Standards for Quantum Technologies – Coordination and Support Action (CSA) - CANCELLED

Call HORIZON-CL4-2026-04

Published: 12.12.2025

Deadline: 15.04.2026

Available budget: EUR 221,800,000.00

The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04

DATA-02

DATA-03

DATA-06

EMERGING-01

EMERGING-08

EMERGING-09

Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls)

31

6

63

4

8

41

Number of inadmissible proposals

0

0

2

1

0

0

Number of ineligible proposals

1

2

3

1

3

2

Number of above-threshold proposals

24

2

39

2

3

30

Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals

222,798,016.25 €

7,993,073.04 €

538,094,514.11 €

33,999,387.25 €

53,990,531.25 €

173,178,667.04 €

Number of proposals retained for funding

3

1

3

1

1

1

Number of proposals in the reserve list

1

1

1

1

1

1

Funding threshold [1]

14.00

14.00

14.50

12.50

14.50

14.50

Number of proposals with scores lower or equal to 15 and higher or equal to 14

3

1

8

0

1

2

Number of proposals with scores lower than 14 and higher or equal to 13

7

0

5

0

1

3

Number of proposals with scores lower than 13 and higher or equal to 10

14

1

26

2

1

25

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04

EMERGING -14

EMERGING-15

EMERGING-17

EMERGING-19

HUMAN-01

HUMAN-02

Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls)

1

2

1

18

105

32

Number of inadmissible proposals

0

1

0

0

1

0

Number of ineligible proposals

0

0

0

2

0

3

Number of above-threshold proposals

1

1

1

12

81

19

Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals

3,043,282.50 €

999,976.25 €

1,163,306.74 €

179,979,870.75 €

387,981,592.72 €

126,943,323.25 €

Number of proposals retained for funding

1

1

1

3

6

2

Number of proposals in the reserve list

0

0

0

3

2

1

Funding threshold [1]

11.50

13.50

12.50

13.50

14.50

13.50

Number of proposals with scores lower or equal to 15 and higher or equal to 14

0

0

0

2

12

1

Number of proposals with scores lower than 14 and higher or equal to 13

0

1

0

1

20

3

Number of proposals with scores lower than 13 and higher or equal to 10

1

0

1

9

49

15

[1] Proposals with the same score were ranked according to the priority order procedure set out in the call conditions (for HE, in the General Annexes to the Work Programme or specific arrangements in the specific call/topic conditions). For HE, to determine the ranking for ‘Innovation actions’, the score for ‘Impact’ is given a weight of 1.5.

Summary of observer report:

The two independent observers were tasked by the EC services to follow the evaluation processes of call HORIZON-CL4-2026-04 with respect to their conduct, transparency, and fairness, and to provide recommendations for process improvement. This Observers’ Report consolidates their observations and recommendations. Based on the observed Consensus Meetings and Panel Meetings, the evaluation procedures for all topics were carried with transparency, efficiency, fairness, consistency, impartiality with homogenous criteria in compliance with the applicable evaluation rules for each stage of the selection exercise (Individual Evaluation, Consensus Meetings, Quality Check, Cross-reading, Panel Meeting and Final Ranking for funding). The evaluation processes were carried out in full accordance with the Horizon Europe evaluation rules and the provided Digital Europe Programme evaluation briefings. The Call with 12 topics received 312 proposals, where 5 were inadmissible, 17 ineligible and 0 withdrawn. The number of proposals per topic varied from 1 to 105. Proposals were evaluated by 218 experts, with a satisfactory gender balance (44,5% female; 55,5% male). The majority of experts were from EU Member States and a small number from associated countries. Sixteen invited experts declined due to conflict of interest or other reasons. In conclusion, the overall assessment of all submitted proposals were executed in full transparency and compliance with the Horizon Europe applicable rules in a fair and impartial manner to select the best proposals for funding according to the topics’ specifications and expected results. The observers’ conclusion is that the scientific evaluations have been carried out in a just, transparent, and unbiased manner based on the Horizon Europe evaluation rules.

We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.

For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.

Call HORIZON-CL4-2026-04 has closed on 15.04.2026

312 proposals have been submitted.

The breakdown per topic is:

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DATA-02

31

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DATA-03

6

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DATA-06

63

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-14

1

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-15

2

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-17

1

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-HUMAN-01

105

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-HUMAN-02

32

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01

4

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-08

8

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-09

41

HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-19

18

Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in July 2026.

The European Commission intends to cancel this topic. As of today, therefore, the submission platform for this topic is no longer accessible.

The envisioned cancellation follows the adoption of COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) 2026/150 of 16 January 2026 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 on establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, which enlarged the mandate of EuroHPC joint undertaking to encompass, inter alia, quantum technologies. Consequently, EuroHPC JU may include in its own work programme for 2026 similar topics and potentially open them for submission in the second half of this year. Any relevant information will be made available by EuroHPC JU and information on all calls decided under the EuroHPC work programmes is also available eurohpc-ju.europa.eu. Applicants may also refer to the EuroHPC JU website.

The cancellation is subject to the update of the Work Programme, once all necessary procedural steps for its adoption are finalised. It is currently foreseen in fourth quarter of 2026.

If your lump sum budget contains any cost items in cost category C and/or D, please make sure to justify these items in the ‘Any comments’ sheet of the Excel detailed lump sum budget table.

The reason is that we simplified the proposal template, removing this information from Part B and bringing it closer to the relevant budget items.

Specifically, you must include justification in the ‘Any comments’ sheet if you are in any of the following situations:

• If the sum of the costs for ’travel and subsistence’, ‘equipment’, and ‘other goods, works and services’ (i.e. the purchase costs) exceeds 15% of the personnel costs for a participant. If this is the case, justify the most expensive cost item(s) up to the level that the remaining costs are below 15% of personnel costs.
• If other cost categories (e.g. internally invoiced goods and services) are used.
• If in-kind contributions are used (non-financial resources made available free of charge by third parties, which must be included as direct costs in the corresponding cost category, e.g. personnel costs or purchase costs for equipment).