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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core Objective: To reinforce EU strategic autonomy by developing and maturing critical space EEE components, specifically connectors, thereby reducing reliance on non-EU sources and ensuring unrestricted access for EU space missions.
Target Recipient Type and Size: Legal entities established in EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland. No specific size (e.g., SME, large enterprise) is defined; the focus is on the legal entity's capacity to perform R&D and manufacturing.
Designation: SECTOR-SPECIFIC (Space, Electronics Manufacturing).
Geographic Scope and Location Requirements: Limited to entities established in EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland. Entities controlled by non-eligible countries are generally excluded unless strict guarantees are provided.
Key Filtering Criteria: Applicants must propose development projects focusing on space EEE connectors, targeting a final Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 5-6. The project must explicitly address the reduction of non-EU dependency and ensure the supply chain is free from export restrictions like ITAR.
Grant Frequency and Program Context: This is a specific topic within the HORIZON-CL4-2025-02 call under the Horizon Europe programme, specifically addressing Destination 5: 'Open strategic autonomy in developing, deploying and using global space-based infrastructures, services, applications and data'. It is part of the annual Work Programme, indicating similar calls may recur.

Financial Structure

Minimum Grant Amount: The minimum contribution for a single project under this topic is EUR 800,000.
Maximum Grant Amount: The maximum contribution for a single project under this topic is EUR 1,000,000.
Total Topic Budget: The total budget allocated for this specific topic (HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-73) is EUR 1,000,000.
Currency: All financial amounts are in EUR.
Eligible and Ineligible Costs: Detailed provisions are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and Operational Capacity: Requirements are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Cost-sharing/Co-financing: Not explicitly detailed in the topic description. General Horizon Europe RIA rules typically allow for up to 100% funding rate, but applicants should consult the Work Programme General Annexes for specifics.
Financial Reporting & Audit: Requirements are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Location

Eligible entities: Any legal entity established in an EU Member State, Norway, or Iceland.
Exclusion criteria: Entities established in eligible countries but directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or non-eligible country entity are generally excluded. Such entities may only participate if they provide guarantees positively assessed by their eligible country of establishment, demonstrating that their participation will not negatively impact the Union's strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security.
Specific exclusion: Entities assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment (or those fully or partially owned/controlled by such suppliers) cannot provide the required guarantees and are therefore ineligible.
Subcontractors/Partners: Unless agreed with the granting authority, entities participating as affiliated entities, associated partners, or subcontractors must be established in eligible countries.

Technical & Project Focus

Project scope: Proposals must focus on the development and maturation of 'Space Critical EEE Components for EU non-dependence - Connectors', targeting a final TRL (Technology Readiness Level) of 5-6.
Supply chain compliance: The proposed supply chain and final product must be free of any legal export restrictions or limitations, such as those established in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or equivalent instruments applicable in other non-EU jurisdictions.
Consortium requirement: A consortium approach is implicitly required, as 'consortiums shall ensure' specific post-action obligations and all project participants must complete an 'ownership and control' declaration.

Formal & Regulatory Requirements

Admissibility conditions: Proposals have a page limit of 80 pages.
Ownership and control declaration: All project participants must complete a compulsory questionnaire on the declaration of ownership and control, which the coordinator must assemble and upload as a single file.
Satellite data usage: If the project uses satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data/services may also be used).

Application Process

Application Submission

Submission Deadline: 2025-09-25T00:00:00+00:00.
Submission Platform: Applications must be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal electronic submission system.
Application Format: The application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System. Proposals have a page limit of 80 pages.
Required Documentation: Applicants must submit the standard application form (HE RIA) and a compulsory questionnaire on the declaration of ownership and control. This questionnaire, completed by all project participants, must be assembled by the coordinator into a single file and uploaded.
Process Type: Single-stage submission procedure.

Post-Award Requirements & Deliverables

Initial Deliverables (within 6 months of project start): The proposal must include specific tasks and related dedicated confidential deliverables to be provided to the relevant Commission DG (DG-DEFIS) and Executive Agency (HaDEA):
Detailed analysis and description of the full supply chain, including each entity's role, criticality, and non-EU dependencies.
Industrial technical roadmap and business plan for commercialization, with accurate understanding of application needs, space mission insertion, and time-to-market indication.
List of relevant non-EU export controls with extraterritorial applicability for the specific technology/product under development.
Comprehensive literature review reporting the state-of-the-art and highlighting potential gaps between current EU solutions and competition from outside the EU.
Product Availability (post-action): For a period of up to 4 years after the action ends, the consortium (or individual beneficiaries) must ensure the supply and availability of the products and/or processes developed/qualified within the project to any entity in the EU, at fair and reasonable market prices, and without legal restrictions or limitations (e.g., ITAR).
IP Transfer Notification: Beneficiaries intending to transfer ownership or grant an exclusive license of results must formally notify DG-DEFIS and HaDEA before the intended transfer or licensing. The granting authority may object for up to four years after the end of the action.

