Access to research infrastructure services to enable R&I addressing industry needs in priority areas

**A pályázat célja és várt eredménye** Expected Outcome: Projects are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Research infrastructures have improved their attractiveness for industry so that they can sustainably extend their user base. Where appropriate, future continuum with technology infrastructures will be facilitated; Researchers and innovators have more efficient access to the best research infrastructures available to conduct industry-driven research and foster innovation, irrespective of location, through a single-entry point access portal, integrated or interoperable catalogues of services and converging access conditions and selection procedures; Breakthrough and leading-edge research and innovation are enabled by advanced research infrastructure services that are made available to a wider user community in the targeted areas; A new generation of researchers and innovators is trained to optimally exploit all the essential tools for industry-driven research and innovation with due attention to early-stage career researchers and innovators and to researchers and innovators from widening countries; Raised awareness in industry of relevant research infrastructures facilities and services, optimised use of the infrastructures by a broader user community and increased impact and sustainability of these infrastructures. Scope: This topic aims at providing trans-national access (on-site or remote) and/or virtual access to integrated and customised research infrastructure services for industry-driven research to foster innovation in each of the target areas listed below, offered by complementary state-of-the-art research infrastructures. Access should target users from industry (notably SMEs, startups and scaleups) or from academia when collaborating with industry. Proposals should adhere to the guidelines and principles of the European Charter for Access to Research Infrastructures [1] and to the principles of the Charter of access for industrial users to research and technology infrastructures [ref to be added once published, checking final title]. Access also includes ad hoc users’ training and scientific and technical support (see Specific Features for Research Infrastructures). In this context, appropriate support to the technical and scientific staff that will facilitate access by non-expert users from industry should be considered. The main goal of this topic is access provision to existing services: this should be clearly reflected by the proposed activities and the allocated resources. The development and customisation of services and/or modality of access, relevant to the areas, will also be supported, provided the resulting services are opened and offered already under the actions (short term R&D) and that the long-term sustainability of such services is ensured by the participant research infrastructures. Where applicable, proposals should pay due attention to shorten the ‘time to access’ for users from industry. Data management (and related ethics issues), in line with FAIR [2] principles, as well as the connection of digital services (e.g. data services) to the European Open Science Cloud and interoperability with other Common European Data Spaces [3] , should be addressed where relevant. Proposals should make available to researchers a portfolio of complementary research infrastructure services of European interest [4] , including data services, and customised workflows to enable R&I addressing the targeted area. Proposals should include at least one ESFRI Landmark or European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) as beneficiary [5] . In case of a distributed ERIC, as an alternative to the ERIC participating as a beneficiary, a legal entity that is hosting ERIC facilities, resources or related services may participate as a beneficiary [6] . Proposals should include an outreach and engagement plan to actively advertise their services, to targeted communities from industry (notably SMEs, startups and scaleups) or from academia when collaborating with industry, focusing on EU member states and associated countries, including from widening countries. Where relevant, proposals should consider the use and/or development of intermediary capacities between research infrastructures and industry facilitating the matchmaking. Proposals are expected to exploit synergies and to ensure complementarity and coherence with other EU grants supporting access provision where relevant. Knowledge valorisation as well as coordination with technology infrastructures and digital services should also be considered, where relevant [7] . Proposals should include the list of services/installations [8] opened by research infrastructures for trans-national or virtual access and the amounts of units of access made available for users. Further conditions and requirements relating to access provisions that applicants should fulfil when drafting a proposal are given in the “Specific features for Research Infrastructures” section of this work programme part. Compliance with these provisions will be taken into account during evaluation. The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement. However, where applicable, proposals should mandate in their calls for access the integration of the gender dimension in the research and innovation content of the users applying to these calls. To ensure a holistic view from design to implementation of possible access schemes, proposals should ensure strong and continuous collaboration with the cross-domain preparatory action on access HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05 [9] , with the pilots under topic HORIZON-INFRA-2026-01-DEV-02, and with the actions supported under topic HORIZON-INFRA-2027-01-SERV-01. The topic targets the areas listed below related to scientific challenges and EU priorities. Proposals are expected to address one of these areas and the area addressed should be clearly identified in the proposal: Area 1: Biomedical or food technologies Area 2: Clean energy and/or clean mobility solutions Area 3: Advanced