The 3DBigDataSpace project aims to prototype a Europe-wide stable and long-term storage of 3D cultural heritage assets and metadata from different providers and aggregators. By developing tools for augmentation and harmonisation, it is intended to enhance the findability, quality and re-use of 3D content for augmented reality viewers and 4D world applications. The project is funded by the European Union and carried out by twelve collaborating organisations.
The Time Machine Organisation (TMO) is the coordinator of the 3DBigDataSpace project. The TMO maintains and curates an international network of currently more than 150 projects and initiatives – Local Time Machine (LTM) projects – dealing with history and heritage in specific cities or regions. The TMO’s primary mission is to gather different groups to collect and refine digital information, making sure it stays relevant to evolving economic, social, cultural, and geographical factors. Therefore, it is planned to develop a space-time aggregator of historical information.
As part of its contribution to the 3DBigDataSpace project, the TMO is launching a series of calls within the Synergy Grants Programme. In this second call, two 3D outreach heritage projects will be selected to design and develop engaging and innovative applications that use 3DBigDataSpace tools for AR or web-based display. The goal is to reach out to a large number of people to disseminate the applications. Successful applicants will receive €10,000 each as well as technical guidance from TMO specialists throughout the development process.
Timeline
| 23 October 2025 | Launch of the call |
| 15 December 2025 | Deadline of applications |
| 27 January 2026 | Notification of acceptance |
| March 2026 | Project start |
| June 2026 | Project end |
This call is the second one in a series of calls within the TMO Synergy Grants Programme. Further calls on digitisation training will be available in the next months.
Target Audience
This call is open to organisations dealing with 3D heritage digitisation and modelling such as:
- Research groups (e.g. universities, institutes, R&D departments)
- GLAM representatives (i.e. galleries, libraries, archives, museums)
- Public stakeholders (e.g. local administrations, tourism offices)
- Private stakeholders (e.g. XR application developers, NGOs)
The main applicant may also choose to collaborate with a project partner. This is optional but encouraged. The partner can be any organisation, for example a museum, tourism office, private company, or research institution.
For further details on the role and conditions of project partners, see the FAQ section.
Target Content and Expected Outcomes
We are seeking two creative and innovative projects that demonstrate new ways of engaging the public with 3D cultural heritage content.
Applicants are invited to design an experience concept that uses at least one of the 3DBigDataSpace tools to present and interact with 3D assets:
- PCSS Viewer: a web-based 3D viewer for exploring digital objects and collections.
- 4D Viewer: a browser-based tool to visualise models in their spatial and temporal context.
- Rooom XR Viewer: a platform for immersive AR presentation and interaction.
See this document for detailed information on the tools, their capabilities and how they can be integrated into other platforms.
Proposals shall make use of the applicant’s own 3D assets and/or 3D assets available from the 3DBigDataSpace repository (https://3drepo.eu/), which is continuously being extended in terms of content and functionality. The assets may cover any period, region, or scale – from single artifacts to complex architectural or urban scenes. Complementary media such as text, audio, or video can be used to enrich the experience.
At the application stage, participants are expected to submit a design proposal outlining their concept and approach for using the 3DBigDataSpace tools. Applicants may also propose to adapt an existing or preliminary 3D experience to integrate the tools from 3DBigDataSpace and meet the objectives of the call. If selected, applicants will then develop and deploy the proposed experience.
Possible application scenarios include, but are not limited to:
- Virtual guiding and storytelling – interactive tours, reconstructions, or 4D map-based explorations.
- Presentation of 3D artefacts with annotations – contextualising objects in situ or remotely.
- Educational experiences – online or on-site learning activities, quizzes, or lessons.
- Gamified approaches – heritage-based challenges, geo-caching, or role-playing scenarios.
- Collaborative or participatory projects – citizen science, community storytelling, or co-creation of cultural memory.
- AR or immersive installations – visualising historical spaces, monuments, or artefacts in their original environments.
After development, the final application must be advertised and made available to the public, for example through exhibitions, museums, workshops, touristic activities, educational events, websites, or webinars. Presentations may use digital interfaces such as touchscreens, VR headsets, or tablets.
Emphasis is placed on engagement, accessibility, and visibility. Proposals should clearly explain how the experience will reach and involve the target users, specify the expected audience size and type, and describe how audience reach will be monitored and evaluated during the activity.
The results and findings of the implementation and dissemination activity must be internally and externally reported and presented.
Eligibility Criteria
The applicant’s organisation must:
- Be based in a member state of the European Union or in a country currently associated with Horizon Europe.
