Any robotics SME or Startup (individually or in a consortia of up to three organisations) established at least one year prior to submission, and from an eligible EU or associated country. In the case of a consortium, all participating companies must meet the eligibility criteria.

The Open Call is targeted only at commercial SMEs. Public organisations, NGOs or research organisations are not eligible. They also cannot participate in consortia, even if the other partners in the consortium are SMEs or Startups. The applicants are encouraged to find other ways of cooperating with those organisations in pursuit of the objectives set out in their proposals.

Each project can request a budget of up to €200,000. SMEs will receive a grant amounting to up to 70% of the project budget (maximum €140,000). Startups will receive a grant amounting to 100% of their project budget (up to €200,0000).

The SOPRANO Open Call will regard a company as a Startup provided the company fulfils all of the following requirements:

• Established for at least 1 year but not more than 5 years before the date of submission of the application

• Headcount of less than 50 as measured in Annual Work Units (i.e. Full-Time Equivalents)

• Meets the definition of an SME according to the following EU guidelines: European Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC

A consortium in which not all partners are Startups will receive funding according to the eligibility of each consortium member. Startups will receive a grant amounting to 100% of their share of the project budget, while SMEs will receive up to 70% of their share of the project budget. The maximum combined funding for a consortium is €200,000.

In order to be eligible, applicants must have been registered at least 1 year before the submission of their application. Applicants that have been registered during May 2024 and apply during May 2025 will be considered if they will have completed their first full year by the time when the evaluation procedures begin.

In case of partner enterprises and linked enterprises, a more complex calculation needs to be made to determine the company’s economic situation and to determine if it is an SME.

A compulsory SME definition is provided in the SOPRANO Guidelines for Applicants and we advise these be carefully read, as well as the Commission Regulation No 651/2014, art. 2.18 and the related Guide. Specifically, the latter related Guide will provide ample information on how to ascertain your SME status.

Only SMEs complying with the Commission Regulation are eligible for this Open Call. At the contracting stage, an SME Declaration will be signed and submitted by the applicants that are selected for funding.

Costs for contributions of a subcontractor that assists in carrying out the proposed tasks may be included in the application budget. Their share in the total budget can vary depending on the nature of the tasks and other considerations. However, as specified in the proposal templates, subcontracting should cover only a limited part of the work.

Applicants are reminded that the Open Call funding is focused towards industrial SMEs/Startups for adoption of SOPRANO technologies and industrial demonstrations so the majority of proposed funding should be directed towards tasks carried out by industrial organisations.

It is strongly advised that applicants describe and justify in the proposal any planned subcontracting. The proposal's implementation plan and the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the budget (including any subcontracting costs) will be subject to evaluation.

Preferred industrial sectors are:

• Logistics

• Healthcare

• Packaging

• Metal/Machining

• Plastic/Moulding

• Electronics

Proposals from other sectors are welcome if they demonstrate strong human–robot collaboration scenarios.

Duration of funded projects will be 16 months — from mid-July 2025 to mid-November 2026.

Yes - you can create a new demonstrator or enhance an existing robotics solution using SOPRANO technologies, as long as it addresses an MH-MR (Multi-Human–Multi-Robot) scenario and represents a significant innovation.

1. Review the official Guidelines for Applicants

2. Register or login to your F6S account

3. Submit your proposal via the F6S platform before the deadline 14 May 2025, 17:00 CEST

The proposal evaluation phase runs until mid-June 2025, and sub-grant agreements will be signed by mid-July 2025.

The SOPRANO team and assigned experts will provide technical and business guidance throughout the project. You will also participate in at least one physical meeting for hands-on feedback and networking.

The SOPRANO Open Call is competitive and multiple applications are generally not recommended. Up to two applications per entity (and its affiliated or linked enterprises) can be evaluated. In case an entity and its affiliated or linked enterprises have submitted or participate in more than two proposals, only the last two proposals (as per the timestamp of submission on the F6S platform) will be evaluated.

Any entity (and its affiliated or linked enterprises), applying solely or as part of a consortium, may only be funded for one project. In case an entity and its affiliated or linked enterprises have submitted or participate in two evaluated proposals in the Open Call and both proposals have been short-listed for funding, only the proposal with the higher score will be accepted for funding.

No - proposals should be submitted through the online application form. Proposals submitted by other means will not be evaluated. Please be mindful of the deadline for applications: 14 May 2025, 17:00 CEST. The platform will not accept submissions after that date and hour.

No - proposals must be submitted in English. Proposals submitted in other languages will not be evaluated. Please be mindful of the requirement that your key personnel involved in the project should be comfortable communicating in English, as this is the only language for communication with the SOPRANO consortium and during the SOPRANO Open Call programme.

Yes - applicants are advised to consult the model Sub-Grant Agreement that they will need to sign before receiving funding.

Yes - a summary of the proposals and the applicants will be shared with the European Commission. The SOPRANO project will also publish a list with the successful applicants from the Open Call including basic information about the company and the amount of funding received.