERE
    • IoT prototyping in agriculture by ULJ, HERE

How to submit a project?

All the open call documents are available online on the website once the open call is launched (see https://digifed.org/open-calls/).

  • For Application experiment call

Applicants are strongly encouraged and should make contact with a DigiFed partner in order to get more information on DigiFed offer, both technical and services offer, through DigiFed members and regional DIHs with regards to:

  • Information about DigiFed offer, how to create an eligible proposal prior to submission, to get advice and recommendation provided through webinars and video available online at webinars and on line bootcamps, bootcamps organized by the DigiFed regional DiHs (Minalogic in Grenoble, Ikerlan in Bilbao, ULJ in Ljubljana, Digital Catapult in London and BME in Budapest). Slides and recorded video are available at here. More details on DigiFed website at Digifed/Offer.
  • DigiFed partners support applicants and can serve as a point of contact for the applicants during the creation of the proposal until the closure of the call.

DigiFed offers a Live Helpdesk every Thursday of the week between 15:30 to 16:30 until the call deadline! To ask your questions, connect to the following webex link: https://avl.webex.com/avl/j.php?MTID=m4b2b7c3ad82c3dd7f66dd285bc06c2fe

  • For the Generic Experiment call
    • Information about the Generic experiment is available on line.
    • For more information on “Energy-efficient smart LED lighting” Generic experiment call proposed by BME, please contact info_GEC_BME@digifed.org
    • For more information on “Trust Platform for Digital Assets Management” generic experiment proposed by Ikerlan, please contact info_GEC_IKERLAN@digifed.org
    • For more information on “IoT prototyping in agriculture” generic experiment proposed by ULJ, please contact info_GEC_UL@digifed.org

DigiFed can also be contacted through its helpdesk info@digifed.org that will ensure that the applicant is put in relation with the right partner and gets answers to its demand.

Where can I submit my proposal?

For DigiFed, proposals are submitted through our dedicated submission portal:

  • For Application Experiment call

Please submit at https://digifed.org/upload-ae/

The proposal includes two documents: a pdf file describing the proposal and a recorded pitch for the business description. Templates and Guidelines are available on the AE open call 3 page.

  • For the Generic experiment call

Each generic experiment call has its own submission portal:

For all generic experiment call, registration and proposal submission are directly online (single page). Do not forget to fill in the digital maturity questionnaire as well.

Be aware that the three generic challenges have different closure date, May 31st and June 6th, 2021.

I discovered an error in my proposal – can I submit it again?

Yes. If you discover an error in your proposal you can at any time – provided the call deadline has not expired – submit a new version of your proposal in our portal. Only the last version received before the call deadline will be considered in the evaluation.

To whom should the innovative company turn with an Appication Experiment project idea?

The innovative companies (applicant) should contact a DigiFed partner, either on a geographical basis or according to the specific expertise. Be aware that DigiFed is implemented in regional DIH (https://digifed.org/about-test/objectives/) where you can find specific information, contact names and tailored advice.

Open call 3 webinars are planned:

Session 1 DigiFed:

Digitising Europe’s industry together: Presentation of the 3rd open call and how to apply 15 April 2021 – 10am CEST

Session 2 Networking App:

How to register efficiently to our networking App 21 April 2021 – 10am CEST

Sessions 3 & 4

Meet DigiFed technical partners

Part 1: 23 April 2021 – 10am CEST

Part 2: 27 April 2021 – 10am CEST

Open Calls 1 & 2 recorded webinars are available on line at https://digifed.org/explore/webinars/.

You can find information about the DigiFed offer (both technical and services), contact point to the DigiFed associated DIHs on the project website.

DigiFed regional DIHs are represented by Minalogic in Grenoble – France (MinaSmart, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region), Digital Catapult in London – the UK, Ikerlan in Bilbao – Spain (The basque country), University of Ljubljana in Ljubljana – Slovenia and BME in Budapest – Hungary.

