The XR4ED Open Call and respective funding programme aims to catalyze innovation and excellence in XR technologies for education while providing financial and technical support to start-ups, SMEs, industry players, and education-focused actors. The programme has a dual focus: fostering innovation and supporting the development of XR educational solutions, by encouraging the ideation and development of pioneering XR solutions within XR4ED’s thematic areas.
The XR4ED Open Call is a €4.6 million programme that will fund a total of 20 projects, 10 in each call.
The XR4ED Open Call is structured into two tracks, and will fund a total of 20 projects that will run for a period of 12 months, tentatively starting in October 2024.The XR4ED Open Call is a two-track call that aims to fund innovative XR-based solutions that address key educational domains.
- The objective of the Open Call for Developers is to enrich the XR4ED platform and targets the development of new solutions and additional components into the XR4ED platform.
- The objective of the Open Call for Pilots to run end-user pilots and targets the deployment and customisation of the XR4ED solutions and to demonstrate the adoption of XR technologies in an educational environment.
The two open calls share the same six thematic areas. Proposals submitted to the call for developers or pilots must select one of the thematic areas and develop solutions aligned with its specific objectives, requirements, and KPIs, as detailed in the open call documentation.
The thematic areas are:
- Virtual field trips
- Content creation and exploration
- Awareness of climate change and biodiversity challenges
- Training of young professionals and upskilling
- Distance and Blended learning
- Inclusiveness and accessibility
Who can apply?
- Start-ups and SMEs (that are providers of XR technologies for education or providers of digital learning solutions)
- Universities (working on XR research and innovation focused on digital learning solutions)
- Vocational and educational training (VET) organisations (working in the XR4ED thematic areas and capable of working on programmes and pilots aligned with the challenge)
With regards to the implemented solutions:
Projects funded through the initiative must comply with open standards (e.g., WebXR, OpenXR) and publish their outcomes in the European XR4ED Solutions Catalogue.
As part of the development of their project, applicants will be required to use the XR4ED platform and its functionalities. Further information on the use of such XR4ED technologies is provided in the open call documentation.
Btw, coincidence, but the call closes at the end of National XR Day 
Edit: important requirements on who is elible, from the guide for applications:
The call will fund projects developed by single entities or a consortium of 2-3 entities, led by a
Coordinator. Natural persons applying alone are not eligible.Note: In the Call for Developers, only start-ups, SMEs and Mid-Caps are eligible to participate (alone or as a consortium of 2-3 entities). In the Call for Pilots, a consortium is required (and must be led by a start-up/SME).