Advancing lead markets and proof-of-concept for deep tech solutions contributing to EU Missions

Overview

The EU funding opportunity titled "HORIZON-MISS-2026-07-CROSS-03: Advancing lead markets and proof-of-concept for deep tech solutions contributing to EU Missions" falls under the Horizon Europe program. This initiative focuses on fostering demand-driven innovation in alignment with five key EU Missions: climate adaptation, cancer care, ocean and water restoration, sustainable cities, and soil health. The overarching aim is to accelerate the deployment of innovative technologies by utilizing EU Missions as catalysts for market development.

Eligible applicants include public and private stakeholders, research institutions, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and not-for-profit organizations, all of whom can collaborate in consortia. The funding mechanism is a direct grant, specifically classified as a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based, allowing applicants to claim costs up to a fixed contribution of €4,000,000 per project, with a total budget of €8,000,000 available for the initiative. The application process follows a single-stage submission procedure, open from December 9, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

The project must focus on developing proof-of-concept for deep tech solutions up to Technology Readiness Level 7, emphasizing validation and market potential rather than finished products. Up to 50% of the grant can be used for procurement activities by public service companies, contingent on prior EU commission approval.

There are no specific co-funding requirements, but proposals should aim to mobilize additional investments from public and private sectors to enhance project viability. The call encourages projects to cover multiple missions and integrate insights from Social Sciences and Humanities to address barriers to technology adoption.

In summary, this initiative seeks to bridge the gap between research and market implementation by supporting collaborative projects that validate high-potential innovations, ultimately contributing to the EU's broader policy objectives while enhancing market readiness and delivering solutions aligned with public interests.

Detail

The EU Funding Opportunity: Advancing Lead Markets and Proof-of-Concept for Deep Tech Solutions Contributing to EU Missions

This call falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically within the Cross-cutting activities (HORIZON-MISS-2026-01). The call aims to accelerate the scaling and deployment of innovative technologies by leveraging EU Missions as catalysts for lead markets. It supports both public and private stakeholders in fostering demand-driven innovation while developing proof-of-concept for deep tech solutions relevant to the Missions. The call integrates Social Sciences and Humanities insights to address barriers to market uptake, risk perception, and stakeholder engagement, creating enabling conditions for investment in high-impact technologies.

The expected outcomes include:

Stakeholders in Missions at European, national, and regional levels embracing their roles as actors in ‘lead markets for innovative products and services with a purpose’ that are provided by public investments in mission objectives.
Advancement of cutting-edge technologies at lower technology levels (i.e., not yet at product development stage) potentially relevant to EU Missions towards market entry by appropriate tools (for example ‘proof concept’, ‘procurement of innovation’ or others).
Improved alignment between public procurement, private investment, and missions’ requirements fostering favorable conditions for the creation of lead markets.

Proposals should aim at:

Scaling up innovations: developing proof-of-concept for deep tech solutions that have the potential to address EU Mission challenges (up to TRL 7).
Enabling lead markets for mission-driven technologies: identifying and testing models that mobilize public and private stakeholders to create demand for emerging solutions, ensuring alignment with public interests (e.g., workplace safety, risk management, procurement strategies).
Mobilising resources to experiment innovative procurement and financing models - like procurement of innovation, competitive dialogue or other innovation friendly procurement methods - to develop and test innovative regulatory, policy, and financial mechanisms to accelerate the uptake of high-risk, high-reward technologies in public services markets.

A maximum of 50% of the grant awarded can be used to support actual procurement of solutions by public service companies, preferentially in small projects, supporting a maximum of 25% of the procurement. Prior agreement with EU commission services is required in due time. Projects should consider relevant insights from projects working on the topic “Understanding and overcoming barriers to the scale-up of technologies supporting EU Missions.” Projects should ideally cover all missions, with preference given to proposals covering several missions.

