Second IMAGINE-B5G Open Call for Vertical Experiments and Platform Extensions

Beneficiary & submission

The evaluation of proposals will be carried out by the IMAGINE-B5G FSTP Evaluation Board, which is composed by a group of internal and external experts to ensure scientific excellence, transparency, and non-conflict of interest. All submitted proposals will be evaluated using criteria similar to Horizon Europe by at least three evaluators one of which will be external. All evaluators will be asked to sign a non-conflict of interest agreement, to ensure selection process independency. The recruitment of the evaluators will also follow an OC process to ensure full transparency. While forming the Evaluation Board, we will pay extra attention to have the board with a broad range of experience on the specific topics addressed by the call. The evaluation criteria have been defined:   Excellence (0 to 5 points): Proposals must demonstrate a clear set of objectives aligned with the definition of the IMAGINE-B5G Call and with the general objectives of the project. The experiment should be scientifically and/or technically sound. For vertical experiments, there should be a clear problem statement a solid experiment design, and a good methodology. For platform extensions, the applicant should clearly indicate the usefulness and feasibility of the extensions. The applicant should exhibit prior research/development experience and the necessary qualifications to perform the vertical experiment or implement platform SW/HW extensions. The Excellence is evaluated according to the following criteria: (i) Clarity and pertinence of the objectives; (ii) Excellence, innovation, and quality of the objectives and the methodology. Minimum score to pass the evaluation: 3. Impact (0 to 5 points): Proposals must define a clear set of deliverables aligned with the objectives of the call. Proposals must demonstrate adequate impact on the IMAGINE-B5G ecosystem and its contribution to meeting the overall objectives of IMAGINE-B5G project. For scientific impact of vertical experiments, the score reflects the extent to which the broader scientific community can benefit from the proposed solution or the extension. For the industrial impact of vertical experiments, the score reflects the potential for exploiting the results of the experiment in commercial solutions. For platform extensions, the applicant should clearly indicate how the extensions complements the current IMAGINE-B5G platform. The impact is evaluated according to the following criteria: (i) Strengthening the competitiveness and growth of 6G by deploying a use-case and stimulating innovation/disruption that meet the needs of European and global markets; (ii) Effectiveness of the proposed measures to exploit and disseminate the funded project results, to overall communicate the project, and to manage research data where relevant. Minimum score to pass the evaluation: 3.  Implementation (0 to 5 points): Proposals must provide credible evidence that the project delivery team has the necessary skills, resources, infrastructure, and management experience to be able to deliver the project in the timescales and budget specified. The quality and the efficiency of the implementation will be evaluated according to the following criteria: (i) Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including appropriateness of the allocation of tasks and resources, justification of resources; (ii) Appropriateness of the skills and experience of the project delivery team. Minimum score to pass the evaluation: 3.    Minimum total score to pass the evaluation: 10.   Socio-economic and other relevant non-technical aspects will also be considered.  A number of top-ranked proposals will be selected to achieve the target budget of the call. IMAGINE-B5G targets to allocate at least 50% of the open-call budget to the SMEs, scaleups and start-ups. To reach this target, during the final selection and ranking of the proposals, two different ranking lists will be created: one for SMEs, scaleups and start-ups, and one for all the other projects. The budget then will be distributed to the top ranked projects (starting from the SMEs, scaleups and start-ups list) to the facilities based on the specified number of open call users each facility can support (see Table 2). To ensure a balanced portfolio covering as many strategic sectors as possible, grants will be awarded to proposals not only in order of ranking but also considering broad coverage of different sectors. The sectors that are not covered by higher ranked proposals can be prioritised given that the proposals for these sectors attain all required thresholds.

Further information

https://imagineb5g.eu/2nd-open/