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HORIZON EUROPE TOPIC · Research Infrastructures

Testing and optimising models of co-creation of advanced research infrastructure technologies

HORIZON-INFRA-2027-TECH-01-01 — 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 15 June 2027EUR 10 million to EUR 15 million per project

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TopicHORIZON-INFRA-2027-TECH-01-01
StatusForthcoming
CallHORIZON-INFRA-2027-01 — Research Infrastructures 2027
Type of actionResearch and Innovation Actions
Opening9 March 2027
Deadline15 June 2027
BudgetEUR 10 million to EUR 15 million per project · 2 projects expected · EUR 30 million in total
Part B page limit40 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 objective of this topic is strengthening the European research infrastructure landscape as a pillar of Europe’s innovation-based competitiveness and reinforcing its role in the overarching policy priority of making Europe the top region for deep-tech startups and scaleups. Project results are expected to contribute to several of the following expected outcomes:”

  1. EO1 Enhanced scientific and technological competitiveness of European research infrastructures, through the co-development of innovative technologies and solutions that improve the performance of RI services, addressing common needs across different types of research infrastructures, where applicable.
  2. EO2 Increased cooperation and coordination between European research infrastructures, and between them and other public and private research performing organisations, in order to create a coherent and supportive ecosystem for deep-tech innovation in Europe.
  3. EO3 A strengthened role of research infrastructures as centres of gravity for deep-tech innovation ecosystems.
  4. EO4 Strengthened EU innovation capacity and technological sovereignty.

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 EO4), 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.

  • “Proposals should address all of the following aspects:.”
  • “Developments for the specific use case of research infrastructures are expected to go beyond TRL 4.”
  • “When proposed developments have the potential to lead to applications beyond the specific use case of research infrastructures, the TRL of these additional developments should go up to TRL 3-4.”
  • “Proposers should clearly describe which TRL will be reached at the end of the project for each proposed development.”
  • “Projects are expected to share experiences about co-creation models with the project funded under HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05, area 3.”

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.
  • Other Eligible Conditions: “The following additional eligibility criteria apply: due to the specific nature of this topic, consortia must include at least two different research infrastructures as beneficiaries, each of them being an ESFRI infrastructure[[See the list of ESFRI 'Landmarks' and ‘Projects’ in the 2021 ESFRI Roadmap:…”
  • Legal and financial set-up of the grants: “Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP). The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants.”
  • Legal and financial set-up of the grants: “The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 500,000. This amount is justified since the projects funded will support the creation of an innovation ecosystem through concrete collaborative R&I projects, and research infrastructures will be engaged in different technological collaborations. Due to the…”
  • Legal and financial set-up of the grants: “The specific conditions for actions with PCP/PPI procurements in section H of the General Annexes apply to grants funded under this topic.”

Impact pathway and traps

  • Users or citizens are part of the scope. Show how they take part in the design and testing, not only that they are informed.
  • The gender dimension is named in the topic. Show how sex and gender analysis enters the research content, not only team balance.
  • Market uptake is part of the scope. Evaluators look for a credible route to market with named first adopters.
  • Keep outputs, outcomes and impacts apart: what you deliver, what changes when others use it, and the long-term effect.
  • Link your outcomes to the destination's expected impacts in the Work Programme. 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 topic focuses on supporting research infrastructures in developing and implementing innovative technologies and solutions improving the performance of their scientific services, while fostering cooperation with other research organisations, industry, and start-ups and scaleups to maximise the spillover effects of new RI technologies. Proposals should address all of the following aspects: Co-creation of advanced technologies that address research infrastructures needs, considering resource efficiency and environmental impacts as well as technological sovereignty. Development of partnerships and collaborations between research infrastructures and different types of research performing organisations including industry, to co-create technological solutions and promote their uptake and exploitation outside of the science market. Shared understanding of the commercial potential of innovative technologies, and support from RI technology transfer teams as early as necessary. Developments for the specific use case of research infrastructures are expected to go beyond TRL 4. When proposed developments have the potential to lead to applications beyond the specific use case of research infrastructures, the TRL of these additional developments should go up to TRL 3-4. Proposers should clearly describe which TRL will be reached at the end of the project for each proposed development. Projects are expected to share experiences about co-creation models with the project funded under HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05, area 3. Proposals may include PCP subcontracting activities as described in part H of the General Annexes of the work programme. This option encourages the use of public procurements for the competitive development of new specific solutions, whilst opening market opportunities for industry and researchers active in the EU and Associated Countries. By establishing the procurement process in consecutive phases, the PCP activity can support the development of competing designs, prototypes, and solution testing. This ensures that investment risks do not prevent tackling specific scientific and technological issues and allows a problem to be approached from different angles and to test different solutions. In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement. 'Pre-commercial procurement' is defined as procurement of R&D services involving risk-benefit sharing under market conditions and competitive development in phases. PCP focuses on the R&D phase before wide commercialisation. 'Risk-benefit sharing under market conditions' refers to the PCP approach in which procurers share with suppliers at market price the risks and the benefits related to the IPR resulting from the R&D. 'Competitive development in phases' refers to the competitive approach to buy the R&D from several competing R&D providers in parallel and to compare and identify the best value for money solutions on the market to address the PCP challenge. To reduce the investment risk for the procurer, reward the most competitive solutions and facilitate the participation of smaller innovative companies, the R&D is also split into phases (solution design, prototyping, original development and validation / testing of the first products), with the number of competing R&D providers being reduced after each phase.

Other topics in HORIZON-INFRA-2027-01

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.