Collection, Generation and Validation of Datasets suitable for training AI Models for 6G Networks and for AIaaS
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The European Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) aims to ensure industrial leadership for Europe in 5G and 6G.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
This Topic expects proposals with strong industrial participation with demonstrated AI and operational expertise to ensure credibility, usability, and engagement with standardisation bodies. Academic institutions and RTOs will complement consortia where their expertise adds clear value.
Detailed Call Description
The focus is on:
• Collecting, and making available in an operationally effective way, high-quality real-world datasets from advanced (e.g., 5G Advanced, 6G) operational networks (real data) or network digital twins and/or advanced (high TRL), gen AI tools, experimental platforms (emulators) or trials, capturing realistic deployment scenarios—including user density, mobility patterns, network conditions, and realistic data traffic patterns from various applications, including verticals. Proponents should not consider datasets that have limitations in terms of, for example, coverage, capacity, number of devices, or where data and metadata do not have enough quality to train AI models. The datasets should originate from actors that have significant experience from operational networks and network components as well as service providers (including verticals), so that there is strong level of confidence that the datasets are useful for training AI models to be used by 6G networks. For the real-world datasets from advanced (e.g., beyond 5G, 6G) operational networks and/or advanced (high TRL) experimental platforms or trials and datasets produced by SNS JU projects this project should ensure the provision the presence of Metadata definition (to have a common descriptor for the data), methods to verify that the data is valuable for the training of realistic AI models, and ensure data reusability.
• Development of full protocol stack, end-to-end implementations enabling high-fidelity, system-level simulations of 6G networks building upon and enhancing existing open-source simulators for producing correlated reference datasets at different network layers, and across different network points. These simulations will span from the physical layer to the application layer and will include:
– Support for multi-radio access technologies, including e.g., cellular, Wi-Fi, and non-terrestrial systems.
– Disaggregated RAN architectures, enabling flexible and scalable deployment models.
– Multi-band operation with accurate propagation and channel modelling across various frequency ranges (e.g., FR3, mmWave, cmWave, sub-THz), incorporating ray tracing-based channel models for enhanced realism.
– Realistic traffic patterns that reflect anticipated data flows in future network scenarios.
– Anomalies and network attacks that can be eventually used to test the resilience of AI solutions in 6G networks.
• Design of an open-source framework and toolset for generating high quality realistic synthetic data, tailored to diverse environmental scenarios (e.g., urban, suburban, rural, indoor, industrial), user densities, security threats, mobility patterns, and node behaviour – including memory, CPU, storage, and energy consumption – as well as traffic profiles from a variety of vertical applications. These datasets should be produced following existing calibration directives from standardization bodies (e.g., 3GPP) and expected traffic patterns from European and international organizations (e.g., 5GAA, 5G-ACIA, etc.). The datasets should be validated from proponents that have significant experience from operational networks and network components as well as service providers (including verticals), so that there is strong level of confidence that the datasets are useful for training AI models to be used by 6G networks and for AIaaS. Optionally the tool may consider the use of reliable LLM solutions to enable a user-friendly interface for users and/or to calibrate the simulator and/or create the desired datasets.
• Creation of large-scale, open-source high quality synthetic datasets, following well established reference use-cases, containing measurements, channel and network indicators, and performance metrics across multiple protocol layers (RF, physical, MAC, network, transport, and application). These datasets will cover a broad range of network scenarios, architectures, technologies, and system configurations related to smart networks and services.
• Validation, quality assessment of the existing SNS JU project datasets, verifying the data’s accuracy, consistency, and completeness ensuring their alignment with the specific use case and performance requirements of the 6G network.
• For the real-world datasets from advanced (e.g., 5G Advanced, 6G) operational networks and/or advanced (high TRL) experimental platforms or trials and datasets produced by SNS JU project, this project should ensure the provision the presence of: Metadata definition (to have a common descriptor for the data), methods to verify that the data is valuable for the training of realistic AI models and ensure data reusability.
• Engagement with standardization bodies and relevant open-source communities to promote the adoption of the framework, the associated simulation tools, and open datasets enabling industry-wide collaboration on shared software platforms and data resource.