You are targeting European companies! What does this mean exactly?

Legal entities established in the following countries are eligible to receive funding through this Open Call:

  • Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU), including their overseas departments
  • The EU Associated Countries
  • UK companies remain eligible for grants and procurement procedures as if the UK was a member state for the entirety of the Horizon 2020 framework programme and previous framework programmes. This also applies for to financial support to third parties according to Article 204 FR (cascading grants), and applies for the duration of H2020 projects.

The EU Associated Countries participate in Horizon 2020 under the same conditions as EU Member States. A list with all eligible Associated Countries can be found here:

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/3cpart/h2020-hi-list-ac_en.pdf

Legal entities established in any other country or region cannot receive funding in this open call.

Can a UK based company submit a proposal and receive cascade funding?

Yes, UK companies can submit a proposal and receive cascade funding.

To that question, the European Commission specifically answers “UK companies remain eligible forgrants and procurement procedures as if the UK was a member state for the entirety of the Horizon 2020 framework programme and previous framework programmes. This also applies for to financial support to third parties according to Article 204 FR (cascading grants), and applies for the duration of H2020 projects.”

We are a small company. Can we apply to DigiFed?

Yes. DigiFed is targeting various types of companies from Europe:

  • For Application Experiment call

All participating companies must be able to comply with the specifications and requirements set by the standard AE agreement (available online at https://digifed.org/open-calls/application-experiment/open-call-3/) to be eligible. Be aware that 2 documents are available depending of the project type: SINGLE AE or TWIN AE. If you are unsure, please contact our helpdesk (info@digifed.org) for more details.

  • For Generic Experiment call

The Generic Expriments calls are dedicated to European Startups, SMEs and MidCaps (https://digifed.org/open-calls/generic-experiment/).

All particpating companies muts be able to comply with specifications of the the Generic Experiment Call they are interested in. All requirements are detailed on each call dedicated webpage

under the APPLY IF YOU ARE section.

If you are unsure, please contact the generic Experiment call dedicated helpdesk (info_GEC_BME@digifed.org, info_GEC_IKERLAN@digifed.org, info_GEC_UL@digifed.org) or our helpdesk (info@digifed.org).

I work for one of the DigiFed partners. Can I apply to the open calls?

No. To avoid conflicts of interest, applications will not be accepted from persons or organizations who are partners in the DigiFed consortium or who are formally linked to partners of the consortium.

What are the conditions to apply to DigiFed AE open call?

  • The targeted products shall be in line with Digifed digital scope, addressing any smart application domain – please consult the Guide for Applicants for a more thorough explanation
  • The proposal must target CPS and embedded systems, with emphasis on the interaction with the physical world, including but not limited to following fields: Smart applications, Artificial Intelligence, Connectivity/IoT, Additive manufacturing, Application-specific semiconductor technologies, Heterogeneous integration and smart miniaturized systems, Micro and nano bio-systems, The energy efficiency of systems.
  • Proposals shall be pan-European (EU member states or H2020 associated countries), encouraging cross-border collaboration:
    • With partners/technologies facilitated by the DigiFed team
    • With a techno supplier or a customer (SME/RTO/Midcap/LE in Europe) of your choice.
  • The expected duration of the Application Experiment is 9 to a maximum 12 months. Regardless of its duration, all Application Experiments must be completed by the end of DigiFed – 31.12.2022!

For more information, please consult the Guide for Applicants available on our Website, contact your close DIH partner or contact our helpdesk.

What is the success rate of DigiFed open call?

For DigiFed 1st & 2nd open calls, the success rate was around 20%.

But as it is not possibly to predict with confidence either the number of submitted proposals or their quality, we cannot provide that information. But based on the first 2 open call feedbacks, our offer to guide and support any company to submission of a good quality proposal ensure the feasibility of your proposal when you target either a SINGLE or a TWIN AE, make sure you pass the very first criteria of eligilibility and increase significantly the chance of success.