- Not be receiving, nor have previously received, funding from the European Union or other sources for the same proposed outreach deployment (no double funding)
- Use the funding exclusively for the specified purposes of this call and not others (e.g. digitising new 3D assets)
Obligations
Selected applicants must:
- Develop a demo application using 3D assets from their own sources and/or from the 3DBigDataSpace project (see above).
- Apply the 3DBigDataSpace tools (see above) in the development of the demo application.
- Present the demo application to the public, reaching at least 100 users by the end of the project.*
- Participate in a European public event (e.g. conference, workshop) to present the application and its dissemination strategy after its completion.
- Document the demo case (e.g. technical specification, accessibility) and dissemination activities in reports and as best practices (e.g. for Europeana, 3D-4CH).
* The number of users reached includes both in-person and online audiences, measured for example by visitor counts, individual website visitors, or event participants. The applicant must design an appropriate strategy to record and demonstrate this impact.
Benefits
Selected applicants will:
- Receive a EUR 10.000 sub-contract** to fulfil the obligations described.
- Be accompanied in the registration of the dataset as an LTM project within the TMO.
- Get support from specialists from the TMO to use 3D assets and tools from 3DBigDataSpace.
- Gain access to the network and documentation of the twelve cooperating organisations involved within the 3DBigDataSpace project.
- Receive communication coverage to showcase their project by the TMO after a successful realisation.
** Note: Funding will be provided in several instalments, linked to the completion of specific project tasks.
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be assessed based on the:
- Content of the proposed application (e.g. 3D assets, narrative)
- Functionality & Design of the proposed application integrating 3DBigDataSpace tools (e.g. concept, features, accessibility)
- Dissemination strategy & User engagement to reach the target groups (e.g., promotion, expected number of people, long-term sustainability)
- Feasibility of the project realisation (e.g. staff capacity and experience, time demand, budget, risks)
- Reusability, Impact & Interest for the cultural heritage community and other domains (e.g. co-operation with local/regional stakeholders, expansion potential, potential for the application to be adapted and reused by others)
Application Procedure
Applicants can participate by filling in the dedicated form (see button below). It is recommended to provide sufficient details in each relevant section. Only complete applications submitted through the form will be considered for evaluation.
FAQ
How will the applications be evaluated in detail?
Please find the questionnaire to be handed to the jury members here.
What is a project partner?
Applicants may choose to collaborate with a project partner, though this is optional. Partnerships are encouraged, as digitisation projects often benefit from combining the expertise of different organisations, fostering synergies, networking, and knowledge exchange, goals supported by both the European Commission and the Time Machine Organisation (TMO).
The partner can be any other organisation, not necessarily registered as a local Time Machine. For example, if the applicant is from a university, potential partners could include a museum, tourism office, private company, or another research institution (see the call’s target audience for further ideas).
Can the project partner work at the same organisation as the one of the applicant?
No, the project partner needs to be another organisation. For example, if the applicant works at a university, the project partner may be a museum, tourism office, private company, or another research institution. There are more examples of organisations in the target audience of the call description, which apply also for potential project partners.
What are the tasks and benefits for the project partner?
The project partner may serve as a consultant/expert, may carry out a part of the expected work, may gain knowledge from the applicant (e.g. by workshops), may contribute in carrying out the outreach activities, may advertise the developed application or other parts the work (e.g. social media, newspaper), etc.
Does the involvement of the project partner need be already formalised?
There are no formal requirements at this stage. Feel free to indicate the anticipated tasks and benefits of the project partner in section ‘3. Project Management’ in the application form. In case the application is successful, a contract will be established where tasks will be defined and assigned to the applicant and project partner.
Does the funding need to be shared with the project partner?
The applicant plans and negotiates the distribution of the funding with the project partner. If the work is carried out at the applicant’s organisation and the project partner receives non-monetary benefits (see examples above), 100% of the funding can be assigned to the applicant. The funding can also be spread at a certain percentage between the applicant and the project partner.
Can I propose applications using cultural heritage 3D assets outside of Europe?
Yes, submissions about historical 3D assets anywhere on Earth are welcome, however, your institution needs to be based in the European Union or in an associated state to Horizon Europe.
Are organisations from Switzerland eligible to participate in the call?
Yes. Switzerland has signed a transitional arrangement about the Horizon Package in April 2025 allowing a participation in calls.
Contact
If you have any other questions or inquiries regarding the call and application procedure, please send an email to ltm[at]timemachine.eu.
