Request for Proposals: SNS Trials and Pilots with Verticals

Objectives

• The objective is to validate 5G Advanced and 6G technologies in a user context to further enable successful take up by vertical sectors. While in previous WPs they focused in assessing widespread technology usage with the coverage of many verticals under one project, in this WP they aim the in-depth study of existing (potentially single) vertical pain-points to adopt 5G advanced and 6G solutions with the ultimate target that the produced solutions will have a very high prospect to be used by the vertical sectors in the near future.

Scope

• The projects are expected to cover at least:
  • Demonstration of clear benefits for a limited number of verticals (i.e., 1 or maximum 2 verticals per project) with stakeholders of the considered 5G advanced/ 6G technologies and architectures in terms of innovative 6G smart networks and services addressing multiple aspects (e.g., scalability, security, resilience and performance improvements) in line with medium to long-term diverse socio-economic scenarios.
  • Special focus on targeting and achieving, tangible results for environmental, societal and economic aspects by the end of the project.
• The applicants should select their targeted vertical sectors according to the project objectives and use-cases, considering the vertical priorities for (1) Industry/Manufacturing (including robotics), (2) Media (including gaming, broadcasting…), (3) Transportation/Logistics, (4) Emergency and Safety Services and (5) Health (indicative order not prioritized). The afore verticals to be considered should be in line with the European view on 6G use-cases that were presented during the 3GPP SA1 Workshop in May 2024. The projects are expected to focus on specific verticals sectors (one or maximum two verticals per project, in the case of existing commonalities/complementarities between the selected two verticals; nevertheless, if addressing two verticals, applicants should still clearly indicate the centre of gravity, i.e. the main vertical of the project, for evaluation purposes).
• The trials and pilots should be carried out from an end-to-end perspective, with representative technologies covering the full value chain, including devices, connectivity, and service delivery. They should demonstrate the integration of different IoT/cloud/edge/computing environments (public and/or private) towards a distributed environment and dynamic resource needs with a landscape unified management able to support the emergence of a European offer and capability.
• Strong involvement of SMEs is targeted in the projects. These actors are expected to play a key role in this process with new market-driven applications that can build value on the 5G/6G infrastructure. This support will be a critical enabler of European-led innovation, fast track adoption, and stimulation of private sector investment, across verticals.

Funding Information

• Budget (EUR) – Year 2025: 24 000 000
• Contributions: around 6000000

Expected Outcomes

• The key target of Stream D projects will be to qualify, quantify and test advanced 5G/6G technologies enablement effect and impact in and for vertical sectors. Where relevant, the projects should aim to take advantage of developed platforms and/or elements from previous SNS Stream B, C and D projects, and if needed, up-grade them to keep them operational for next SNS phases, as well as platforms developed in the context of national initiatives or any other EU based solutions that integrate and offer preliminary 6G network solutions. It is relevant in this context all the computing platform initiatives being developed at national and international level.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entities eligible to participate:
  • Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from nonassociated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
  • A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
• To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding.
• To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
  • the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
    • Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
  • the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States:
    • Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).
  • countries associated to Horizon Europe;
    • Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

For more information, visit EC.