How will an innovative Company know which is the most appropriate technology platform for the proposed product demonstrator?

The innovative company is advised to contact the helpdesk or a DigiFed partner. Information about the helpdesk (info@digifed.org), DigiFed partners on DigiFed website.

Do you have advice on how we can maximize the chances of our AE proposal to be successful?

Yes. Please consider the checklist below as a helpful tool to maximize the chances of your proposal to be successful:

  1. Does your planned work fit with the call for proposals? Check that your proposal does indeed address the topic in this open call.
  2. Have you contacted the helpdesk or a DigiFed Partner for support? Experience indicates that proposals with engagement before submission are more likely to succeed. Each applicant should contact DigiFed as soon as possible for guidance.
  3. Have you attended the one line webinars? Three webinars are proposed: 1) to propose a general overview of the project and discuss guidelines, 2) to describe the technical bricks and platforms proposed by DigiFed partners. If you missed the webinars, the recorded version is/will be available online at https://digifed.org/explore/webinars/).
  4. Are you aware that online bootcamps are organized locally by DigiFed regional Digital Innovation Hubs for every open call phase? Please have a look at the program on DigiFed website. If you missed them, please contact DigiFed partner or Digifed helpdesk for tailored support and advice.
  5. Does your proposal address the DigiFed technical and services offer? Check that your proposed work does indeed comply with the requirements on the usage of DigiFed offer.
  6. Is your proposal eligible? The eligibility criteria are given in chapter 3 of the Guide for Applicants. Make sure that you satisfy the formal participation requirements (eligible country, written in English, compliance of requested funding with national and EU regulations, no multiple funding possible, etc.).
  7. Readability: Check that your proposal printable and all information (especially in charts, figures etc.) is readable.
  8. Budgetary limits: Check that you comply with the budgetary limits.
  9. Did you use the current template? All proposals have to be based on the current proposal template available on the website.
  10. Is your proposal complete? Have you completed all the mandatory questions?
  11. Does your proposal answer all requests/comments? Proposals should be precise, concise and should answer to requested questions. Omitting requested information will almost certainly lead to lower scores in the evaluation.
  12. Did you maximize your chances? The DigiFed partners can give valuable feedback during the creation of your proposal that can significantly increase the quality of a proposal.
  13. Have you submitted your proposal before the deadline? It is strongly recommended not to wait until the last minute to submit the proposal.

How can I get support for the recorded pitch? Which support will be available?

About the pitch training, DigiFed will set-up a webinar where the guidelines for a business case and how to pitch are explained. The webinar will be recorded and made available on the website.

In the frame of the bootcamps, the pitch training is organized online (https://digifed.org/explore/online-bootcamps/):

Yes, the guidelines explained during the webinar will be made available as well.

How will a DigiFed partner providing technical offer support me?

This will be discussed between the innovative company and the associated DigiFed partner and then reflected in the annex of the Standard agreement (Specific application experiment agreement, for a SINGLE AE, for a TWIN AE with technical support (with one low-digitalized company).

Who will decide which advanced technology will an innovative company work with?

The definition of this collaboration is part of the submitted proposal. In order to define the most adequate solution for the proposal, the innovative company can rely on DigiFed partner for advice and help to build the proposal. Please contact DigiFed consortium through the helpdesk or the DigiFed partners.

Does the proposed idea have to interact with the physical world, or could it be all ICT (all online)?

DigiFed is promoting Cyber-Physical and Embedded Systems. Consequently, it is desirable to engage with the proposals that offer interactions with the physical world.

Simultaneously, DigiFed is open to proposals from a range of fields (as specified in the call). Thus, proposals that do not have direct interaction with the physical world are also eligible if they are developing solutions that are to be applied in the CPS world.

The proposers should anyhow consider early interactions with the DigiFed partners to tailor their solutions for the market needs and to jointly analyse the technology and business impact.

In case of a twin AE, how can I get help to find the matching partner?

