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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to support preparatory actions that explore future frameworks for European research infrastructures. The core objective is to improve their investment plans, diversify funding streams, create more integrated and sustainable access schemes, and foster joint technology development. The grant is designed for organisations involved with or managing research infrastructures, as well as their funders, user communities, and relevant industry players, including SMEs. - Target recipient type and size: Organisations involved in research infrastructures (e.g., universities, public research organisations, ERICs, ESFRI landmarks), public bodies, and private entities (including SMEs) involved in the research and innovation ecosystem. - This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant focusing on research infrastructure development and policy. - Geographic scope: Organisations from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe are eligible. - Key filtering criteria: Proposals must explicitly address one of three specific areas related to research infrastructure investment, access, or technology development. Collaboration within a consortium is a fundamental requirement. - Grant frequency: This is part of the recurring Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, indicating an ongoing commitment to this area.

Financial Structure

Funding for this grant takes the form of lump sum contributions.
Minimum grant amount per project: 1000000.0 EUR
Maximum grant amount per project: 1500000.0 EUR
Total budget allocated for this specific topic (HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05) in 2025 is 4500000.0 EUR, intended for 3 expected grants.
Currency: EUR.
Eligible costs (for lump sum calculation) can include: Personnel costs (employees, direct contracts, seconded persons, SME owners), subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel, subsistence, equipment, other goods/works/services), and other cost categories (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, access to research infrastructure, procurement, staff mobility, ERC additional funding).
Ineligible costs are explicitly excluded from the lump sum calculation.
Indirect costs are calculated by applying a flat rate of 25% to direct cost categories and are included in the overall lump sum contribution.
Payment schedule: Payments are linked to the successful implementation of corresponding work packages. They are not dependent on actual costs incurred.
Financial Reporting: There is no obligation for beneficiaries to report actual costs. Financial checks, reviews, or audits will focus on the technical implementation of the action and the fulfilment of work package conditions, not on detailed cost documentation.
Co-financing: Compliance with the co-financing principle is ensured during the budget evaluation, where the total estimated costs of the action must be greater than the estimated Union contribution.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Types

Research Infrastructures: Specifically, ESFRI Projects and Landmarks, European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs), and International European Research Organisations.
Legal entities hosting distributed ERIC facilities, resources, or related services may participate as beneficiaries, provided a declaration signed by the ERIC's legal representative confirms support and relevance.
Research infrastructure managers and funders.
Research infrastructure user communities.
Industry, including SMEs (particularly for Area 3).
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a consortium member.

Consortium Requirements

A consortium is required for this grant.
For Area 3 (Framework for joint research infrastructure technology developments), proposals must include at least two different research infrastructures as beneficiaries (either ESFRI Landmarks, ERICs, or International European Research Organisations). The consortium should consist of key research infrastructures that are representative of at least two ESFRI domains.

Geographic Location

Eligible countries are those described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, which typically includes EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe.

Formal Admissibility and Capacity Requirements

Admissibility Conditions: Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout specifications as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and Part B of the Application Form.
Financial and Operational Capacity: Applicants must meet the financial and operational capacity requirements outlined in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application Process

Application Timeline and Deadlines

The submission session for this topic became available on 2025-05-06.
The application deadline is 2025-09-18.
The submission procedure is 'single-stage'.
An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Required Documentation and Submission

Applicants must use the standard application form specific to this call (HE CSA).
A detailed budget table (HE LS) must be prepared as part of the proposal.
Applications are submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service.

Types of Support and Assistance

Guidance Documents: Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ.
Direct Assistance: Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs) for guidance and practical information, Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) for advice to businesses (especially SMEs), IT Helpdesk for technical support with the Portal.
Specialised Advice: European IPR Helpdesk for intellectual property issues, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk for standardisation advice.
Ethical and HR Guidance: The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment.
Partner Search: Tools and services are available on the Portal to help find partner organisations.

Project Implementation and Reporting

Project implementation is tracked by the successful completion of work packages, which triggers lump sum payments.
No detailed cost reporting is required post-award; focus shifts to technical progress and deliverables.

Post-Award Requirements and Compliance

The grant agreement will detail legal and financial set-up.
Compliance checks, reviews, or audits will focus on the technical implementation of the action, fulfillment of work package conditions, ethics, research integrity, dissemination and exploitation of results, intellectual property management, and gender equality.

