Over the next three years, the Time Machine Organisation’s (TMO) Synergy Grants Programme will provide targeted financial support for projects that apply advanced technologies, share digitisation practices and align cultural heritage data with international standards. By fostering collaboration across sectors and disciplines, this EU-supported programme seeks to create sustainable digital infrastructures that help cultural heritage institutions thrive in an increasingly connected world.
The Synergy Grants Programme will distribute a total of €70,000 across three thematic tracks: Data, Outreach, and Training. Each track focuses on a specific area of need within the 3D cultural heritage ecosystem, from data aggregation and application development to community training in digitisation methods. The overarching goal is to accelerate the creation of a spatially and temporally navigable 4D grid of Europe’s cultural past, a vision at the heart of TMO’s mission.
The grants are coordinated by TMO, which also provides expert support to the selected projects. Applicants not only receive funding but also become part of a vibrant international network, gaining access to tools, expertise, and visibility across the European cultural heritage community.
First call now open: supporting 3D data aggregation across Europe
The first call in the programme, the Data Synergy Grants, is now open for applications. This call is part of the larger 3DBigDataSpace project, an EU-funded supporting project of the common European data space for cultural heritage. 3DBigDataSpace is coordinated by TMO (with Europeana Foundation as a partner) and aims to expand the volume and quality of 3D content available in the data space. Two selected projects will each receive €10,000 to prepare their existing 3D assets for standardised storage and public access.
The goal of this call is to help organisations convert their 3D content into interoperable formats, enrich it with metadata, and ensure it is preserved in a long-term digital infrastructure. The selected projects will benefit from personalised guidance in aligning their data with FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), and will be supported throughout the ingestion process into platforms such as Europeana.eu and Zenodo.
Application criteria and key dates
Organisations eligible to apply include public and private institutions active in 3D heritage digitisation, such as museums, libraries, archives, research groups, municipal offices and commercial or non-profit entities involved in 3D scanning or extended reality.
Applications are open until 15 June 2025, with successful applicants to be notified by 31 July. Data integration will begin in October and conclude by January 2026.
Projects must already have digitised 3D assets available and must not have received previous funding for aggregating the same assets into Europeana.eu. Eligible content ranges from architectural structures, archaeological sites and historic urban areas to digitised artefacts, instruments, vehicles and themed object collections. Both reality-captured models (via photogrammetry, scanning, tomography, etc.) and source-based reconstructions are welcome.
Selected applicants will be expected to submit their content in both original and interoperable formats (e.g. PLY and GLTF/GLB), meet metadata requirements, and provide georeferenced data where applicable. Projects will also be showcased at a public European event, giving them further visibility and an opportunity to share methods and outcomes with a wider audience.
Why participate?
Participation offers more than just funding. Through the TMO network and the 3DBigDataSpace project’s 12 European partner organisations, selected applicants gain access to cutting-edge expertise in 3D data processing, metadata curation and digital preservation. They also receive communication support to promote their work and are encouraged to register their project as a Local Time Machine (LTM), joining over 150 initiatives across Europe that focus on the regional exploration of cultural history through digital innovation.
The evaluation process will consider the quality and quantity of the submitted assets, the scientific value of the digitisation process, the feasibility of delivering the data within the given timeline, and the reusability of the content for the wider heritage community.
Next steps in the Synergy Grants journey
The Data Synergy Call marks the beginning of a wider rollout. In the coming months, TMO will open two further calls: one supporting the development of XR applications using 3D assets, and another funding hands-on training workshops in digitisation methods – the latter made possible through the EU-funded project Online competence centre in 3D for Cultural Heritage (3D-4CH). Together, these efforts will build a stronger, more connected digital heritage landscape, one that benefits researchers, professionals, and the public alike.
For details and to apply, visit the Time Machine Organisation website, subscribe to their newsletter and make sure to follow on LinkedIn and Bluesky.