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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to develop and validate advanced Edge-AI building blocks specifically for Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) systems. The core objective is to improve the safety, security, privacy, and efficiency of data-driven CCAM functionalities by optimizing AI algorithms for edge hardware. This funding opportunity targets organizations involved in cutting-edge research and innovation in automotive technology, artificial intelligence, and intelligent transport systems. This includes research institutions, universities, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), and larger industry players capable of conducting significant R&D. This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, focused on the intersection of AI and transportation, specifically CCAM. The geographic scope primarily covers organizations from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe. International cooperation, particularly with entities in Japan and the United States, is encouraged for relevant expertise, although direct funding eligibility for these countries is subject to specific agreements. Key filtering criteria for potential applicants include a strong background in AI development, edge computing, and automotive or smart mobility solutions, along with the capacity to engage in collaborative research and validation activities. The grant is part of the broader Horizon Europe program, indicating a continuous strategic focus on these areas, though this specific call has a defined submission window.

Financial Structure

This grant utilizes a lump sum funding model, designed to simplify financial management by focusing on technical performance rather than detailed cost reporting. Funding Amounts

Minimum Grant Amount: €4,000,000
Maximum Grant Amount: €4,000,000
Total Budget for this Topic: €4,000,000 (one expected grant)
Currency: EUR

Eligible and Ineligible Costs The lump sum is based on an approximation of beneficiaries’ estimated direct and indirect costs. The proposal must detail the costs and categories covered, ensuring they would be eligible under standard Horizon Europe rules. Eligible cost categories typically include: * Personnel costs: For employees, natural persons working under direct contract, seconded persons, SME owners, and natural person beneficiaries. * Subcontracting costs. * Purchase costs: Such as travel and subsistence, equipment (depreciation or full capitalised), and other goods, works, and services. * Other cost categories: Including financial support to third parties (if applicable), internally invoiced goods and services, and access to research infrastructure. Ineligible costs are those explicitly excluded by Horizon Europe rules or not included in the detailed cost estimate forming the basis of the lump sum. Indirect Costs and Reimbursement An indirect cost flat rate of 25% is included in the calculation of the lump sum contribution. The lump sum itself covers 100% of the agreed amount, based on the estimated eligible costs applied with the standard Horizon Europe reimbursement rate (typically 100% for Research and Innovation Actions). Matching Fund and Co-financing While there isn't a stated matching fund percentage, the co-financing principle requires that the total estimated costs of the action must be greater than the estimated Union contributions during the budget evaluation. This means beneficiaries will generally contribute resources beyond the grant amount. Payment Schedule and Reporting Payments are not dependent on actual costs incurred. Instead, they are tied to the proper implementation of corresponding work packages as defined in the grant agreement. Lump sum contributions for completed work packages are paid to the coordinator during reporting periods. If conditions for a work package are not met, its payment can be deferred or withheld. There is no requirement to report actual costs, and typically no financial ex-post audits are conducted for lump sum grants. Financial checks focus on the technical implementation and fulfillment of work package conditions.

