Through three open calls, this funding will enable the specialists to promote the European Standardisation System (ESS) and European standards in partner countries/regions for select ICT/digital technologies, thereby creating opportunities for capacity building as well as strengthening and promoting Europe’s position and vision in global standardisation initiatives.

Priority Topics

• European Standardisation System, NLF, AI, 5G and beyond, loT and its security aspects, internet, cybersecurity, data, eID, quantum, distributed ledger technologies (DLT), circular economy or smart cities), Data Protection.

2nd Open Call Topic Priorities

• Applications that address any of the topics mentioned below, linked to digital/ICT standards in target countries/regions (see above), will be considered of equal validity and merit during the evaluation process.
• All projects should refer to the Multi-Stakeholder Platform Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and other relevant EU policy papers and initiatives.
• Given the overall scope of the core of the InDiCo-Global project, calls should ideally address a combination of EU-relevant ICT/Digital policy agendas, international cooperation principles and technical topics.
• Project proposals are requested for the following topic priorities, with a focus on tangible outcomes, in the following sections:
  • Training (targeting implementers, administrations, help for use in public procurement) on:
    • e-ID/Trust Services,
    • IPRs,
    • e-Accessibility in, e.g., China, ASEAN, Africa and LAC.
    • Train the trainer approach in LAC on market access requirements related to DPP and, e.g., Consumer IoT, eGovernment, eID, Digital Wallet, Data Governance, AI.
  • Hackathons (oneM2M, MEC, NFV, etc.) and developer events pivoting around the application of European standards
  • Proof of concepts on the implementation of European standards (proposals to be validated before submission)
  • Promotion of:
    • EN 303 645 (Consumer IoT Security)
    • Approaches to Data Protection aligned with GDPR principles
    • Open Data principles and practices in LAC, building on European experiences
  • Workshops on:
    • 5G/6G (e.g., at IMC 2026)
    • Consumer IoT security
    • Certification of ICT products
    • Green and inclusive digitalization (i.e., inclusive standards and technical policies for circular ICT products and digital infrastructure & societal aspects)
  • Standards meetings (proposals to be validated before submission)
    • Organization and hosting of European Standardization Events/Meetings
    • Participation of Observers in European Standardization Events/Meetings

Funding Information

• In accordance with Article 137 of the Financial Regulation No 966/2012 on Financial Support to Third Parties, the maximum amount to be granted to each Third Party may not exceed € 50.000 (fifty thousand euro). In practice, an individual beneficiary may apply and be awarded funding (Financial Support to Third Parties) under different calls but cannot exceed an overall total limit of € 50.000 (fifty thousand euros) in funding.

Eligible Costs

• Eligible costs that will be reimbursed are:
  • personnel costs;
  • equipment costs;
  • travel costs (calculate travel costs on the EC website)
  • subsistence costs (check EU's subsistence and hotel ceiling here);
  • other direct costs (e.g., hosting costs, dissemination costs);
  • subcontracting costs;

Geographical Scope

• India, China, Southeast Asia, African Union, Latin America and Caribbean (LAC), Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership.

Who can receive financial support?

• Potential applicants to InDiCo-Global’s Open Calls must be legal entities based in European Union Member States and Associate Countries or in the countries within the targeted geographies of InDiCo-Global, excluding China and Belarus.
• To avoid double-funding, any proposed activities already financed through other means or instruments will be rejected. However, co-funding of the submitted proposal is permissible.

For more information, visit  InDiCo-Global.