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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core objective: To bridge historical past and future potential by conserving, preserving, and adaptively using Europe's contentious and dissonant cultural heritage.
Target recipient type and size: Multidisciplinary networks of professionals, including academics, local authorities, cultural and creative industries (CCIs), and researchers. Size is not specified, but consortia are required.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic scope: Europe, with international cooperation encouraged. Legal entities from non-associated third countries may participate exceptionally.
Key filtering criteria: Focus on contentious/dissonant heritage, collaborative network, potential for real-world application, policy recommendations.
Grant frequency: Part of the Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme, implying a recurring program, but this specific call is for the 2025 cycle.

Financial Structure

Funding provided as a lump sum contribution.
Maximum of one project will be funded for this topic.
Minimum grant amount per project: 2,500,000.0 EUR.
Maximum grant amount per project: 3,500,000.0 EUR.
The total budget for this specific topic is 3,500,000.0 EUR.
Indirect costs are calculated using a 25% flat rate on direct costs.
Reimbursement rate: The specific reimbursement rate is included in the lump sum calculation; for Coordination and Support Actions, this is typically 100% of eligible costs.
Co-financing principle: The total estimated costs of the action must be greater than the estimated Union contributions, implying some level of co-financing.
Eligible costs (for lump sum calculation): Personnel costs (employees, direct contractors, seconded persons, SME owners/natural persons), subcontracting, purchase costs (travel, equipment, other goods/services), and other cost categories (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, transnational/virtual access to research infrastructure, PCP/PPI procurement, Euratom Cofund staff mobility, ERC additional funding).
Ineligible costs: Must exclude costs ineligible under Horizon Europe rules.
Payments: Made upon proper implementation of corresponding work packages, not based on actual incurred costs.
Financial reporting: No obligation to report actual costs; focus is on technical completion of work packages.
Pre-financing: Follows standard Horizon Europe rules, amount fixed in grant agreement.
Mutual Insurance Mechanism: 5% to 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type & Structure

Eligible to legal entities.
Required to form a 'collaborative and multidisciplinary network of professionals', implying consortium formation.
Includes academics, local authorities, Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), and researchers.

Geographic Location

Entities established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are eligible for funding.
Legal entities established in non-associated third countries may participate exceptionally as beneficiaries or affiliated entities.
China is not eligible to participate in Innovation Actions (this is a Coordination and Support Action).

Financial & Operational Capacity

Applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity as per Horizon Europe General Annexes.

Technical Expertise

Expertise required in fields such as anthropology, history, heritage science (conservation, exhibition, museum curation), media and intercultural communication, political science, science education.
Thematic expertise in memory studies, war and conflict, decolonisation, post-totalitarian regimes, and/or intersectionality is valuable.

Application Process

Application Deadline

Submission deadline: 2025-09-16 00:00:00+0000.

Submission Procedure

Single-stage submission process.
Applications must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Required Documentation

Standard application form (HE CSA) - Part B with page limit of 33 pages.
Detailed budget table: Mandatory, using the template available in the Submission System.

Project Implementation

Projects are expected to define activities for each work package and allocate resources.
Implementation should lead to the development of a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, policy recommendations, and educational/pilot programs.

Reporting & Compliance

Payments are contingent on the proper implementation of work packages as defined in the grant agreement.
Checks and audits will focus on the technical implementation and fulfillment of work package conditions.

Application Support

Guidance available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk.
Partner Search tool is available.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on standard Horizon Europe procedures by external independent experts. Award Criteria

Excellence: Quality of the proposed research and innovation, including methodology and scientific relevance.
Impact: Potential to contribute to expected outcomes, including societal, economic, and environmental benefits.
- Credible pathway to realizing the full potential of cultural heritage, arts, and CCIs as drivers of sustainable innovation and a European sense of belonging.
Quality and Efficiency of Implementation: Soundness of the proposed project plan, management structures, and resource allocation.

Financial Assessment

Experts will check the budget estimate for each work package based on relevant benchmarks (market prices, statistical data, historical data).
Assessment of whether proposed resources and lump sum shares are sufficient for activities and expected outputs.
Declaration by beneficiaries of using their own accounting practices for budget preparation.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Compliance with all Horizon Europe rules and general EU financial regulations.

Ethical & Data Standards

Proposals should adopt a 'gendered and intersectional approach' to advance gender equality and build more inclusive societies.
Data produced must adhere to FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).
IPR rights of digital objects stored in the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH) must be fully recorded and traceable.
Guidelines for IPR use, such as RightsStatements.org, should be considered where appropriate.

Technology & Software

All software developed should be open source, licensed under CC0 public domain dedication or an open source license recommended by the Free Software Foundation or Open Source Initiative.
If fully open source is disproportionate, suitable non-open source function libraries may be used, provided a full, free user license for unlimited time is granted to the ECCCH consortium and all users.
Software and deliverables must be compliant with the data model and software development guidelines from topic 'HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01-01'.
Projects should leverage existing digital tools (virtual tours, AR, interactive content).

Collaboration & Networking

Projects are required to establish a 'collaborative and multidisciplinary network'.
Must participate in concertation activities with the project funded under topic 'HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01-01'.
Encouraged to network with and build on previously funded projects under Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, or other EU programmes (e.g., Global Europe).
Consider services offered by the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS).
International cooperation is encouraged.

Cross-cutting Themes

Contribution to the New European Bauhaus initiative.
Alignment with European Green Deal goals.
Support for a Europe fit for the digital age.
Achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Risk Management

Financial checks/audits will focus on technical implementation and work package completion, not on actual costs incurred. This shifts financial risk from beneficiaries' cost reporting to technical delivery.

Unique Focus

Central theme: Bridging historical past and future potential through conservation, preservation, and adaptive use of Europe’s contentious and dissonant heritage.
Explicit focus on heritage assets linked to colonial, totalitarian, and authoritarian regimes.

Grant Details