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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Develop and integrate advanced photonic sensor technologies into multimodal systems. The goal is to enhance efficiency, performance, and reliability, while simultaneously reducing size, manufacturing costs, and power consumption across various application domains. This grant aims to contribute to Europe's strategic autonomy in digital and emerging technologies and support the twin (digital and green) transition. - Target recipient type: Businesses (startups, SMEs, enterprises), research organizations, universities, public bodies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Photonics, advanced sensor technologies, digital technologies. - Geographic scope: Organizations from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Specific eligible countries are detailed in the Work Programme General Annexes, which are not provided here. - Key filtering criteria: Focus on research and innovation in photonic sensor development and multimodal integration, with demonstrable impact in specific application areas, and a clear path to market exploitation. - Grant frequency: This is a recurring grant opportunity within the broader Horizon Europe framework. - Program context: Part of Horizon Europe's Cluster 4, which targets achieving open strategic autonomy in digital and emerging enabling technologies.

Financial Structure

Total budget allocated for this specific topic: 25,000,000.0 EUR.
Expected funding contribution per successful grant proposal: between 4,000,000.0 EUR and 6,000,000.0 EUR.
Currency for all financial amounts: EUR.
Type of funding: Innovation Action (IA), providing a financial contribution to eligible costs.
Co-financing requirements: Not explicitly detailed in the provided grant document. Typically, for Horizon Europe Innovation Actions, profit-making entities receive up to 70% of eligible costs, while non-profit entities receive 100%. Specific details are available in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Eligible and ineligible costs: Defined by the Horizon Europe General Annexes (Annex G) and the Model Grant Agreements (MGA).
Payment schedule and mechanisms: Determined by the Model Grant Agreements (MGA).
Financial reporting and audit requirements: Standard for Horizon Europe grants, as detailed in the MGA and Annex G.
Authorization for the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme may apply.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type and Legal Status

Eligible to legal entities (private companies, public bodies, research organizations, universities, NGOs).
Organizations must be from EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. The exact list of eligible countries is provided in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes; this specific list is not included in the provided grant materials.

Project Type and Focus

Projects must be classified as 'Innovation Actions' (IA), focusing on applied research and innovation that brings technologies closer to market.
Proposed demonstrators must reach Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4-5.
The underlying photonic techniques developed must reach TRL 7.

Technical Focus

Proposals must address at least two different technology approaches, with a mandatory requirement that at least one of these approaches is photonic.
Projects should focus on specific photonic areas such as 3D sensing/imaging (e.g., LIDAR, optical coherence tomography), communication fiber sensing, chemical/gas sensing, bio-/medical sensing/imaging, particle sensing, or integrated photonic solutions.

Geographic Restrictions

Projects are subject to specific restrictions concerning the protection of European communication networks.

Consortium Requirement

While not explicitly stated as 'required,' due to the scale and nature of Horizon Europe Innovation Actions and the expected budget, applications are typically submitted by a consortium of at least three independent legal entities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Financial and Operational Capacity

Applicants must demonstrate adequate financial and operational capacity to carry out the proposed project, as detailed in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Exclusion Criteria

Standard Horizon Europe exclusion criteria apply, as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application Process

Application procedure: Single-stage submission process.
Submission platform: Proposals must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Key Dates

Grant opening date: 2025-06-10.
Application deadline: 2025-10-02 00:00:00+0000.
Evaluation timeline: An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is provided in Annex F of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, but not specified in this document.

Required Documentation

Application form templates specific to this call (HE RIA, IA) are available within the Submission System.
Refer to Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes for detailed information on proposal page limits and layout requirements.

Support and Resources

Online Manual: Comprehensive guide covering proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management procedures.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Provides detailed guidance on the framework's structure, budget, and political priorities.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Addresses frequently asked questions related to proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service: Available for general inquiries about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Offer guidance, practical information, and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, including in many non-EU and non-associated countries.
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Provides advice to businesses, with a special focus on SMEs, including guidance on EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk: Contact for technical issues related to the Funding & Tenders Portal (e.g., forgotten passwords, access rights).
European IPR Helpdesk: Assists with intellectual property matters.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Offer advice on integrating standardisation into project proposals.
Partner Search: A tool available on the Portal to help find suitable partner organizations for consortium formation.

Post-Award Requirements

Grant agreement: The legal and financial obligations and conditions are defined in the Model Grant Agreements (MGA) and Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Reporting obligations: Regular technical and financial reporting will be required throughout the project duration, as outlined in the grant agreement.

Evaluation Criteria

Excellence

Clarity, pertinence, and alignment of the project's objectives with the topic's expected outcomes.
Soundness and feasibility of the proposed methodology, including interdisciplinary approaches and consideration of the gender dimension.
Quality and innovativeness of the proposed photonic sensor technologies and multimodal integration, including significant advancements over current state-of-the-art.

Impact

Potential contribution to Europe's open strategic autonomy, particularly regarding intellectual property and production means of key technologies within the EU.
Maximizing international competitiveness by facilitating the uptake and translation of photonic technologies into new products and services.
Alignment with key EU policy objectives, including the digital transformation, the green transition, energy efficiency, data integrity, and the fair data economy.
Potential for significant, demonstrable improvements in target application domains (e.g., Healthcare, Transportation Safety, Industrial efficiency, Agricultural/Food Sector, Environmental Monitoring, Security/Safety/Resilience, Optical Communications).
Credibility and robustness of the business scenario and exploitation strategy, outlining how the project's results will be utilized and disseminated.

Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation

Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including the appropriateness of tasks and resource allocation.
Quality and relevant expertise of the project team members, encompassing technical, scientific, and managerial competencies.
Appropriateness of the management structures and procedures, including risk management strategies.
Effectiveness of measures taken to ensure interoperability for data sharing and compliance with, or contribution to, standardisation efforts.
Evidence of building on or seeking collaboration with existing projects and developing synergies with other relevant European, national, or regional initiatives.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must adhere to general Horizon Europe regulations, including conditions related to eligible countries (Annex B), financial and operational capacity, and exclusion criteria (Annex C).
Specific restrictions apply for the protection of European communication networks.
Compliance with the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.

Ethical Standards

All research and innovation activities must comply with the ethical principles and requirements outlined in Horizon Europe guidelines.

Intellectual Property (IP) and Strategic Autonomy

A key objective is to secure Europe's open strategic autonomy by ensuring intellectual property and production means of core technologies remain within the EU, thereby reducing dependencies and strengthening negotiation power in technological cooperation.

Technical and Quality Standards

Research must either build upon existing standards or actively contribute to the development of new standards.
Projects are expected to address interoperability for data sharing.
Proposed solutions should demonstrate significant improvements in efficiency, performance, reliability, and reductions in size, manufacturing costs, and power consumption.

Cross-Cutting Considerations

Strong emphasis on contributing to the 'twin transition' (digital and green economy) through promoting energy-efficient, competitive, and resilient digital infrastructures.
Projects should facilitate access to high-quality environmental data and support technologies that ensure privacy, compliance, and data integrity to foster a fair data economy.
Alignment with the EU's broader objectives for a green and digital economy, enhancing system operations and promoting eco-friendly practices.
Although not explicitly stated as a scoring criterion here, inclusivity and diversity are general considerations within Horizon Europe projects.

Risk Management

While not a dedicated section, effective risk management is an implicit expectation under the 'Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation' evaluation criterion.

Grant Details