Grants8 | The most comprehensive grants search on the web

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to extend the lifespan and improve the reliability of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules, which are a crucial source of electricity. The core objective is to reduce the degradation of these solar modules, increase their durability, enhance resource efficiency, and ultimately lower the cost of solar electricity (LCOE). This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, focusing exclusively on the photovoltaic (solar energy) industry and related technology development. It targets organizations capable of conducting advanced research and innovation in PV materials, module design, and defect detection. The target recipients are organizations involved in research and development (R&D) within the solar energy sector, including those with expertise in materials science, AI, modeling, and field testing. While not explicitly stated, the nature of 'Research and Innovation Actions' within Horizon Europe typically targets research institutions, universities, and both small and large enterprises with significant R&D capabilities. The geographic scope for conducting field experiments requires consideration of different locations representing the European range of climates. This implies projects will likely involve participants and activities across Europe. Key filtering criteria for this grant include a strong focus on crystalline silicon PV module technology, the ability to address module degradation and reliability issues, and the capacity to perform both laboratory and extensive outdoor field testing. It is part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, suggesting it is a recurring type of call within the broader program, though this specific topic is a one-time opportunity within this call.

Financial Structure

This grant utilizes a lump sum contribution model for funding, which simplifies financial management by focusing on the proper implementation of agreed-upon work packages rather than detailed reporting of actual costs incurred.

Budget Range: The total budget allocated for this specific topic is 8,000,000 EUR. The grant aims to fund 2 projects, meaning each successful project can expect to receive a maximum contribution of 4,000,000 EUR.
Eligible Costs: Applicants must propose the lump sum amount based on their estimated direct and indirect costs. Eligible cost categories for estimation include:
- Personnel costs: For employees, natural persons under direct contract, seconded persons, and SME owners/natural person beneficiaries.
- Subcontracting costs.
- Purchase costs: For travel, subsistence, equipment (depreciation or full capitalisation), and other goods, works, and services.
- Other cost categories: Such as financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods and services, and access costs for research infrastructure (transnational/virtual).
Ineligible Costs: Any costs that would normally be ineligible under standard Horizon Europe rules should not be included in the lump sum proposal.
Indirect Costs: A 25% flat rate for indirect costs is applied to the direct cost categories that qualify for indirect cost calculation under Horizon Europe rules. This 25% is included within the overall lump sum calculation.
Payment Mechanism: Payments are released when the corresponding work packages of the action have been properly implemented and all other grant agreement obligations are met. Payments do not depend on the actual costs incurred by the beneficiaries.
Co-financing Requirements: The principle of co-financing applies, meaning the total estimated costs of the action (your proposed budget) must be greater than the estimated Union contribution (the lump sum requested). This ensures that the EU contribution partially covers the total costs.
Financial Guarantees: Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.

Eligibility Requirements

The grant specifies eligibility through various annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. While these annexes are not provided, here is a summary of the stated requirements:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Eligible Countries: Specific eligible countries are detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. For Horizon Europe, this typically includes EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe. Field experiments specifically require considering different locations representing the European range of climates.
- Note: While Annex B is not provided, Horizon Europe grants are generally open to legal entities established in EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe. This includes, but is not limited to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
Other Eligible Conditions: Further specific conditions are outlined in Annex B.
Financial and Operational Capacity & Exclusion: Applicants must meet the financial and operational capacity criteria, and must not be subject to exclusion criteria, as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Organizational Types: The grant is for 'Research and Innovation Actions' (RIA). While not explicitly defined, this type of action typically involves consortia of various legal entities, including:
- Universities and other higher education institutions.
- Research Organizations (public or private).
- Enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger industrial partners, particularly those with strong R&D capabilities.
- Public Bodies involved in research or relevant policy areas.
- The grant documentation mentions applying organisations with a very similar distribution of organisation types as in Horizon 2020 overall for lump sum pilots, suggesting a broad range of organizational types are welcome.
Technical Expertise: Applicants must possess expertise in areas such as crystalline silicon PV technology, material properties, defect analysis, artificial intelligence (AI) for detection, modeling, laboratory testing, and outdoor field experimentation.
Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated as 'mandatory' in a simple sentence, 'Research and Innovation Actions' (RIAs) in Horizon Europe are almost always performed by consortia (groups of organizations working together). The general guidance on lump sums mentions their use for 'large multi-beneficiary projects', reinforcing the expectation of a collaborative approach. Therefore, it is highly likely that a consortium of multiple legal entities will be required.

Application Process

The application process for this grant follows a single-stage submission procedure.