Bootcamps are the perfect place to present your idea and be in contact with DigiFed partners to support you in finding the matching company.

DigiFed is now proposing the Networking App to foster networking and matchmaking. Do not miss the dedicated webinar on 21 April 2021 – 10am CEST.

Do not hesitate to contact DigiFed partners, regional Digital Innovation Hub closest to you or our helpdesk (info@digifed.org) exposing your idea and what you are looking for. We will support you during the matching phase.

How can I assess the digital maturity level of my company to make sure that I am entitled to submit a TWIN AE with one low-digitalized company?

The Digifed questionnaire (https://digifed.org/digital-transformation-survey/) can be used as a self-assement tool to assess the digital maturity of any SME (not mandatory).

We are a SME company and we are interested in submitting a TWIN proposal. In a Twin AE, can the second entity in the 2-member consortium be a techno supplier or a customer (SME/RTO/Midcap/LE in Europe) of our choice (based in another eligible country) or does it have to be a start-up/SME/Mid-cap only ?

TWIN AE is addressing cross-border partnership between start-up/SME/mid-cap and  start-up/SME/mid-cap/LE/RTO/University:

  • the TWIN proposal must be at least supported by one Start-up/SME/Mid-cap
  • it can include a University/RTO/LE as a second partner (LE=Large Enterprise)
  • only start-up/SME/mid-cap can receive cascade funding.

Therefore, if two SMEs are involved in the TWIN AE, each of the SMEs will received cascade funding (70% funding rate, 50 k€ max) if the proposal is selected.

In case of a TWIN AE involving one SME and one University, only the SME will receive cascade funding.

We are two companies wanting to submit a proposal together and very interested in one of DigiFed technology services. Is it possible? How? Which AE?

You can target a SINGLE AE with two companies and a DigiFed technology support. The rules to follow to ensure enligibility are:

  • The total Cascade funding for this AE will be limited to 50 k€ (SINGLE AE model) and split between the 2 companies
  • The cross-border rule must be applied as: the main company (leading the AE) has to be cross-border with the DigiFed Technology Partner.

If one of the 2 SMEs is a low-digitalized SME, you can target a TWIN AE with the possibility to request additional optional support of a DigiFed Technical partner according to the Technology offer of the current call:

  • The total cascade funding for this AE is 100K€ maximum to be splitted between the 2 companies (TWIN model) and additional technical support can be provided by a Digifed partner (derived from SINGLE technical support).
  • The cross-border rule must be applied between the two companies, whatever the Digifed partner’s country.

We are a SME company interested in submitting a SINGLE proposal. But we would like to make a partnership with two DigiFed technology services (partners). Is it possible? How?

You can target a SINGLE AE with two DigiFed technology partners. The rules to follow to ensure eligibility are:

  • As SINGLE AE, the cascade funding you can receive is limited to 50 k€.
  • The cross-border rule must be apply as: your SME should be cross-border with a least one of the DigiFed partners and this cross-border partner will be tour monitoring partner.
  • Partnerships between more than 2 DigiFed technology partners will not be accepted for a SINGLE AE.

We are three companies wanting to submit a proposal together. It is possible? What are the conditions?

For TWIN application experiment, there is the possibility to include a third party as subcontractor up to 15% of the proposed cascade funding (most viable option).

Another option, which has to be duly justified and explained, is to include three companies in the TWIN application experiment. Yet, the cross-border rule (at least 2 different countries) must apply and the total cascade funding remains the same (up to 100k €) and shared between the 3 companies ( repartition has to be detailed and explained).

Partnerships between more than 3 companies will not be accepted for a TWIN AE.

How much money can an innovative company ask to support the proposed AE? What types of costs are eligible?

