To be eligible for the JARVIS OC2: External Pilots call, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Consortium Composition:

• Micro-consortia: Composed of a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of three (3) legal entities.
• Mandatory Roles: The consortium must cover three functional roles, fulfilled by two or three participating organisations:
  • Lead Partner: Technology Developer (Mandatory): Must be a technology startup or Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME). This entity is the primary innovator, lead developer, and main technology exploiter. In a two-partner consortium, this entity also performs the "Technology Integrator" role.
  • Partner 2: Use Case Provider (Mandatory): Must be an industrial company and infrastructure owner, capable of providing the operational environment for testing and validation. This entity defines the use case and operational requirements.

  Note: The Technology Developer and Use Case Provider must be represented by distinct entities.

• Optional Role:
  • Partner 3: Technology Integrator (Optional): Can be a Technology Startup, SME, or Research and Technology Organisation (RTO), dedicated to the seamless integration of JARVIS components.

Legal and Geographical Eligibility:

• Legal Establishment: All participating entities must be legally established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.
• VAT Number: Must hold a valid VAT number (or equivalent national tax identifier) at the time of application.
• SME Eligibility: SMEs and Start-ups must have been established at least one year before the submission of the application and comply with the EU definition (Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC), meaning a headcount of less than 250 and either an annual turnover of ≤€50 million OR an annual balance sheet total of ≤€43 million.

Funding and Application Rules:

• Cumulative Funding Cap: Entities successfully funded under JARVIS Open Call 1 (OC1) are eligible, but the maximum total financial support a single legal entity can receive across all JARVIS Open Calls is €200,000. Proposals exceeding this cap will be deemed ineligible.
• No Double Funding: Proposals must ensure no risk of double funding for the same activity from the EU budget.
• Multiple Submissions: Only one (1) proposal per team will be accepted. An entity can be granted funding only once. If an entity is part of multiple submissions across both simultaneous JARVIS Open Calls (Co-development and External Pilots), all proposals involving that entity will be automatically declared ineligible.
• Language: The entire proposal and all required documentation must be submitted only in English.
• Conflict of Interest: Applications will not be accepted from persons or organisations who are partners in the JARVIS consortium or formally linked to them. Winning applicants must declare no potential conflicts of interest.
• EU Sanctions: Entities subject to EU restrictive measures are ineligible.

Thematic Alignment:

• Eligible Challenges: Applicants must apply to one of the five eligible challenges listed in Section 3.1 of the guidelines.

Submission Requirements:

• Submission Platform: Proposals must be submitted electronically via the F6S platform.
• Deadline: Proposals must be submitted between 1st April 2026 at 00:00 CET and 10th July 2026 at 17:00 CET.
• Official Template: Proposals must strictly follow the provided official Proposal Templates and adhere to page limits.

The application and selection process for the JARVIS OC2: External Pilots is structured into three main phases, followed by contracting and a structured programme implementation.

Application Submission

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the F6S platform at https://www.f6s.com/jarvis-oc2-external-pilots/apply. The submission window is from 1st April 2026 at 00:00 CET to 10th July 2026 at 17:00 CET. Only one proposal per team is accepted, and an entity can be granted funding only once across all JARVIS Open Calls.

Evaluation and Selection Phases

1. Phase 1 - Eligibility Check: The JARVIS Open Call Management Team verifies proposals against the eligibility criteria. Non-eligible applicants are informed without additional feedback.
2. Phase 2 - External Evaluation of Eligible Proposals: Each eligible proposal is assigned to two independent external evaluators. They individually score proposals (0-5 per criterion) based on defined assessment dimensions. A Consensus Report is prepared, and a Consensus Meeting is held if significant discrepancies exist. Proposals scoring less than 3 points in any individual criterion or less than 15 points overall are rejected. An Intermediate Ranking & Panel Meeting then validates the ranking, applying tie-breaking rules (overall score, Concept & Innovation, Impact, Consortium/Applicant Team, lower funding request, gender/accessibility/inclusion impact). Up to two top-quality proposals per challenge are shortlisted for the next stage.
3. Phase 3 - Online Interview: Shortlisted applicants participate in a 30-45 minute online interview with internal evaluators from the JARVIS Consortium. Applicants present their project (approx. 15 minutes) and answer questions. Failure to commit to the submitted proposal content during the interview leads to disqualification.

Final Selection and Contracting

After the online interviews, proposals are ranked based on average scores from both external evaluation and interviews. Five proposals (ideally one per challenge) will be selected for contracting. All eligible applicants receive an Evaluation Summary Report (ESR).

