Horizon Europe European Union
Neutral-Atom Platform Technologies
This action aims to establish European leadership in neutral-atom quantum simulation and digital quantum computing by delivering: • Fully programmable industry-ready quan…
Horizon Europe · European Union
Advanced and Innovative hardware components for Virtual Worlds (RIA) (Virtual Worlds Partnership)
Opens 17 Nov 2026
The EU's Horizon Europe programme expects to make 8 awards of €4.8 million – €5.6 million each, from a total budget of €39 million. Applications close on 18 Mar 2027 (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time). Organisations in EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries such as Türkiye can usually take part; the topic conditions control.
- Deadline
- 18 Mar 2027 (in 123 days)
- Opens
- 17 Nov 2026
- Grant amount
- €4.8 million – €5.6 million per project
- Total budget
- €39 million
- Funding rate
- 100% of eligible costs Standard rule for this programme; the call can differ.
- Total budget
- €39 million
- Expected awards
- 8
- Type of action
- HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions · HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based
- Likely applicant types
- Companies, SMEs / start-ups, Non-profits, Universities & research, Public bodies From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
- Funder
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- Reference
- HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-HUMAN-01
- Call
- HORIZON-CL4-2027-04
- Last checked
- 14 Nov 2026
Expected outcome
Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:
• Innovative and advanced XR hardware, advanced headsets, screens, wearables and haptic components, sensors and actuators, advanced chips for a deeper and closer-to-reality immersion, stimulating all human senses.
Scope
In the recent years, hardware for Virtual Worlds made major breakthroughs, democratising headsets, sensors, actuators or haptic equipment. To keep this momentum and advancing further, new generation of XR equipment, wearable solutions and haptic components, as well as non-invasive brain computer interfaces for handsfree interaction, hardware or technologies will put the users at the very centre of virtual experiences, for even greater and realistic immersion, aiming at blurring the lines between the real and digital environments. To ensure this next generation of engaging and lifelike immersion, all senses must be stimulated (sight, hearing, feel, touch, smell), for a fully immersive close-to-reality experience. Users will be submerged with realistic sensations making the experience as immersive as possible.
Proposals should investigate novel scientific approaches or push the limit of existing ones to improve the synchronization and integration of the different modalities.
Read the full text
Proposals are expected to integrate various components in fully tested devices, demonstrating the usefulness and efficiency of their system in illustrative scenarios in the industrial and societal contexts.
Proposals should focus on performant, reliable, miniaturised, interoperable advanced and innovative technologies, with inclusivity, energy consumption and energy efficiency at the centre of concerns.
This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.
The Consortium should pay attention to developing solutions that are reliable, robust and interoperable. Proposals should leverage existing open standards and technologies in the domain of Virtual Worlds, while contributing to ongoing standardisation work.
We consider that proposals with an overall duration of typically 36 months would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other durations.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Virtual Worlds.
Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects
Activities are expected to start at TRL 3 and achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
Who can apply
Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule).
Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.
Topics
Computer graphics, computer vision, multi media, computer games Human computer interaction and interface, visualization and natural language processing Wearable technologies Display and sensing technologies Force-feedback Haptics Human perception Immersion Innovative optics and photonics technologies Integration Microdisplay Multimodal interaction Smell Speech Touch Vision Visualisation brain computer interface wearables
Timing
Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-03-18. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).
How to apply
- Read the full topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal: expected outcome, scope, type of action and the topic conditions, including any country restrictions.
- Register each participating organisation in the Funding & Tenders Portal to get a PIC.
- Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries (Horizon Europe standard rule; Türkiye is associated). Confirm in the topic conditions.
- Prepare Part A (administrative forms and budget, completed in the portal) and Part B (the technical description on the official template for this type of action).
- Submit in the portal before the cut-off time on the deadline day. Late submissions are not accepted.
From the call text
- Who can apply
- Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
- Company stage
- Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
- Single applicant or consortium
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
- Where applicants must be based
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
- Where to apply
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
Where these facts come from
| Fact | Value | How we know | Taken from the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | 18 March 2027 “Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-03-18. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).” | official data field | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Amount per applicant | Unknown — not stated in the source we hold | unknown | — |
| Total budget | €39 million | official data field | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Funding rate | 100% of eligible costs | programme standard rule | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Who can apply | Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule). | programme standard rule | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Where to apply | Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route. | read from the official text | 15 Nov 2026 |
Official sources
Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 14 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.
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