💰 Funding Details

Funding Overview

Grant at a Glance

* Call Identifier: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-01

* Action Type: HORIZON-CSA (Coordination & Support Action) – Lump-Sum

* Max. EU Contribution per Grant: €45 000 000

* Opening Date: 06 May 2025

* Deadline: 18 September 2025 – *17:00 Brussels time*

* Target Beneficiaries: Consortia including at least one ESFRI Landmark or ERIC (or a hosting entity with ERIC endorsement).

Objective

The call finances the design and implementation of “one-stop-shop” training services that *up-skill, re-skill and boost mobility* of technical staff in European research infrastructures (RIs). Every proposal must:

1. Focus on *one* ESFRI domain (or sub-domain).

2. Develop, aggregate or scale training programmes (summer schools, workshops, staff exchanges, e-learning, etc.).

3. Contribute to an inter-domain umbrella portal that aligns training demand and supply across Europe.

4. Embed mobility and career-development mechanisms (e.g. secondments, industrial placements, cross-sectoral mentoring).

5. Disseminate best practices and exploit results among RI stakeholders.

Eligible Activities (non-exhaustive)

* Curriculum co-creation with industry and academia.

* Development of digital modules on AI, data stewardship, remote operation.

* Establishment of pan-European staff-exchange schemes.

* Operation of a common helpdesk / matchmaking portal.

* Impact-monitoring and skills-gap analytics.

Budget Logic

Because the grant is lump-sum–based, the consortium must pre-define work packages, deliverables and costs. Payments are triggered by successful completion of reporting periods, not by cost statements.

📊 Evaluation Criteria

How Your Proposal Will Be Scored

1. Excellence (0-5, threshold 4)

* Credibility of concept & methodology – evidence-based skills gap analysis, pedagogical soundness.

* Progress beyond state of the art – novel cross-domain portal, AI-enhanced personalised learning paths.

* Inter-project synergy – concrete work package for collaboration with parallel DEV-01 projects.

2. Impact (0-5, threshold 4)

* Alignment with Expected Outcomes – measurable improvement in RI operation efficiency, mobility and career pathways.

* Credible pathways to sustainability & exploitation – business model for portal maintenance post-grant.

* European added value & inclusiveness – geographic spread, involvement of widening your country regions.

3. Quality & Efficiency of Implementation (0-5, threshold 3)

* Consortium competence – presence of ESFRI Landmark/ERIC, training experts, digital service providers.

* Work plan coherence & risk management – realistic milestones tied to lump-sum payments.

* Resource allocation – balanced person-months vs outcomes; 0 % profit in lump-sum.

> The final ranked list will be *portfolio-balanced*: the top-scoring proposal in *each* ESFRI domain meeting thresholds is guaranteed funding.

📝 Application Strategy

Winning Application Strategy

1. Crystal-Clear Need Analysis

* Map *quantitative* skills gaps within your chosen ESFRI domain (use surveys, RItrainPlus data, MSCA projects, JRC facility feedback).

* Demonstrate how gaps hinder RI performance and user satisfaction.

2. Build a Pan-European, Balanced Consortium

* Minimum: 1 ESFRI Landmark/ERIC + complementary universities, vocational institutes, industry tech suppliers and an SME specialising in e-learning.

* Cover at least 70 % of the geographic nodes of the domain (leverage your country RIs for regional balance).

* Secure an experienced portal provider to guarantee interoperability with other funded projects.

3. Design a Two-Layer Training Offer

1. Domain-specific modules (e.g. cryogenic engineering for neutron sources).

2. Horizontal modules (AI, FAIR data, remote access) co-designed with sibling projects to avoid duplication.

4. Mobility Scheme Blueprint

* Detail selection criteria, stipend structure, IP & HR rules.

* Include industry secondments to enhance cross-sectoral careers.

5. Impact, KPIs & Exploitation

* Define SMART KPIs: number of trainees, career progression index, portal traffic, interoperability APIs delivered.

* Outline a sustainability plan (membership fees, domain societies, Erasmus+ synergies).

6. Lump-Sum Budget Crafting

* Align work packages with deliverables that are binary verifiable (portal online, 10 modules accredited, 50 staff exchanged).

* Use a risk-buffer of ≤10 %; cost overruns are *not* reimbursed.

7. Policy & Gender Alignment

* Address gender balance in technical careers.

* Reference ERA Policy Agenda action on skills.

8. Early Contact with Stakeholders

* Notify National Contact Points (NCPs) in your country.

* Obtain letters of commitment from professional bodies and domain associations.

💡 Success Factors

Early Skills Gap Benchmarking

Publishing an open **Skills Gap White Paper** during proposal preparation shows maturity and provides baseline KPIs for reviewers.

Modular & Stackable Credentials

Designing courses that issue **micro-credentials compatible with the European Digital Credentials for Learning** framework increases uptake and sustainability.

Industry Co-Creation Panels

Formal advisory boards with **instrument manufacturers and tech SMEs** ensure content relevance and foster cross-sectoral mobility.

Interoperable Portal Architecture

Using **open APIs and Europass-compatible metadata** facilitates seamless integration with sibling projects and national platforms.

Gender & Inclusiveness Action Plan

Concrete targets (e.g. **45 % female technical staff trained**) and mentoring schemes boost evaluation under the ‘impact’ criterion.

Scenario-Based Budgeting

Mapping **three risk scenarios** (low, medium, high uptake) linked to contingency tasks reassures evaluators about lump-sum robustness.

❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring the Inter-Domain Portal Requirement

Some consortia design a stand-alone training catalogue and forget to **budget activities for integrating or referencing a common umbrella portal**, leading to poor impact scores.

Weak ESFRI/ERIC Involvement

Listing an ESFRI Landmark merely as an *associated partner* without **beneficiary status or signed ERIC declaration** violates eligibility and results in rejection.

Generic Training Content

Recycling MOOCs or MSCA materials without tailoring them to the **specific technical roles of the targeted RI domain** undermines the ‘progress beyond state of the art’ criterion.

Underestimating Lump-Sum Risks

Failing to define **binary, verifiable deliverables** makes it hard for reviewers to see how lump-sum payments will be triggered, and exposes the consortium to cash-flow gaps.

Neglecting Career-Tracking KPIs

Focusing solely on *number of trainees* instead of **long-term career progression metrics** weakens the impact narrative.

Poor Geographic Balance

Over-concentration of partners from a single member state ignores the call’s aim for EU-wide mobility, leading to lower implementation scores.

Training and up-skilling of research infrastructures technical staff

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