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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to foster a stronger culture of Open Science and address gaps in the professionalisation of data stewards and the acquisition/recognition of open science and data management skills across all research career levels. This involves coordinating European-level actions for consistent data steward curricula and strengthening competence networks. - Target recipient types: Organisations involved in research, education, data management, and infrastructure across Europe. - Target size: Not specified, open to various organizational sizes typical for European research collaborations. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Focuses on Research Infrastructures, Open Science, Data Management, and FAIR practices within the research and education sectors. - Geographic scope: European level, with specific emphasis on supporting countries and institutions that are currently underrepresented in these areas. - Key filtering criteria for initial screening: Applicants must demonstrate a clear commitment to advancing Open Science, FAIR data principles, and skills development within the European research ecosystem, preferably through collaborative, European-level initiatives. - Grant frequency and program context: This is part of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, specifically within the HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01 call, indicating it is part of an ongoing, recurring program.

Financial Structure

Funding is provided in the form of a lump sum contribution, as authorized by the Decision of 7 July 2021.
The maximum grant amount for this specific topic is EUR 8,000,000.
The minimum grant amount for this specific topic is EUR 5,000,000.
The lump sum approximates the beneficiaries' underlying actual costs, proposed by applicants based on their estimated direct and indirect project costs.
Eligible cost categories covered by the lump sum include: personnel costs (employees, direct contractors, seconded persons, SME owners/natural person beneficiaries), subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel, subsistence, equipment, other goods/works/services), and other specific cost categories (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, access to research infrastructure, PCP/PPI procurement costs).
Indirect costs are calculated by applying a 25% flat rate to eligible direct costs.
The funding rate for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) under Horizon Europe is typically 100% of eligible costs, and this is included in the lump sum calculation.
Financial support to third parties can be provided through grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 per third party.
Payments are tied to the proper implementation of work packages as per the grant agreement, not directly to incurred costs.
Pre-financing follows standard Horizon Europe rules.
A percentage of 5% to 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.

Eligibility Requirements

General Conditions

Proposal page limit and layout: Must adhere to guidelines described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and specifically Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible Countries: Participation is open to countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. This generally includes EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. (Specific list not provided in source, but typically covers: AT, BE, BG, HR, CY, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IE, IT, LV, LT, LU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SI, ES, SE, IS, NO, UK).
Financial and operational capacity: Applicants must meet the financial and operational capacity requirements detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial set-up: Beneficiaries must grant royalty-free access to their results to the EOSC Association for monitoring and policy development, and provide necessary information directly to the EOSC Association.
Data deposition: Digital research data generated must be deposited in a trusted repository federated in the EOSC, in compliance with EOSC requirements.
Financial support to third parties: Projects may provide financial support to third parties, limited to grants with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 per third party.
Eligible costs: Costs are defined as a lump sum contribution, authorized under the Decision of 7 July 2021 for Horizon Europe.

Consortium Requirements

This is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA), which typically requires a consortium of multiple partners. The scope emphasizes 'Coordinating European-level actions,' 'Collaborating with existing competence centres,' and 'Leveraging national networks,' strongly implying a multi-partner collaborative approach.

Application Process

Submission Process

Application deadline: 2025-09-18T00:00:00+0000.
Submission procedure: Single-stage.
Submission platform: Electronic Submission Service via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
To access the submission system, applicants must log in to the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Required Documentation and Materials

Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form.
Application forms are specific to the call (Standard application form HE CSA for Coordination and Support Actions).
Applicants are required to prepare a detailed budget using the 'Detailed budget table (HE LS)' template.
Information on financial support to third parties, if applicable, must be provided.
Applicants must declare that they have followed their own accounting practices for preparing the estimated budget.

Evaluation Process

Proposals will be evaluated by external independent experts.
The evaluation will assess Excellence, Expected Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation.
Financial aspects of the lump sum budget will be assessed by experts with financial expertise, checking estimates against benchmarks.
The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes (not specified in provided text).

