Support to the BRIDGE initiative
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 Support to the BRIDGE initiative offering max €69.0M funding💰 Funding Details
Funding Description – Support to the BRIDGE initiative (HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D3-16)
What the Grant Finances
* All coordination and support activities that keep the BRIDGE community operational, visible and impactful for the next three years:
* Governance logistics (WG/TF meetings, chair rotation, minutes, documentation).
* Data management: onboarding of every newly-funded project, maintenance of the BRIDGE members database and KPI dashboards.
* Knowledge products: editing, graphic design and online publication of annual brochures, thematic/expert reports and ad-hoc policy briefs.
* Communication & dissemination: website hosting/development, newsletter production, branded social-media presence, press relations.
* Policy intelligence: structured evidence gathering on technology, innovation, competitiveness and digitalisation for DG ENER and other EC services.
* Flagship events: full organisation of the yearly BRIDGE General Assembly (±300 participants, hybrid), plus representation booths/sessions at EUSEW, Enlit, etc.
* Liaison actions with ETIP SNET and other EU/national initiatives; facilitation of data interoperability and re-use.
Type of Action & Budget
* Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action (CSA) – Lump-Sum Model (MGA: HORIZON-AG-LS).
* Indicative EU contribution per grant: 4–6 M€ (the call ceiling is 69 M€, but only one BRIDGE CSA is expected to be funded).
* Funding rate: 100 % of the accepted lump-sum amount (no co-funding required).
* Payment schedule: pre-financing (≈50 %), interim(s) linked to WP completion, balance after final review.
Eligibility Snapshot
* Consortium must include a minimum of 3 legal entities established in 3 different eligible countries (EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries).
* Strongly recommended profiles:
* Energy-system R&I organisations with previous Smart Grid / Storage / Islands / Digitalisation project experience.
* Experienced dissemination & communication SMEs.
* Event-management or professional association partners in Brussels.
* IT partner for database, website and knowledge-management tools.
* Non-EU organisations may participate if they bring essential expertise and fund themselves or have national Horizon Europe top-up schemes.
* All participants must prove financial & operational capacity (simplified for lump-sum but still checked).
Duration & Timeline
* Recommended project length: 36 months (01 Jan 2026 – 31 Dec 2028 fits the call calendar).
* Call opens: 06 May 2025
* Proposal deadline: 02 Sep 2025, 17:00 CET (single stage)
* GA signature target: Q1 2026
Evaluation Highlights (HE General Annex D)
1. Excellence (weight 1)
* Quality of coordination concept & methodology; clarity of objectives; soundness of WP structure.
2. Impact (weight 1.5 for CSA)
* Contribution to the four expected outcomes; credible KPIs; exploitation, dissemination & communication plan; EU added value.
3. Quality & Efficiency of Implementation (weight 1)
* Consortium composition; match of resources to objectives; lump-sum justification; risk management.
* Thresholds: ≥4/5 per criterion and ≥12/15 overall.
Key Compliance Points
* Open Science & data-sharing practices (FAIR, BRIDGE database interoperability).
* Gender Equality Plan (mandatory for public bodies, HEIs and research organisations).
* Ethics & GDPR compliance for mailing lists, event registrations, surveys.
* Use of the EU emblem & funding statement on all material.
---
Quick Reference Table
| Item | Figure |
|------|--------|
| Call ID | HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D3-16 |
| Action Type | CSA – Lump Sum |
| Max EU contribution foreseen | ~6 M€ (one grant expected) |
| Funding rate | 100 % |
| Project duration | 36 months (indicative) |
| Opening / Deadline | 06 May 2025 / 02 Sep 2025 |
| Technology areas | Smart Grids, Storage, Islands, Digitalisation |
📊 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 "Support to the BRIDGE initiative" (HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D3-16)
1. Single Market Access: 450+ Million Consumers
Why it matters: Smart-grid, storage and digital energy solutions are only commercially viable when deployed at scale. The EU internal market removes 27 different sets of trade barriers and public-procurement restrictions.
• Pilots coordinated through BRIDGE can be replicated in any Member State without re-engineering for divergent standards thanks to ENTSO-E/CEER network codes and EU cyber-security certification schemes (CSA).
• Companies involved gain early validation across at least three geographical, climatic and regulatory zones—vital for bankability and investor confidence.
• Facilitates faster time-to-market for interoperable hardware/software (e.g. IEC 61850, CIM) by proving EU-wide compliance under one label.
