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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant's core objective is to promote innovative international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary collaboration in research and innovation (R&I) by facilitating staff exchanges and sharing knowledge.
It targets organizations from academic and non-academic sectors, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), globally.
This grant is SECTOR-AGNOSTIC, focusing on the R&I nature of the collaboration rather than a specific industry, but with a strong emphasis on inter-sectoral exchange.
Geographic scope: Organizations from EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and potentially other third countries (with specific conditions for funding).
Key filtering criteria: Applicant must be part of a consortium of independent legal entities; project must involve physical mobility of R&I staff for knowledge transfer; secondments must be international or inter-sectoral/interdisciplinary within EU/Associated Countries; secondments within the same EU Member State/Associated Country or between non-associated third countries are generally not eligible.
Grant frequency: This is an annual call, part of the broader Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) under the Horizon Europe framework programme.

Financial Structure

Total budget for the HORIZON-MSCA-2025-SE-01-01 call: 97,713,523 EUR.
Funding type: Unit Grant ('HORIZON-AG-UN'), implying funding is provided based on defined units (e.g., staff-months) rather than a percentage of actual costs. Specific unit costs are not detailed in the provided documents.
Minimum grant amount per project: Not specified ('None').
Maximum grant amount per project: Not specified ('None').
Currency: EUR.
Funding rate: 'None' (as it's a Unit Grant, not a percentage-based funding of eligible costs).
Eligible costs: Generally, costs directly related to staff secondments (travel, subsistence), research, training, networking activities, and related administrative costs necessary for the joint R&I project. Specific eligible cost categories are governed by the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement (MGA).
Matching fund requirements: Not explicitly stated as a general requirement for this specific grant, but co-financing structures might be applicable based on the overall Horizon Europe rules.
Financial reporting: Required as per the Horizon Europe MGA. Details are in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement.
Audit requirements: Standard audit requirements apply as per Horizon Europe MGA.
Indirect cost policies: Governed by Horizon Europe rules (usually flat-rate).

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type and Legal Structure

Eligible organization types: Academic organizations (e.g., universities, research institutions) and non-academic organizations (e.g., businesses including SMEs, public bodies, non-governmental organizations).
Legal entity independence: Secondments must always take place between legal entities that are independent from each other.

Geographic Requirements

Organizations established in EU Member States are eligible for funding.
Organizations established in countries associated to Horizon Europe are generally eligible for funding under equivalent conditions. A specific official list of these countries is maintained by the European Commission.
Organizations from non-associated third countries can participate but may not automatically receive funding. They can receive funding if their country is explicitly identified as eligible in the call, or if their participation is deemed essential for the project (e.g., unique expertise, infrastructure, data).
Exclusions: Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or non-government controlled territories of Ukraine are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, or subcontractors.

Project and Secondment Specifics

Secondment mobility: Must involve physical mobility of eligible staff members. Virtual mobility is not allowed.
Secondment direction: Secondments between institutions established in non-associated third countries or within the same EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country are not eligible.
Collaboration: The project must exploit complementary competences of participating organizations and create synergies between them.

Qualifications and Certifications

Gender Equality Plan (GEP): Public bodies, research organizations, and higher education establishments (including private ones) from EU Member States and Associated Countries with deadlines in 2022 onwards must have a Gender Equality Plan in place to be eligible. Details are specified in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Staff Eligibility (for Secondment)

Eligible staff: Research, technical, administrative, and managerial staff supporting R&I activities.

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Submission

Submission deadline: 2025-10-07 22:00:00+0000 (UTC).
Submission session is available starting: 2025-03-27.
Submission format and platform: Applications must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the specific application form (HE MSCA SE) available in the Submission System.
Submission procedure: Single-stage.

Required Documentation and Materials

Proposal page limit and layout: Described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System, and generally detailed in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Ethics Self-assessment: Mandatory. Applicants must complete an Ethics Issues Table.
Security Self-assessment: Required, starting with a Security Issues Table. A security section may also be required if flagged as security sensitive.
Plan for Dissemination and Exploitation: Proposals should include a summary of communication, dissemination, and exploitation activities.
Intellectual Property (IP) strategy: Applicants must outline their strategy for IP management.
Consortium Agreement: Recommended to be negotiated and concluded before signing the grant agreement, setting out rights and obligations among beneficiaries.

Evaluation Process and Timeline

Evaluation: Proposals above threshold will undergo a scientific evaluation and an ethics review. Some may also undergo a security review.
Evaluation criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality & Efficiency of Implementation (as detailed in the 'Evaluation Criteria' section).
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: Described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes (not provided in detail).