Evaluation Criteria

General Evaluation and Award

Proposals are evaluated based on three standard Horizon Europe criteria: Excellence, Expected Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation.
To ensure a balanced portfolio across the different areas (Area 1, 2, or 3), grants will be awarded not only by overall ranking but also to the highest-ranked proposals within each specific area, provided they meet all thresholds.

Specific Expected Outcomes (Impact Expectations)

For all areas: Project results are expected to contribute to research infrastructures, their stakeholders, and funders having more robust knowledge to develop strategies, coordinate, and align future actions for an effective European research infrastructure ecosystem.
Area 1 (Strengthening investment plans and diversifying funding streams):
- Research infrastructure managers benefit from an overview of national, regional, and EU funding sources.
- Managers and funders are better prepared to develop synergies among complementary funding instruments.
- Funders gain a better picture of the financial impact of priorities and strategies.
Area 2 (Exploring an integrated and sustainable access scheme):
- Development of a proposal for a new EU access scheme for Research Infrastructure stakeholders, ensuring effective, flexible, and seamless access.
- Analysis of how user communities (including from Widening countries) will benefit from wider, simplified, and more efficient access.
- Better understanding of governance options, funding, and implementation aspects of a future access scheme.
- Deliverables include a concept for a new EU access scheme, scenarios for governance/co-funding/implementation, promotion of breakthrough research, recommendations on access policies, and proposals for pilot designs.
Area 3 (Framework for joint technology developments):
- Research infrastructures benefit from a more stable framework for joint technology developments, avoiding duplication and promoting resource pooling.
- Further development of research infrastructure innovation ecosystems, identifying overlaps.
- Creation of a virtuous circle for early industry (including SMEs) involvement and joint technology roadmap development.
- Mechanisms to ensure openness of research infrastructure technology innovation ecosystems.

Quality and Efficiency of Implementation

Proposals must address only one of the three specified areas and explicitly state which area they address.
For Area 2, the proposal should be representative of all large scientific domains and involve EU research infrastructures in different fields, preferably including at least one ESFRI infrastructure and/or ERIC in each large ESFRI scientific domain as a beneficiary.
For Area 3, the project should build on previous roadmapping and synergy efforts and address all specific aspects outlined in the scope (e.g., identification of technology overlaps, roadmapping needs, standardisation needs, funding mechanisms, industry interaction modes).

Financial Evaluation

For lump sum grants, experts with financial knowledge will check the budget estimate based on relevant benchmarks (e.g., market prices, statistical data, historical data).
Experts will assess whether the proposed resources and the split of lump sum shares allow for the successful achievement of the activities and expected outputs.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Legal Framework

The grant operates under Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765, and Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2018/1046 on the financial rules of the Union.
Eligible costs and calculation of lump sum contributions are defined by the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under Horizon Europe.

Data Protection and Ethical Standards

Data protection and privacy regulations of the EU are applicable to personal data processed within the context of the grant.
Ethical standards and research integrity are crucial aspects of the grant agreement, and compliance will be verified during project implementation.

Intellectual Property Policies

Management of intellectual property (IP) arising from the project is an important consideration, and relevant policies are part of the grant agreement.

Risk Management and Security Requirements

The funding authority verifies compliance with lump sum conditions per work package. If conditions are not met, payments may be withheld or recovered.
Financial errors are minimized due to the lump sum approach, shifting focus to technical performance.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Considerations

Targeted Areas: Applicants must choose to address only one of the three distinct areas (Strengthening Investment Plans, Integrated Access Scheme, or Joint Technology Developments), making proposals highly focused.
Cross-Cutting Themes: The grant explicitly mentions benefiting 'Widening countries' (for Area 2), and general Horizon Europe principles include 'gender equality' considerations.
Collaboration: Specific cooperation is foreseen between projects selected under Area 1 and Area 2, particularly regarding funding models for access to research infrastructures.
JRC Involvement: The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) may consider collaborating with successful proposals, offering its expertise and research infrastructure for external access.
Simplification: The use of lump sum contributions is designed to significantly reduce administrative burden for beneficiaries and accelerate payment procedures by focusing on outputs rather than detailed cost reporting.

Definitions of Key Terms

ESFRI Landmark: Refers to a research infrastructure identified in the ESFRI Roadmap 2021.
European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC): A legal entity established under EU law to facilitate the establishment and operation of research infrastructures.
International European Research Organisation: An international organization with a majority of EU Member States or Associated Countries as members, primarily aimed at promoting scientific and technological cooperation in Europe.
Distributed Research Infrastructure: Typically involves central hubs and interlinked national or institutional nodes, where components may not belong to the same legal entity.

Grant Details