• Creation of tutorials and implementation of dissemination activities to encourage widespread use of the framework, its synthetic datasets, and the underlying simulation tools including the development of APIs, new intelligence control plane function, etc.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100% non-for-profit organizations,
70% profit organizations
Expected EU contribution: €2.000.000
Thematic Categories
- Economy-Finances
- Industry
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Information Technology
- Processing
- Public Administration
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
- Telecommunications
Eligibility for Participation
- Businesses
- International Organisations
- Large Enterprises
- Legal Entities
- NGOs
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
General Annex B of the General Annexes to the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the SNS call 2026, with the following exceptions or amendments:
Restrictions on participation in accordance with Article 22(5) of the Horizon Europe Regulation
In order to achieve the expected outcomes, and safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security, it is important to avoid a situation of technological dependency on a non-EU source, in a global context that requires the EU to take action to build on its strengths, and to carefully assess and address any strategic weaknesses, vulnerabilities and high-risk dependencies which put at risk the attainment of its ambitions. For this reason, for proposals under topics identified as “subject to restrictions on participation in accordance with Article 22(5) of the Horizon Europe Regulation” (in the specific conditions for eligibility), participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States and Associated Countries.
For the duly justified and exceptional reasons listed in the paragraph above, in order to guarantee the protection of the strategic interests of the Union and its Member States, entities established in an eligible country listed above, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity, may not participate in the action unless it can be demonstrated, by means of guarantees positively assessed by their eligible country of establishment, in so far this is a Member State or Associated Country, that their participation to the action would not negatively impact the Union’s strategic, assets, interests, autonomy, or security. Entities assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment within the meaning of ‘restrictions for the protection of European communication networks’ (or entities fully or partially owned or controlled by a high-risk supplier) cannot submit guarantees.
The guarantees shall in particular substantiate that, for the purpose of the action, measures are in place to ensure that:
a. control over the applicant legal entity is not exercised in a manner that retrains or restricts its ability to carry out the action and to deliver results, that imposes restrictions concerning its infrastructure, facilities, assets, resources, intellectual property or know-how needed for the purpose of the action, or that undermines its capabilities and standards necessary to carry out the action;
b. access by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity to sensitive information relating to the action is prevented; and the employees or other persons involved in the action have a national security clearance issued by an eligible country, where appropriate;
c. ownership of the intellectual property arising from, and the results of, the action remain within the recipient during and after completion of the action, are not subject to control or restrictions by non-eligible countries or non-eligible country entity, and are not exported outside the eligible countries, nor is access to them from outside the eligible countries granted, without the approval of the eligible country in which the legal entity is established.
The participants directly subject to this eligibility condition are not only beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners but also subcontractors. Their participation is therefore subject to an ex-ante ownership control assessment by the EC and, if relevant, the EC acceptance of a guarantee approved by an eligible country.
Restrictions for the protection of European communication networks
These restrictions apply in accordance with General Annex B of the General Annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027:
Entities that are assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment within the meaning of ‘restrictions for the protection of European communication networks’ ( (and any entities they own or control) are not eligible to participate as beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners.
Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine
Given the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the involvement of Belarus, there is currently no appropriate context allowing the implementation of the actions foreseen in this programme with legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine. Therefore, even where such entities are not subject to EU restrictive measures, such legal entities are not eligible to participate in any capacity. This includes participation as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any). Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for justified reasons. With specific regard to measures addressed to Russia, following the adoption of the Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745 of 24 June 2024 (amending Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014), legal entities established outside Russia but whose proprietary rights are directly or indirectly owned for more than 50% by legal persons established in Russia are also not eligible to participate in any capacity.
At least half of the budget should be implemented by the SNS JU member (other than the Union) and their constituent or affiliated entities.
Applicants will be invited to fill a mandatory table of compliance at proposal stage in the Application Form Technical Description (Part B).
Proposals that do not fulfil the above Table App 3 conditions, including the mandatory table of compliance, at the time of the proposal submission, will be considered ineligible and, therefore, will not be evaluated.
Gender equality plans and gender dimension of R&I:
According to the General Annexes, provision of a gender equality plan for public bodies, research organisations or higher education establishments (including private research organisations and higher education establishments) applies as per Part B of the General Annexes to the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027. Additional gender issues (related to award sub-criterion consideration of the gender dimension in research and innovation content) shall be addressed as appropriate in case research results are expected to differ when applied to different gender populations of users.