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HORIZON EUROPE TOPIC · Cluster 4 · Digital, Industry and Space

Preparing demonstration missions for collaborative Earth Observation and Satellite telecommunication for Space solutions (Space Partnership)

HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-34 — the expected outcomes as checkable statements, what evaluators look for in this topic, and the conditions that shape the proposal.

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ForthcomingIA · lump sumDeadline 2 September 2027EUR 5 million to EUR 10 million per project

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TopicHORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-34
StatusForthcoming
CallHORIZON-CL4-2027-03 — SPACE
DestinationAchieving open strategic autonomy in global space-based infrastructures, services, applications and data (2026-27)
Type of actionInnovation Actions · lump sum
Opening9 March 2027
Deadline2 September 2027
BudgetEUR 5 million to EUR 10 million per project · 4 projects expected · EUR 26 million in total
TRL at the endTRL 7–8
Part B page limit45 pages (standard application form; check your call)
TemplateWork Programme 2026–2027 application form

Expected outcomes

Projects may contribute to some of the expected outcomes; say which ones and why. The topic says: “The topic encompasses actions within the scope of the co-programmed European Partnership on Globally Competitive Space Systems (‘Space Partnership’) in the areas of satellite communication (SatCom), Earth Observation (EO) and New Commercial Space Transportation Solutions and is part of cohesive activities in the domain of digital developments under the grand heading of “digitalisation for…”

  1. EO1 Favouring a competitive and sustainable European Space Sector.
  2. EO2 Enable the European Space Industry to maintain a significant share of the global connectivity market.
  3. EO3 Advanced Earth observation and SatCom payloads, technologies and processing means (on ground and in space)
  4. EO4 Advanced EO and SatCom fostering AI across space system.
  5. EO5 Enhanced security of SatCom and EO services, supporting advanced technologies for both ground and space commercial applications.
  6. EO6 End-to-end demonstrator for collaborative Earth Observation and Satellite telecommunication for Space solutions.

Expected impacts named in the destination

The wider, long-term effects the destination seeks. Your outcomes feed them; they are not project deliverables.

  1. EI1 Accessing Space, i.e. the ability to transport satellites, cargo, and humans into space; build and launch the required vehicles, including re-usable systems; and operate the related facilities and services.
  2. EI2 Using Space on Earth, i.e. the ability to provide space-based secure communication, navigation and Earth observation services and applications, including through the EU Space flagships Galileo, Copernicus and IRIS 2.
  3. EI3 Monitoring Space, i.e. the ability to detect, track and anticipate the trajectory of spacecraft, Near-Earth objects, and space debris during their full lifetime; to share data with relevant stakeholders; and to provide solutions for safe international space traffic management. It also includes the tracking and anticipation of other impacts on the space environment, such as Space weather events.
  4. EI4 Acting in Space, i.e. the ability to inspect, rendezvous and dock, grasp, repair, refuel, reconfigure, build, assemble and disassemble, reuse/recycle, relocate, remove and transport operational, non-operational, and other objects in space, including platforms or larger structures.
  5. EI5 Exploring Space, i.e. the ability to conduct high profile space exploration activities, perform excellent science and exploit space data to increase our knowledge about the Universe and celestial bodies, with a view to their exploration for scientific and socio-economic benefits.
  6. EI6 Boosting Space, i.e. the ability to sustain the above strategic capabilities through fostering the competitiveness of the EU space sector; improving education and developing the required skills; accelerating the pace of innovation; supporting EU non-dependency on critical technologies; and strengthening international cooperation.
  7. EI7 Heading 1: Accessing Space.
  8. EI8 Heading 2: Acting in Space.
  9. EI9 Heading 3: Using Space on Earth related to telecommunications.
  10. EI10 Heading 4: Using Space on Earth related to Earth Observation.
  11. EI11 Heading 5: Using Space on Earth related to satellite navigation.
  12. EI12 Heading 6: Space sciences and exploration.

What evaluators will look for in this topic

Expected outcomes

  • Projects may contribute to some of the expected outcomes; say which ones and why.
  • For each outcome (EO1 to EO6), name who will use or adopt your results (a specific group, not “industry” or “society”), how they get them, and the indicator that shows the change, with baseline, target and date.
  • Use the topic's own words for each outcome, so the evaluator can tick it off.

What the scope asks for

Evaluators check the proposal against these sentences of the scope. Answer each one visibly, in the call's own words.

  • “The areas of R&I, which needs to be addressed to tackle the above-mentioned expected outcomes are:.”
  • “Proposals may contribute to one or more of the above R&I areas, however the main area addressed are expected to be clearly and unambiguously identified in the proposal text.”
  • “Proposals are expected to promote cooperation between different actors (industry, SMEs, research institutions and infrastructures and academia) and consider opportunities to quickly turn technological innovation into commercial use in space via e.g., on-ground relevant environment or in orbit demonstration.”
  • “It is expected that projects make use of existing EU technologies and/or building blocks, including at component level, contributing to EU non-dependence and strengthen competitiveness, and this should be clearly presented in the proposal.”
  • “Furthermore, proposed activities should be complementary to H2020 and Horizon Europe funded projects, national activities and activities funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).”
  • “In this topic, the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.”

