Early Phase Implementation Of Esfri Projects That Entered The Esfri Roadmap In 2021
HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions
Basic Information
- Identifier
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-02
- Programme
- Research Infrastructures 2025
- Programme Period
- 2021 - 2027
- Status
- Closed (31094503)
- Opening Date
- May 6, 2025
- Deadline
- September 18, 2025
- Deadline Model
- single-stage
- Budget
- €16,500,000
- Min Grant Amount
- €1,000,000
- Max Grant Amount
- €1,500,000
- Expected Number of Grants
- 11
- Keywords
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-02HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01EBRAINSEIRENE RIETEuPRAXIAGGPGUIDEMARINERG‑IOPERASRESILIENCESLICESSoBigData++
Description
Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to several of the following expected outcomes:
- Faster and larger implementation of the ESFRI Projects that entered the ESFRI Roadmap in 2021;
- enhanced ERA excellence and attractiveness through the availability of additional capacities from the targeted ESFRI Projects;
- solid Member States/Associated Country engagement in pan-European research infrastructures, leading to their full implementation;
- long-term perspective for investments in research infrastructures;
- synergies and complementarities between new and existing research infrastructures.
Scope:
This topic targets the research infrastructure projects that entered the ESFRI Roadmap in 2021[1], due to their scientific excellence and organisational maturity as well as to their strategic importance for the European Research Area and the structuring of the European research infrastructure ecosystem. Proposals must explicitly state which ESFRI Project they target.
Although these ESFRI Projects have received EU funding for their preparatory phase and initial commitment from Member States/Associated Countries, the early stages of the research infrastructure life cycle are particularly challenging. Past monitoring exercises on ESFRI infrastructures highlighted recurrent bottlenecks hampering their full implementation and start of operation phase. Building on such experiences, proposals are expected to identify and address the most critical issues that could prevent or delay the entering of these ESFRI Projects into the implementation phase.
Support can be provided for activities, such as enlargement of the membership; establishment of the governance structure and legal entity; securing the funding; finalisation of the distributed architecture; development of ICT and data management solutions (including data management according to the FAIR principles and possible open access to data); development of access policies and users’ strategies; consolidation of the international dimension; consolidation of the service offer; assessing possible expansion to new user communities/new needs; or addressing staff and procurement related issues. Proposals should focus on the activities addressing the identified bottlenecks.
Proposals should involve all stakeholders necessary to move the project forward and ensure financial commitments (including national/regional ministries/governments, research councils or funding agencies).
Proposals should explain any synergies and complementarities with previous or current EU grants.
[1] ESFRI Projects eligible for support under this topic are: EBRAINS, SLICES, SoBigData++, MARINERG‑I, EIRENE RI, ET, EuPRAXIA, GGP, GUIDE, OPERAS, RESILIENCE.
Eligibility & Conditions
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
2. Eligible Countries
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligible Conditions
If eligible for funding, legal entities established in non-associated third countries may exceptionally participate in this Coordination and support action as a beneficiary or affiliated entity.
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
To ensure a balanced coverage of the targeted ESFRI Projects, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to those proposals that are the highest ranked for each targeted ESFRI Project, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
described in the specific topic of the Work Programme
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Standard application form (HE CSA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
Standard evaluation form (HE CSA)
Guidance
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Framework Partnership Agreement FPA
Call-specific instructions
Information on financial support to third parties (HE)
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 3. Research Infrastructures
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Frequently Asked Questions About Early Phase Implementation Of Esfri Projects That Entered The Esfri Roadmap In 2021
Support & Resources
Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular.
National Contact Points (NCPs) – get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’).
Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.
European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk – the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal.
The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment – consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers.
Partner Search help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.
