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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The primary objective of this grant is to define a specific Research & Innovation (R&I) roadmap at the EU level for advancing the state-of-the-art of submarine cable infrastructures. This involves enhancing cooperation among EU authorities and stakeholders to establish leadership in relevant submarine cable technology domains. - This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant focused on communication engineering, telecommunications, network technologies, and high-frequency technology related to submarine cables. - Target recipients are organizations and stakeholders involved in industry, research, and academia within the specified technological fields. - Geographic scope includes EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, and other associated, OECD, and MERCOSUR countries under specific conditions. - This grant is a one-time Coordination and Support Action (CSA) under the Horizon Europe program, aimed at strategic planning and coordination.

Financial Structure

The total budget allocated for this specific topic (HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-12) is 2,100,000.0 EUR.
The minimum grant contribution per project is 1,900,000.0 EUR.
The maximum grant contribution per project is 2,100,000.0 EUR.
The currency for funding is EUR.
This is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA), which typically covers 100.0% of eligible costs.
Financial and operational capacity will be assessed as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial set-up of grants are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Legal Status

Legal entities established in EU Member States, Iceland, and Norway.
Legal entities established in associated countries to Horizon Europe.
Legal entities established in OECD countries and MERCOSUR countries may be eligible, but specific funding eligibility for entities not associated with Horizon Europe should be verified as participation does not always guarantee funding.
Entities directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or non-eligible country entity are excluded for reasons of Union's strategic interests.

Geographic Location Requirements

Applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries as defined above.

Specific Qualifications & Experience

The project should be prepared, managed, and coordinated by key stakeholders in the submarine cable field, including industry, research, and academic organizations.
Projects are expected to develop synergies and ensure complementarities with existing projects under CEF Digital, the Digital Europe Programme (DEP), and the Smart Networks and Services (SNS) Joint Undertaking.

Consortium Requirements

A consortium approach is implicitly required, bringing together industry, research, and academic stakeholders to achieve the defined objectives.

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Submission

The submission session opened on 2025-06-10.
The application deadline is 2025-10-02 00:00:00+00:00.
Applications are submitted via a single-stage process.

Required Documentation and Materials

Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and specifically in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
Standard Application Form (HE CSA) is required.
An Ownership Control Declaration may be required.

Submission Format and Platform

Applications are submitted through the Electronic Submission Service on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Applicants will need to authenticate via EU Login or a third-party sign-in service.

Evaluation Process

Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Submission and evaluation processes are detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Indicative timelines for evaluation and grant agreement are also in Annex F.
Standard Evaluation Form (HE CSA) will be used with necessary adaptations.

Support and Guidance

Online Manual provides guidance on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide offers detailed guidance on structure, budget, and political priorities.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ addresses common questions.
Research Enquiry Service for general inquiries on European research.
National Contact Points (NCPs) provide practical information and assistance.
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) offers advice, especially for SMEs.
IT Helpdesk for technical issues with the Portal.
European IPR Helpdesk for intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk advise on standardisation.
The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment outlines roles and responsibilities.
Partner Search tools are available to help find partner organizations.

Evaluation Criteria

The grant evaluation will be based on the award criteria, scoring, and thresholds described in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, alongside the specific objectives of this call. Expected Outcomes and Impact

Proposals should demonstrate how they will lead to a defined R&I roadmap for submarine cable infrastructure.
The project must address overarching challenges:
- Reinforcing European leadership and cooperation in submarine cable connectivity.
- Promoting secondary use of submarine cables (e.g., for natural hazard pre-warning systems).
- Ensuring digital and green transition towards a low carbon footprint, circular economy, and long-term sustainability.
- Guaranteeing resilience for high Quality of Service (QoS) and performance.
- Developing risk evaluation, preparedness, and prevention against damage or sabotage.

Project Quality and Scope

Analysis and definition of expected critical hardware and software components for future submarine cable infrastructure systems.
Identification of opportunities for Europe to strengthen capabilities in this domain.
Definition of main required R&I work and assessment of associated research investment needs.
Definition of an appropriate industry roadmap (SRIA) in close partnership with EU industry and academia, including priorities, scope, timetable, milestones, and targets.
The project may include organizing thematic workshops to consult interested communities.
Results must feed into relevant groups like the European Submarine Cable Expert Group, NIS 2 Coordination Group, or CER Group.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must comply with general conditions and requirements outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Regulatory compliance, permits, and authorizations are subject to general EU and national regulations.

Data Protection and Privacy

Data protection and privacy regulations as applicable under EU law and specific to the grant context.

Intellectual Property Policies

Intellectual property policies are described in the legal and financial set-up of the grants, generally aligning with Horizon Europe rules outlined in Annex G.

Risk Management and Security

The project specifically aims to address 'Risk evaluation, preparedness and prevention against any future natural or man-made damage or deliberate sabotage' concerning submarine cable infrastructures.
This includes ensuring 'resilience' for demanding cases.

Unique Aspects and Challenges

A critical consideration is to avoid technological dependency on non-EU sources and to safeguard the Union's strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security.
This includes a strict limitation on participation for entities directly or indirectly controlled by non-eligible countries.
The topic is a Coordination and Support Action, meaning it focuses on planning, coordination, and roadmapping rather than direct R&I implementation.

Cross-Cutting Themes

The project implicitly contributes to the 'Digital and green transition'.
The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement for this specific topic.

Grant Details