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

Space critical EEE components for EU non-dependence

HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-07-83 — the expected outcomes as checkable statements, what evaluators look for in this topic, and the conditions that shape the proposal.

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ForthcomingRIADeadline 20 January 2028EUR 3 million to EUR 4 million per project

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TopicHORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-07-83
StatusForthcoming
CallHORIZON-CL4-2027-07 — SPACE
DestinationAchieving open strategic autonomy in global space-based infrastructures, services, applications and data (2026-27)
Type of actionResearch and Innovation Actions
Opening7 October 2027
Deadline20 January 2028
BudgetEUR 3 million to EUR 4 million per project · 2 projects expected
TRL at the endTRL 6
Part B page limit40 pages (standard application form; check your call)
TemplateWork Programme 2026–2027 application form

Expected outcomes

Projects should contribute to all of the expected outcomes. The topic says: “Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:”

  1. EO1 Reinforcing EU strategic autonomy by reducing non-EU dependencies on critical space EEE components and related technologies across their entire supply chain.
  2. EO2 Providing unrestricted access to critical space EEE components and related technologies relevant for EU space missions.
  3. EO3 Developing or regaining capacity to operate independently in space by developing resilient space EEE components and related technologies supply chains, relying on EU supply chains and/or trustable and reliable supply chains not affected by non-EU export restrictions.
  4. EO4 Enhancing competitiveness by developing products and capabilities reaching equivalent or superior performance level than those from outside the EU and compete at worldwide level.
  5. EO5 Opening new opportunities for manufacturers by reducing dependency on non-EU export restricted technologies.

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 should contribute to all of the expected outcomes.
  • For each outcome (EO1 to EO5), 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.

  • “Within the frame of this topic, it is expected to finance and implement development projects aiming at maturing critical space EEE components with the final goal of lowering the dependency from outside EU.”
  • “Space is a low volume market affected by a dynamic industrial landscape compared to the terrestrial market therefore, technological spin in and/or bilateral collaborations should be enhanced between European non-space and space industries.”
  • “Furthermore, proposed activities should be complementary to national activities and European space agencies.”
  • “Complementary activities should be clearly identified, described and the proposal should report how the complementarity is ensured.”

Conditions that shape the proposal

  • Part B, sections 1–3: 40 pages (standard application form). Text beyond the limit is not read; tables and figures count.
  • TRL: the topic expects TRL 6 by the end of the project. State where you start and the evidence for it.
  • Admissibility conditions: Proposal page limit and layout: “The page limit of the application is 80 pages.”
  • Other Eligibility 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 Eligibility 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: “To ensure a balanced portfolio covering all development areas described in the scope, 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.”
  • Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds: “The evaluation committee will be composed partially by representatives of EU institutions.”

Impact pathway and traps

  • 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

Unrestricted access to state-of-art space EEE components and related technologies is a pre-requisite for the EU space industry responding to EU space missions. However, especially for some families of components, the available solutions in EU do not meet the current high-performance space requirements. Currently, alternative products sourced from outside EU, are either affected by non-EU export control, that limits its use, or present challenges in terms of trustable supply chains for the implementation of EU space missions with a security dimension. Within the frame of this topic, it is expected to finance and implement development projects aiming at maturing critical space EEE components with the final goal of lowering the dependency from outside EU. This will be done by establishing a long-term sustainable supply chain for supporting EU strategic autonomy in the space sector. The selection of the supply chains shall reflect this objective. Therefore, the supply chain shall preferably be built fully based in EU and when this can only be achieved partially (i.e. because of lack of current EU capabilities for unrestricted advanced semiconductor processes or advanced materials that cannot be developed within the project), services procured from outside EU shall nevertheless ensure that the overall supply chain will remain trustable and not affected by non-EU export control. The latest scenario is subject to the approval of the granting authority. The list of space equipment and related technologies relevant for this topic will be selected based on needs related to strategic institutional programs, inputs from relevant European stakeholders and the EU Observatory of Critical Technologies. It will be proposed in 2026 and validated with the HE delegations. Space is a low volume market affected by a dynamic industrial landscape compared to the terrestrial market therefore, technological spin in and/or bilateral collaborations should be enhanced between European non-space and space industries. Furthermore, proposed activities should be complementary to national activities and European space agencies. Complementary activities should be clearly identified, described and the proposal should report how the complementarity is ensured.

Technology readiness, as published

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

Other topics in HORIZON-CL4-2027-07

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.