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Open calls

To expand the scope and application fields of the MAGICIAN solutions, two Open Calls will be launched to select further use cases. This will ensure that the solutions can easily be transferred to other application scenarios and thus prove their generality and replicability.

General Information

The MAGICIAN project will launch two Open Calls to identify and select promising proposals by SMEs / start-ups for experimentation to:

  • expand AI applications to new use cases
  • deepen and expand functionalities of project pilot (automotive use case)

The two Open Calls intend to:

  • fund up to 5 SMEs/start-ups in each call
  • distribute up to 2 Mill. EUR of total funding to winning proposals for project implementation ≤ 12 months
  • select up to 10 projects for 12 months implementation and 200k/EUR budget

Focus of 1st Open Call

The first open call focuses on the integration of new functionalities within MAGICIAN project solutions through close collaboration with MAGICIAN partners.

The aim is to enhance the capabilities of the SR (Sensing Robot) and CR (Cleaning Robot) through advanced technologies such as

  • improved defect detection algorithms,
  • more efficient rework techniques, or
  • complementary AI modules that optimize their performance in real-time production environments.

Funded projects must provide a solution by focusing on a single module, namely either

  • F1 Perception, or
  • F2 Human-Robot Collaboration

To support Open Call applicants, a MAGICIAN weekly helpdesk will be open every Wednesday from 17-18:00 (CET). 

Join the helpdesk via this link. 

 

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Focus of 2nd Open Call

Experiment and expansion of the Use Cases of the MAGICIAN prototype and the extension of the functionalities to new and complementary fields of application towards new Use Cases.

Who can apply

If you are a

from an EU Member State including overseas departments or the Horizon Europe associated countries. 

we are looking forward to receiving your proposal.

Why you should apply

MAGICIAN offers you:

  • up to 200,000 EUR funding
  • innovation management support
  • technical support with expertise on engineering integration with focus on:
    • Testing and validation support
    • Engagement in Cutting-Edge Technology
    • Contribution to Industry Innovation
    • Solving Real-World Challenges
    • Involvement in Human-Centred Design

How to apply

ACCESSIBLE AND LEAN OPEN CALL APPROACH LAUNCH OF OPEN CALLS • on MAGICIAN website • Support via Weekly Live Helpdesk PROPOSAL SUBMISSION • Applicants concept definition • elaboration of documentation and proposal submission by defined deadline MAGICIAN FSTP Process FUNDING & IMPLEMENTATION • of selected projects • supervised by MAGICIAN consortium € MAGICIAN EVALUATION • with internal and external experts • sharing of feedbacks and contracting of selected beneficiaries
FAST-TRACK SCHEMA TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION 2MIn/EUR to be distributed along 2 open calls SUPPORT FOR APPLICATION Launch webinar realization and activation of the Weekly Live Helpdesk sessions. EVALUATION AND SELECTION Reception of applications and eligibility checks. Evaluation according to defined award criteria by a mixed MAGICIAN internal and external commission. LAUNCH AND IMPLEMENTATION Kick-off meeting with MAGICIAN project officer, continuous monitoring and interaction with consortium for integration with elaborated solutions, coaching and final assessment of impact. L SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION Elaboration of the proposal for project according to templates including technical offer and budget estimations. Proposals to be submitted by the day of the deadline at 17h00 CET. 10 projects to be financed 200.000 EUR max funding per project 70% funding rate per SMEs OPEN CALL LAUNCH Publication of documentation, terms of reference and templates on MAGICIAN website. FEEDBACK AND CONTRACTING Sharing of feedback forms with all applicants and award of contract to selected applicants. Standardized contract form will be provided (no changes admissible), incl. details on funding scheme, IPRs, collaboration approach and expected deliverables. Week O Week 12 Week 16 Week 20 +12 months
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FAQs

The activities that qualify for financial support to third parties are explained in Section 1. Objectives of each call for proposal’s Terms of Reference.

The MAGICIAN financial support scheme (FSTP) has been structured in 2 open calls that will distribute up to 2M€ of funding to SMEs and startups. Each proposal will have a maximum budget of 200k€. Eligible costs will follow the same rules of Horizon Europe (HE) as per the HE AMGA, and will include personnel, equipment depreciation (for purchase) or renting (i.e. for robots), other and indirect costs.

Regarding staff costs, eligibility is not limited by a specific job position, e.g. staff costs also extend to SME founders. 

