Q&A
Q&A
Questions about the CommuniCity Open Call for Applications can be submitted until October 24th 2024 (one week before the application period closes) by clicking here.
General Questions
No, this is not possible.
The best source is the project website, available at communicity-project.eu.
Challenge Specific Questions
Customers of the Virtual Services for Disabled unit may face challenges maintaining a daily routine, including apartment cleaning and maintenance, laundry, and cooking. Proposed technological solutions should address these challenges, potentially using gamified methods. For example, a game could require players to observe their environment and take appropriate action, such as picking up clothes from the floor and placing them in a laundry basket, turning off a stove left on, and discarding moldy food from the refrigerator.
Open Call for Applications
Yes, the document “Read this first” contains such tips.
This is the final CommuniCity open call, so all challenges are already defined and published. However, if you know of a challenge a marginalised group faces that technology could solve, or you have a suitable tech solution, consider submitting a proposal for a wildcard. Suitable wildcards may be available in Amsterdam and Manchester, for example. If you need to find team members with specific expertise, use the Matchmaking Platform.
That varies greatly depending on the scope and content of the challenge. Some challenges have received no proposals, while others in earlier rounds received up to 11.
Yes, you can apply for multiple challenges, but only one application per challenge is allowed. Note that a single piloting team cannot be awarded more than €60,000.
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.
The CommuniCity Open Call for Applications is open to companies and associations established in the EU, with a valid European business ID as well as to individual citizens through their host institution, or in a country associated with Horizon Europe. Entities from countries not mentioned below can be accepted to participate but will not be eligible for receiving any funding.
Associated Countries (from Horizon Europe):
Albania
Armenia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canada (limited to Pillar II)
Faroe Islands
Georgia
Iceland
Israel
Kosovo
Moldova
Morocco (applicable for the entire Programme)
Montenegro
New Zealand (limited to Pillar II)
North Macedonia
Norway
Serbia
Switzerland (applicable to calls under the ERC Work Programme 2024 with opening date after 18 March 2024, and to Starting, Synergy and Consolidator Grant calls under the ERC Work Programme 2025; with regard to other parts of Horizon Europe, legal entities established in Switzerland are currently not covered by the transitional arrangement)
Tunisia
Türkiye
Ukraine
United Kingdom (except for the EIC Fund)
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 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.
If required, a Letter of Intent needs to be attached but besides that, it is not required to upload any other documents.
There is no need to be in touch with the so-called City Pilot Host during the CommuniCity Open Call. After the evaluation of the applications, each city will facilitate this process and arrange meetings with the host organisations. In case you need to find your own pilot host, this is mentioned in the challenge description.
A pilot team can apply to multiple challenges but not submit more than one application to each individual challenge.
No, it is not necessary to have a local partner. If there are workshops required in the local language, it is possible to use, for example, external facilitators or ask the pilot host for assistance.
No, it is not possible to solve challenges in cities other than those named as a CommuniCity Partner or Replicator City. In other words, applications can only be submitted for the specific challenges identified by the CommuniCity Consortium.
No. All the challenges are equally important to solve.
Yes. This is highly recommended. However, it should be noted that the Pilot Team can leave only one application to each of the challenges.
The conditions of the open call can be reviewed in the Open Call Documents. Especially ‘Attachment 1: Invitation for Applications’ should be carefully reviewed, as well as the ‘Piloting Contract’.
Yes, this is possible. However, possible licence fees have to be covered by the grant or self-funding.
In general, there are no specific restrictions. However, all the awarded Pilot Teams must follow the guidelines set by the Open Call documents and discuss the challenge specific software requirements with their pilot hosts.
No. The technical solution has to be well-known in the application phase since the detailed information is needed already in the application submission phase.
Yes, universities can submit applications and receive grants.
Finance
The pilot grant will be paid in two instalments: The first instalment of 6,250 Euros will be paid following the signing of the Piloting Contract (unless otherwise stated). The second instalment of 6,250 Euros will be paid 30 days after approval of the final report.
Yes, your budget for the pilot can be greater than 12.500 Eur, even if the maximum grant amount is 12.500 Eur. The use of complementary resources (e.g. in-kind funding) is highly encouraged, but the financing of these resources will have to be explained in your resource plan.
All essential work related to the Pilot must be conducted in-house. Therefore a special attention should be paid for the composition of the Piloting Team (i.e. Project Consortium).
