Selected SMEs and DIHs will receive up to €120,000 to implement their innovative experiment concept, along with training, and mentoring.
Berlin, Rotterdam, Warsaw – May 12, 2021 – i4Trust is looking for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), slightly bigger companies and Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) that are implementing innovative services based on data sharing to apply for its first Open Call, which launches today. These services are essential for the development of a European Data Space that will materialize a successful Data Economy.
i4Trust is issuing two open calls, during which a total of 32 proposals (16 per open call) will be selected to receive funding along with mentoring and training support. The selected consortia – formed by one DIH and at least three SMEs – will be supported by i4Trust to implement the experiment idea – like testing, piloting, and scaling up – that demonstrates how already existing processes can be improved or new innovative services can be created by secure and effective B2B data sharing among multiple companies using i4Trust.
“The goal is to boost the creation of ‘data spaces’ to support a trusted and effective data sharing among enterprises across the most diverse sectors and of all sizes. Data holds tremendous potential for societies and economies. When disclosed and shared, data can stimulate economic growth, better decision-making, more transparency and efficiency, as well as higher quality of life and more inclusive societies”, says Juanjo Hierro, Chief Technology Officer at FIWARE Foundation and the i4Trust coordinator.
In today’s digital world, ensuring both a secure data exchange and an easy combination of data across diverse value networks is the key to sustainable and cost-effective smart services, innovative value propositions and automated business processes.
Open Call benefits
The SMEs and DIHs selected for i4Trust’s first Open Call will receive up to €120,000 per consortium to design and execute their business case that offers potential socio-economic gains for data sharing and re-use in many applications. They will join a 9-month tailored mentoring programme with other SMEs, DIHs and technology partners that are collaborating on the creation of data spaces.
The i4Trust Data Sharing Mentoring Programme includes:
- Guidance on refining the proposed use-case definition
- Financial support of up to €120,000 per selected experiment
- Mentoring support for workforce re-skilling/up-skilling
- Mentoring support relating to legal, operational, technical and business aspects
- Support relating to i4Trust technologies
By helping SMEs to work more efficiently and cost-effectively as well as facilitating collaboration with other parties from multiple sectors, i4Trust will help these SMEs to create new services for their current customers, secure new ones or enter new markets around data value chains.
Who are we looking for?
In this very first Open Call, the i4Trust initiative is looking for 16 experiments composed of one DIH and at least three SMEs. To be eligible for the i4Trust Open Call, SMEs and DIHs must be registered in one of the following countries: the Member States of the European Union, Associated Countries to H2020, or/and the United Kingdom. They have to submit an experiment based on a concrete business case that boosts the potential benefits of data sharing and re-use in many applications.
Deadline for the applications
i4Trust’s first Open Call remains open until 6 September (14:00 CEST), with the selected consortia expected to start working in the last quarter of 2021. To apply for the Open Call, visit the official Open Call website.
Applicants who have any questions or need further clarification about the application process – or the Open Call itself – can join the i4Trust Community or contact the i4Trust Open Call Helpdesk.
About the i4Trust
A joint initiative between FIWARE, iSHARE and FundingBox, i4Trust was launched in October 2020. i4Trust’s value proposition will be demonstrated via 32 incubator experiments involving hundreds of SMEs and 32 Digital Innovation Hubs, spanning across a variety of regions and sectors in Europe. In total, the initiative will mobilise 5.8 million euros to boost data sharing and facilitate SME innovation capability through the creation of data spaces. For further information, visit the website.
Press Contact
Val De Oliveira: valdirene.deoliveira@fiware.org.
