The TrustChain project, launched in January 2023, aims to overcome key challenges within today’s centralized Internet framework, which often lacks transparency, default privacy protections, and scalability. Through five targeted Open Calls and a total budget of €8.775 million, TrustChain seeks to drive innovation in decentralized technology.

The theme for TrustChain Open Call #5 is “Green, Scalable, and Sustainable DLTs”.

This call invites proposals that advance Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) by prioritising energy efficiency, scalability, and trustworthiness. We’re looking for projects that can balance the technical requirements of secure consensus protocols with sustainability objectives, resulting in powerful, eco-friendly DLT systems.

Proposals are encouraged to explore innovations like energy-efficient consensus mechanisms, decentralised scalability through sharding, optimised data management for reduced energy use, and interoperability across blockchain networks. Additional solutions might include consensus-less DLTs and interoperable smart oracles to enable seamless cross-chain operations. Priority will be given to projects that embrace privacy-by-design, incorporate sustainable practices, ensure openness, and adhere to legal standards.

WHY APPLY?

Participants will receive grant funding of up to €117k per project, with no equity taken. They will also benefit from 9 months of structured support, which includes mentorship and access to valuable resources, such as the Alastria network. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to contribute to shaping the future of digital identity, data integrity, and sustainable Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs).

WHO CAN APPLY?

This call targets developers, innovators, researchers, SMEs, and entrepreneurs working on NGI-relevant topics that bridge technical fields (such as Software Engineering, Blockchain, Cryptography, and Digital Identity) with Social Sciences and Humanities (like Social Innovation and public goods). Applicants from other areas, including economics, environment, art, and design, are also welcome to contribute to the NGI TrustChain vision.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The evaluation process is composed of three phases:

• Phase 1: Admissibility & eligibility check
• Phase 2: Proposals evaluation
• Phase 3: Online interviews

As part of the TrustChain action, experts in diverse fields will also provide to Third party innovators selected technology development guidance, working methodology as well as access to technical infrastructure, training in business model development and data related topics, coaching, mentoring, visibility and community building support.

Applications are open until 15 January 2025, at 17:00 [Brussels time]

Apply here: https://www.f6s.com/trustchain-open-call-5-application

For more information on the TrustChain Open Call go here:

https://trustchain.ngi.eu/apply/

About TrustChain

TrustChain will tackle several challenges pertaining to trustworthy and reliable digital identity, to resilient, secure and reliable data pathways, to economics and trading of data, to energy efficiency for data storage, transport and sharing, to seamless services and data flows. A new trustworthy data governance and sharing model in line with the European regulatory framework and taking into account European values will be developed that will ensure Trusted Data Ecosystems.

GET INVOLVED

Make sure to check out how to apply on our TrustChain website or directly

on the F6S platform.