Purchases from non-EU companies can be made, as long as there are no sanctions imposed over these companies. The applicant needs to ensure that the general obligations of the Grant Agreement are also extended to these companies. This includes, for example,
1) Avoiding conflicts of interest,
2) Maintaining confidentiality,
3) Promoting the action and giving visibility to the EU funding and,
4) Liability for damages.
Yes, in principle you can but it is recommended to distribute the grant more equally between different costs.
In principle, this is possible. However, double funding is rarely permitted (please check national and funding-specific requirements). To avoid potential conflicts, we recommend submitting a CommuniCity Open Call application with a 0 Eur budget. If you do not receive a grant from CommuniCity, there should be no issues with other funding sources.
Overheads are not considered eligible costs. For more details, please refer to the Open Call documents for each challenge, particularly “Attachment 2: Cost Eligibility Conditions for the Piloting Contract.” Each application and its associated budget is evaluated independently. While a pilot team can apply for multiple challenges, the maximum grant they can receive is capped at €60,000.
Piloting
The level of support varies by challenge. For some so-called Wildcards, applicants must conduct their own research and establish contact with the target group, potentially by collaborating with a relevant association. For most challenges, Piloting Eeams work with a knowledgeable pilot host who can provide information and connect them with the target group. For some challenges, the Piloting Team receives only documentation and minimal support.
Each pilot should have a duration of 1–5 months according to the needs of the Piloting Group and the Client in question.
The Lead Partner retains all intellectual property rights.
The Supplier must carry out the pilot in compliance with ethical principles and applicable EU, international and national law, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Supplementary Protocols.
All contracts and official documentation for all of the Pilots are made in English. However, the activities within a pilot can take place in any language, according to what is most practical for the pilot.
The piloting phase starts earliest at the end of November 2024 and ends in May 2025. It is totally up to the piloting teams how long piloting periods they will apply. Some technological solutions might need just one month while other solutions require five months in order to be validated.
There are no specific requirements set by the CommuniCity Consortium.
It can be a prototype, but it has to be a well-functioning prototype in order to get the needed feedback from the target group and professionals during the piloting phase.
Technology
Pilot results vary widely. Often, if a pilot yields a good tech solution, the company and/or host invest in further development. Some tech solutions are tools or apps that the companies themselves bring to market. In other cases, a new feature is added to an existing tool or app. Some municipalities and cities that were pleased with the pilot results are now seeking resources to implement the solution or are in the process of making a decision.
Innovative solutions that address the needs of cities and communities by leveraging digital technologies are highly preferred. This includes the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics to enhance decision-making, optimize operations, and improve service delivery. Existing technologies can also be utilized in novel ways or applied in new contexts to achieve these goals.
Technologies should comply with the AI Act, which aims to ensure the safe and ethical use of AI within the European Union. This includes adhering to requirements for transparency, risk management, and human oversight, especially for high-risk AI systems.
While adopting Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs) from the Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC) initiative is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged. MIMs facilitate interoperability and data sharing between different systems and cities.
For example, MIM1 focuses on context information management, enabling the integration of data from various sources like traffic cameras and weather stations to improve traffic management. Example: A community project uses MIM1 to manage and share real-time data about local services for marginalized groups. This allows different support organizations, such as shelters and food banks, to access and use the same data to coordinate their efforts and provide timely assistance.
MIM5 focuses on ensuring fair and transparent AI systems, particularly in the context of automated decision-making. This mechanism aims to address concerns related to bias, privacy, accountability, and transparency in algorithmic processes. Example: A pilot project in a low-income neighbourhood uses MIM5 to ensure that AI systems used for distributing social benefits are transparent and fair. This involves making the decision-making processes of these AI systems understandable and accessible to the community, ensuring accountability and trust.
The AI tools available in the CommuniCity toolbox can be utilized to develop and test innovative solutions. If there are specific needs that are not met by the existing tools, new AI tools can be developed. Testing these solutions in the CommuniCity sandbox ensures they comply with the required specifications and interoperability standards.
Support is available for those who wish to adopt MIMs in their tools and APIs. If there are special requirements from the applicant’s side, the tools can be adjusted accordingly, or new ones can be developed to meet these needs.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your technological solutions are innovative, compliant, and interoperable, ultimately benefiting cities and communities.
For more information on the technical requirements please consult the following link: CommuniCity (communicity-project.eu)