Redress Process

Proposers may submit a request for redress within 3 working days of receiving an ESR or rejection letter if they believe eligibility checks were incorrectly applied or evaluation shortcomings affected the decision.

Post-Selection Administrative Check & Contracting

Selected applicants enter a contracting sprint where administrative and financial details are verified. This includes providing legal existence proof, a Consortium Declaration of Honour, SME declaration, and bank account information. Each third-party project signs a Sub-Grant Agreement (SGA) under the lump sum model. The SGA is non-negotiable, with the proposal template serving as the Implementation Plan annex.

Programme Implementation (10-Month Sprints)

The funded programme is structured into three consecutive sprints, with payments tied to their successful completion and review:

Payments are processed within approximately 40 working days following positive review outcomes. Rejected deliverables require revision, and repeated unsatisfactory outcomes may lead to project termination.

The evaluation and selection process for the JARVIS OC2: External Pilots is structured into three phases, ensuring a thorough assessment of proposals.

Phase 1 - Eligibility Check

The JARVIS Open Call Management Team conducts an initial eligibility check against criteria such as submission platform, deadline, beneficiary type, SME status, geographical eligibility, consortium composition, funding limits, language, legal status, template adherence, completeness, thematic alignment, exclusion from funding, multiple submissions, conflict of interest, and EU sanctions. Ineligible proposals are rejected without further feedback.

Phase 2 - External Evaluation of Eligible Proposals

Eligible proposals are assigned to two independent external evaluators who assess them remotely based on four criteria. Each criterion is scored on a scale from 0 to 5, with decimal points allowed. For each assessment dimension within a criterion, 1 point is awarded for clear satisfaction, 0.5 for partial addressing, and 0 for inadequate or no addressing.

Evaluation Criteria and Assessment Dimensions:

Scoring Scale:

• 0 = Fail: Fails to address or cannot be judged.
• 1 = Poor: Inadequately addressed or serious inherent weaknesses.
• 2 = Fair: Broadly addresses but significant weaknesses.
• 3 = Good: Addresses well but shortcomings present.
• 4 = Very good: Addresses very well, minor shortcomings.
• 5 = Excellent: Successfully addresses all relevant aspects, minor shortcomings.

Consensus and Thresholds:

Individual Evaluation Reports (IERs) are consolidated into an Evaluation Summary Report (ESR). A Consensus Meeting is held if scores differ significantly. Proposals scoring less than 3 points in any individual criterion or less than 15 points overall in their ESR are rejected.

Intermediate Ranking & Panel Meeting:

Proposals are ranked per Challenge based on final consensus scores. Tie-breaking rules are applied sequentially:

1. Overall score.
2. Score for Criterion 1 (Concept & Innovation).
3. Score for Criterion 2 (Impact).
4. Score for Criterion 4 (Consortium/Applicant Team and Use of Resources).
5. Lower funding request.
6. Addressing gender/accessibility/inclusion impact.

A panel meeting validates the ranking, aiming to select up to two top-quality proposals per challenge for the next phase.

Phase 3 - Online Interview

Shortlisted applicants participate in a 30-45 minute online interview with internal evaluators from the JARVIS Consortium. The interview assesses the proposal's quality, excellence, expected impact, exploitation potential, work plan, and applicant quality. Applicants must commit to their submitted proposal; any deviation may lead to disqualification.

Final Ranking and Selection

After the interviews, proposals are ranked based on the average scores from both the external remote evaluation and the online interviews. Five proposals (one per challenge, if applicable) will be selected for contracting.

Redress Process

A proposer may submit a request for redress within 3 working days of receiving an ESR or rejection letter if they believe there was a shortcoming in the eligibility check or evaluation process that may affect the final decision.

The JARVIS OC2: External Pilots track offers significant financial support under a clear funding model and payment schedule.

Total Funding and Project Allocation:

• The JARVIS project will invest a total of €650,000 to support third parties in this Open Call track.
• Each selected project can receive funding of up to €130,000.
• The call aims to support five projects in total.

Funding Model:

• The financial support is provided under a 'lump sum model'. This means payments are made upon the successful delivery of expected outputs and results, rather than based on detailed cost reporting.

Payment Schedule:

Payments are distributed in three instalments, contingent on the successful completion and review of deliverables and results associated with each project Sprint:

Payments are typically processed within forty (40) working days following a positive review outcome. The third instalment is executed after the final deliverables are approved by the JARVIS consortium and once the JARVIS consortium receives its final payment from the European Commission.

Eligible Costs (Financed by the Grant):

The grant is intended to finance:

• Work performed by employees of the third-party.
• Investment in software/hardware (only the value associated with its depreciation).
• Travels associated with the project deployment or JARVIS activities.
• Participation in events/conferences and promotion campaigns associated with JARVIS.

