Second BioBlock Call for Proposals
BioBlock Open Call for Proposals 2026
As a BMFTR-funded initiative, BioBlock invites visionary individuals and teams to develop solutions that strengthen an open, verifiable and FAIR data framework for the biotechnology value chain.
Who can apply?
Universities, research institutions, companies, non-profit organisations, local authorities and other eligible bodies may apply. Only organisations with a legal seat in Germany can apply for and receive funding. Organisations based elsewhere may participate as unfunded Associated Partners or as subcontractors.
Project formats and budget
Applicants must select one of the following formats:
- Community Sprint: one or two partners, including at least one academic partner. Funding of up to €150,000 per partner, subject to the maximum budget for the selected challenge.
- Praxis Sprint: at least two partners, including at least one academic and one non-academic partner. Funding of up to €250,000 per academic partner and up to €150,000 per non-academic partner, subject to the maximum budget for the selected challenge.
The amounts indicated above include any eligible overheads. Funding rates, eligible costs and overheads may vary according to the project format and applicant entity type; please refer to Annex 2, “Project Formats”, for details. Projects may run for up to 18 months and are expected to start on 1 May 2027.
Challenges
Each proposal must address one of the following challenges:
- BioBlock Community Knowledge Base: Build a structured knowledge base connecting community members, expertise, projects, datasets, resources and digital assets.
- AI Tool for FAIR Data Generation: Help researchers create FAIR, machine-readable and interoperable experimental data with AI-supported guidance.
- Agentic-AI Negotiation, Dispute Resolution and Copyright Protection: Enable trusted data trading through automated negotiation, licensing, dispute resolution and smart contracts.
- Community-Driven Metadata and Data Standards: Improve the interoperability, reproducibility and reuse of bioprocess data through shared standards.
- Legal, Regulatory and Cybersecurity Framework: Establish practical safeguards for trusted data exchange, including intellectual property, data protection and cybersecurity.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted in English using the official BioBlock proposal template. All sections of the template must be completed.
Combine the completed proposal template and short CVs of the Principal Investigator(s), with a maximum of two pages per CV, into a single PDF. Send the PDF to submission@bioblock-community.org using the filename BioBlock2ndCall_ProjectAcronym_LeadInstitution.pdf.
Key dates
- Call opens: 21 September 2026
- Application deadline: 29 October 2026
- Pre-selection notification: by 27 November 2026
- Online interviews: 4 December 2026, 09:00–16:00
- Final selection notification: by 14 December 2026
- German full proposal via easy-Online for selected projects: by 31 January 2027
- Expected project start: 1 May 2027
Applications will first be checked for formal compliance and then assessed on excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. Applicants should consult the complete Call Guidelines and annexes for detailed challenge descriptions, eligible costs, funding conditions, evaluation criteria and applicable programme requirements.
Questions: info@bioblock-community.org
Call documents
The complete contents of the call are provided in the documents below.