Consolidation of the Research Infrastructure landscape

The main goal of this grant is to strengthen and develop the European research infrastructure landscape, ensuring these facilities can better support research and innovation across Europe. It focuses on improving the long-term sustainability and capacity of pan-European research infrastructures, especially those prioritized by ESFRI and ERICs. Key areas include expanding membership, fostering international cooperation, updating business plans, developing staff skills, and making access to research data and services more efficient and fair. The opportunity encourages collaboration among different funding sources and aims to address both scientific and societal challenges. This grant is open to European countries and supports projects that contribute to the evolution of research infrastructures across Europe.

• Must include at least one ESFRI Landmark or ERIC as a beneficiary, with the infrastructure and its operator clearly identified.
• Proposals must follow the required page limits and layout as specified in the application form.
• Participants must be from eligible countries, with specific rules for some non-EU or non-Associated Countries.
• Applicants must show they have the financial and operational capacity to carry out the project.
• Proposals are evaluated based on clear criteria and scoring.
• The funding rate is 80%, with beneficiaries responsible for the remaining costs to ensure sustainability.

Example projects:

• A consortium including a major ESFRI Landmark updates its business plan and expands membership to new European countries.
• An ERIC leads a project to develop staff training programs and enhance remote access to its research facilities.
• A distributed research infrastructure creates new services to address emerging societal challenges, involving both EU and eligible non-EU partners.

• Personnel costs for staff involved in the project
• Travel and subsistence for project activities
• Costs of equipment and infrastructure upgrades
• Training and skills development for research infrastructure staff
• Costs related to expanding membership and international cooperation
• Development and implementation of new or revised business plans
• Expenses for improving remote and virtual access to research infrastructure
• Costs for research data management in line with FAIR principles
• Outreach and communication activities related to the project
• Administrative and management costs directly linked to the project

Note: Only 80% of eligible costs are covered by the grant. The remaining 20% must be provided by the beneficiaries. For detailed rules about eligible expenses, applicants should consult the Horizon Europe guidelines.

• Co-financing rate: 80% of eligible costs
• Budget for this Call: 30,000,000€
• Number of Grants attributed: 8
• Maximum value per project: 4,000,000€
• Minimum value per project:3,000,000€

• At least one ESFRI Landmark or ERIC must be included as a beneficiary, with clear identification of the infrastructure and operator.
• For distributed ERICs, the ERIC itself must be the beneficiary.
• Proposals must comply with all requirements for layout and length as specified in the application form.
• Applicants must be from eligible countries, with specific provisions for some non-EU or non-Associated Countries.
• Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity to deliver the project.
• Beneficiaries must provide the remaining share of costs not covered by the grant to ensure long-term sustainability.
• Proposals are subject to evaluation based on published criteria and scoring thresholds.
• Participation may require networks or partnerships, especially for projects involving distributed infrastructures.