2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange
BRIDGE as a nexus: 130+ Horizon projects, 30 countries, 1000+ organisations.
• The CSA funds dedicated staff and digital platforms to match new HEU projects with legacy H2020 findings, enabling pan-European replication rather than fragmented reinvention.
• Live test-beds connect DSOs, TSOs, islands, storage operators and digital innovators—creating joint IP, co-patenting and standardisation opportunities (CEN-CENELEC, ETSI).
• Aligns diverse funding streams (ERDF/Interreg, Innovation Fund) by showcasing transferable methodologies in annual BRIDGE brochures & webinars.
3. EU Policy Alignment & Influence
Direct feedback loop to DG ENER, DG RTD, and ETSO SNET:
• Consortium will draft consolidated policy briefs feeding into Fit-for-55 legislation, TEN-E revision and Network Code updates—offering participants a *privileged voice
• in shaping future regulation.
• Supports Green Deal, REPowerEU, Digital Europe and Data Act goals through evidence on grid flexibility, demand response and data-sharing.
• Facilitates compliance with forthcoming mandatory Energy Data Spaces and Public Sector Open Data requirements.
4. Regulatory Harmonisation Benefits
• CSA will monitor, map and disseminate national deviations, helping market entrants navigate permits and grid-code approvals in multiple Member States via a single knowledge base.
• Accelerates mutual recognition of flexibility services (EFR, FCR, synthetic inertia) and behind-the-meter storage by promoting common definitions through ENTSO-E and ACER.
• Lowers transaction costs for aggregators and community energy actors expanding cross-border.
5. Access to Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem
• Direct gateways to EIT InnoEnergy, ERA-NET Smart Energy Systems, Living Labs, and Digital Innovation Hubs.
• Opens doors to large-scale demonstrators under ETSI, 5G for Smart Energy and IPCEI-BATTERIES—enabling technology stacking (5G+IoT+AI) validated in real grids.
• Talent pipeline: links with Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral networks and Erasmus+ interns, facilitating rapid staff scaling without extra HR cost.
6. Funding Synergies & De-Risking
• Results packaged into investment-grade use-cases usable for CEF-Energy cross-border projects, Connecting Europe Facility Digital, and European Investment Bank loans.
• Alignment with LIFE-Clean Energy Transition and Innovation Fund enhances blended-finance possibilities.
• Lump-sum CSA simplifies cost reporting; partners can simultaneously execute national R&D grants without double-funding risk.
7. Scale & Impact Potential
• Centralised dissemination increases Technology Readiness Level (TRL) escalation from 5-6 pilots to TRL 8 pre-commercial deployments EU-wide.
• Annual General Assembly in Brussels plus hybrid nodes magnify visibility to 5000+ stakeholders (policy-makers, DSOs, start-ups, NGOs).
• Enables quick replication in EU outermost regions & islands, accelerating RES integration and decarbonisation of isolated grids.
8. Strategic Value vs. National-Level Projects
• Single governance structure reduces project overheads by up to 20 %, avoiding duplication among 27 national initiatives.
• Provides benchmarking dashboards, KPIs and data formats that national projects can adopt, ensuring comparability and interoperability.
• Collective branding under BRIDGE amplifies impact in global fora (Mission Innovation, IEA TCP) positioning EU as a standard-setter.
9. Actionable Opportunities for Applicants
1. Lead the digital knowledge base work-package; become a go-to reference for grid-data interoperability.
2. Propose a "regulatory sandbox tracker" mapping 20+ national sandboxes to support rapid scaling.
3. Offer liaison services with IPCEI and CEF consortia, monetising BRIDGE findings into large infrastructure pipelines.
4. Embed open-source toolkits (e.g. LF Energy) to accelerate uptake and fulfil open-data obligations.
5. Plan side-events at European Sustainable Energy Week to pitch innovations to investors beyond the EU (EFTA, Balkans, MENA).
---
Bottom Line: Operating within the BRIDGE CSA under Horizon Europe multiplies market reach, policy influence and funding leverage—benefits unattainable in a purely national context. By navigating the integrated EU ecosystem, participants can de-risk innovation, accelerate commercialisation, and co-shape the future regulatory landscape of smart and integrated energy systems.
🏷️ Keywords
Ready to Apply?
Get a personalized assessment of your eligibility and application strategy
See in 5 min if you're eligible for Support to the BRIDGE initiative offering max €69.0M funding