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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to develop enhanced General Purpose AI (GPAI) models and architectures, focusing on advanced capabilities like formal reasoning and adaptability.
It seeks to combine self-supervised learning with various complementary learning strategies.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Focuses on AI development for application in advanced robotics, personalized healthcare, mobility, manufacturing, sustainable energy solutions, and the scientific sector.
Geographic scope: Open to legal entities established in EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, and specific associated countries (Canada, Israel, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom), with strict controls on non-eligible country influence.
Key filtering criteria: Research and Innovation Action (RIA) in AI, particularly GPAI; strong technical expertise; and compliance with EU values and strategic autonomy requirements.
This is part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, contributing to the GenAI4EU initiative and broader Apply AI Strategy.

Financial Structure

Total budget for this topic: '30000000.0' EUR
Expected number of grants: 2
Minimum grant amount per project: '15000000.0' EUR
Maximum grant amount per project: '15000000.0' EUR
Currency: EUR
Funding rate: Not explicitly stated for this specific topic in the provided text, but Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) typically have a high funding rate (e.g., 100% for non-profit entities).
Eligible costs: Defined in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial reporting and audit requirements: Defined in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type and Location

Legal entities established in one of the following countries:
- 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)
- Iceland
- Norway
- Associated Countries: Canada, Israel, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Important: Entities directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or non-eligible country entity may not participate unless they can provide guarantees, positively assessed by their eligible country of establishment, that their participation will not negatively impact the Union's strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security.
Exclusion: Entities assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment (or fully/partially owned/controlled by such suppliers) cannot submit guarantees and are thus ineligible.

Capacity and Expertise

Applicants must demonstrate financial capacity as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Applicants must demonstrate operational capacity as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposals are strongly encouraged to form interdisciplinary teams combining necessary technical expertise in AI.

Exclusion Criteria

Entities controlled by non-eligible countries that cannot provide satisfactory guarantees of strategic interest protection.
High-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment.

Application Process

Submission is a single-stage procedure.
Applications must be submitted online via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
The submission session opened on 2025-06-10.

Deadlines

Application deadline: 2025-10-02 00:00:00+00:00 (Brussels time).

Required Documentation

Application form: Specific to this call, available in the Submission System.
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) is used.
Proposal page limit and layout: Described in Part B of the Application Form.

Support and Resources

Online Manual: Guidance on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on structure, budget, and political priorities.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to common queries.
Research Enquiry Service: General questions about European research.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Guidance and assistance on participation.
Enterprise Europe Network: Advice for businesses, especially SMEs, on EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk: Technical support for the Funding & Tenders Portal.
European IPR Helpdesk: Assistance with intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Advice on standardisation in proposals.
Partner Search: Tool to find partner organizations.

Post-Award Requirements

Grant agreement: Legal and financial setup described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Progress monitoring: Proposals must incorporate mechanisms for assessing and demonstrating progress, including KPIs, benchmarking.
Data sharing: Communicable results should be shared with the European R&D community through the AI-on-demand platform and other relevant digital resource platforms.
Open Science: Adherence to Horizon Europe's requirements regarding Open Science, including open access to research outputs.

Evaluation Criteria

Scientific and Technical Excellence

Groundbreaking GPAI models demonstrating enhanced capabilities (e.g., formal reasoning, mathematical problem-solving, confidence estimation, long-term planning, adaptation).
Innovative learning approaches combining self-supervised learning with complementary paradigms (hybrid, active, reinforcement, relational, continual, evolutionary, physics-based learning).
Theoretical insights advancing the understanding of synergies between learning paradigms in GPAI development.
Robustness of reasoning, complex planning, and problem-solving abilities.
Integration of robust Explainable AI (XAI) methodologies, causal inference, and counterfactual reasoning.

Impact

Potential to transform key European industries and sectors (advanced robotics, personalized healthcare, mobility, manufacturing, sustainable energy solutions, scientific sector).
Enhancement of productivity, improvement of decision-making, and fostering innovation across domains.
Contribution to the EU climate neutrality objective through energy efficiency.
Alignment with European values and principles, including the AI Act.
Contribution to Europe's strategic autonomy in digital and emerging technologies.
Mechanisms for assessing and demonstrating progress (qualitative/quantitative KPIs, benchmarking, monitoring).
Commitment to Open Science principles, including open access to research outputs.
Plans for sharing results with the European R&D community via the AI-on-demand platform.

Quality and Efficiency of Implementation

Coherence and effectiveness of the proposed project plan.
Appropriateness of the resources allocated (financial, human, technical).
Appropriateness of the interdisciplinary team composition and technical expertise.
Effective integration of cohesion activities with the European Partnership on AI, data and robotics (ADRA) and the GenAI4EU central Hub (CSA HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-18).
Demonstrated synergies and complementarities with relevant existing projects and initiatives (Horizon Europe, Digital Europe Programme).

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Proposals must align with European values and principles, including the AI Act.
Strategic autonomy: Participation is restricted for entities controlled by non-eligible countries unless guarantees are provided to protect the Union's strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security.
Intellectual Property: Ownership of IP and results must remain within the recipient and not be subject to control/restrictions by non-eligible countries or entities, nor exported/accessed from outside eligible countries without approval.
Security: Employees or persons involved in the action handling sensitive information may require a national security clearance issued by an eligible country, where appropriate.

Cross-cutting Themes

Contribution to the EU climate neutrality objective through energy efficiency.
Emphasis on trustworthy decision-making, transparency, and accountability in GPAI models.
Open Science principles are mandatory.

Collaboration and Synergies

Projects are expected to allocate tasks for cohesion activities with the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics (ADRA).
Projects are expected to collaborate with the CSA HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-18: GenAI4EU central Hub.
Synergies with other relevant European, national, or regional initiatives and funding programmes (e.g., Digital Europe Programme) are expected.

Unique Aspects

Focus on General Purpose AI (GPAI) and its advancement, moving beyond current AI limitations.
Requirement for balancing theoretical advancements with practical applications.
Integration of various learning paradigms to create more robust and adaptive AI systems.

Grant Details