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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to consolidate and evolve the European research infrastructure landscape, enhancing its capacity and capability to support research and innovation needs, improve sustainability, and develop human resources. - Target Recipient Type: Pan-European Research Infrastructures, specifically ESFRI Landmarks or European Research Infrastructures Consortia (ERICs). - Target Recipient Size: Not specified, but given the nature of pan-European infrastructures, these are typically large, established entities. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Research Infrastructure development and evolution. - Geographic Scope: Pan-European, covering EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe. - Key Filtering Criteria: Proposals must include at least one ESFRI Landmark or ERIC as a beneficiary. - Grant Frequency and Program Context: This is a specific call within the Horizon Europe 'Research Infrastructures 2025' work programme, part of the broader 'Developing, consolidating and optimising the European research infrastructures landscape' destination. This indicates a recurring context for funding research infrastructures.

Financial Structure

Total Budget for this topic (HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-03): 30,000,000 EUR.
Minimum Grant Amount per Project: 3,000,000 EUR.
Maximum Grant Amount per Project: 4,000,000 EUR.
Funding Rate: 80% of the eligible costs.
Co-financing Requirements: The remaining share of costs (20%) must be provided by the beneficiaries to ensure adequate backing and foster sustainability.
Currency: European Union funding is typically provided in EUR.
Eligible Costs: Will be defined in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Model Grant Agreement (MGA).
Financial Guarantees: Rules for legal entity validation, LEAR appointment, and financial capacity assessment apply as per Annex C.
Indirect Cost Policies: Not specifically detailed for this topic, but generally defined in Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreements (typically a flat rate based on direct eligible costs).

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type

Must include at least one ESFRI Landmark or European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERIC) as a beneficiary.
For distributed ERICs, the ERIC must be the beneficiary.
Beneficiary research infrastructure(s), and the beneficiaries that own/operate them, must be explicitly identified in the proposal.

Geographic Location

Eligible countries are those described in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, typically including:
- Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden (EU Member States).
- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom (Associated Countries, subject to specific agreements).
- Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may be eligible if specific provisions for funding are made.

Legal & Financial Conditions

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
Financial and Operational Capacity and Exclusion: Compliance with conditions described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes is required.

Track Record and Experience

While not explicitly defined, the focus on ESFRI Landmarks and ERICs implies a requirement for established, significant research infrastructure experience and a strong track record.

Application Process

Application Process Timeline

Planned Opening Date: 2025-05-06.
Submission Session Availability: 2025-05-14.
Application Deadline: 2025-09-18.
Evaluation and Award Timeline: Indicative timeline described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission Materials and Format

Required Documentation: Proposal page limits and layout as specified in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and Part B of the Application Form.
Submission Format: Application is submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service. Standard application form for 'Research and Innovation Actions' (RIA) is used.
Supporting Materials: Not explicitly detailed beyond the core proposal documents; however, supporting materials for financial and operational capacity as per Annex C will be required.

Support and Guidance

Application Assistance Availability: Comprehensive support is available through the Funding & Tenders Portal, including:
- Online Manual for procedures.
- Horizon Europe Programme Guide for detailed guidance.
- Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ.
- Research Enquiry Service for general queries.
- National Contact Points (NCPs) for country-specific guidance.
- Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) for business advice, especially SMEs.
- IT Helpdesk for technical support.
- European IPR Helpdesk for intellectual property issues.
- CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk for standardisation.
- European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for recruitment.
- Partner Search tool to find collaborators.

Project Implementation and Reporting

Project Implementation Timeline: Not explicitly stated, but typical for Horizon Europe RIA projects (e.g., 36-48 months).
Reporting Obligations: Not detailed in the provided information, but will be part of the Grant Agreement and align with Horizon Europe standards (e.g., periodic and final reports).

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation criteria, scoring, and thresholds are generally described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. The specific context of this call emphasizes the following: Excellence

Soundness of the proposed concept and methodology.
Extent to which the proposed activities are appropriate to achieve the expected outcomes.

Impact

Contribution to a better-structured and strengthened European Research Infrastructure (RI) landscape.
Potential to offer new services to a wider user community, including participants in other parts of Horizon Europe, to tackle scientific and societal challenges.
Increased capacity to address EU policy priorities and/or socio-economic challenges.
Reinforcement of the global competitiveness of the European Research Area.
Contribution to the reduction of environmental (including climate-related) impacts, as well as optimization of resource and energy consumption across the full life cycle of research infrastructures.
Contribution to the increased long-term sustainability of European research infrastructures.
Demonstrated potential for interaction with industry/SMEs and fostering the innovation potential of the infrastructures.
Integration into local, regional, and global innovation ecosystems.

Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation

Justification of the specific objectives and focus on activities critical for the sustainability and optimized use of ESFRI Landmarks or ERICs.
Quality and effectiveness of the proposed activities in achieving objectives such as:
- Enlargement of membership or broadening of the base of participating countries.
- Reinforcing international cooperation.
- Revision of business/funding plans.
- Development of managerial and technical skills for RI staff.
- Structuring and strengthening of national nodes.
- Extension of remote and/or virtual access.
- Management of research data according to the FAIR principles.
- Reorientation or evolution of the RI scope, filling gaps in the research infrastructure landscape.
- Addressing critical aspects raised from assessment or monitoring exercises (e.g., ESFRI activities).
- Development, update, and/or implementation of impact assessment of the RI.
Explanation of synergies with previous or current EU grants.
Attention given to the 'greening' of technologies and methodologies used by the research infrastructure.
The proposal should ensure adequate backing by the beneficiaries (co-financing) to foster the sustainability of the ESFRI Landmark or ERIC.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Adherence to all general conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annexes A, B, C, D, E, F, G).
Compliance with the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, governing financial rules for the Union budget.
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment, and Financial Capacity Assessment apply.
The EU Grants Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA) provides the legal and financial framework.

Technical Compliance and Standards

Research Data Management: Proposed activities must ensure the management of research data according to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
Environmental Standards: Due attention must be given to the 'greening' of technologies and methodologies used by the research infrastructure.
Digitalization: Identified as a cross-cutting priority (DigitalAgenda).

Special Conditions and Strategic Considerations

Mandatory Beneficiary: Proposals must include at least one ESFRI Landmark or European Research Infrastructures Consortia (ERIC) as a beneficiary. These entities, and their owners/operators, must be explicitly identified in the proposal. For distributed ERICs, the ERIC itself must be the beneficiary.
Strategic Alignment: Proposals should align with related EU initiatives and priorities, demonstrating complementarity and relevance to activities in other parts of Horizon Europe.
Collaboration and Synergy: Applicants are expected to consider the ESFRI Landscape Analysis and liaise with other relevant ESFRI/ERICs to ensure complementarity within the broader research infrastructure ecosystem.
Cross-Cutting Themes: The grant emphasizes interaction with industry/SMEs, fostering innovation potential, and integration into local, regional, and global innovation ecosystems.
Risk Mitigation: Beneficiaries are expected to provide adequate financial backing (co-financing) to ensure the long-term sustainability of the research infrastructure.
Impact Assessment: Development, update, and/or implementation of impact assessment for the Research Infrastructure is expected.

Grant Details