Eligibility Requirements

General Eligibility Applicants must comply with the general conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, which cover: * Admissibility Conditions: Proposals must adhere to specified page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. * Eligible Countries: Participation is generally open to legal entities established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries (e.g., Norway, Iceland, UK, etc., subject to specific association agreements). The grant states "subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks." * Financial and Operational Capacity: Applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity, as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. * Exclusion Criteria: Standard exclusion criteria outlined in Annex C also apply. Organizational Types and Experience The grant is structured as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under Horizon Europe, which typically welcomes a wide range of organizations: * Universities and other research organizations are highly encouraged due to the research-intensive nature of the grant. * SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) are explicitly mentioned as having positive experiences with lump sum funding in past pilots and are therefore encouraged to apply. * Enterprises of all sizes, including larger corporations, that possess the necessary technical expertise and capacity in AI, edge computing, and CCAM technologies. * Other public or private legal entities involved in relevant research, development, and innovation activities. Technical and Infrastructural Qualifications Applicants are expected to possess: * Technical expertise in developing and optimizing AI algorithms, particularly for edge deployment and real-time critical applications. * Infrastructure to support advanced research, testing, and validation of CCAM systems, including access to relevant datasets (e.g., from SYNERGIES project). * A strong understanding of Software-Defined Vehicle of the Future (SDVoF) concepts, as solutions should use related building blocks, interfaces, and tools. Consortium Requirements While not explicitly stated as mandatory, the complexity and scope of a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA), especially under a co-programmed partnership like CCAM, typically necessitate a collaborative approach. It is highly expected that proposals will be submitted by consortia comprising multiple entities with complementary expertise, covering the full chain from sensing and perception to decision-making and actuation in CCAM solutions.

Application Process

Key Dates and Deadlines

Submission System Opening Date: September 16, 2025
Application Deadline: January 20, 2026, 00:00:00 UTC+00:00
Submission Procedure: This is a single-stage application process.

Required Documentation and Materials Applicants must prepare their proposals using specific templates: * Application Form: The standard application form specific to this call (HE RIA) will be available in the Submission System. Part B of this form will detail page limits and layout. * Detailed Budget Table (HE LS): A specific template for lump sum grants must be used to propose the amount based on estimated direct and indirect costs. This table should break down the lump sum per work package and per beneficiary/affiliated entity, detailing activities and resources. * Annex A and Annex E: General guidance on proposal page limits and layout from the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes apply. Application Procedure and Evaluation

Proposals are submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal's Submission System.
Evaluation follows standard Horizon Europe procedures with external independent experts assessing proposals based on excellence, impact, and quality/efficiency of implementation.
Experts with financial knowledge will check the budget estimate against benchmarks.
Applicants must declare that they used their own accounting practices for budget preparation.

Support for Applicants A comprehensive range of support services is available to potential applicants: * Online Manual: A guide on procedures from proposal submission to grant management. * Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on the program's structure, budget, and political priorities. * Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to common questions on submission, evaluation, and grant management. * Research Enquiry Service: For general questions about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes. * National Contact Points (NCPs): Provide guidance and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, including for non-EU/non-associated countries. * Enterprise Europe Network: Offers advice to businesses, particularly SMEs, on EU research funding. * IT Helpdesk: For technical issues with the Funding & Tenders Portal. * European IPR Helpdesk: Assistance with intellectual property issues. * CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks: Advise on standardisation in project proposals. * The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct: General principles for researchers, employers, and funders. * Partner Search: A tool to help find partner organizations for proposals. Post-Award Requirements

Reporting Obligations: Projects are expected to report their results to the European Partnership on ‘Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility’ (CCAM) to support the monitoring of its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Compliance: Projects will be subject to checks focusing on the technical implementation, fulfillment of work package conditions, ethics, research integrity, dissemination, exploitation of results, intellectual property management, and gender equality.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals for this grant will be evaluated based on the standard Horizon Europe criteria: excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of the implementation. Experts will assess the budget estimate to ensure it's a realistic approximation of costs for the proposed work. Excellence

Innovation Requirements: Proposals must demonstrate significant advancements in optimizing AI algorithms for CCAM functionalities. This includes developing new or reshaping existing approaches and building blocks for CCAM solutions that are viable on edge-hardware (hardware systems constrained in proximity to the data source). The focus should be on time-critical applications such as perception, decision-making, and actuation.
Technical Quality: The proposed edge-AI algorithms must be optimized for deployment, including techniques like model quantization, pruning, and knowledge distillation to reduce model size and complexity without significant performance loss. Approaches for training and verification of these functionalities are crucial.
Scientific Soundness: Research should build upon or complement existing work (e.g., AI4CCAM, AIthena projects) and utilize real-world CCAM scenarios and datasets (e.g., SYNERGIES).

