EDIH Trakia (Cyber4AllSTAR EDIH) informs interested SMEs and public sector organisations who are currently working on building / implementing and/or are bringing to the EU market / providing AI products and solutions, that applications are currently open for the EU-funded EUSAIR Pilots Sandboxing Initiative – a framework, envisioned under the European AI Act, for the purposes of supporting the testing of digital solutions in a controlled and low-risk environment.
The sandboxing approach allows organisations to experiment with new AI technologies on a small scale before committing to full deployment. This helps assess relevance, internal readiness, interoperability and data security considerations.
Upcoming Application Deadlines
According to the official information published on the platform, two application deadlines are approaching:
- 15 November – submission deadline for those who seek to benefit from the full digital sandboxing and/or real-world testing
- 10 December – submission deadline for those who seek to benefit from consultancy, advice and guidance
Full details and application forms are available here:
https://eusair-project.eu/pilots/ | https://eusair-project.eu/pilots-form/
Role of EDIH Trakia
As part of this collaboration, EDIH Trakia:
- Supports organisations in understanding the sandbox participation conditions and provides methodological guidance when evaluating readiness to engage
- Facilitates contact with the coordinating team of the pilot sandboxing activities and upon invitation participates in providing support
This initiative is particularly relevant for european AI providers at a time when many European Digital Innovation Hubs are preparing their AI-first service portfolios for the 2026–2028 programme period. Participation in EUSAIR Pilots offers a constructive way for Hubs to remain actively involved in digital transformation efforts during this transition phase.
Organisations interested in learning more are welcome to contact EUSAIR directly or EDIH Trakia for further orientation.