IoT-European Platforms Initiative announces 10 open calls to support IoT projects with up to EUR 150,000 funding per project

Brussels, September 28th, 2016. Till December 2018, the IoT-EPI will invest more than EUR 5.5 million in SME, startups as well as university or research projects on Internet of Things (IoT).  On October 1st, the IoT-European Platforms Initiative (IoT-EPI) will launch the first of altogether 10 open calls to support IoT in Europe. More than 100 projects will get tech support and funding in the amount of EUR 30,000 to EUR 150,000 each. The grants are funded by the Horizon 2020 programme.

"IoT-EPI is a cluster of projects which will establish a common knowledge base on IoT-platform technologies. These projects do not only develop innovative platform technologies but also foster community and business building based on these technologies – with the overall goal to create a vibrant IoT-ecosystem in Europe. The open calls will support such an IoT ecosystem by opening up to a large number of SMEs and startups", stressed Dr. Mechthild Rohen, Head of Unit for 'Internet of Things' in the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology in the European Commission.

First open calls starts on October 1st

· The first open call with a total amount of EUR 850,000 funding will be coordinated by the IoT-EPI partner INTER-IoT. SME and startups focusing on logistics, mHealth and overall IoT areas such as smart city services can apply with detailed projects for funding between EUR 60,000 and EUR 125,000. INTER-IoT aims at the design, implementation and experimentation of an open cross-layer framework, and associated methodology and tools to enable voluntary interoperability among heterogeneous IoT-platforms. Besides the funding, the international partners of the INTER-IoT consortium will provide access to their network and open up new business opportunities. Partners include companies such as Telecom Italia and Rinicom Ltd as well as universities like Eindhoven University of Technology and the Polytechnic University of Valencia."

· Second funding call by consortium symbIoTe launches on November 30th: symbIoTe, another project partner of  IoT-EPI with members such as Atos, Fraunhofer, the University of Vienna and others, opens application for its call on November 30th. The project provides an abstraction layer making information transparent across various platforms to enable developers and designers from different platforms to securely collaborate and interoperate. Companies, research organizations and universities focusing on Cloud-based IoT platforms can apply with detailed project descriptions for funding ranging from EUR 30,000 to EUR 50,000. Furthermore, symbIoTe will provide extensive support for the winners, e.g. 3rd parties will be invited to symbIoTe’s plenary or technical meetings to present their progress and receive support and troubleshooting by project partners.

· Further funding opportunities for SME and startups in mobility, energy, smart buildings, agriculture and infrastructure will be announced later this year.

SMEs, startups, companies, research centers or universities can apply

The calls are open for SMEs, startups, companies, research centers or universities in Europe and its associated countries. All documents must be submitted in English. Details on the current calls as well as future funding opportunities will be available on the IoT-EPI website shortly before application starts. Moreover, selected partners will offer a number of services to support the applicants, such as a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) addressing the most common issues, a HelpDesk service where applicants can ask Open Call related questions to the symbIoTe consortium and a pre-proposal feasibility check service where applicants can provide a 2-page description of their proposal and ask for feedback from the symbIoTe assigned experts.

Further information on upcoming open calls can be found at www.iot-epi.eu or via the IoT-EPI newsletter.

About IoT-EPI

IoT-EPI is a European initiative addressing the new EU-funded H2020 programs about IoT platform development. At the core of IoT-EPI are seven research and innovation projects: Inter-IoT, Big IoT, AGILE, SymbIoTe, TagItSmart!, Vicinity and bIoTope. With a total funding of EUR 50M, and within a time frame of three years (2016-2018), these projects not only develop innovative platform technologies but also foster community and business building based on these technologies.

Contact:

Maren Lesche <maren.lesche@etventure.com>
Kathleen Olstedt <kathleen.olstedt@etventure.com>