Q&A

No. But note that there is a fixed budget, namely 12.500 Eur (for the first round).

Yes, only the Lead Partner signs on behalf of the consortium.

Yes, but they cannot not be nominated as the Lead Partner.

Yes, but they are not eligible for any funding. Therefore, they need sufficient self-financing in order to cover the costs.

There is a limit of one application per challenge but the same organisation can submit applications for all individual challenges.

Replicability refers to the ability of the proposed solution being able to be repeated in another experiment or pilot with similar conditions. When writing an application, it may be useful to explain how replicability is ensured if this is not evident.

Sustainability refers to the long term continuation of the solution in the context of CommuniCity evaluation criterion. Sustainability in the sense of climate impact is also important since it is expected that the proposed solutions are in line with EU Green Deal Targets [link].

In case there are several applications submitted to the same challenge by an identical Lead Applicant, the one submitted last will be the one evaluated and the rest will be dismissed automatically.

The clients include developmentally disabled and neurodivergent (e.g., autism spectrum, ADHD) adults, whose functional ability and need for support vary. Their learning new skills require a great amount of practice and repetition. Also, challenges in social situations and in interaction with others are very common. In addition, clients may have challenges in visual and auditory processing as well as difficulties  in language processing (both expressive and receptive). Furthermore, the reading and writing skills of clients vary a lot and the same applies to the digital skills (including ability to operate in digital environments). Some of the clients have good digital skills and they use social media, play games and create media themselves. On the other hand, some clients may have never used a smartphone or a computer.

The following aspects need to be carefully considered:   

• Accessibility, usability, and visual clarity of the digital solution.
• Easy language. No information/instructions only in written form or in English, but preferably also spoken (in Finnish), and/or supported with pictures, icons etc.
• Alternative communication/interaction methods for writing, for example speech to text, voice message and images.
• Devices must be easy to put on, eyeglass wearers should be considered, controls should be sufficiently clear and large and/or hand tracking is an option.
• The less technical functionalities a user needs to memorise, the easier it is to focus on the actual content.
• Innovative solutions based on VR or smart glasses are considered particularly interesting. Currently Android phones, tablets, and PCs are available for the clients in Helsinki.
• In order to make learning new skills fun and motivating, solutions based on gamification are assumed to be attractive to the clients.

Using VR, AR or XR technologies for practising social interaction through gaming or through simulation of real-life situations are good examples. Also, a  virtual environment where clients  can practise interaction either alone or together is considered attractive. Examples of situations that can be practised with a help of digital solutions include:

• Social interaction outside home: Going to grocery store, café, job interviews, public transport, using public services etc.
• Practising everyday skills such as household chores and tasks at work.
• Familiarising virtually with new environments.
• Teamwork and collaboration.
• Social interaction: greeting others, engaging in conversation and acting in the same space with others.
• Developing emotional skills, recognizing one’s own and others’ emotions.
• Motor skills and

One example is an alternative environment for Microsoft Teams. In other words, an accessible and user-friendly digital environment for meetings. In addition, there is a need for an accessible and safe learning environment for practising social media usage, where communication and social media use can be practised in multiple ways (speech, voice, images, written text).

The same Lead Applicant can submit several applications within the same CommuniCity Open Call round, but only one application per challenge is accepted. In addition, the Lead Applicant can join another application in the same challenge, but not as a Lead Applicant.

The recipients of financial support do not become a party to the grant agreement and the Commission therefore has no contractual link with them. This implies that the Commission can only turn to the relevant beneficiaries for any issue with regard to the third parties; in particular in the event of a recovery order at the end of the project, the Commission will exclusively turn to the beneficiary of the EU grant, who then may be asked to reimburse amounts which it has transferred as financial support to a third party. For further information, see GMGA Article 6.2 – D. Other cost categories – D.1 Financial support to third parties.

The focus is also on the youngsters who have been suspected of a crime. Recently there was an addition and tightening of the VOG (Code of Conduct) law, which is to the disadvantage of youngsters with a migration background who have not committed a crime but are being stopped and checked more often (the police registers all stops). This kind of police data is used to assess a VOG application. There is also a group of youngsters that have a criminal record who might be disadvantaged. In the Netherlands there is inequality of opportunity throughout the criminal justice chain. Young people with a migration background are five times more likely to be classified as a suspect and ten times more likely to receive a prison sentence for the same offense. Suspects with a migration background are also more severely punished by the courts. Furthermore, the new Code of Conduct law ensures that authorities can refuse a Code of Conduct application without a case going to court. Furthermore, new Code of Conduct law ensures that Authorities can refuse a VOG application without a case going to court. Either way youngsters who are (un)justified in the police database can have many negative consequences later on, because it can significantly reduce the chances of obtaining a VOG, security pass or visa to other countries and make it harder to get an internship or job.

Applicants must provide a Letter-of-Intent, that shows that a technology company and an association working with a marginalised group, intend to work together on the pilot.
The City of Amsterdam is asking for this because it is very important that the awarded team will contain both good knowledge of the target group of the proposed solution and the tech expertise to conduct the pilot. The technology partner can be any organisation that has the expertise needed for the pilot. If the piloting team intends, for example, to work with a university rather than a company this can be acceptable as long as it is clear that the department and people have the right expertise.