FORTIS Open Call 1: Funding Human Robot Interaction Solutions

FORTIS Open Call 1 supports the development, integration and validation of human robot interaction (HRI) solutions that can be plugged into the FORTIS ecosystem. The call aims to attract multidisciplinary consortia that bring together expertise from robotics, artificial intelligence, human factors and real-world deployment environments.

The overarching goal of FORTIS is to improve productivity, job quality and public services through safe, intelligible and human centred interaction between people and robots.

Type of projects

Projects should focus on technology solutions that can be integrated into FORTIS toolkits, including for example:

Sensors and perception modules
Machine learning and robot learning components
Simulators
Robotic platforms, software or hardware modules

Solutions must be within TRL 5 to 6, so validated in relevant environments but still in need of further integration, testing and adaptation.

Target sectors and domains

The call is relevant to, but not limited to, the following domains:

Computational and artificial intelligence
Autonomous and intelligent robots
Human robot interaction
Robotics and automation
Internet of Things and cyber physical systems
Activity recognition and behavioural systems
Human factors and ergonomics
Biosignal processing

Consortium requirements

Only consortia of 2 to 3 entities are eligible. Each consortium must:

Include at least one SME
Be multidisciplinary, combining technical and application-oriented expertise
Include partners from at least two different eligible countries
Ensure non industry partners do not exceed 30% of the total project budget

Eligible entities must be legally established in:

EU Member States
H2020 or Horizon Europe Associated Countries
Overseas Countries and Territories linked to EU Member States

Applications from entities with conflicts of interest with FORTIS consortium members will not be accepted.

Topics and challenges

Applicants must submit under one of the following FORTIS topics and subtopics:

Topic 1: Activity Recognition
1.1 Human activity recognition using non wearable technologies
1.2 Human activity recognition using wearable sensors

Topic 2: Long term memory
2.1 Memory consolidation and forgetting mechanisms
2.2 Lifelong and continual learning for personalised adaptation

Topic 3: Enhancing robotic intelligibility through directional audio and visual effects
3.1 Spatialised and adaptive audio for robot communication
3.2 Visual cues for enhanced intelligibility

Topic 4: Multimodality semantic segmentation and perception

Technical details for each topic are provided in Annex 1 FORTIS Technical Specifications.

Project duration and structure

Total duration: 10 months
Structure: three sprints of 3 months, 4 months, 3 months
Work is aligned to sprint based Key Performance Indicators that trigger payments

Budget, funding rates and payments

Maximum funding per project: €250,000
Funding rate:
- Up to 100% for non-profit organisations
- Up to 70% for SMEs and other profit organisations

Deadline: The call closes on 21 January 2026.

How Inventya can help

Inventya supports HRI and deep tech teams in turning strong technical concepts into competitive FORTIS proposals. Our support can include:

Strategic fit check: We review your concept, TRL, partners and chosen topic to ensure a good match with the FORTIS scope, eligibility and evaluation logic.
Consortium and value proposition design: We help you position each partner, clarify roles and contributions and build a clear narrative on how your solution strengthens the FORTIS ecosystem and delivers human centric impact.
Proposal structure and writing: We work with your team to structure the technical, integration and validation work, define realistic KPIs for each sprint and clearly explain methods, risks and mitigation.
Exploitation, adoption and impact: We help you articulate how your solution can be taken up beyond the project, including potential markets, users, sustainability and contribution to European leadership in human robot interaction.
Review and refinement: We provide critical review of the draft proposal to improve clarity, coherence and readability so that evaluators can quickly understand the strengths of your project.

With Inventya, your FORTIS Open Call 1 proposal becomes more strategic, better aligned with the call expectations and more likely to secure funding and visibility in the European HRI community.

FORTIS Open Call 1: Funding Human Robot Interaction Solutions

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