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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core objective: Develop and industrialize innovative advanced materials (IAMs) for robust, fast-curing sealants and coatings, aiming to prolong product lifespan, enhance performance, reduce environmental impact through resource efficiency and recyclability, and integrate 'Safe and Sustainable by Design' (SSbD) principles into manufacturing processes.
Target recipient: Organizations involved in advanced materials research and development, industrial manufacturing, and related sectors requiring high-performance coatings and sealants.
MUST state if grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC.
Geographic scope: EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
Key filtering criteria: Focus on advanced materials (IAMs), particularly for sealants and coatings, addressing industrial applications in sectors like electronics, energy, automotive, maritime, aviation, rail, and construction. Emphasis on environmental benefits and industrial scalability.
Grant frequency and program context: This is a specific call within the broader Horizon Europe program, part of the 'Industry' destination and implements the co-programmed European Partnership 'Innovative Advanced Materials for EU (IAM4EU)'. Calls under Horizon Europe are generally recurring through different work programmes.

Financial Structure

Funding is provided as a lump sum contribution.
Grant amount per project: 6000000.0 EUR.
The total budget for this specific topic is 30000000.0 EUR, expected to fund approximately 5 projects.
Applicants must propose the lump sum amount based on their estimated direct and indirect project costs.
A detailed cost estimation is required, broken down by work package and per beneficiary/affiliated entity (if applicable), covering personnel, subcontracting, purchase, and other cost categories.
Indirect costs are calculated at a 25% flat rate on eligible direct costs.
Payments are linked to the successful implementation of defined work packages, rather than on actual incurred costs.
There is no obligation for beneficiaries to document actual costs incurred for the action, but national accounting practices must still be followed.
Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
If conditions for a work package are not met, the corresponding lump sum payment for that work package will not be made.

Eligibility Requirements

## Organization Type - Legal entities of any type are generally eligible, including: - Companies (SMEs and large enterprises) - Research organizations - Universities - Public bodies - Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) ## Geographic Location - Entities must be established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country. - Exclusion: Legal entities established in China are explicitly NOT eligible to participate in Innovation Actions under this topic. ## Financial and Operational Capacity - Applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity, as described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. ## Consortium Requirements - Participation is expected as part of a consortium due to the grant's nature as an 'Innovation Action' and its implementation within the co-programmed European Partnership IAM4EU. This implies a collaborative, multi-partner approach. ## Application Specifics for Blind Evaluation - For proposals submitted under the blind evaluation pilot (first stage): - Do NOT disclose organization names, acronyms, logos, or names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of the application.

Application Process

## Submission Process - The application process is a two-stage submission. - First stage deadline: September 23, 2025 (23:59:59 Brussels time). - Second stage deadline (for invited proposals): April 14, 2026 (23:59:59 Brussels time). - Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission Service. - Applicants will use specific application forms: Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1 BLIND) for blind evaluation, or Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1) otherwise. ## Required Documentation and Materials - Application Form Part B: Must adhere to page limits and layout guidelines specified in the Submission System and General Annexes. - Detailed Budget Table (HE LS): Required for lump sum proposals. - Business Case and Exploitation Strategy: Essential components that must be included in the proposal. ## Pre-Application Requirements - Thoroughly review the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, the Programme Guide, and the specific topic description. - For the blind evaluation pilot, ensure that the proposal abstract and Part B do NOT contain any identifying information (organization names, acronyms, logos, personnel names). ## Post-Award Requirements and Compliance - Grant agreement compliance: Adherence to legal and financial setup of grants, including specific conditions in the Work Programme General Annexes (e.g., Annex G). - Monitoring and evaluation: Checks, reviews, and audits will primarily focus on the technical implementation of the action and the fulfilment of work package conditions for lump sum release. - Ongoing obligations: Compliance with ethics, research integrity, dissemination and exploitation of results, management of intellectual property, and gender equality principles (even if gender dimension integration is not mandatory for this topic).

Evaluation Criteria

## General Award Criteria - Proposals will be evaluated based on the standard Horizon Europe criteria: - Excellence: Quality of the proposed research and innovation, soundness of methodology, and the ambition of scientific/technical goals. - Impact: Potential contribution to the expected outcomes, industrial uptake, and significant environmental benefits. - Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation: Clarity and effectiveness of the work plan, appropriateness of resources, quality of the management, and strength of the consortium structure. ## Specific Impact Expectations and Business Case - Expected contribution to outcomes: - Support the implementation of the Commission Communication on Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership. - Prolongation of lifespan and performance of components/products using IAMs-based coatings/sealings. - Lower maintenance needs and overall reduced Cost of Ownership. - Lower environmental impact through improved resource efficiency, reduced energy consumption, increased recyclability, and substitution of hazardous substances. - Proof of concept of the 'Safe and Sustainable by Design' (SSbD) framework during development. - Promotion of industrial uptake of IAMs by facilitating scalability and integration into leaner industrial production processes. - Business Case and Exploitation Strategy: - Proposals must include a business case and exploitation strategy for industrialization. - Demonstrate expected impact in terms of enhanced market opportunities and deployment in the EU (short to medium term). - Describe targeted market(s), estimated market size (EU and global), user/customer needs, and demonstrate cost-effectiveness and competitive advantage. - Identify obstacles, requirements, and actions to reach higher TRLs (Technology Readiness Levels). - For TRLs 6 and 7, present a credible strategy for future full-scale deployment in the EU, indicating intentions of industrial partners post-project. ## Technical and Scientific Quality - Research should combine multiple functionalities (e.g., fast curing, mechanical robustness, protection from environmental agents, thermal/acoustic/magnetic/electrical/tribological properties). - Address application areas such as electronics, energy, automotive, maritime, aviation, rail, and construction (HVAC). - Multidisciplinary research addressing at least two specific areas (e.g., accelerated performance evaluation, functionalized surfaces, automated application/curing, master batch synthesis, material behavior prediction). - Integration of new digital technologies and data-driven approaches. - Contribution to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data and methods for safety and sustainability assessment. - Exploration of transferability of developed IAMs/technologies to other sectors. - Assessment of safety, sustainability, and circularity (SSbD framework) throughout the innovation cycle and end-of-life. ## Blind Evaluation Protocol - First-stage proposals will undergo blind evaluation, meaning the content of the proposal (abstract and Part B) should not reveal the identity of the applicant organization(s) or personnel.

Compliance & Special Requirements

## Regulatory Compliance - Adherence to all general conditions and rules of the Horizon Europe Work Programme, as outlined in Annexes A-G. - Compliance with the specific decision authorizing the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme (Decision of 7 July 2021). - Legal entities must meet validation, LEAR appointment, and financial capacity assessment rules. ## Ethical and Quality Standards - Ethical considerations and research integrity must be maintained throughout the project. - Proposals should build on existing standards or actively contribute to the standardization of technologies for IAM-based sealings and coatings. - Interoperability for data sharing should be addressed, in accordance with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles. ## Technical Specifications and Innovation - Develop new or improved IAMs-based coatings, functionalized surfaces, and/or sealings. - Innovations should improve recyclability, circularity, and safety; reduce material consumption, production costs, and manufacturing/disassembly costs. - Must demonstrate combining multiple functionalities (e.g., fast curing, self-curing, mechanical robustness, environmental protection, specific thermal/acoustic/magnetic/electrical/tribological properties). - Projects must involve multidisciplinary research addressing at least two specified areas (e.g., accelerating performance evaluation, advanced functionalized surfaces, automated application with reduced curing times, master batch synthesis, predicting material degradation). - Utilize new digital technologies, data-driven approaches, and analytical technologies for IAM design, production, and characterization. - Assess safety, sustainability, and circularity (SSbD framework) of all components across the entire innovation cycle and at end-of-life. - Address the entire value chain: material development, validation, production, processing, use, and end-of-life. ## Collaboration and Synergies - Projects are encouraged to build on or seek collaboration with existing projects in EU Member States and Associated Countries. - Develop synergies with other relevant European, national, or regional initiatives, funding programs, and platforms. - International cooperation is encouraged, specifically with Japan. - Proposals funded under this topic are part of the 'Innovative Advanced Materials for EU (IAM4EU)' partnership portfolio and are expected to actively contribute to its objectives and coordinate with its stakeholder community. - Consortia are encouraged to consider voluntary data, indicator, and knowledge contributions to Joint Research Centre (JRC) platforms (INCITE, EIGL). ## Risk Management - Risk management focuses on technical implementation, as financial error rates are minimized due to the lump sum model where payments depend on work package completion.

Grant Details