Project Implementation and Reporting

Grant duration: Not explicitly stated, but MSCA Staff Exchanges promote long-term collaborations.
Reporting schedule: Beneficiaries must regularly update the complete Plan for the exploitation and dissemination of results (within six months of action start).
Progress tracking: Control points (milestones) and deliverables are required for monitoring progress.
Post-award requirements: Beneficiaries are obligated to exploit research results or have them exploited for up to four years after the end of the action.
Open Science obligations: Mandatory deposition of scientific peer-reviewed publications and research data in trusted repositories with open access.

Evaluation Criteria

Excellence

Quality, innovative aspects, and credibility of the joint R&I project, including the secondment plan.
Quality of the proposed secondments in terms of new skills acquisition and career development for staff members.
Appropriateness of the methodology and interdisciplinary approach.
Extent to which the project goes beyond previous work and generates/strengthens long-term collaborations.
Integration of the gender dimension (sex and/or gender analysis) into the research and innovation content, unless explicitly stated as not mandatory for the topic. If deemed irrelevant, a sound justification is required.
Integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) perspectives where relevant for the topic.
Open Science practices: Proposers must demonstrate concrete plans for mandatory open science practices (open access to publications, FAIR data management) and are encouraged to adopt recommended practices (e.g., early sharing, open peer review).

Impact

Potential for increasing international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary mobility of research staff.
Contribution to strengthening the R&I human capital base and increasing Europe's attractiveness for R&I.
Potential for boosting Europe's competitiveness and growth through high-quality R&I.
Contribution to fostering open science, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Expected outcomes for staff members (e.g., increased skills, employability, entrepreneurial mind-sets, extended networks).
Expected outcomes for participating organizations (e.g., innovative cooperation, knowledge transfer, strengthened networks, boosted R&I capacity).
Credibility of the proposed pathways to achieve positive scientific, societal, and economic impact.
Dissemination and exploitation plan, including a strategy for commercial exploitation if applicable.

Quality and Efficiency of Implementation

Quality and effectiveness of the work plan, including resource allocation, risk management, and monitoring & evaluation.
Appropriateness of the management structure and procedures, including intellectual property management.
Quality and complementarity of the consortium as a whole, including the necessary expertise and balance between sectors.
Capacity of participants to carry out the proposed work, including track record in open science practices.
Feasibility and coherence of the project, including contingency plans for risks.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Legal Compliance

General compliance: Activities must comply with all applicable EU and national laws and regulations.
Data protection and privacy: Compliance with GDPR and other relevant data protection regulations is mandatory. Specifics are detailed in the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement (MGA).
Environmental compliance: Projects must adhere to the 'Do No Significant Harm' (DNSH) principle, ensuring activities do not significantly harm any of the six environmental objectives of the EU Taxonomy Regulation (e.g., climate change mitigation/adaptation, pollution prevention). Evaluators do not score applications on DNSH compliance unless explicitly stated.
Ethical standards: Projects must comply with fundamental ethical principles, EU legislation, international conventions, and national authorizations. An Ethics Appraisal Procedure (self-assessment, review, checks, audits) is mandatory for all projects.
Security: Projects must comply with applicable security rules, especially concerning classified information. A Security Appraisal Procedure (self-assessment, review) is in place.
Labor standards: Projects involving staff should adhere to principles like the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment.

Intellectual Property (IP) and Data Management

IP policies: Beneficiaries must have a clear strategy for IP management and ensure sufficient IP rights are maintained to comply with open access obligations.
Open Science: Beyond open access to publications and data, projects are encouraged to share research outputs (software, models, algorithms, protocols) and engage in open peer review and citizen science where appropriate.
Research Data Management (RDM): Mandatory for projects generating or reusing data, in line with FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). Data Management Plans (DMPs) are required.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Considerations

Interdisciplinarity: While secondments within the same sector between EU/Associated Countries must be interdisciplinary, this is not required for same-sector exchanges involving non-associated Third Countries.
Mentoring: Participating organizations must ensure seconded staff are adequately mentored.
Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH): Integration of SSH expertise is encouraged, especially for SSH-flagged topics, and can influence evaluation scores.
Gender Dimension: Integration of gender analysis into R&I content is a default requirement across all work programmes.
Societal Readiness and Social Innovation: Projects are encouraged to consider these aspects to ensure innovations align with societal needs and values.
Foreign Interference: Participants are recommended to familiarize themselves with tools and advice for tackling R&I foreign interference.

Grant Details