JARVIS Open Call Co-development for AI 2026: Practical Guide for European SMEs Building AI Solutions Through Collaboration

Opportunity Snapshot (Direct from the Call)

JARVIS Open Call: Co-development for AI Institution: Horizon Europe Country: European Union

The JARVIS Open Call supports collaborative co-development projects focused on Artificial Intelligence. It brings together SMEs, technology providers, research organisations, and end-user entities to jointly design, develop, and validate domain-specific AI solutions. The call emphasises practical co-creation, real-world testing, and knowledge sharing to accelerate the creation of trustworthy, deployable AI applications across sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, energy, mobility, and public services. Projects typically involve iterative development cycles, with strong requirements for ethical AI practices, data governance, interoperability, and measurable performance improvements in operational environments. This section provides the core description of the opportunity directly from the programme listing for precise applicant reference.

Executive Summary

Many European SMEs possess deep domain expertise and valuable operational data but lack the full stack of AI engineering capabilities needed to build robust, production-ready solutions. The JARVIS Open Call under Horizon Europe addresses this by funding structured co-development partnerships that combine sector knowledge with technical AI expertise.

This guide offers concrete, implementation-oriented advice for SMEs interested in participating as domain leaders, technology integrators, or end-users. It covers opportunity identification, partner selection, co-creation governance, technical development workflows, validation strategies, IP and data sharing agreements, and pathways to post-project commercialisation. The focus stays on operational execution: how to structure effective collaborations, manage iterative development cycles, handle data challenges, ensure regulatory compliance, and turn joint projects into sustainable AI capabilities or products.

JARVIS Programme Context in 2026

Horizon Europe continues prioritising AI that delivers tangible value while meeting high standards of trustworthiness and human-centric design. JARVIS calls facilitate cross-actor collaboration to bridge the gap between generic AI tools and sector-specific applications that solve real operational problems. This approach reduces duplication of effort and accelerates time-to-value for participating organisations.

Typical Project Features:

• Mixed consortia (SMEs, larger firms, research entities, end-users)
• Iterative co-design and development sprints
• Validation in operational or near-operational environments
• Focus on explainability, robustness, fairness, and privacy
• Clear exploitation and sustainability plans beyond project lifetime

Technical Co-Development Workflows

Effective projects usually follow structured iteration cycles: Requirements & Data Phase, Architecture & Prototyping, Development Sprints, Validation & Refinement, and Deployment Preparation. Consortia that treat data governance as a foundational work package rather than an afterthought perform better during evaluation and execution.

Conclusion: Positioning for Success

To move from idea to fundable consortium, SMEs must align scientific ambition with operational execution. Strategic partnership with experts in proposal orchestration can be the differentiator between rejection and funding.

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