Multiple applications can be submitted but maximum one proposal will be funded per each Open Call per beneficiary.

Each applicant needs to comply with eligibility requirements in terms of size of the applicant (SME/start up) and location (legal entities from EU Member States), as well as submitting a proposal coherent with the scope and requirements (templates) specified in the terms of reference of each call.

The evaluation criteria is based on a technical evaluation per call done by 3 sub-contracted external experts, who will score all the submitted applications based on the defined criteria of Excellence, Impact and Quality.

A business case evaluation will be done through an interview process as private investors do in their own selection process.

Finally, there will be a global evaluation performed by the MAGICIAN evaluation committee (one representative of each MAGICIAN partner) based on the results of the technical and business case evaluation.

Two rounds of calls are foreseen to be launched during the MAGICIAN project. The first Open Call will run from 3rd February until 2nd May 2025.  The second Open Call will open in December 2025. Exact dates of launch of the open calls might be adjusted for opportunity reasons: all updates will be published with due advance on the MAGICIAN project website.

All Open Call application period will be open for 12 weeks starting from the opening date indicated in the terms of reference of the OC. Submission of proposals will only be possible in the time that the call is open. During this period, a weekly live helpdesk will be put at disposal of perspective applicants for clarifying doubts or specific aspects of the application process.

All the open call documents will be available online on the website once the open call is launched (see Resources & Findings | MAGICIAN).

Proposals are submitted through the Application Form opening up when clicking on the “Apply” button on the “Open Call” page.  

Yes. If you discover an error in your proposal, you can at any time – provided the call deadline has not expired – submit a new version of your proposal in our portal. Only the last version received before the call deadline will be considered in the evaluation.

Yes, UK companies can submit a proposal and receive cascade funding.

To that question, the European Commission specifically answers “UK companies remain eligible forgrants and procurement procedures as if the UK was a member state for the entirety of the Horizon 2020 framework programme and previous framework programmes. This also applies for to financial support to third parties according to Article 204 FR (cascading grants), and applies for the duration of H2020 projects.”

The definition of this collaboration is part of the submitted proposal. In order to define the most adequate solution for the proposal, the innovative company can rely on MAGICIAN partner for advice and help to build the proposal. Please contact MAGICIAN consortium through the helpdesk or the MAGICIAN partners.

Your organization will be eligible provided that it does not fall in the definition of affiliated entity for Horizon Europe (see Annotated Model Grant Agreement page 143 and subsequent) https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/aga_en.pdf

However, pure support/endorsment from a MAGICIAN partner would not constitute an obstruction for participation to the Open Call. 

The MAGICIAN Open Call follows the definition of SMEs by the European Commission.
With regard to startups, in the Guide for Applicants under the definition table, start-ups are categorized as “Micro-sized enterprises.” startups should have a maximum of five years of existence and possess an official certificate confirming their establishment, issued, for example, by a chamber of commerce. This document must be uploaded together to the proposal file in the application process.

No, for the 1st Open Call applicants are not expected to explore new cases. For the 1st Open Call, applicants are expected to  integrate and enhance functionalities of the robotic solutions already developed within the MAGICIAN project. However, a 2nd MAGICIAN Open Call, set to be published in December 2025, will specifically target the exploration of new use cases.

MAGICIAN is not solely considering collaborative robots in principle, however, to increase flexibility and efficiency, the robot should be able to work side by side with human workers. So, to account for safety regulations, collaborative robots are the preferred solutions.

No, we do not have an automated annotation tool.

The total categories of defects are the following:

  • Positive Dents
  • Negative Dents
  • Welding Spatters
  • Material Defects and
  • Sealing Residuals.

Each defect also has a different severity (Class A, Class B, Class C) with approximately 8400 frames to annotate. Assuming collecting all data from all partners a very rough estimation on the maximum image number would be 100K Images to be annotated for all defects/severities/exposures/partners.

Given the importance of annotated datasets for training defect detection models, this topic seeks innovative annotation tools tailored for multi-modal data (e.g., polarized imaging, tof measurements and possibly other modalities). Proposed solutions could include semi-automated or AI-assisted annotation frameworks, making it easier to handle large-scale data labeling tasks while maintaining high accuracy and consistency. Proposals may also explore user-friendly interfaces for annotators or tools that generate synthetic data to augment real-world dataset

Apply for our Open Call

Are you a Startup or SME from the EU or a Horizon Europe associated country? Check out our Open Call on robotic and automation solutions .
Click here for more information