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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to empower workers in the manufacturing industry by developing breakthrough augmentation technologies that foster human-machine interactions and advance the human-centric Industry 5.0 model. - Target recipients are legal entities involved in advanced manufacturing, with no specific size limitations mentioned. - This grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC to the manufacturing industry. - Geographic scope includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. China is explicitly excluded from participation in Innovation Actions (IA), but this is a Research and Innovation Action (RIA); further clarification on China's eligibility for RIA may be needed. - Key filtering criteria include a focus on human-centric innovation, advanced manufacturing, and the development of breakthrough augmentation technologies. - This grant is part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, specifically under the 'Made in Europe Partnership' and aims to achieve global leadership in climate-neutral, circular, and digitised industrial and digital value chains.

Financial Structure

The total estimated budget for this topic is 35,000,000 EUR.
The grant will fund approximately 7 projects.
The minimum grant amount per project is 4,000,000 EUR.
The maximum grant amount per project is 6,000,000 EUR.
Funding takes the form of a lump sum contribution, simplifying financial management.
Eligible costs are those that would be eligible under an actual costs grant, including personnel costs, subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel, equipment, other goods/services), and other cost categories (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, research infrastructure access, PCP/PPI procurement costs).
Ineligible costs are those normally excluded under Horizon Europe rules.
Indirect costs are calculated using a 25% flat rate on direct costs.
Payments are based on the proper implementation of work packages as defined in the grant agreement, not on actual incurred costs.
Pre-financing follows standard Horizon Europe rules.
Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Co-financing is implied, as the total estimated costs of the action must be greater than the estimated Union contributions.
No financial reporting on actual costs is required; checks focus on technical implementation.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Eligibility

Legal entities established in EU Member States and Associated Countries are eligible.
Legal entities from China are explicitly not eligible to participate in Innovation Actions (IA) in any capacity; while this grant is a Research and Innovation Action (RIA), it is crucial to verify if this exclusion extends to RIA topics.
Consortia are generally expected for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) within Horizon Europe, implying multi-partner collaboration.

Geographic Requirements

Eligible countries are those listed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, generally covering EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe.

Technical & Capacity Requirements

Projects must involve development of breakthrough technologies in areas such as mechatronics, sensing, photonics, and potentially AI.
Proposals must include Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) contributions, requiring expertise in areas like ergonomics, user experience, trust, knowledge sharing, and liability in production facilities.
Applicants should possess the capability to develop prototypes and plan for future full-scale deployment in the EU for higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).

Exclusion Criteria

Specific exclusions based on legal entity origin (e.g., China for IAs) may apply; applicants should consult Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes for definitive country eligibility.

Application Process

Application Timeline

The submission session became available on 2025-05-22.
The single-stage application deadline is 2025-09-23.

Submission Process

Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Submission Service on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
A specific application form for HE RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) is available in the Submission System.
A detailed budget table for lump sum projects (HE LS) must be prepared and submitted.

Required Documentation and Materials

Application Form (Part B) with proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
A comprehensive business case and exploitation strategy for industrialisation are mandatory and should leverage the extended page limit.

Evaluation Process

Proposals are evaluated by external independent experts according to standard Horizon Europe procedures.
Evaluation criteria include Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation.
Experts with financial expertise will review the budget estimate against benchmarks.
The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Post-Award Requirements

Grant agreements will include the final lump sum contribution as the maximum grant amount.
Payments are conditional on the proper implementation of defined work packages.
Technical checks, reviews, and audits will focus on the technical implementation, fulfillment of work package conditions, ethics, research integrity, dissemination, exploitation, IP management, and gender equality.

Evaluation Criteria

Main Evaluation Criteria

Proposals are evaluated based on three main criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation, as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Impact Criterion Specifics

A detailed business case and a credible exploitation strategy for industrialisation are essential components and decisive factors under the impact criterion.
The business case should demonstrate enhanced market opportunities for participants and deployment within the EU (short to medium term), including targeted markets, estimated market size (EU and global), user/customer needs, cost-effectiveness, and competitive advantage.
The exploitation strategy should identify obstacles, requirements, and necessary actions to reach higher TRLs, such as securing investments, accessing skills, matching value chains, enhancing product robustness, securing industrial integrators, and ensuring user acceptance.
For TRLs 6 and 7, a credible strategy for future full-scale deployment in the EU is expected, indicating industrial partners' intentions post-project.

Quality and Efficiency of Implementation

Experts with financial knowledge will assess the budget estimate, checking resources and the lump sum breakdown against relevant benchmarks.
The detailed estimation of costs in lump sum proposals is expected to be sufficient and supported by beneficiaries' declaration of using their own accounting practices.

Cross-Cutting Themes

Proposals should specifically address gender, age, disability, and other anthropometric/ergonomic considerations, and their impacts across diverse demographic groups.
The integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) insights regarding human-related barriers (ergonomics, user experience, trust, etc.) is a key scoring factor.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory & Legal Compliance

Projects must adhere to all general conditions and annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme, including admissibility conditions (Annex A, E), eligible countries (Annex B), other eligible conditions (Annex B), financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria (Annex C).
Compliance with the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under Horizon Europe is mandatory.

Data & Ethical Standards

While not explicitly detailed, general Horizon Europe ethical standards and data protection regulations apply.
Proposals should consider and address potential ethical implications of human augmentation technologies in manufacturing.

Environmental & Sustainability Compliance

Projects contribute to the EU's goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and support the Net-Zero Industry Act.
Emphasis on circular economy principles, resource efficiency, and sustainable industrial processes.

Intellectual Property & Technology

Intellectual property policies are governed by Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
The development of breakthrough solutions based on technologies like mechatronics, sensing, photonics, and AI is central to the project scope.

Unique Aspects & Considerations

Lump Sum Funding Model: This grant operates under a lump sum funding model, meaning payments are linked to the completion of pre-defined work packages rather than detailed cost reporting. This simplifies financial administration for beneficiaries.
Human-Centric Industry 5.0: A strong emphasis is placed on the human dimension in industrial settings, including gender, age, disability, and other anthropometric considerations, and impacts across diverse demographic groups. SSH contributions are crucial.
Voluntary Knowledge Sharing: Consortia are encouraged to consider voluntary contributions of data, indicators, and knowledge to relevant Joint Research Centre (JRC) platforms (INCITE, EIGL).
Skills Development: Projects are encouraged to develop training material to equip workers with necessary skillsets to support the uptake of new innovative products/services, potentially scalable through ESF+.

Grant Details