Latest Updates
EVALUATION results
Published: 15.05.2025
Deadline: 18.09.2025
Available budget: EUR million 400.50
The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:
Evaluation results | ||||||||||||||||||
| HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-01 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-02 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-03 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-04 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-01 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-02 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-03 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-04 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-05 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-01 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-02 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-03 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-04 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-TECH-01 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-TECH-02 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-TECH-03 | HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-TECH-04 |
Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls) | 16 | 11 | 20 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 20 |
Number of inadmissible proposals |
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| 1 |
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| 2 |
Number of ineligible proposals |
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| 1 |
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Number of above-threshold proposals | 11 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 15 | 5 | 13 |
Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals | 15,38 | 15,94 | 61,45 | 3,00 | 4,47 | 41,50 | 54,40 | 14,99 | 31,98 | 99,94 | 50,45 | 14,99 | 19,65 | 74,16 | 30,47 | 155,15 | 46,86 | 123,15 |
Number of proposals retained for funding | 8 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 |
Number of proposals in the reserve list | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Funding threshold[1],[2] | 12,50[2] | 12,00[2] | 13,50 | 12,50 | 13[2] | 12,00 | 15,00 | 10,00 | 15,00 | 14,00 | 12,00[2] | 12,5[2] | 12,00[2] | 13,00[2] | 13,00 | 13,50 | 12,50 | 13,00 |
Ranking distribution | ||||||||||||||||||
Number of proposals with scores lower or equal to 15 and higher or equal to 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
Number of proposals with scores lower than 14 and higher or equal to 13 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Number of proposals with scores lower than 13 and higher or equal to 10 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 9 |
1 Proposals with the same score were ranked according to the priority order procedure set out in the call conditions (for HE, in the General Annexes to the Work Programme or specific arrangements in the specific call/topic conditions).
2 According to the specific condition of :
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-01 to ensure a balanced portfolio coverage, grants are awarded “To ensure a balanced portfolio covering a wide range of domains, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to those proposals that are the highest ranked within each domain, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.”.
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-02 to ensure a balanced portfolio coverage, grants are awarded “To ensure a balanced coverage of the targeted ESFRI Projects, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to those proposals that are the highest ranked for each targeted ESFRI Project, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.”.
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05 to ensure a balanced portfolio coverage, grants are awarded “To ensure a balanced portfolio covering the different areas, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to those proposals that are the highest ranked within each area, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.”.
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-01 to ensure a balanced portfolio coverage, grants are awarded “To ensure a balanced portfolio covering the different areas, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to those proposals that are the highest ranked within each area, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.”.
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-02 to ensure a balanced portfolio coverage, grants are awarded “To ensure a balanced portfolio covering the different areas, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to those proposals that are the highest ranked within each area, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.”.
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-03 to ensure a balanced portfolio coverage, grants are awarded “To ensure a balanced portfolio covering the different areas, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to those proposals that are the highest ranked within each area, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.”.
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-04 to ensure a balanced portfolio coverage, grants are awarded “To ensure a balanced portfolio covering as many scientific domains for service provision as possible, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but also to proposals that address a scientific domain (and sub-domain if needed) not covered by a higher ranked proposal, provided that the proposals attain all thresholds”.
We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.
For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.
Summary of observer report:
The evaluation of the HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01 call was carried out in accordance with established Horizon Europe procedures and demonstrated a high level of transparency, fairness, and procedural integrity. The call covered 18 topics across four destinations and involved the assessment of 159 submitted proposals, of which 155 were found to be eligible and admissible.
The evaluation was implemented through a fully remote process, comprising individual expert assessments, consensus report preparation, virtual consensus meetings, and online panel meetings. All key milestones were respected, and the overall duration of the process was efficient. The observer did not identify any indications that the compact duration of the evaluation had a negative impact on the quality, robustness, or transparency of the assessments.
Throughout all phases, REA placed strong and consistent emphasis on procedural transparency, equal treatment of proposals, and the independence of expert judgement. Comprehensive briefing materials, structured evaluation support tools, and consistent moderation practices supported a coherent and well-calibrated application of the evaluation criteria across topics. Project and Programme Officers and moderators fulfilled a clearly facilitative role, ensuring structured deliberations without influencing the substance of expert discussions.
Conflicts of interest were managed in a systematic and rigorous manner, with all identified cases duly declared and handled in line with the applicable rules. Confidentiality requirements were repeatedly reinforced during evaluation activities, and no breaches of confidentiality, impartiality, or compliance with the rules were observed.
Overall, the observer concludes that the evaluation of HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01 was conducted in full conformity with the applicable rules and guidance documents, providing a sound, credible, and transparent basis for the selection and ranking of proposals in line with the objectives of the Research Infrastructures Work Programme.
PROPOSAL NUMBERS
Call HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01 has closed on 18/09/2025.
159 proposals have been submitted.
The breakdown per topic is:
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-01: 16 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-02: 11 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-03: 20 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-04: 1 proposal
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05: 4 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-01: 6 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-02: 8 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-03: 4 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-04: 4 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-05: 12 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-01: 5 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-02: 4 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-03: 2 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-04: 15 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-TECH-01: 7 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-TECH-02: 15 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-TECH-03: 5 proposals
- HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-TECH-04: 20 proposals
Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in Feb. 2026.