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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to develop breakthrough autonomous robot collectives for collaborative tasks in dynamic, unstructured construction environments. It aims to foster radical innovations in construction robotics to enhance productivity, safety, and sustainability. - Target Recipient Type: Consortia or single legal entities. - Target Recipient Size: Primarily universities, research organizations, SMEs, start-ups, and natural persons. Mid-caps and larger companies are not permitted for single beneficiary projects but may be part of consortia. - Designation: SECTOR-SPECIFIC (Construction, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence). - Geographic Scope: EU Member States and Associated Countries. - Key Filtering Criteria: Focus on TRL4 demonstration of autonomous multi-robotic systems for construction assembly. Excludes on-site 3D-printing of cementitious materials or polymers as a primary task. - Grant Frequency: Part of the annual EIC Pathfinder Challenges within Horizon Europe, suggesting a recurring program context.

Financial Structure

Funding Model: This grant operates under the Lump Sum Model Grant Agreement (Lump Sum MGA). This means funds are typically disbursed as fixed payments upon the achievement of predefined milestones and deliverables, rather than as a reimbursement of actual incurred costs.
Total Call Budget: The total budget for the entire 'HORIZON-EIC-2025-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01' call, which includes this topic, is 120,000,000.0 EUR.
Minimum Funding per Project: Individual projects under this specific topic (HORIZON-EIC-2025-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01-03) can request a minimum contribution of 500,000.0 EUR.
Maximum Funding per Project: Individual projects under this specific topic can request a maximum contribution of 4,000,000.0 EUR.
Currency: All amounts are in EUR.
Funding Rate: None. As a lump sum grant, there isn't a traditional 'funding rate' percentage of eligible costs. The grant amount is fixed based on the scope of work and agreed deliverables.
Eligible Costs: Not itemized in the provided text due to the lump sum nature. Costs are implicitly eligible if they contribute to achieving the project's objectives and deliverables outlined in the proposal and Lump Sum MGA.
Ineligible Costs: Not itemized. The lump sum model shifts the focus from cost eligibility to delivery of results.
Matching Funds/Co-financing: Not explicitly mentioned as a requirement within the provided text, common for lump sum grants where a fixed amount is awarded.
Financial Reporting: Financial reporting requirements will be governed by the Lump Sum Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Types

Legal entities established in an EU Member State or an Associated Country are eligible.
Applications can be submitted by consortia or by single legal entities.
Eligible organization types include: universities, research organisations, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), start-ups, and natural persons.
Mid-caps (medium capitalization companies) and larger companies are not permitted to apply as single beneficiaries. They may be eligible as part of a consortium.

Consortium Requirements

Consortia of two entities: Must comprise independent legal entities from two different EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Consortia of three or more entities: Must include at least three legal entities that are independent from each other, with each established in a different country, as follows:
- At least one legal entity must be established in an EU Member State.
- At least two other independent legal entities must each be established in different EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Technical & Scope Specifics

Projects must focus on autonomous robot collectives for collaborative tasks in dynamic, unstructured construction environments.
The project must aim to achieve Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 (validation in a laboratory environment) for autonomous collaborative multi-robotic assembly.
Applications involving elements concerning the evolution of European communication networks (e.g., 5G, post-5G) are subject to specific restrictions for the protection of European communication networks (detailed in Annex II – Section B1 of the EIC Work Programme 2025).
Exclusion Criteria: On-site 3D-printing of cementitious materials or polymers as a primary construction task is explicitly outside the scope of this challenge.

General Conditions

Proposals must meet the general eligibility requirements outlined in Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2025.
Financial and operational capacity, as well as exclusion criteria, are detailed in Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2025.

Application Process

Application Timeline

Planned Opening Date: The submission system is planned to open on 2025-07-24.
Submission Deadline: The deadline for submitting proposals is 2025-10-29 00:00:00+0000.
Evaluation and Grant Agreement Timeline: The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is detailed in Section II of the EIC Work Programme 2025 (not provided in this document).

Submission Process

Platform: Applications must be submitted through the online Submission System.
Procedure: The application process is single-stage.
Consortium Submissions: If applying as a consortium, the proposal must be submitted by the designated coordinator on behalf of the entire consortium.

Required Documentation and Materials

Application Form (Part B): This is the main proposal document, available through the Submission System.
Page Limit: Sections 1 to 3 of Part B (corresponding to Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation) must not exceed 30 A4 pages. Any pages beyond this limit will be automatically made invisible and will not be considered by evaluators.
Additional Information: Applicants should consult Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2025 for further details on application requirements and layout.

Support and Resources for Applicants

Online Manual: Provides guidance on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Offers detailed guidance on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers frequently asked questions about proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service: For general inquiries about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Provide guidance, practical information, and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, available in many EU, associated, and third countries.
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Offers advice to businesses, particularly SMEs, including guidance on EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk: For technical issues related to the Funding & Tenders Portal (e.g., passwords, access rights, submission technicalities).
European IPR Helpdesk: Assists with intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks: Advise on standardization aspects for project proposals.
European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct: Provides principles and requirements for researchers, employers, and funders.
Partner Search Tool: Available on the Funding & Tenders Portal to help find partner organizations for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

The award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are primarily described in Section II of the EIC Work Programme 2025, which is not fully provided here. However, based on the grant's scope and expected outcomes, the following aspects are key to evaluation: General Evaluation Criteria (Likely aligned with Horizon Europe standards)

Excellence: Quality of the research and innovation, methodology, and scientific soundness.
Impact: Potential contribution to the grant's objectives, expected societal, economic, or environmental benefits, and plans for dissemination and exploitation of results.
Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation: Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, appropriateness of resources, and quality of the management structure.

Specific Evaluation Considerations (Inferred from Challenge Objectives and Expected Impacts)

Technological Breakthrough Potential: Emphasis on developing truly novel and disruptive technologies in autonomous collaborative on-site construction robotics.
Demonstrated TRL Advancement: Clear evidence of achieving and validating TRL4 for the proposed autonomous collaborative multi-robotic assembly system in a laboratory environment. Projects should demonstrate at a relevant human scale or larger.
System Design and Integration: Evaluation of the developed material-robot building system (Objective 1) and the autonomous mobile multi-robotic collaborative platform (Objective 2). This includes aspects like 'design-for-robotic-assembly', integration of embedded sensing, and thorough functional system analysis.
Scalability and Future Application: The proposal should clearly describe the potential for the proposed technology to be scaled to meet full commercial dimensions and future industrial applications.
Safety and Human-Robot Interaction: Consideration of safe autonomous operations and effective robot-robot and human-robot collaborations and interactions.
Alignment with Policy Objectives: How well the proposed solution contributes to the European Green Deal, the European AI Strategy, and the digital and green transitions of the construction sector.
Sectoral Impact: Expected improvements in addressing labor shortages, enhancing productivity and competitiveness, improving worker safety, reducing emissions, and lowering construction costs and risks.
Portfolio Complementarity: Projects will be selected to form a complementary portfolio across various application fields (e.g., superstructure, substructure, site-preparation, building, infrastructure) and technical approaches (e.g., robot type, coordination strategy, autonomy level).
Collaboration and Dissemination Potential: Willingness of consortia to engage in mutual learning, exchange approaches, develop performance metrics jointly, and communicate their outputs to accelerate sector adoption.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

General Conditions: Proposals must adhere to general eligibility conditions, financial, and operational capacity requirements detailed in Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2025.
Legal & Financial Setup: Grant agreements will follow the Lump Sum Model Grant Agreement (Lump Sum MGA) used for Lump Sum EIC actions under Horizon Europe.
Financial Regulations: Compliance with EU Financial Regulation 2018/1046 is required.
Legal Entity Validation: Adherence to Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR (Legal Entity Appointed Representative) Appointment, and Financial Capacity Assessment is mandatory.
Grant Agreement Annotation: Reference to EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement for detailed legal guidance.