Research infrastructure services advancing frontier knowledge (bottom-up)
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See in 5 min if you're eligible for Research infrastructure services advancing frontier knowledge (bottom-up) offering max €45.0M funding💰 Funding Details
Funding Description
What the Grant Finances
* Primary focus: Provision of *trans-national* (on-site or remote) and/or *virtual* access to existing, state-of-the-art European research infrastructures for curiosity-driven (bottom-up) research.
* Eligible cost categories:
* Unit-cost based access provision (trans-national & virtual) as per HE Unit-Cost Decision.
* Short-term R&D needed to *improve, customise or harmonise* offered services – provided the new/optimised service is opened within project lifetime and its long-term sustainability is ensured by the RI.
* Scientific/technical user support, ad-hoc individual training, and structured training courses (including data-stewardship skills).
* Activities that facilitate integrated access procedures, remote operation, interoperability, FAIR data management, and connection to EOSC.
* Outreach & engagement actions (especially targeting widening countries) and coordination costs.
* Non-eligible/limited:
* Long-term R&D for brand-new instrumentation, advanced digital solutions, or construction of new facilities.
* Pure dissemination/exploitation plans (not required).
* Costs beyond the 80 % funding rate (beneficiaries must co-fund remaining 20 %).
Budget & Funding Rate
* Maximum grant size: €45 000 000.
* Funding rate: 80 % of total eligible costs (direct + 25 % flat overhead for indirect costs).
* Payment scheme: pre-financing (≈ 60 %), interim payment(s) based on accepted periodic reports, balance payment.
Who Can Apply
* Consortium composition:
* Minimum three independent legal entities from three different EU Member States (MS) or Associated Countries (AC).
* At least one ESFRI Landmark or ERIC (or hosting legal entity for distributed ERIC) must be a beneficiary.
* Additional beneficiaries/affiliated entities may be from MS/AC or – exceptionally – from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, USA *iff* they provide complementary/advanced RI services.
* Third-country RIs may participate only when they offer capabilities unavailable in EU/AC.
* Scientific domain restriction: Proposal must target one domain *not* already covered by 2023-25 INFRASERV topics (i.e. cannot target: terrestrial biodiversity & ecosystems, astronomy & astroparticle physics, arts & humanities, atmospheric chemistry/dynamics, particle & nuclear physics). Domain/sub-domain must be stated explicitly.
Key Administrative Facts
* Call identifier: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-04.
* Action type: HORIZON-RIA (Research & Innovation Action).
* Single-stage submission — deadline 18 Sep 2025, 17:00 Brussels time.
* Page limit: 100 pages (Part B).
* Proposal template: RI-RIA (includes mandatory Access Provision tables).
* Mandatory annexes: (1) Access Provision Table (list of installations, units of access, cost model); (2) Letter of support from ESFRI/ERIC for hosted nodes (if ERIC itself not a beneficiary); (3) Ethics self-assessment; (4) Data Management Plan (initial version in proposal).
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📊 At a Glance
🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities for HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-04
1. Single Market Access – 450+ M Consumers of Knowledge & Technology
• Pan-European User Base: By funding trans-national and virtual access, the call instantly opens every participating installation to the entire European Research Area (ERA), multiplying potential users and maximising utilisation rates.
• Demand-Driven Service Improvement: Continuous feedback from a diversified user pool accelerates optimisation of services, data portals and training offers, turning each RI into a quasi-European ‘market leader’ in its niche.
• Spin-off Potential: SMEs and start-ups that exploit the resulting IP or data address one of the world’s largest unified markets without extra localisation costs.
2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange
• Mandatory Multinational Consortia: Inclusion of at least one ESFRI Landmark/ERIC guarantees a built-in, high-trust partnership structure spanning multiple Member States.
• Mobility of Researchers: 100 % reimbursed TNA (Trans-National Access) removes financial barriers, fostering a new generation of mobile, networked scientists.
• Interdisciplinary Fertilisation: Requirement for complementary infrastructures sparks collaboration between traditionally siloed domains (e.g. health data RI + advanced materials RI → novel biomedical devices).
3. Alignment with Flagship EU Policies
• European Research Area Policy Agenda (ERA-2022): Directly operationalises ERA Action 8 (access to excellent RIs) and supports ERA Action 17 (research careers).
• Green Deal & Fit-for-55: Energy or environment sub-domains (e.g. carbon-neutral process testbeds) supply open data and facilities critical for climate targets.
• Digital Europe & Data Strategy: Compulsory connection to EOSC and FAIR compliance accelerate creation of the common European data space.
• Widening Participation Policy: Outreach plan to Widening countries advances Cohesion objectives and Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3).
4. Regulatory Harmonisation Benefits
• Single IP & Data-Protection Frameworks: Projects can rely on Horizon Europe MGA, GDPR and EOSC rules instead of navigating 27 national regimes.
• Ethics & Security Clearances: One-stop ethics assessment accepted EU-wide speeds up sensitive research (e.g. health, security).
5. Embedded in Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem
• ESFRI/ERIC Integration: Access to >200 pan-European RIs and their industrial liaison programmes links projects with blue-chip companies and deep-tech clusters.
• Synergies with EIC & KICs: Results feed directly into Technology Readiness Level (TRL) pipelines financed by the European Innovation Council and EIT Knowledge & Innovation Communities.
• Talent Pipeline: Training actions dovetail with Marie-Skłodowska-Curie DN/PF schemes, producing cross-disciplinary, data-savvy researchers demanded by EU industry.
6. Funding & Programme Synergies
• 80 % Funding Rate + Unit-Cost Model: Predictable budgeting lowers administrative burden; remaining 20 % can often be matched with national or structural funds.
• Cohesion/ERDF & RRF Compatibility: RIs located in cohesion regions can co-finance upgrades, ensuring long-term sustainability mandated by the call.
• Cluster with Other INFRA Calls: Complementary 2025 topics (DEV, EOSC, TECH) enable stacking of grants to cover full RI lifecycle—development, service provision, digital integration.
7. Scale & Impact Potential
• Critical Mass of Data: Aggregated, FAIR-ified datasets across countries become benchmarks for AI/ML, propelling Europe’s competitiveness in data-driven science.
• Economies of Scale: Shared procurement (e.g. for cloud or high-field magnets) reduces CAPEX/OPEX up to 30 %, freeing resources for user support.
• Policy Leverage: High-profile EU-level results influence global standard setting (ISO, OECD RI roadmap), reinforcing Europe’s soft power.
8. Strategic Takeaways for Applicants
1. Choose an Uncovered Domain: Maximise funding probability by targeting a scientific domain absent from higher-ranked proposals.
2. Embed an ESFRI/ERIC Early: Secure commitment letters to satisfy eligibility and add credibility.
3. Quantify EU-Wide Demand: Use past TNA statistics and EOSC download metrics to justify access volumes.
4. Plan EOSC Integration Day 1: Budget interoperability work packages; highlight compliance with FAIR, PID, AAI.
5. Widening Dimension: Allocate ≥15 % of access units to researchers from Widening countries to score high on impact.
6. Leverage Other Funds: Map ERDF or national RI upgrades that will co-finance long-term sustainability beyond the 4–5 yr project.
Bottom Line: Operating at EU scale through HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-SERV-04 multiplies scientific excellence, market reach, and policy impact far beyond what any national scheme can deliver, while positioning participants at the core of Europe’s integrated knowledge and data economy.
🏷️ Keywords
Ready to Apply?
Get a personalized assessment of your eligibility and application strategy
See in 5 min if you're eligible for Research infrastructure services advancing frontier knowledge (bottom-up) offering max €45.0M funding