For each proposed project, an innovative company can ask for funding corresponding to 70% of the total budget. The maximum funding for one project is 50 k€. The maximum funding for all experiments that the innovative company is involved in over the DigiFed project duration (and for at least two granted projects) is 100 k€. In an Application Experiment, the following costs are eligible:

  • Direct personnel Costs.
  • ATTENTION: The personnel costs are to be consumed by the workforce in the country where the Third Party that has been granted the fund is registered (a transfer of funds to affiliated or associated organisations is not allowed and would fall within the subcontracting rules).
  • Other direct costs (for example materials, travel costs -technical meetings, dissemination activities etc. – but only inside Europe)
  • Indirect costs – up to 25% of all direct costs
  • Subcontracting – up to 15% of the proposed cascade funding

Please keep in mind that all budgeted costs must comply with the applicable national law on taxes, labor and social security, and must be in compliance with the rules and conditions laid out in Council and Parliament decisions relevant to the H2020 framework programme, in particular – but not exclusively – “REGULATION (EU) No 1290/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 December 2013″.

The maximum total cascade funding that may be allocated to any individual legal entity via open calls from any H2020 I4MS (ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs) or SAE (Smart Anything Everywhere) cannot exceed 100 k€ (including any potential DigiFed funding).

What are the financial support conditions for an AE?

The financial support to Applicants covers the R&D work. This comes in addition to the collaboration, support and assistance provided by the DigiFed partners.

Cascade funding: who is invoiced by the granted company?

The DigiFed monitoring Partners will support and will serve as a “single” point of contact for the third parties during the execution of the selected Application Experiments.

  • For SINGLE AE, the monitoring partner will be the competence one bringing the technical expertise.
  • For TWIN AE, the monitoring partner will be part of DigiFed consortium and will make sure that the work plan is followed and that the milestones are reached, and the deliverables validated and submitted.
  • For TWIN AE with one low-digitalized company requiring additional DigiFed technical support, the monitoring partner will be the DigiFed technical partner.

The monitoring partner will then refer to CEA, DigiFed cascade funding partner and thus the one in charge of transferring the cascade funding budget, in agreement with the standard AE agreement.

How many projects can an innovative company submit?

An innovative company can submit as many projects as it wishes (no limitation in project number) as long as the restrictions on the requested budget are met: max of 50 k€ cascade funding per project and max of 100 k€ cascade funding per company if two or more projects are submitted.

An innovative company can submit proposals to both AE open call 3 and one or more Genneric Application calls, as long as the cascade funding budget rules are respected:

  • Maximum cascade funding for AE is 50 k€
  • And Funding per Generic experiment call is 5 k€
  • And Maximum cascade funding received the company is limited to 100 k€ (through SAE and I4MS H2020 projects).

What are the schedule and the size of the cascade funding payments for the third party?

  • For Application Experiment call

When the standard agreement is signed and the project starts (kick-off meeting), the third party (i.e. open calls’ selected applicant) receives a prepayment of 50% of the cascade funding. The second half of the cascade funding will be paid after the final review of the project, as detailed in the periodic report.

  • For Generic Experiment call

When the standard agreement is signed by the selected Third Party and within 60 days from the notice date of its selection as a Generic Experiment Selected Third Party, the selected Third Party shall receive the cascade funding.

How is the IP working? Is there any NDA to be signed?

  • For Application Experiment call

All partners involved in a funded and implemented Application Experiment will sign a Standard Agreement before the Application Experiment starts. All information of whatever nature and in whatever form or mode of communication, which is disclosed by a Party to any other during the implementation of the Application Experiment and which has been explicitly marked as “confidential” at the time of disclosure, or when disclosed orally, has been identified as confidential at the time of disclosure and has been confirmed and designated in writing within fifteen (15) calendar days from oral disclosure, is “Confidential Information” and shall not be disclosed to any other third party.

For more details please refer to the standard agreement available on line:

  • For Generic Experiment call

All partners involved in a Generic Experiment will sign a dedicated Standard Contract before the Generic Experiment starts and engage to share their feedback on the GE technical results and on the GE community organisation.