Support and Guidance

Comprehensive guidance is available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ.
Dedicated support services include the Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).
Technical assistance for portal-related issues is provided by the IT Helpdesk.
Guidance on intellectual property is available from the European IPR Helpdesk.
Advice on standardisation in project proposals can be sought from CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk.
General principles and requirements for researchers are outlined in 'The European Charter for Researchers' and 'Code of Conduct for their recruitment'.
A Partner Search tool is available on the Funding & Tenders Portal to help find collaborators.

Evaluation Criteria

General Award Criteria

Evaluation follows standard Horizon Europe procedures, assessing proposals based on: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation.
Specific award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are detailed in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific Impact Criterion Additions

The extent to which the proposed work effectively incorporates the necessary coordination efforts and resources with other relevant projects and the EOSC governance structure within the context of the EOSC Partnership will be highly considered for impact.

Quality and Efficiency of Implementation Assessment

Experts with financial expertise will check the budget estimate based on relevant benchmarks such as market prices, statistical data, or historical data from comparable actions.
Proposals must include a declaration from beneficiaries stating they have used their own accounting practices for budget preparation.
Assessment includes whether the proposed resources and the lump sum shares are sufficient to achieve the defined activities and expected outputs for each work package.

Expected Outcomes Alignment

Contribution to the definition of consistent core curricula for data stewards across Europe, promoting Open Science and FAIR principles.
Enhancement of data steward skills to manage and interpret complex data.
Advancement of Open Science education throughout all research career stages, including the creation and standardisation of curricula.
Expansion and strengthening of existing competence networks across countries and disciplines, improving their readiness for Open Science and EOSC uptake, and developing a sustainable coordination network model.
Mainstreaming of transparent, aligned, and interoperable Open Science practices, promoting efficiency and trustworthiness in FAIR digital object management.

Strategic Alignment and Synergies

Proposals should build on and align with the European Competence Framework for Researchers (ResearchComp) and the revised Charter for Researchers.
Synergies with activities of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) are expected to improve the recognition of open, collaborative practices in research assessment.
Cooperation and alignment with activities of the EOSC Partnership are essential.
Interaction and coordination with relevant initiatives and projects, particularly Skills4EOSC and FAIR-IMPACT projects, and other initiatives developing competence centres and improving FAIR data practices.
Specific cooperation is expected with project(s) funded by call topic HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-02.
Proposals should establish interactions with operators of the EOSC Federation to ensure alignment with their policies and practices on data interoperability standards and persistent identifiers.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must comply with general conditions and specific requirements outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annex A, B, C, E, F, G).
Adherence to Regulation (EU) 2021/695, establishing Horizon Europe, and the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 is mandatory.
Compliance with the 'Decision of 7 July 2021' regarding the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme is required.

Data Management and Intellectual Property

Beneficiaries must grant royalty-free access to all project results to the EOSC Association for monitoring and policy development purposes.
Information deemed necessary by beneficiaries for EOSC monitoring and policy development must be provided directly to the EOSC Association.
All digital research data generated during the project must be deposited in a trusted repository federated within the EOSC, adhering to EOSC requirements.
While there is no obligation for beneficiaries to report actual costs, national accounting rules remain applicable.
Audits and checks will primarily focus on the technical implementation of the action, fulfillment of work package conditions, ethics, research integrity, dissemination, exploitation of results, intellectual property management, and gender equality.

Ethical Standards

Projects are subject to checks on ethical conduct and research integrity.
Proposals are expected to align with the principles laid out in the European Competence Framework for Researchers (ResearchComp) and the revised Charter for Researchers.

Special Considerations

The topic aims to implement the co-programmed European Partnership for the European Open Science Cloud.
Proposals should demonstrate complementarity of outcomes and alignment with the activities of the EOSC Partnership.
Proposers are expected to interact with operators of the EOSC Federation to ensure alignment with their policies and practices, particularly regarding data interoperability standards and persistent identifiers.
Activities should build upon and align with the results of projects such as Skills4EOSC and FAIR-IMPACT.
The grant encourages measures and tailored support for different levels and contexts of data stewardship across Europe.
The lump sum funding mechanism is intended to simplify financial management, reduce administrative burden, and increase focus on scientific/technical performance and project outputs.

Grant Details