# Scaling up deep tech ecosystems
EUACC page: https://www.euacc.ai/calls/HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-03
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## Public content

**topic id:** HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-03
**call id:** HORIZON-EIE-2026-01
**title:** Scaling up deep tech ecosystems
**programme:** Horizon Europe
**cluster:** EIE
**status:** closed
**deadline date:** 2026-01-20T00:00:00+00:00
**deadline model:** single-stage
**start date:** 2025-09-10T00:00:00+00:00
**url:** https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-03
**description:** Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
• Enhanced development of deep tech[1] ecosystems around pan-European research infrastructures[2] to generate, scale and deploy breakthrough technologies with market and societal value;
• Increased involvement of industry, including SMEs, with research infrastructures to raise the technology level and competitiveness of companies and generate market opportunities, including through the generation of start-up or spin-off companies;
• Improved valorisation of the socio-economic impact of past investments in pan-European research infrastructures from the European Structural and Investment Funds;
• Foster the potential of pan-European research infrastructures for innovation training and education.
 Scope:
Pan-European research infrastructures are strategic assets to boost R&I, scientific discoveries and deep-tech developments at regional, national and European levels. They have a strong role in increasing the R&I potential of academia and industry in local and regional ecosystems, thus enhancing competitiveness, innovation in strategic areas and overcoming fragmentation. The Council conclusions on strengthening the competitiveness of the EU and overcoming the fragmentation of the European Research Area[3] encouraged better use and deployment of Research Infrastructure facilities and services by academia and industry, including SMEs and start-ups across the entire EU.
As providers of advanced services and procurers of cutting-edge technologies, RIs have an innovation potential related to the development of components, instruments, services and knowledge that could be better exploited to push the edge of existing technologies and lead to their deployment for market-oriented or socially useful purposes.
The aim of the action is to respond to industry needs and to better valorise interactions that research infrastructures have with companies, facilitating deep collaboration and co-development.
The proposals should pilot the possibility to seed the development of innovation ecosystems around diverse technological areas related to pan-European research infrastructures by providing grants to pilot projects in three to five different technological areas.
The proposals should:
• identify deep tech innovations with breakthrough potential related to pan-European research infrastructures;
• assess the feasibility and scalability of the identified innovations;
• suggest a selection and clustering of those innovations that demonstrate sufficient maturity to provide a clear potential for industrial implementation and demonstrate the strongest market and societal value;
• run, evaluate calls and give convincing arguments to provide grant funding to pilot projects in the identified technological areas;
• assess the outcome of the pilot grants.
 null
Activities are expected to achieve Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

[1] C.f. deep tech definition on footnote 18.
[2] ESFRI: www.esfri.eu
[3] Council Conclusions on Strengthening the competitiveness of the EU, reinforcing the European Research Area and overcoming its fragmentation
**conditions:** General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
See 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
are 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 Eligible Conditions
Proposals should include at least one ESFRI Landmark[[See the list of ESFRI 'Landmarks' in the 2021 ESFRI Roadmap: https://roadmap2021.esfri.eu/.]] or European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC)[[European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) | European Commission (europa.eu).]] as beneficiary. In case of a distributed[[The term ‘distributed’ research infrastructure typically refers to one or a few central hubs and several interlinked (national or institutional) nodes where many components of the research infrastructure may not be part of the same legal entity, the ERIC.]] ERIC, as an alternative to the ERIC participating as a beneficiary, a legal entity that is hosting one of its nodes or components may participate as a beneficiary. A declaration signed by the legal representative of the ERIC should confirm that the ERIC is informed about this participation and describe any further cooperation with the ERIC.
At least 60% of the proposed total eligible costs must be allocated to financial support to third parties.

Other conditions described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
The granting authority can fund a maximum of one project.

Additional conditions are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are 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
Beneficiaries should provide financial support to third parties (FSTP). The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of 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 nature of this action, a threshold lower than EUR 500,000 would hinder the engagement of research infrastructures with different partners; this would not allow for the creation of an ecosystem supporting the take up of technological innovations resulting from the use of research infrastructures.

Additional conditions are 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 — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
Guidance
HE Programme Guide
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
HE MGA
HE Unit MGA
Call-specific instructions
Information on clinical studies (HE)
Information on financial support to third parties (HE)
 Good practices for implementing FSTP in EU grants

Additional documents:
 HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 2. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 3. Research Infrastructures
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 4. Health
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 5. Culture, creativity and inclusive society
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 6. Civil Security for Society
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 10. European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE)
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 11. Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 12. Missions
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB)
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 13. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 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
**action type:** HORIZON  Research and Innovation Actions
**budget:** 
  **budget Years Columns:** 
    - 2025
  **budget Topic Action Map:** 
    **110881:** 
      -         **action:** HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON  Research and Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 5000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-01-20
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 1
        **max Contribution:** 5000000
        **min Contribution:** 5000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-09-10
    **110882:** 
      -         **action:** HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-01 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 4500000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-01-20
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 1
        **max Contribution:** 4500000
        **min Contribution:** 4500000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-09-10
    **110883:** 
      -         **action:** HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-02 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 5000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-01-20
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 5
        **max Contribution:** 1000000
        **min Contribution:** 1000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-09-10
**keywords:** HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-03, HORIZON-EIE-2026-01, Innovation policy, Knowledge and Technology transfer, Market-creating innovation, Physical sciences, Related to SME and start-up support, Related to industrial policy, Technology development, Types of innovation
**last synced at:** 2026-11-09T17:23:17.403+00:00

## Review record

No independent verification record is available.

## Source metadata