For more details please refer to the standard agreement available on line for each Generic Experiment Call

  • Energy-efficient smart LED lighting” Generic experiment call by BME: soon available
  • “Trust Platform for Digital Assets Management” generic experiment by Ikerlan: HERE
  • “IoT prototyping in agriculture” generic experiment by ULJ: soon available

In case of Application Experiment call, do the consortium partners take ownership of some of the development?

Each partner of the standard agreement keeps its own IP; the DigiFed partner and the applicant company respectively.

In case there is a need of IP transfer after the project, a bilateral contract between the involved parties will be signed to define the exploitation rules after the application experiement.

More details in the standard agreement available on line

Are there any DigiFed events or meetings that the third party (i.e. open calls’ selected applicants) needs to attend? If so, is the cost included in the cascade funding?

Yes, the third party (i.e. open calls’ selected applicants) may need to attend some DigiFed events for dissemination. To include the cost in the cascade funding, such budget needs to be discussed project to project as (and when) the expenses have not always been included in the proposal budget.

How does invoicing work for the sub-contractor(s) hired by the third party (i.e. open calls’ selected applicants) to conduct the agreed work?

The third-party (i.e. AE open calls’ selected applicants) pays for it. Every sub-contract must already be included in the budget in the proposal. Sub-contracting must be limited to up to 15% of the proposed cascade funding to be eligible.

Is a proposal project subject to redefinition afterwards?

No. The projects are accepted as they are described in the submitted proposal. There is no a posteriori negotiation.

Is it possible to use the cascade funding for retroactive payments (AE)?

No. The funding cannot be used for retroactive payments. It must correspond to work done during the timeline of the application experiment (as submitted).

Regarding the funding conditions for an innovative company, how are eligible direct salary costs calculated and what indirect costs may be covered (AE budget)?

The standard H2020 rules are applied (e.g. 25% for indirect costs).

What is the expected timeline of an innovative company project proposal selection?

  • For Application Experiment call

The evaluation process is meant to last 7 weeks. Then the evaluation report is submitted to the EC for review of the selected projects by the European Commission for 1 week. Therefore DigiFed will communicate the result of each proposal back to the innovative company 8 weeks after the end of the call. For the AE open call 3, selection results will be available on August. 6th, 2021.

  • For Generic Experiment call

The Generic experiment calls’ results will be available in June 2021. Precised date will be announced later on.

Who will decide if a proposed project will be supported or not?

All AE proposals submitted on time will be evaluated throughout an evaluation procedure described in the Guide for Applicants (external experts, business case evaluation and internal evaluation committee, HERE). It will result in the selection of the proposals that will be supported and therefore funded on the base of DigiFed cascade funding process.

For the Application experiment call, if a proposal is rejected, can the project be resubmitted?

Yes, if a project proposal is not accepted at one open call, the innovative company can resubmit an improved version of the proposal at one of the following open calls, if any.

There were webinars explaining the process for the first two open calls. Will there be more webinars in the future?

Yes. There will be dedicated webinars for the open calls in the future. Check our website regularly to keep up to date. In the meantime, a video of the webinar for the first call was recorded. You can watch it anytime on our webinar section of the website (https://digifed.org/explore/webinars/). The slides from our presentation can be downloaded there too.

Second open call on line bootcamps program is available at OnLine Bootcamps.

Bootcamps are explaining the process for the first two open calls. Will there be more bootcamps in the future?

Yes. There will be more bootcamps for the following open calls in the future.

Check our website regularly to keep up to date with the agenda, at OnLine Bootcamps.

Is it mandatory to attend the bootcamps to participate in the open calls?

No, this is not mandatory. It is strongly recommended to attend a bootcamp, especially if there is one organized close to you. The information given during a bootcamp will be available on the website through the open call-related documents (https://digifed.org/open-calls/) and the webinars available online (https://digifed.org/explore/webinars/).

In any case do not hesitate to contact DigiFed consortium through the helpdesk (info@digifed.org), direct contact with the partners, attending bootcamps, contacting DigiFed regional DIHs for further discussion.