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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to develop innovative cultural strategies for conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and post-conflict reconciliation, leveraging culture and creativity to address contemporary geopolitical challenges. The target recipients are diverse organizations forming consortia. - Single, clear statement of grant's core objective: To foster peace and stability by integrating culture, cultural heritage, and creative expressions into security frameworks, foreign policy, and peacebuilding strategies through research and innovation. - Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: Organizations active in diplomacy, culture, research (including SSH disciplines), and education; also public authorities, international organizations, and NGOs. Projects are expected to be substantial, typically requiring consortia. - MUST state if grant is 'SECTOR-SPECIFIC' or 'SECTOR-AGNOSTIC': SECTOR-SPECIFIC - Geographic scope and any location requirements: Open to entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries. The research focus can cover global conflict-affected regions. - Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Focus on cultural strategies for peace/conflict resolution, strong research and innovation component, interdisciplinary approach, consortium-based application. - Grant frequency and program context: Part of the multi-annual Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, implying similar opportunities may arise within the program's lifecycle.

Financial Structure

Funding per project (expected grant size): Between EUR 3,000,000 and EUR 4,000,000.
Total budget allocated for this topic: EUR 12,000,000, with an expectation of funding 3 grants.
Funding mechanism: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum contribution.
Payment schedule: Payments are released upon the proper implementation and completion of defined work packages, rather than based on actual incurred costs.
Cost coverage: The grant is designed to cover 100.0% of the estimated eligible costs for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA).
Indirect costs: A flat rate of 25% for indirect costs is included in the lump sum calculation.
Budget proposal: Applicants must propose the lump sum amount based on their estimated direct and indirect costs, with a detailed breakdown per work package and per beneficiary.
Financial retention: 5% to 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Revenue generation: Any revenues generated by the action will be taken into account during the calculation of the maximum grant amount.
Financial checks: Financial checks, reviews, and audits will focus on the technical implementation and the fulfillment of work package conditions, not on detailed cost reporting.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Types

Organizations active in diplomacy (e.g., diplomatic missions, policy institutes).
Organizations active in culture (e.g., cultural institutions, creative industries, arts organizations).
Organizations active in research, including Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines (e.g., universities, research centers, think tanks).
Organizations active in education.
Public authorities.
International organizations.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Consortium Requirements

Applications must be submitted by a consortium of multiple beneficiaries, as is typical for Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA).

Legal and Financial Capacity

Applicants must meet legal, financial, and operational capacity requirements as described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposals must include a detailed budget table using the template available in the Submission System.

Geographic Location

Eligible entities must be established in EU Member States:
- 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.
Also open to entities from Associated Countries (list not provided, but typically includes countries like Iceland, Norway, UK, etc.).
Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in Innovation Actions (IA) in any capacity. This grant is a Research and Innovation Action (RIA), so this specific exclusion might not apply, but applicants should verify.

Technical Requirements

All software developed should be open source, licensed under a CC0 public domain dedication or under an open-source license recommended by the Free Software Foundation or the Open Source Initiative.
If fully open source software would require disproportional efforts, suitable non-open source function libraries may be used, provided a full user license, free of charge and for an unlimited period, is granted to the ECCCH consortium and all users of the ECCCH.
All software and other related deliverables should be compliant with the data model and software development guidelines elaborated by the project funded under topic 'HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01-01'.
All projects funded should participate in concertation activities with the project funded under topic 'HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01-01'.

Application Process

Application Process Timeline

Application Submission Open: 2025-05-15.
Application Deadline: 2025-09-16.
Submission Model: Single-stage application process.
Evaluation and Grant Agreement Timeline: Indicative timeline as described in Annex F of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (details not provided).

Required Documentation and Materials

Application Form: Standard application form (HE RIA) available in the Submission System. Part B of the application form has a page limit of 50 pages for lump sum proposals.
Detailed Budget Table: Mandatory submission using the specific template provided in the Submission System.

Submission Format and Platform

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Evaluation and Review Process

Proposals are evaluated by external independent experts based on predefined award criteria (Excellence, Impact, Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation).
Experts with financial expertise will check the budget estimate based on benchmarks and assess its appropriateness for the proposed activities.

Reporting and Monitoring

Payments are linked to the proper implementation of work packages as outlined in the grant agreement.
Progress tracking mechanisms will focus on the technical implementation and the fulfillment of conditions for releasing lump sum contributions per work package.

Application Assistance

Online Manual: Provides guidance on proposal submission and grant management.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Contains detailed information on the program's structure, budget, and political priorities.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Addresses common questions on submission, evaluation, and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service: For general inquiries about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Provide guidance and assistance on participating in Horizon Europe, available in EU and many non-EU countries.
Enterprise Europe Network: Offers advice to businesses, particularly SMEs, on EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk: For technical support related to the Funding & Tenders Portal (e.g., passwords, access rights, submission issues).
European IPR Helpdesk: Assists with intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Advise on standardisation in project proposals.
Partner Search: Tools available to help find partner organizations for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria Proposals will be evaluated according to standard Horizon Europe procedures by external independent experts, based on the following criteria: - Excellence: Quality, novelty, and soundness of the research and innovation methodology, clarity of objectives, and interdisciplinary approach. - Impact: Potential for significant scientific, societal, and economic contributions. This includes contributing to an empirical knowledge base, providing evidence-based policy recommendations, and establishing sustained collaboration mechanisms among stakeholders. - Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation: Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, appropriateness of resources, competence and complementarity of the consortium members, management structures, and risk management. Specific Scoring Factors

Interdisciplinary Approach: Demonstrated integration of diverse disciplines, particularly SSH, arts, and technology, in addressing peace and conflict.
Empirical Knowledge Base: Capacity to collect, analyze, and evaluate extensive case studies to build an empirical foundation and identify best practices in cultural peacebuilding.
Policy Relevance: Potential to develop actionable, evidence-based recommendations and guidelines for policymakers on integrating culture into security, foreign policy, and social development agendas.
Stakeholder Engagement: Mechanisms for fostering continuous and robust collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in diplomacy, culture, and security.
Innovation: Development of groundbreaking solutions and innovative approaches in security frameworks and peacebuilding, including leveraging digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for cultural exchange and understanding.
Impact Measurement: Proposed metrics and methodologies for evaluating the long-term impact of cultural initiatives on peacebuilding, preparedness, conflict resolution, economic stability, and social cohesion.
Inclusivity: Investigation of how intersectional factors (e.g., gender, age, citizenship, socioeconomic status) influence participation and outcomes in cultural peacebuilding, and development of strategies for inclusivity.
Sustainability: Addressing the link between culture, cultural heritage, and sustainable economy in post-conflict recovery and reconstruction, and identifying key determinants for sustained peace.
Open Science and Data: Plans to leverage European Research Infrastructures and ensure that data produced is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable).

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must comply with the general conditions outlined in Annex A, B, C, D, F, and G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Adherence to Regulation (EU) 2021/695 (Horizon Europe) and Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 (EU Financial Regulation).

Intellectual Property (IP) Policies

IPR rights for digital objects stored in the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH) and generated by ECCCH-based collaboration must be fully recorded and traceable.
Guidelines for IPR use, such as RightsStatements.org, should be employed where appropriate.

Technical Specifications

All software developed within the project must be open source, adhering to licenses recommended by the Free Software Foundation or the Open Source Initiative, or CC0 public domain dedication.
If non-open source libraries are used, a free, unlimited user license must be granted to the ECCCH consortium and its users.
All software and deliverables must comply with the data model and software development guidelines from the project funded under 'HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01-01'.
Projects should leverage existing data and services from European Research Infrastructures (e.g., ESFRI, EOSC) and relevant Data Spaces.
All data produced within the project must be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable).
The ECCCH's architectural design principles (digital twins, digital continuum, digital ecosystem) and evolutionary design with an open API should be considered.

Ethical Standards

Strict adherence to ethical standards and research integrity throughout the project lifecycle.

Cross-Cutting Themes and Strategic Alignment

Projects must align with key Commission priorities, including promoting the European way of life, contributing to a Europe fit for the digital age, and achieving European Green Deal goals.
Contributions to the New European Bauhaus initiative are expected.
Projects should contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and foster a stronger, more participatory, and crisis-resilient society and economy.

Collaboration and Synergies

International cooperation is actively encouraged.
Synergies with the Jean Monnet project HER-UKR: Challenges and opportunities for EU heritage diplomacy in Ukraine are encouraged.
Complementarities with 'HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-08' should be explored where relevant.
Projects are expected to build upon existing knowledge, activities, and networks, especially those funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe.
Mandatory participation in concertation activities with the project funded under 'HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01-01'.

Risk Management and Audits

Financial oversight will focus on the technical implementation and the successful fulfillment of work package conditions. Failure to meet these conditions can lead to withholding or recovery of payments.
Checks and audits will also cover ethics, research integrity, dissemination and exploitation of results, intellectual property management, and gender equality.

Grant Details