Strengthening the fabless Start-up and SME ecosystem in Europe (CSA)
Quick Facts
Email me updates on this grant
Get notified about:
- Deadline changes
- New FAQs & guidance
- Call reopened
- Q&A webinars
We'll only email you about this specific grant. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam.
Ready to Apply?
Get a personalized assessment of your eligibility and application strategy
See in 5 min if you're eligible for Strengthening the fabless Start-up and SME ecosystem in Europe (CSA) offering max €85.0M funding💰 Funding Details
Funding Description
What is Funded
The call HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-08 will award one or several *Coordination and Support Actions (CSA)* that will
1. Establish a pan-European organisation or network representing fabless semiconductor start-ups, SMEs and mid-caps;
2. Operate a one-stop shop knowledge & service platform;
3. Provide advocacy, matchmaking, acceleration and scaling services focused on advanced chip design (AI, HPC, photonics, automotive, quantum, low-power, etc.);
4. Coordinate with existing EU initiatives (Chips JU, IPCEI, European Semiconductor Competence Centres, Design Platform);
5. Organise high-visibility events and policy dialogues.
Budget & Funding Rate
* Total EU budget envelope for the topic: up to €85 million.
* Horizon-CSA funding rate: 100 % of eligible direct costs + 25 % indirect costs (flat-rate overhead).
* Expected EU contribution per project (indicative): €4–8 million; larger budgets must be duly justified.
* One to three projects are expected to be funded.
Eligibility Snapshot
* Applicants: any legal entity from an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country (public or private, including start-ups, SMEs, large industry, RTOs, universities, clusters, NGOs).
* Minimum consortium: 3 independent entities from 3 different MS/AC – but a broad, well-balanced pan-European consortium is strongly recommended.
* Entities from non-associated third countries may participate *without* EU funding if they bring essential expertise.
* The action must clearly
* be co-led by organisations that directly represent European fabless start-ups/SMEs, and
* include mechanisms to keep the network open to new members after project end.
Cost Eligibility Highlights
* Personnel, travel, events, platform development/hosting, subcontracting of specialised studies, communication & dissemination, innovation services, IPR protection, and costs linked to sustainability of the association are eligible.
* Hardware purchases are *only* eligible if indispensable for the coordination platform (e.g. servers) – *no* chip R&D or capital-intensive pilot lines are funded under a CSA.
Timing & Process
* Call opens: 10 June 2025 | Deadline: 02 Oct 2025 – 17:00 (Brussels).
* Single-stage submission in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
* Evaluation results: ~February 2026 | GA signature: ~May 2026 | Project start: Q2 2026.
---
📊 At a Glance
Get Grant Updates
Get notified about:
- Deadline changes
- New FAQs & guidance
- Call reopened
- Q&A webinars
We'll only email you about this specific grant. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam.
🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities for "Strengthening the Fabless Start-up and SME Ecosystem in Europe (CSA)"
1. Single Market Access – 450 + Million Consumers & Industrial Users
• Pan-EU Demand Pull: Automotive, aerospace, medical devices and telecom OEMs across 27 Member States need secure chip supply; a CSA-backed association can collectively negotiate design-ins and reference-design pipelines with EU system integrators.
• Public Procurement Pathways: Leverage the EU Chips Act and Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) to enter cross-border public procurement worth >€50 bn (e.g. transport, defence, space).
• VAT & Customs Simplicity: Centrally shipped IC prototypes circulate tariff-free within the customs union, cutting time-to-market by ~20 % versus fragmented national shipments.
2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange
• Multinational Consortia: Grant requires at least three beneficiaries from different countries, unlocking access to diverse design expertise (RF, photonics, RISC-V, power).
• Shared MPW Runs & Pilot Lines: Pool tape-out volumes to reach discount thresholds (≈30 % cost reduction) at EU-based foundries (imec, X-FAB, GlobalFoundries Dresden, ST Crolles).
• Talent Circulation: Erasmus+ & EIT Digital mobility schemes can be plugged in, feeding start-ups with specialised chip design engineers.
• Mutual Recognition of IP Blocks: Cross-licensing among SMEs accelerates "platform chiplets" and shortens design cycles by 3-6 months.