Planned Opening Date: The submission system for proposals is planned to open on September 16, 2025.
Application Deadline: The final deadline for submitting proposals is February 17, 2026.
Application Forms: Applicants will use the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA), which is specific to this call and available in the Submission System. A Detailed budget table (HE LS) for lump sums must also be prepared.
Submission Format: Applications must be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal's Submission System.
Evaluation Timeline: The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes (not provided here).
Reporting Obligations: Successful projects will be expected to report on their results to the European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics (EUPI-PV) to support the monitoring of its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Payments are linked to the proper implementation and fulfillment of conditions for each work package.
Support & Assistance: A wide range of resources are available to assist applicants:
- Online Manual: Guides on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.
- Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
- Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to common questions on submission, evaluation, and grant management.
- Research Enquiry Service: For general questions about European research.
- National Contact Points (NCPs): Provide guidance, practical information, and assistance in participating in Horizon Europe, available in EU and non-EU/non-associated countries.
- Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Offers advice to businesses, especially SMEs, including guidance on EU research funding.
- IT Helpdesk: For technical questions related to the Funding & Tenders Portal.
- European IPR Helpdesk: Assists with intellectual property issues.
- CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Advise on standardisation in project proposals.
- Partner Search: Helps find partner organizations for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals for this grant will be evaluated by external independent experts following standard Horizon Europe procedures. The evaluation focuses on three main criteria:

Excellence: This assesses the quality of the proposed research, its methodology, and the novelty of the approach.
Expected Impact: This evaluates the potential of the project to achieve the stated outcomes, such as reduced PV module degradation, increased durability, resource efficiency, and decreased Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE). Projects are also expected to contribute to the execution of the solar energy joint research and innovation agenda. The impact on cross-cutting priorities like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Digital Agenda will be considered, as AI is specifically mentioned in the scope for defect detection.
Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation: This assesses the feasibility of the project plan, the appropriateness of the resources, the quality of the consortium, and the management structure.

Financial Evaluation (Specific to Lump Sum Grants) For lump sum grants, experts with financial expertise will also conduct a thorough check of the proposed budget estimate. This involves assessing the reasonableness of the costs against relevant benchmarks such as market prices, statistical data, or historical data from comparable projects. They will verify that the proposed resources and the distribution of the lump sum across work packages are appropriate for achieving the planned activities and expected outputs. Applicants must declare that they have followed their own accounting practices when preparing their estimated budget.

Compliance & Special Requirements

This grant, being a Horizon Europe 'Research and Innovation Action' (RIA), comes with specific compliance and unique requirements:

Regulatory & Legal Compliance: The legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Applicants must adhere to various EU regulations, including the Financial Regulation. While not explicitly detailed, general Horizon Europe compliance extends to areas like state aid rules and procurement regulations where applicable.
Ethical Standards: The grant agreement includes aspects related to ethics and research integrity. Projects must comply with the highest ethical standards, especially given the research nature involving potentially new technologies or methodologies.
Intellectual Property (IP): The management of intellectual property generated by the project is a critical aspect of the grant agreement. Applicants should be aware of and adhere to Horizon Europe's IP rules, which typically aim to ensure fair and effective exploitation of results.
Data Protection and Privacy: While not explicitly detailed in the provided text, compliance with EU data protection regulations (like GDPR) is a standard requirement for all EU-funded projects.
Environmental Compliance: Although not specified, given the focus on solar energy, projects are generally expected to adhere to relevant environmental regulations.
Labor Standards: The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment are listed as support documents, implying adherence to fair labor practices and researcher entitlements is expected.
Cross-cutting Themes: The grant explicitly identifies Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Digital Agenda as cross-cutting priorities. Projects must integrate these themes where relevant, especially as AI is mentioned for defect detection. Gender equality is also noted as an aspect of the grant agreement in the lump sum decision.
Unique Aspects & Strategic Alignment: This topic specifically implements the co-programmed European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics (EUPI-PV). This means projects funded under this call are an integral part of this partnership and are expected to contribute to its objectives. Beneficiaries will be required to report their results to EUPI-PV to help monitor the partnership's KPIs. This strong alignment with EUPI-PV is a key strategic consideration for applicants.
Risk Management: While not detailed as a separate section, the lump sum mechanism means that payments are tied to the fulfillment of work packages. The granting authority will conduct technical checks, reviews, or audits to verify proper implementation. Failure to meet work package conditions may lead to non-payment or recovery of funds, indicating that technical and operational risk management is crucial.

Grant Details