Funding Organisation:

• LMS, as the coordinator of the JARVIS project and handler of the FSTP budget, is the sole organisation responsible for making payments to the third parties. Funds will be secured in a dedicated account.

Checks and Reviews:

While beneficiaries have no obligation to document costs incurred for the action under the lump sum model, the European Commission (EC) may arrange for checks and reviews focusing on the technical implementation of the action. In cases of delays, incomplete implementation, or deviations from the approved project plan, a financial report or other justification of costs may be required by F6S.

The JARVIS OC2: External Pilots call is designed to foster collaboration through specific consortium structures and a dedicated mentoring programme.

Consortium Structure:

Applicants must form micro-consortia composed of a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of three (3) legal entities. The structure must balance technical innovation with real-world industrial application.

• Mandatory Core (Minimum 2 Entities):
  • Lead Partner: Technology Developer: Must be a technology startup or SME, acting as the primary innovator, lead developer, and main technology exploiter. In a two-partner consortium, this entity also performs the "Technology Integrator" role.
  • Partner 2: Use Case Provider: Must be an industrial company and infrastructure owner, providing the operational environment for testing and validation, defining use cases, and participating in solution validation.

  Note: The Technology Developer and Use Case Provider must be distinct entities.

• Optional Third Partner (Maximum 3 Entities total):
  • Partner 3: Technology Integrator: Can be a Technology Startup, SME, or Research and Technology Organisation (RTO), dedicated to the seamless integration of JARVIS components into the pilot environment.

Mentoring and Support:

Selected projects will be supported by a dedicated JARVIS Mentoring Team, comprising:

• Innovation Mentor (IME): The main contact point, providing inputs on innovation and technical aspects.
• SSH Mentor (SSM): Ensures the solution is market-fit, user-centric, and aligned with societal and regulatory considerations, leveraging insights from social sciences and humanities.

The JARVIS consortium partners, including technical providers and research institutions, will mentor the selected projects.

Data Sharing:

While results and data generated by third parties remain their property, the JARVIS consortium is granted a non-exclusive right to use such data for project validation, reporting, benchmarking, and dissemination. Non-sensitive datasets may also be requested to be shared with the consortium and uploaded to the AI-on-Demand platform, in accordance with the JARVIS Data Management Plan.

The funded programme for External Pilots is a 10-month structured development process, divided into three consecutive Sprints, designed to progressively mature the proposed solutions.

Programme Sprints:

1. Sprint 1 - Requirements (2 months): This initial sprint focuses on finalizing the implementation plan. Beneficiaries must define key requirements, the roadmap for development and deployment, system architecture, and the integration concept with the selected JARVIS module. Deliverables include a Sprint 1 Report detailing adopter requirements, technical specifications, baseline technologies, and a roadmap, along with a one-pager dissemination material.
2. Sprint 2 - Development & Deployment (6 months): This is the core development phase. Beneficiaries implement functionalities, integrate the JARVIS module, and deploy a system prototype in a relevant environment (targeting TRL6). Activities include initial integration testing and operational data collection. Deliverables are a Sprint 2 Report, a video demonstration of the prototype at TRL6, and at least two social media posts.
3. Sprint 3 - Integrate & Validate (2 months): The final sprint focuses on full system integration and validation in the intended operational environment (targeting TRL7). This includes system demonstrations, user validation studies with at least five participants, and assessment of exploitation pathways. Deliverables comprise a Final Report with achieved results and exploitation outline, a publishable video of the TRL7 demonstration, and a publishable summary of achievements.

Programme-Level Joint Activities:

• Participation in Events: Beneficiaries must participate in various events (audio/video calls, webinars, online training, virtual and physical conferences) organized or suggested by the JARVIS Consortium throughout the three sprints.
• JARVIS Mentoring Programme: Each selected project benefits from a comprehensive support package, including tailored mentoring for solution deployment and expert guidance for JARVIS module integration. A dedicated JARVIS Mentoring Team includes an Innovation Mentor (IME) as the main contact point and an SSH Mentor (SSM) to ensure market fit, user-centricity, and alignment with societal/regulatory considerations. An Internal Evaluator (IEV) independently assesses progress.
• Technical Integration: All JARVIS module integrations must be implemented using ROS2-compatible communication mechanisms, and applicants' system architectures must be capable of interfacing with ROS2-based components.

Applicants must address ethical and security considerations through a self-assessment checklist and declarations within the application process.