Conditions that shape the proposal

  • Part B, sections 1–3: 45 pages (standard application form). Text beyond the limit is not read; tables and figures count.
  • Lump sum: the budget is fixed per work package and paid when each work package is completed. Every work package needs activities and deliverables an evaluator can verify, and the effort must match the money.
  • TRL: the topic expects TRL 7–8 by the end of the project. State where you start and the evidence for it.
  • Innovation action: evaluators expect a plausible path to commercialisation and named first users or customers.
  • Other Eligible Conditions: “In order to achieve the expected outcomes, and safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security, participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States, Norway and Iceland. Proposals including entities established in countries outside the scope specified in the…”
  • Other Eligible Conditions: “For the duly justified and exceptional reasons listed in the paragraph above, in order to guarantee the protection of the strategic interests of the Union and its Member States, entities established in an eligible country listed above, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or by a…”
  • Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds: “Eligible proposals submitted under this topic and exceeding all the evaluation thresholds will be awarded a STEP Seal [[ https://strategic-technologies.europa.eu/about/step-seal_en ]].”
  • Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds: “To ensure a balanced portfolio covering all the development areas described in the scope section, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to one proposal that is the highest ranked within each development area, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.”

Impact pathway and traps

  • The scope expects pilots or demonstration. Name the sites, the partners who run them and what is measured there.
  • The gender dimension is named in the topic. Show how sex and gender analysis enters the research content, not only team balance.
  • Keep outputs, outcomes and impacts apart: what you deliver, what changes when others use it, and the long-term effect.
  • For each destination impact you claim, show which of your outcomes feeds it. Destination impacts are long-term effects, not project deliverables.
  • Name the barriers outside the project (regulation, markets, user behaviour) that could block uptake, and what you will do if they do.
  • Section 2.3 (the summary canvas) is optional on this call; the old split into scientific, economic and societal impact is no longer required.
The scope, as published

The areas of R&I, which needs to be addressed to tackle the above-mentioned expected outcomes are: R&I on End-to-End SatCom Mission capabilities, secure satcom services and satellites as network nodes, and digital on-ground infrastructure to test and enhance operational efficiency; R&I on Earth Observation equipment, subsystems, applications and services, improving data processing for performance or timeliness, smart multi-sources EO data fusion, fostering interoperability among EO missions, miniaturisation of instrument designs and EO ground segment interfaces, digitalised technology steps such as high-performance cloud-based architectures and active and adaptative optics and/or higher-power electronics; R&I on building blocks and processes common to EO and SatCom systems, such as on-board processing capabilities, maturing high performance processing payload H/W to support space network capabilities and reducing environmental impact of future missions, maturation of technologies and products improving system security and threats identification, characterization and possible mitigation and RF and optical hybrid ground stations for anchoring services. Proposals may contribute to one or more of the above R&I areas, however the main area addressed are expected to be clearly and unambiguously identified in the proposal text. To ensure a balanced portfolio covering the three areas described above, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to one proposal that is the highest ranked within each area, provided that the applications attain all thresholds. For the purposes of the ranking the main area declared by the proposal will be considered. Proposals are expected to promote cooperation between different actors (industry, SMEs, research institutions and infrastructures and academia) and consider opportunities to quickly turn technological innovation into commercial use in space via e.g., on-ground relevant environment or in orbit demonstration. It is expected that projects make use of existing EU technologies and/or building blocks, including at component level, contributing to EU non-dependence and strengthen competitiveness, and this should be clearly presented in the proposal. Furthermore, proposed activities should be complementary to H2020 and Horizon Europe funded projects, national activities and activities funded by the European Space Agency (ESA). This topic contributes to the implementation of the European Partnership on ‘Globally Competitive Space Systems’ (GCSS). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on results to the European Partnership ‘Globally Competitive Space Systems’ (GCSS) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs. In this topic, the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.

Technology readiness, as published

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project. The reference TRL definition is the ISO 16290:2013 applicable to the space sector. Identified in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) of the co-Programmed European Partnership on Globally Competitive Space Systems (https://www.space-aisbl.org/sria/)

Other topics in HORIZON-CL4-2027-03

Source and attribution

Topic text from the official topic page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, retrieved 19 October 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU (CC BY 4.0). Changes: the expected outcomes and impacts are split into numbered statements, long passages are shortened, and the evaluator checklist is GrantWise's own commentary. Your call and the Work Programme always win; check them before you submit. GrantWise is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the European Commission.