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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the 2nd PULL Open Call

The 2nd PULL Open Call is  open until October 16th, 2024. This call provides a unique opportunity for agri-food producers, environmental monitoring entities, and rural communities/cooperatives to submit proposals for projects that focus on utilising drones and related services to address individual commercial needs or community-related issues.
This blog post is designed to answer some of the most frequently asked questions  helping you to understand the application process and navigate it more easily.

Is it possible to apply as a consortium of two SMEs? 

No it is not possible to apply as a consortium. The ICAERUS PULL 2 Open Call only accepts individual applicants. It is possible to use sub-contracting to engage the service of other parties, however it must be clearly justified. For more details please section Section 3.1 Eligible costs, bullet point 5. Subcontracting (pg 14) of the PULL OC Applicant’s Guide. 

Is it encouraged to propose a project that addresses several of the topics from the open call? Or should we focus on a singular topic?

The examples provided in Section 2.2 topics for Farming Forestry and Rural Challenges (FFRC) (pg 7-8 of the applicants guide) are indicative of the types of sub-projects that are expected to be funded but are not limited to those listed. In order to be eligible however, proposals need to address challenges in rural areas (pg 8).  Furthermore, proposals will be evaluated on the 4 criteria listed in section 3.5.3 Key points for evaluation (pg 16) of the applicant’s guide. It would be best to consider how such a decision might affect each criteria.

Are there any merits known for the deliverable of the Phase 2 (Development)? Is there a suggested or expected Technology Readiness Level?

The phase 2 deliverable is part of the implementation of selected projects and its successful submission is tied to the release of 50% of the funding (see section 4.1 Implementation timeline and activities).In the proposal phase it should be mentioned within the work plan (see Section 3.4 of the proposal template on pg 4). 

With regards to the TRL, the proposal template Section 5.3 Technology Readiness Level requests a description of the starting and the target TRL. It is also a criteria for evaluation (technology readiness and innovation development 20%), however no mandatory TRL target is specified.

In the open call document, there are use cases already listed. Are those use cases from the previous open calls, or are those suggested use cases for this open call? Can we apply for broader topics as described in 2.2 part of the Open Call Text document? 

The 5 Uses Cases described are part of ICAERUS project not specific sectors required for the open call.  They are provided in the open call document to give applicants some context around the project. The partners leading those use cases are all members of the ICAERUS consortium.

The PULL open call doesn’t require a specific topic to be selected (e.g., there are no check boxes in the application form for forestry vs agriculture ect.), rather it is completely open to projects that utilise drones and services built around them for individual commercial needs and/or community-related issues as long as they address challenges in Rural Areas.

Are the end-users from the agricultural sector targeted as well by the call? Since the title mentions “farming” but the call is specifically mentioning “agri-food” producers , I am wondering whether plant growers are still eligible?

End-users are not restricted to farmers, any end user with the agri-food sector or rural community would be suitable. The most important aspect is addressing rural challenges.

Is there any specific security/safety issue that is a priority for ICAERUS?

 Safe drone operation and adherence to all national and EU regulations related to drones and their services are priorities for ICAERUS.

We hope this FAQ has clarified some of the most pressing questions and encouraged potential applicants to start working on their applications.

The first step is to take a closer look at the Applicant’s Guide and other supporting documents then register on the Open Call Hub. 

If you still have questions, contact the ICAERUS Open Call Team at  

400 356 ICAERUS

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      Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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