Application Assistance and Guidance

Online Resources: The Online Manual (guide for procedures from proposal submission to grant management), Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, and EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement are available.
Support Services: Applicants can seek guidance from National Contact Points (NCPs), the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), the IT Helpdesk for technical submission issues, and the European IPR Helpdesk for intellectual property matters.

Evaluation Criteria

General Award Criteria

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific Project Quality & Impact

Contribution to Non-dependence: Proposals will be evaluated on how effectively they reinforce EU strategic autonomy by reducing non-EU dependencies, providing unrestricted access, developing resilient supply chains, enhancing competitiveness, and opening new opportunities for manufacturers.
Technological Development: The proposal must detail the technology and/or technology processes, and a high-level breakdown of the space EEE component supply chain.
Export Control Freedom: Applicants must demonstrate that the supply chain and final product are free of any legal export restrictions or limitations (e.g., ITAR or equivalent non-EU instruments). Proposals must also report any parts of the supply chain affected by non-EU export controls like EAR (e.g., EAR99).
Technical Standards: Projects targeting a final TRL of 5 or higher must include a list of proposed applicable standards (e.g., EN, ECSS, ESCC, MIL, JEDEC) considered relevant for formal space evaluation and/or qualification.
Qualification Pathway: Projects aiming for formal space qualification must deliver the full data pack planned for submission to the qualification authority.
Complementarity: Proposed activities should demonstrate clear complementarity with relevant national and/or other European-level activities.

Strategic and Business Alignment

Supply Chain Analysis: Detailed analysis and description of the full supply chain, each entity's role, criticality level, and identification of any non-EU dependencies.
Industrial Roadmap & Business Plan: A clear industrial technical roadmap and a business plan for commercialization, with accurate understanding of application needs, space mission insertion, and time-to-market indication.
State-of-the-Art Review: A comprehensive literature review reporting the state-of-the-art and highlighting potential gaps between current EU solutions and non-EU competition.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Strategic Autonomy and Security

Geopolitical Safeguards: Participation is strictly limited to legal entities established in EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland, justified by the need to safeguard the Union's strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security, specifically avoiding technological dependency on non-EU sources.
Control by Non-Eligible Countries: Entities established in eligible countries but directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or entity may not participate unless they can demonstrate, through guarantees positively assessed by their eligible country of establishment, that their participation will not negatively impact EU strategic interests. These guarantees must substantiate measures to ensure:
Control over the applicant legal entity does not restrict its ability to carry out the action or deliver results, or impose limitations on its infrastructure, assets, IP, or know-how.
Access by a non-eligible country or entity to sensitive information relating to the action is prevented, and involved personnel have national security clearance where appropriate.
Ownership of IP and results remains within the recipient, is not subject to non-eligible country control, and is not exported outside eligible countries without approval.
High-Risk Supplier Exclusion: Entities assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment (or those owned/controlled by them) cannot submit the required guarantees and are therefore ineligible.

Supply Chain & Export Control Compliance

ITAR/EAR Compliance: The proposed technology, processes, supply chain, and final product must be free of any legal export restrictions or limitations, specifically including those established in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or equivalent non-EU instruments. Applicants must report any parts of the supply chain affected by Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (e.g., EAR99).
Subcontractor Geographic Compliance: Unless otherwise agreed with the granting authority, beneficiaries must ensure that affiliated entities, associated partners, or subcontractors are not established in countries that are not eligible countries or target countries set out in the call conditions.

Intellectual Property (IP) & Product Usage

IP Ownership: Ownership of the intellectual property arising from, and the results of, the action must remain within the recipient during and after completion of the action.
Post-Action IP Control: The IP and results must not be subject to control or restrictions by non-eligible countries or entities, and access to them from outside eligible countries must not be granted without the approval of the eligible country in which the legal entity is established.
EU Flag Engraving: Products successfully completing space evaluation/qualification should inform DG-DEFIS and engrave the EU flag on the package or die the EU flag if relevant.

Cross-Cutting Themes

Gender Dimension: The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not relevant for this specific topic.

Technical Guidance

Technical Guidance Document: A separate Technical Guidance Document is published on the Funding & Tenders Portal to provide additional context information and technical requirements, specifically for 'Connectors', clarifying technological expectations.

Grant Details