3. Alignment With Key EU Strategies
• European Chips Act: CSA directly implements Pillar 3 (“Supporting start-ups and scale-ups”).
• Green Deal & Fit-for-55: Ultra-low-power ICs for renewables, smart grids and EVs contribute to 55 % emission-cut target.
• Digital Decade & Digital Europe Programme: Contributes to 20 % global chip production goal in EU by 2030; shares cloud-edge AI objectives.
• Strategic Autonomy: Reduces geopolitical supply-risk by boosting EU design ownership—critical for defence, quantum and 6G.
4. Regulatory Harmonisation Benefits
• Single Data & IP Framework: Uniform application of the EU Semiconductor IP regulation simplifies cross-border licensing.
• Standardised State-Aid Rules: Streamlined de-minimis and GBER rules ease national co-funding attachments.
• RoHS/REACH Compliance Once: Single certification accepted EU-wide lowers regulatory overhead by ~€100 k per product family.
5. Access to Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem
• World-Class RTOs: imec (BE), Leti (FR), Fraunhofer IIS & IZM (DE), CEA-List (FR) offer design kits, PDKs and prototyping vouchers.
• Design Platform & Competence Centres: Direct line to the pan-EU design cloud envisaged by Chips Act; SMEs gain free/discounted EDA licences and HPC hours.
• Cluster Gateways: Link with Silicon Saxony (DE), Silicon Catalonia (ES), Grenoble-Isère (FR) for pilot customers and investor roadshows.
6. Funding Synergies & Leverage Potential
• Stackable Instruments: Combine this CSA (100 % funding) with
- Chips JU RIA/IA tech projects (up to 70 %)
- Digital Europe semiconductor sub-calls (50 % equipment grants)
- EIC Accelerator equity/blended finance (up to €17.5 m)
- InvestEU thematic windows & European Tech Champions Initiative (scale-up growth rounds)
• Private Capital Crowding-In: A visible EU-level association de-risks VC entry; historical leverage for CSAs ~1:7 private/public.
7. Scale & Impact Potential
• EU-Wide One-Stop Shop: Central platform reduces information asymmetry; estimated to reach 2 000+ fabless entities across EU27 & associated countries.
• Economies of Scale: Aggregated purchasing of EDA tools, IP libraries and test-house services can cut OPEX by 25-40 %.
• Policy Voice Amplification: Unified lobby can influence standard-setting (RISC-V, chiplets, 3D-IC) and secure favourable export-control positions.
• Start-up Acceleration & Job Creation: Targeted services expected to double the number of Series A rounds (>€5 m) from ~15 to 30 annually and create >10 000 high-skill jobs by 2030.
8. Unique Strategic Value of EU-Level Operation
• Critical mass unattainable at national scale—Europe hosts pockets of excellence; only a federated approach can bridge design IP fragmentation.
• Enables continental-wide standardisation of design flows and chiplet interfaces, giving EU actors a differentiated position vis-à-vis US and Asian incumbents.
• Positions Europe as a neutral design hub attracting third-country customers looking for IP-trusted partners compliant with GDPR-like data-protection norms.
9. Actionable Next Steps for Applicants
1. Map & onboard at least 50 fabless SMEs across ≥10 Member States before proposal submission to demonstrate representativeness.
2. Pre-agree MoUs with Chips JU pilot lines and EDA vendors to evidence platform feasibility.
3. Integrate a dedicated work package on sustainability reporting to align with EU Taxonomy and Green Deal.
4. Budget a "policy accelerator" taskforce to feed into Chips Act Implementation Platform and Digital Policy sandboxes.
Conclusion: Leveraging the EU Single Market, integrated policy landscape and unrivalled R&I infrastructure, this CSA offers unmatched opportunities to transform Europe’s currently fragmented fabless community into a competitive, strategically autonomous and globally visible force.
🏷️ Keywords
Ready to Apply?
Get a personalized assessment of your eligibility and application strategy
See in 5 min if you're eligible for Strengthening the fabless Start-up and SME ecosystem in Europe (CSA) offering max €85.0M funding