Grants8 | The most comprehensive grants search on the web

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to transform neighborhoods by developing beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive street furniture. It seeks to improve public spaces through innovative design, co-creation, and community engagement. The core objective is to create functional, resilient, and aesthetically pleasing urban furniture that meets diverse population needs and fosters social interaction. This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, targeting organizations involved in urban development, design, architecture, arts, cultural and creative industries, and public authorities. It focuses on the transformation of existing neighborhoods and the planning of new ones. Geographically, it applies to EU Member States and Associated Countries under the Horizon Europe program. This grant is part of a recurring funding program, indicating ongoing commitment to these objectives.

Financial Structure

Total Budget and Grant Amounts

Total Budget for this Topic: The overall budget allocated for this specific topic is EUR 10,400,000 for the year 2025.
Expected Grants: Two individual grants are expected to be awarded under this topic.
Maximum Grant Amount per Project: Each selected project can receive a maximum contribution of EUR 5,200,000.
Minimum Grant Amount per Project: Each selected project will receive a minimum contribution of EUR 5,200,000.

Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP)

Purpose: Consortia may provide financial support to third parties (SMEs, education/research institutions, non-profits) to allow for the prototyping and demonstration of innovative designs.
Maximum FSTP Amount: The maximum amount that can be granted to each third party is EUR 100,000.

Financial Reporting and Audit

General Rules: The legal and financial setup of grants, including financial reporting and audit requirements, are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Cost-sharing: While not explicitly detailed, as an Innovation Action (IA), Horizon Europe grants typically involve cost-sharing, meaning the grant covers a percentage of eligible costs, and the beneficiary contributes the rest. The exact funding rate for this specific topic is not provided in the given text.
Eligible Costs: Costs related to developing, demonstrating, prototyping, and integrating innovative street furniture designs, including materials, technical development, participatory processes, and human resources (including SSH experts) are expected to be eligible. Specific eligible and ineligible cost categories are generally detailed in Annex G and the Model Grant Agreement.

Eligibility Requirements

Who Can Apply? This grant primarily targets consortia comprising various types of organizations to ensure a multidisciplinary approach.

Required Consortium Members: Proposals must involve a diverse range of actors, including public authorities, local actors from targeted neighborhoods, civil society organizations, and actors from the cultural and creative sectors and industries. It also encourages the integration of various disciplines like architecture, design, arts and crafts, civil engineering, and health.

Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) Eligibility Consortia applying for this grant are expected to provide financial support to third parties for prototyping and demonstration activities. These third parties can be:

SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises)
Education or Research Institutions
Other relevant actors, such as not-for-profit entities

General Eligibility Conditions Applicants must adhere to the general conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, which cover:

Eligible Countries: As per Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, which typically includes EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may be eligible if specific funding provisions are made.
Financial and Operational Capacity: Organizations must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity as described in Annex C of the General Annexes.
Exclusion Criteria: Standard exclusion criteria apply as per Annex C.

Definition not specified in grant materials: The grant documents do not provide specific definitions for 'SME', 'startup', or other organization sizes beyond their general mention. It also does not specify minimum employee counts or revenue requirements for applying organizations or third parties.

Application Process

Submission System: Applications must be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service. The system became available for this topic on May 6, 2025.
Application Deadline: The final deadline for submitting proposals is November 12, 2025, at 00:00:00 UTC.
Submission Model: This is a single-stage submission process.
Required Documentation:
- Proposal page limits and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
- Specific details are found in Part B of the Application Form, available in the Submission System.
- Standard application forms (HE RIA, IA) and evaluation forms (HE RIA, IA) will be used.

Timeline and Evaluation

Indicative Timeline: The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. The specific duration of individual projects is not provided in the current document.

Application Assistance and Resources

Online Manual: Provides guidance on submission procedures and grant management.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Offers detailed guidance on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions regarding proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service: For general questions about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Offer guidance, practical information, and assistance to applicants in EU and Associated Countries, and some non-EU/non-associated countries.
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Provides advice to businesses, especially SMEs, on EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk: For technical support with the Funding & Tenders Portal.
European IPR Helpdesk: Assistance with intellectual property issues.
Partner Search: A feature available on the portal to help find partner organizations for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation of proposals will be based on the award criteria described in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. While specific scoring details are not provided here, the grant's scope and expected outcomes highlight key areas of focus for evaluation: Core Criteria

Innovative Design: Proposals must demonstrate truly innovative designs for street furniture that are more attractive, sustainable, and inclusive than current solutions.
Environmental Performance: Emphasis on improving environmental performance, integrating nature-based solutions, and using sustainable, secondary (bio-based), recycled, or upcycled materials.
Resilience and Functionality: Designs should contribute to functional common spaces throughout the year, demonstrating resilience to vandalism and weather, protection from climate change impacts, consideration of local specificities (e.g., coastal areas), and low maintenance costs.
Aesthetic and Cultural Integrity: Projects should strengthen the aesthetic and cultural integrity of the common space and neighborhoods, reflecting historical context.
User-Centricity and Inclusivity: Designs must meet the needs of diverse population groups (considering age, gender, mobility, etc.) through modular and adaptive approaches, enhancing comfort, safety, accessibility, social interaction, and well-being. This strongly aligns with cross-cutting themes of inclusion and diversity.
Participatory Methods: The use of participatory methods in co-designing and prototyping innovative street furniture is a mandatory requirement and will be a key evaluation point.
Impact on Procurement Processes: Proposals are expected to produce recommendations that can inform and improve procurement processes for street furniture, demonstrating practical applicability.
Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) Integration: Effective contribution from SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts are crucial for enhancing the societal impact of the research activities.
Expected Outcomes: The project should contribute to improved integration of public authorities, social actors, and cultural/creative sectors into design, and better evidence on street furniture uses to inform procurement, improve quality of experience, safety, security, sustainability, resilience, and inclusiveness.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Legal Compliance

General Annexes: Projects must adhere to all regulatory compliance requirements outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annex G for legal and financial setup, Annex C for financial/operational capacity).
Financial Regulation: Compliance with the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 is mandatory.
Data Protection and Privacy: Data protection and privacy regulations are implied through general EU compliance requirements, although not specifically detailed for this grant.
Ethical Standards: Ethical standards and requirements are inherent to Horizon Europe projects, particularly given the focus on social aspects and human well-being.

Intellectual Property (IP) Policies

IP Policies: Intellectual property policies are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes, ensuring clear rules for rights resulting from funded projects.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Considerations

New European Bauhaus (NEB) Alignment: This grant is deeply embedded within the New European Bauhaus initiative, emphasizing projects that embody its values: beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive. Proposals must clearly align with these principles.
Cross-Cutting Themes: The project strongly incorporates social fairness, inclusivity, gender considerations, and sustainability. It aims to address vulnerabilities and integrate marginalized groups in design and decision-making processes.
Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) Integration: A unique and mandatory requirement is the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and experts. This ensures a holistic approach to understanding human behavior and societal impact.
Coordination and Support Action (CSA) Linkage: Projects must dedicate at least 0.2% of their total budget to share intermediate and final results with the specific Coordination and Support Action 'New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact' (HORIZON-MISS-2024-NEB-01-03). This ensures knowledge sharing and collaboration within the broader NEB framework.
Risk Management: Projects should consider and address risks such as vandalism, weather impacts, and climate change effects by designing resilient and low-maintenance solutions.
Emphasis on Prototyping and Demonstration: The grant focuses heavily on practical application, requiring more prototyping and demonstration to speed up the integration of innovative designs.

Grant Details