ANNEX I: ETHICS SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

The proposal template includes an Ethics Self-Assessment Checklist where applicants must indicate 'YES' or 'NO' for various ethical issues:

ANNEX II: SECURITY

Applicants must also indicate if their project will involve:

• Activities or results raising security issues: (YES/NO)
• 'EU-classified information' as background or results: (YES/NO)
• Any potential 'dual use' of results: (YES/NO)

Data Protection and Confidentiality:

Applicants are required to accept the programme conditions and confirm they have read the privacy policy (available at https://www.f6s.com/privacy-policy-participants) and agree to the processing of their personal data for these purposes. Furthermore, applicants accept that the information provided in their proposal can be shared by F6S with the JARVIS consortium and appointed external evaluators for the purposes of managing the open call.

The JARVIS OC2: External Pilots call places strong emphasis on a multi-actor approach, interdisciplinarity, and the integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) to ensure human-centric and impactful solutions.

Multi-Actor Approach:

• Consortium Structure: The call mandates a micro-consortium of 2 to 3 legal entities, requiring a Technology Developer (SME/startup) and a distinct Use Case Provider (industrial company/infrastructure owner). An optional Technology Integrator (SME/startup/RTO) can be included. This structure ensures direct engagement between technology innovators and end-users in real-world industrial settings.
• End-User Involvement: Projects are explicitly expected to "Ensure active involvement of use case providers" and "Engage end-users throughout the pilot implementation, including participation in testing activities and user studies". This ensures solutions address concrete industrial needs and are validated with those who will ultimately use them.

Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity:

• The core focus on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) inherently demands an interdisciplinary approach, combining expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence, engineering, and human factors.
• The requirement for "structured human-centred design and socio-technical evaluation" across all challenges necessitates integrating technical development with insights from social sciences and humanities.

Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) Integration:

• Mandatory Human-Centred Design and Socio-Technical Evaluation: For all five challenges, proposals must include a "structured human-centred design and an outline of planned socio-technical evaluation." This outline must cover participatory co-design, workforce impact assessment, and measurable preservation of operator agency. For Challenges 3 and 4, this extends to assessing cognitive workload, situational awareness, and role transition analysis.
• SSH Mentor: The JARVIS Mentoring Programme includes a dedicated "SSH Mentor (SSM)" whose role is to ensure that solutions are "fit for market, user-centric, and aligned with societal and regulatory considerations, leveraging insights from social sciences and humanities (SSH)." This explicitly embeds SSH expertise into the project support structure.
• User Studies and KPIs: Projects are required to conduct user studies to evaluate operator acceptance and usability. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Sprint 3 include specific targets for reduction of perceived or measured physical workload (e.g., RULA, OCRA, NIOSH) and improvement of perceived or measured mental workload (e.g., NASA-TLX, SWAT, SUS), directly addressing human-centric outcomes.

Applicants must review and agree to several contractual documents and declarations as part of the application process. These documents are crucial for participation in the JARVIS funding programme.

• Consortium Declaration of Honour: Applicants must confirm acceptance of all conditions in Annex 4.2 JARVIS OC2 Consortium Declaration of Honour_ External Pilots. This declaration, signed and stamped by all Consortium members, must be provided if the proposal is accepted for funding.
• SME Declaration: For SMEs, applicants must confirm that their company(ies) qualify as valid SMEs according to established EU rules. This validity will be declared by a signed and stamped Annex 5.2 JARVIS OC2 SME Declaration_External Pilots if the proposal is accepted for funding.
• Declaration of Financial Stability: Applicants must confirm acceptance of all conditions in Annex 6.2 JARVIS OC2 Declaration of Financial Stability_ External Pilots. A signed and stamped declaration must be provided if the proposal is accepted for funding.
• Sub-Grant Agreement: Annex 7.2 JARVIS OC2 Sub-Grant Agreement_External Pilots is listed as a mandatory document that must be reviewed when preparing the proposal, indicating it will form the basis of the contractual relationship for funded projects.

Failure to provide the required information or documentation will result in disqualification.

The JARVIS OC2 activities are structured into a 10-month Pilot programme, divided into three distinct sprints, each with specific objectives and timelines:

• Sprint 1: REQUIREMENTS (2 months, M1-M2)
• Sprint 2: DEPLOYMENT & DEVELOPMENT (6 months, M3-M8)
• Sprint 3: VALIDATION (2 months, M9-M10)

Applicants are required to detail their work plan by breaking down activities into tasks for each sprint, providing clear descriptions, contributions of Third Parties, and expected outcomes.

Proposals must include a list of main deliverables, specifying their description, means of verification, and deadlines (M2, M7 or M9). Additionally, a list of main milestones is required, detailing their description, means of verification, and deadlines (From M1 to M9).

