BRUSSELS — Three open calls were launched on 03 November 2025 to support the growth of the EOSC Federation, each with a unique purpose, scope and funding model. The submission deadline for all three calls is 18 February 2026 (17:00 CET).
Comprehensive information on eligibility criteria, objectives, expected outputs, and other key details can be found in the full call texts available for download as PDF documents below. This page also provides details on how to apply and where to register for the informative webinars taking place in November to guide interested applicants through the calls, as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to support them throughout the process.
Enrolment call of the EOSC Tripartite Governance
This call invites organisations to join the second wave of the EOSC Federation’s build-up phase, requiring them to enrol as an EOSC Node, submit a Project Charter, develop use cases, and demonstrate their capacity to function as a community gateway.
Total funding: No funding is provided through this call
Maximum grant amount: Not applicable
Preparatory grants under EOSC Gravity
These grants are designed to support the preparatory work of potential future EOSC Nodes. The main objective is to develop a Project Charter for a subsequent, separate application to the Enrolment Call of the EOSC Tripartite Governance.
Total funding: €800,000
Maximum grant amount: €50,000 per project
Read the call text on EU Funding & Tenders Portal
Inter-project grants under EOSC Gravity
This call aims to expand the services offered through the EOSC Federation and to demonstrate the benefits for end users. This can be achieved in two ways: by developing scientific use cases, or by piloting the onboarding of new services into existing EOSC Nodes, without the requirement to become an EOSC Node at this stage.
Total funding: €400,000
Maximum grant amount: €50,000 per project
Read the call text on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal
A second inter-project grants call, with a separate budget, will be launched next year
How to apply
Applications can only be submitted via the European Science Foundation (ESF) Platform. If you are a first-time user of the ESF Platform, you will need to create an account before applying. Step-by-step guidance on the registration and submission process is provided in the full call texts. If you have any questions about the process, please reach out to us at at EOSC-Gravity-grants@esf.org.
Timeline
The submission deadline for all three calls is 18 February 2026 at 17:00 CET. Successful projects are expected to start in May 2026. Please refer to the timeline below for additional key milestones.
Webinars for interested applicants
In November 2025, the EOSC Association will hold a series of webinars to present the details of the calls and address participants’ questions. The webinars will take place on the following dates and times:
- Thursday, 13 November, 12:00 CET
- Tuesday, 18 November, 14:00 CET
- Thursday, 20 November, 11:00 CET
Register here to attend one of the sessions. Each webinar will cover the same content.
FAQs
Eligibility
What is an affiliated entity of the EOSC Gravity consortium partners or others?
An affiliated entity is a legal entity with a legal or capital link to another entity. This legal or capital link may involve relationships such as parent, subsidiary, or sister companies, or ongoing collaboration agreements (but beyond the case of a specific Horizon Europe related project).
Typical examples: Parent, daughter, and sister companies
- University spin-offs
- Permanent legal structures (e.g. associations and their members)
What is a Potential Candidate Node relative to the preparatory grants under EOSC Gravity?
A Potential Candidate Node is an entity that aims to become an EOSC Node (national, multi-country or thematic or e-infrastructure) during the build-up phase of the EOSC Federation. A list of the existing Nodes is available here.
Do I need to be a member of EOSC-A to apply to the calls?
No, this is not a compulsory criteria.
Can I apply to the evaluators call and to the other calls?
If you applied to one of the EOSC Gravity Calls, you will be considered as non-eligible to be an evaluator for this specific call, as this will represent a conflict of interest.
Application requirements
How much support, if any, is required from existing Nodes?
Projects seeking to deploy a service or use case need to identify, and provide written endorsement from, a suitable host from the list of Nodes that have already been established (i.e., the list of 13 Candidate Nodes and the EOSC EU Node). Endorsement must be provided through the application website in the form of an email from the coordinator of each of the Nodes involved, confirming the intended scope, objectives, and timeline of the use case/Service Onboarding. A list of the existing EOSC Nodes is available here.
Can organisations apply to both the enrolment call and the preparatory call?
A submitted application to the enrolment call would withdraw an application submitted by the same entity for the preparatory call.
If I apply to the preparatory call, am I obliged to apply to a future wave of nodes enrolment?
The main objective of the preparatory call is to prepare the project charter in order to apply to a future wave of nodes. The programme is not forcing any entities to apply to a wave, but applications to the preparatory call without the project to apply to a future wave of node have very low chance of being funded.
What is the maximum amount of funding that can be granted to a single organisation?
The maximum amount of funding that can be granted to a single organisation for all EOSC Gravity calls combined (3 calls in total: one preparatory call, and 2 inter-project calls) cannot exceed 100.000 EUR.
The maximum amount of funding that can be granted to a single organisation for the EOSC Gravity Inter-Project Calls (2 calls in total) cannot exceed 50.000 EUR
If I am already enrolled as an EOSC Node, can I apply to the Gravity calls?
You can apply to the Inter-Project Calls under EOSC Gravity.
Do I need to distribute the funding in a particular way? Should I justify how I use the funding?
The funding is provided as a lump-sum, upon delivery of the expected milestones. EOSC Gravity won’t request any financial reports during the project. Nevertheless, a budget breakdown will have to be presented during the application phase, in order to justify how the funding is planned to be used.
Are there more technical requirements beyond the ones stated in the call to enroll as a Node?
The ones given in the call text are valid today but further technical requirements may be introduced at a later date, for example if additional federating capabilities are classed as mandatory for all nodes.
Where can I find the Memorandum of Understanding on Preparing Operational Integration within the Envisaged EOSC Federation?
The Memorandum of Understanding on Preparing Operational Integration within the Envisaged EOSC Federation can be downloaded here.
Milestones once selected
What is expected at the showcase event?
Inter-project calls: The showcasing event is a workshop towards the end of the funding period (i.e., M6) where projects are expected to present their goals and how these were achieved. More specifically, both projects seeking to deploy use cases with a Node or seeking to pilot the onboarding of a new service into the Federation will be expected to present a demo at the workshop.
Preparatory grants: The showcasing event is a workshop towards the end of the funded projects (i.e., M6) where funded projects are expected to present their goals and demonstrate how these have been achieved. The event also serves to highlight how project results will contribute to the EOSC Federation and to showcase one potential use case.
