Consolidation of the research infrastructure landscape – pilots for strategic coordination, synergies and simplified access pathways, by large thematic clusters of pan-European research infrastructures

Overview

This grant supports large thematic clusters of pan-European research infrastructures in strengthening strategic coordination, policy alignment, and simplified access pathways. It targets consortia representing ESFRI-prioritised and other world-class research infrastructures to enhance visibility, interoperability, and user accessibility across key EU policy domains.

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants include consortia of research infrastructures, such as ESFRI Landmarks and Projects, European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs), international European research organisations, and established networks of key European research infrastructures open to external users. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a beneficiary with zero funding or as an associated partner.

Funding Details

• Maximum funding per grant: €40,000,000
• Funding form: Lump sum
• Total budget: Not specified
• Co-funding: Not required, but intellectual property outputs must be made available royalty-free to EU institutions and beneficiaries of EU-funded projects.

What Is Funded

• Strengthening policy representation of research infrastructure clusters in EU strategic initiatives.
• Coordination, interoperability, harmonisation, and synergies among research infrastructures within and across thematic domains.
• Development and optimisation of catalogues of research infrastructure services, with a focus on accessibility for new users (e.g., widening countries, industry, SMEs, startups, early-stage researchers).
• Implementation of intermediary services, user support tools, and AI-assisted navigation for research infrastructure services.
• Promotion of indicators to assess the strategic relevance of research infrastructure services to EU priorities, including common impact assessments.
• Collaboration with cross-domain initiatives (e.g., ERIC Forum, EIROforum) and alignment with EU access schemes under related Horizon Europe topics.

Technology / Maturity Requirements

• Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 7–9

Key Dates

• Open date: 2026-03-09
• Deadline: 2026-06-15

Application Process (High-Level)

• Process: Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
• Evaluation: Proposals are ranked within their respective ESFRI domains to ensure a balanced portfolio. Thresholds apply for eligibility.

Post-Award Obligations

• Granting royalty-free access to intellectual property outputs (e.g., tools, standards, specifications) to EU institutions and beneficiaries of EU-funded projects during and beyond the grant agreement.
• Collaboration with related Horizon Europe actions to ensure policy coordination, technical interoperability, and simplified access pathways.
• Reporting and dissemination requirements as defined in the lump sum grant agreement.

Geographic Scope & Language

• Eligible countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, United Kingdom, Switzerland.
• Application language: English.

Notes

• Proposals must explicitly state the ESFRI domain they address and ensure collaboration across projects under this topic.
• Strong emphasis on inclusivity for new user communities, including industry and researchers from widening countries.
• Proposals should consider collaboration with the JRC’s research infrastructures in health and food, where relevant.