Impact

Expected Outcomes: Projects must contribute to:
- CCAM solutions with reduced power consumption, latency, and improved speed/accuracy through domain-specific AI/cloud-edge-IoT advancements.
- Enhanced levels of safety, (cyber) security, privacy, and ethical standards for data-driven CCAM functionalities.
- Well-balanced distribution of AI calculations for expanding use cases (e.g., collective perception, decision-making, actuation) in connected, cooperative, and automated driving, balancing speed, latency, energy, costs, data sharing, and availability.
- Validated approaches for integrating edge-AI solutions into the entire action chain of advanced CCAM functionalities, both on-board and infrastructure-side, along with effective training tools.
Societal and Economic Impact: Solutions should address requirements for AI algorithm optimization, latency, on-board energy availability, unbiased datasets for AI training, and ECU capacity. This aims to ensure timely triggering of actions and anticipatory driving.
Alignment: Proposals should align with the CCAM Partnership objectives and explore complementarities with Horizon Europe Cluster 4 (Digital Industry and Space) and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre’s Sustainable, Smart, and Safe Mobility Unit.

Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation

Work Plan Coherence: The proposed work packages must be detailed, logically structured, and clearly linked to the overall objectives and expected outcomes.
Resource Allocation: The project plan must demonstrate that the resources (personnel, equipment, budget) are adequate and appropriately allocated to achieve the described activities and outputs, reflecting a sound estimated budget.
Risk Management: Identification and mitigation strategies for potential technical, ethical, and project management risks, including ensuring resilience to failure conditions or attacks.
Cross-cutting Themes: Due consideration of gender and other social categories (such as disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnic or racial origin, sexual orientation) and their intersections where appropriate. Emphasis on Explainable AI to enhance trust and compliance with the AI Act.
Methodology: Projects are expected to apply the European Common Evaluation Methodology (EU-CEM) for CCAM.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Data Protection and Privacy: Proposals and subsequent projects must adhere to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and broader personal and non-personal data protection rules.
AI Act Alignment: Given the focus on AI, projects must ensure compliance with the emerging AI Act, particularly through the implementation of Explainable AI to foster trust and regulatory adherence.
Ethical Standards: High ethical standards are expected, especially concerning data-driven CCAM functionalities.

Intellectual Property (IP) and Technology

IP Policies: The management of intellectual property is a key aspect of project implementation and will be subject to checks.
Technology Specifications: Solutions should, as far as possible, utilize building blocks, interfaces, and tools from projects associated with the Software-Defined Vehicle of the Future (SDVoF) initiative.

Risk Management and Security

Risk Mitigation: Research must consider cyber security, connectivity, and data protection, ensuring resilience to failure conditions or attacks.
Safety: A strong emphasis is placed on enhancing safety in CCAM solutions, especially in safety-critical scenarios requiring timely triggering of actions.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities

Lump Sum Funding: This grant uses a lump sum contribution model, meaning payments are linked to the successful completion of pre-defined work packages, not detailed cost reporting. This simplifies financial administration for beneficiaries.
Partnership Integration: The topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility’ (CCAM). Projects are expected to feed results into this partnership.
Evaluation Methodology: Projects are expected to apply the European Common Evaluation Methodology (EU-CEM) for CCAM.
International Cooperation: International cooperation is strongly encouraged, particularly with Japan and the United States, to leverage global expertise in edge AI for mobility and CCAM.
Synergies: Projects should explore potential complementarities with activities of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre’s Sustainable, Smart, and Safe Mobility Unit and Cluster 4 “Digital Industry and Space” of Horizon Europe.

Cross-Cutting Considerations

Inclusivity: Proposals must duly consider gender and other social categories (e.g., disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnic or racial origin, sexual orientation) and their intersections where appropriate, to ensure unbiased datasets and inclusive outcomes.

Grant Details