materials for circular economy and/or bioeconomy Area 4: Accelerators and superconducting magnets Area 5: Microelectronics Area 6: Advanced sensing technologies for ocean observation Proposals could consider the inclusion of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) EU Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing (EURL ECVAM) and the Nanobiotechnology Laboratory in the area of Biomedical technologies. In that respect, the JRC will consider collaborating with any successful proposal and this collaboration, when relevant, should be established after the proposal’s approval. [1] https://op.europa.eu/publication-detail/-/publication/ec4692ae-ac6f-11ef-acb1-01aa75ed71a1 [2] Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. [3] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/data-spaces [4] A research infrastructure is of European interest when is able to attract users from EU or associated countries other than the country where the infrastructure is located. This includes ESFRI and ERIC infrastructures. [5] See ESFRI Landmarks in ESFRI RIs PORTFOLIO https://ri-portfolio.esfri.eu/ and ERIC Landscape – Active European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs) https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-research-and-innovation/our-digital-future/european-research-infrastructures/eric/eric-landscape_en. [6] The term ‘distributed’ research infrastructure typically refers to one or a few central hubs and several interlinked (national or institutional) nodes where many components of the research infrastructure may not be part of the same legal entity, the ERIC. A declaration signed by the legal representative of the ERIC should confirm that the ERIC is supporting this participation, explain the relevance for the ERIC and describe any further cooperation with the ERIC. [7] See for example possible linkage with projects supported under topic HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-HUMAN-64. [8] “Installation” means a part or a service of a research infrastructure that can be used independently from the rest. A research infrastructure consists of one or more installations. [9] https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/id/HORIZON_HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05 **Jogosultsági és benyújtási feltételek** "> General conditions 1. Admissibility conditions: Proposal page limit and layout The page limit of the application is 100 pages. described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. The page limit of the application is 100 pages. 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 Eligibility Conditions If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used). Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks. Given the specific nature of this topic, access provision activities must be included in the proposal. Please read carefully the provisions under the section “ Specific features for Research Infrastructures ” of this work programme part before preparing your application. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal - see General Annex B. 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 portfolio covering as many of the six areas as possible, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but also to those proposals that are the highest ranked per each area subject to budget availability, provided that the applications attain all thresholds. described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes The following additions to the general award criteria apply: For the 'Excellence' criterion, the following aspects will also be taken into account: The extent to which the access activities (trans-national and/or virtual access) will offer access to the state-of-the-art infrastructures of European interest in the field, high quality services, and will enable users to conduct excellent research and/or innovation. The extent to which the project will contribute to facilitating and integrating the access procedures, to improve the services the infrastructures provide and to further develop their on-line services. 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 Beneficiaries will be subject to the additional access rights: Beneficiaries shall grant royalty-free access to their intellectual property relating to tools, standards, specifications, and other outputs generated by this action that are directly relevant to advertise the research infrastructures services and their modality of access, and for implementing access calls (such as peer-review process and communication with applicants), to the EU institutions and to the beneficiaries of projects funded by the EU in view of a more sustained and integrated EU access scheme. This access shall be provided through a mechanism to be defined in the proposal, during and up to two years beyond the lifespan of the Grant Agreement. Eligible costs may take form of unit costs for trans-national and virtual access to research infrastructures as defined in the Decision authorising the use of unit costs for the actions involving trans-national and virtual access. (see Annex 2a of the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement). 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 Please use the application form that you will find in the Submission System. You can find examples of standard application forms in the Reference Documents page . Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations /!\ Topic HORIZON-BRIDGING-2027-03-06: Do NOT use the general templates available on this portal for your Part B. You must download the specific templates for this topic directly from the submission platform. Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) Guidance HE Programme Guide Model Grant Agreements (MGA) HE Unit MGA Additional documents: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 14. Horizontal Activities HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes Decision authorising the use of unit costs for the actions involving trans-national and virtual access HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695 HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement