What this call funds
Expected Outcome
Project are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:
- a sustainable operational model and reference blueprint for a Data Lab for Science linking with the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) and the Resource for AI Science in Europe (RAISE), enabling researchers to accelerate the uptake of AI in Science;
- easier access for researchers to large amounts of AI-ready research data, and to associated high-quality data services to seamlessly develop and train AI models for science; and
- better alignment, interoperability and scaling across countries and disciplines of AI workflows and related services such as data pooling, anonymisation, curation, or synthetic data generation.
Scope
Data Labs are introduced in the Data Union Strategy as a connector between AI factories and the Common European Data Spaces, providing specialised services to enable turning data into useable resources for AI training and the development of AI applications such as data pooling, curation, pseudonymisation, and synthetic data generation.
A significant number of tools and services within the scope of the Data Lab concept have been developed by research infrastructures and scientific service providers, notably organisations that operate or contribute resources to EOSC, the Common European Data Space for research and innovation.
The development of Data Labs addressing the needs of scientists is a key element in the AI in Science strategy, as a collaboration between RAISE and EOSC. This action aims to anchor the implementation of the Data Lab model with the development of EOSC and RAISE. The Data Lab for science will be a key deliverable and a key element of the data work strand of RAISE.
Proposals should include all of the following activities:
- Identify, consolidate and orchestrate existing data, services and other relevant results of Horizon Europe EOSC-related projects, as well as other community-endorsed promising solutions in view of setting up and implementing a Data Lab for Science, including a mapping of such results and solutions to facilitate their navigation, access and use. The results and solutions may encompass relevant data services, but also related policies, guidance and training approaches.
- Identify and collect necessary elements for seamlessly integrating a Data Lab for Science into the existing European data and high-performance computing infrastructures enabling cohesive workflows.
- Identify technical, operational, legal, organisational or any other type of bottlenecks or gaps preventing the seamless sharing, reuse or pooling of data for AI development and applications in science.
- Develop a blueprint for a Data Lab for Science addressing such bottlenecks and support its implementation through the demonstration of use cases, in coordination with the EOSC Federation and relevant developments in the EuroHPC Federation.
- Develop governance and financing models that ensure a sustainable pathway for a Data Lab for Science beyond the project’s duration.
- Identify researchers’ needs and gaps on data services in different scientific disciplines that are not addressed by existing solutions and propose recommendations for future policy and funding actions.
- Connect and encourage collaboration among projects offering data and data-related services for AI in Science.
The action should build on relevant results of Horizon Europe projects that contribute to the development of EOSC and RAISE, as well as EU-funded projects developing AI solutions for science such as foundation models in science, data commons, or AI research assistants.
The action should closely coordinate with relevant Horizon Europe projects such as those funded under HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-03, HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-DIGITAL-62 and HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-DIGITAL-61, as well as with relevant projects under EuroHPC and the AI Factories.
Eligibility & conditions+
General conditions
1. Admissibility conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible countries
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligibility Conditions
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates
Please use the application form that you will find in the Submission System. You can find examples of standard application forms in the Reference Documents page.
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE CSA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1) 
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1 BLIND)
Standard evaluation form (HE PCP PPI) 
Standard evaluation form (HE COFUND) 
Standard evaluation form (HE FPA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE MSCA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC PATHFINDER CHALLENGES) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC PATHFINDER OPEN) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC TRANSITION) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 1 - short proposal) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 2 - full proposal) 
Guidance
HE Programme Guide 
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
HE MGA 
HE Unit MGA 
Lump Sum MGA 
Operating Grants MGA 
Framework Partnership Agreement FPA 
Call-specific instructions 
Detailed budget table (HE LS) 
Information on financial support to third parties (HE) 
Information on clinical studies (HE) 
Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 2. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 3. Research Infrastructures
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 4. Health
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 5. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 6. Civil Security for Society
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 10. European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE)
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 11. Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 12. Missions
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB)
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 14. Horizontal Activities
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
EIC Work Programme 2026
ERC Work Programme 2026
HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions 
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal · synced 2026-10-13