Applicants must also identify and list critical risks of the project, along with their proposed mitigation measures.

Applicants must use the provided template (Annex 2.2 JARVIS OC2 Proposal Template: External Pilots) to prepare their proposal, as proposals using other templates or document structures will be automatically considered ineligible. The proposal is a self-contained document, and evaluators will ignore hyperlinks to information designed to expand the proposal beyond the defined limits.

Formatting Requirements:

• Page limit: 13 pages (not including cover page, table of content page, and the Ethical/Security Checklist).
• Page size: A4.
• Margins: All margins (top, bottom, left, right) should be at least 15 mm.
• Font type: 'Calibri' or 'Open Sans'.
• Minimum font size: 11 points.
• Language: ENGLISH.
• Submission format: PDF.

Proposal Structure:

• 1 OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSAL (INDICATIVELY 1 PAGE)

  • 1.1 Consortium composition
  • 1.2 Executive Summary (max ~300 words)
  • 1.3 Objectives

• 2 EXCELLENCE/INNOVATION (INDICATIVELY 4 PAGES)

  • 2.1 Industrial problem - current state
  • 2.2 Envisioned scenario
  • 2.3 Technical approach and validation

• 3 IMPACT (INDICATIVELY 2 PAGES)

  • 3.1 Market potential and exploitation strategy
  • 3.2 Impact and scalability

• 4 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (INDICATIVELY 3 PAGES)

• 5 TEAM CAPACITY & RESOURCES (INDICATIVELY 1.5 PAGE)

  • 5.1 Expertise and excellence of the team
  • 5.2 Resources & budget

• 6 ANNEX I: ETHICS SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

• ANNEX II: SECURITY

The application form must be filled directly in the F6S platform. This form includes several mandatory sections:

Section 1: Proposal Identification

• Proposal title
• Proposal acronym
• Proposal abstract (Maximum length 1500 characters, including spaces).

Section 2: Applicant Information

The call will finance a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 entities, which must include a technology adopter and a technology developer/integrator or provider. At least one mandatory entity must be an SME/Startup (minimum 1-year legal registration).

For each applicant (Lead Mandatory, Mandatory, and Optional), the following information is required:

• Organisation/Entity name
• Type of organisation (e.g., Startup, SME, RTO, Industry, Research organisation)
• VAT number
• PIC Number (if available, with guidance on how to register)
• Country of registration
• Website (if available)
• Name of the main contact person
• Contact person's role/position in the organisation
• Email address

Section 3: Proposal Information

• Selection of the challenge being applied to (Pillar 1: Agile Manufacturing, Pillar 2: AI-enhanced Inspection & Maintenance, or Open Challenge).
• Indication of whether the project covers aspects addressing gender/accessibility/inclusion impact.
• Upload of the filled Annex 2.2 JARVIS OC2 Proposal Template_External Pilots in PDF format (Max file size 30MB). Failure to use the correct template or exceed page limits will lead to disqualification.

Section 4: Requirements to Join JARVIS Funding Programme

Applicants must confirm their acceptance of several conditions via checkboxes:

• Acceptance of the programme conditions and agreement to the privacy policy and processing of personal data.
• Confirmation of acceptance of all conditions in Annex 4.2 JARVIS OC2 Consortium Declaration of Honour_ External Pilots, to be provided signed and stamped if funded.
• Confirmation of SME status via Annex 5.2 JARVIS OC2 SME Declaration_External Pilots, to be provided signed and stamped if funded.
• Confirmation of acceptance of all conditions in Annex 6.2 JARVIS OC2 Declaration of Financial Stability_ External Pilots, to be provided signed and stamped if funded.
• Confirmation that all information provided in the proposal is true and correct.
• Acceptance that the information can be shared with the JARVIS consortium and external evaluators.

Section 5: Additional Questions

• How the applicant heard about JARVIS Open Call 2.
• Interest in being contacted about future funding opportunities.

Applicants must detail their project's resources and budget, including person-months and personnel costs, and provide a total budget breakdown. The maximum funding limits are strictly defined.

Personnel Costs:

Applicants must indicate the number of person-months (PM) and associated personnel costs using the following table:

Total Budget Breakdown:

A comprehensive breakdown of expected costs and the total requested contribution is required:

Indirect costs are calculated as 25% of the sum of direct personnel costs and other direct costs (a+b+c+d+e).

Funding Limits:

• The maximum amount of funding that a consortium may receive from JARVIS is 130,000 EUROs.
• The maximum amount of funding that a consortium member may receive from JARVIS is 100,000 EUROs.