The call includes three specific topics:

HORIZON-MISS-2026-07-CROSS-01 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions: Budget of EUR 1,000,000. Single-stage application process. Opening date: 2025-12-09. Deadline: 2026-03-31. Indicative number of grants: 1.
HORIZON-MISS-2026-07-CROSS-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget of EUR 2,000,000. Single-stage application process. Opening date: 2025-12-09. Deadline: 2026-03-31. Indicative number of grants: 1.
HORIZON-MISS-2026-07-CROSS-03 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: Budget of EUR 8,000,000. Single-stage application process. Opening date: 2025-12-09. Deadline: 2026-03-31. Indicative number of grants: 2.

General Conditions:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
Eligible Countries: Described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries have specific provisions for funding. See the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Other Eligible Conditions: If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Specific conditions for actions with PCP/PPI procurements in section H of the General Annexes apply.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific Conditions:

Detailed in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and Evaluation Forms and Model Grant Agreement (MGA):

Application form templates are available in the Submission System. A standard application form (HE RIA, IA) is used. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is the HE MGA.

Additional Documents:

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 12. Missions
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
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

Partner Search:

There are partner search announcements available. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests.

Submission:

The submission session is available as of December 10, 2025, for all three topics. To access the Electronic Submission Service, click the submission button next to the relevant action type and model grant agreement.

Support:

The Online Manual provides guidance on procedures from submission to grant management. The Horizon Europe Programme Guide details the structure, budget, and political priorities. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ answers common questions. The Research Enquiry Service answers questions about European research. National Contact Points (NCPs) provide guidance and practical information. The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) advises businesses, especially SMEs. The IT Helpdesk addresses technical questions. The European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks advise on standardisation. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct outline roles, responsibilities, and entitlements of researchers. Partner Search helps find partner organisations.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to boost the market readiness of innovative technologies relevant to EU Missions. It seeks to bridge the gap between research and practical application by supporting proof-of-concept projects and fostering collaboration between public and private entities. The call encourages projects that address multiple EU Missions and experiment with innovative procurement and financing models. The ultimate goal is to create lead markets for mission-driven technologies, contributing to the achievement of the EU's broader policy objectives.

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Breakdown

Eligible Applicant Types: The call is open to both public and private stakeholders.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. The call includes HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), and HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA).

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the partner search announcements and the nature of EU Missions suggest that consortia are encouraged, if not required. The call text mentions partner search and encourages projects to cover ideally all missions, and preference will be given to proposals covering several missions.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): 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.

Target Sector: The program targets multiple sectors relevant to EU Missions, including but not limited to deep tech, public services, innovation, and technologies that address EU Mission challenges. It also integrates Social Sciences and Humanities.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions EU and non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The projects should aim to develop proof-of-concept for deep tech solutions up to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic:
HORIZON-MISS-2026-07-CROSS-01 (CSA): around €1,000,000
HORIZON-MISS-2026-07-CROSS-02 (RIA): around €2,000,000
HORIZON-MISS-2026-07-CROSS-03 (IA): around €4,000,000, with a total budget of €8,000,000

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant. A maximum of 50% of the grant awarded can be used to support actual procurement of solutions by public service companies, preferentially in small projects, supporting a maximum of 25% of the procurement.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned, but the call encourages mobilizing public and private stakeholders, suggesting that leveraging additional resources is beneficial.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under the Cross-cutting activities (HORIZON-MISS-2026-01), aims to accelerate the scaling and deployment of innovative technologies by leveraging EU Missions as catalysts for lead markets. It supports public and private stakeholders in fostering demand-driven innovation and developing proof-of-concept for deep tech solutions relevant to the Missions. The call encourages projects that cover multiple EU Missions and integrate Social Sciences and Humanities insights to address barriers to market uptake. Proposals should aim at scaling up innovations to TRL 7, enabling lead markets for mission-driven technologies, and mobilizing resources to experiment with innovative procurement and financing models. The call includes three specific topics: Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) with a budget of €1,000,000, Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) with a budget of €2,000,000, and Innovation Actions (IA) with a budget of €8,000,000. The submission deadline is March 31, 2026. Applicants must submit their proposals electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The call encourages the use of Copernicus and Galileo/EGNOS for projects using satellite-based data and services. The call is relevant to a wide range of sectors and stakeholders interested in contributing to EU Missions through innovative technologies and solutions.

Short Summary

Impact
This funding aims to accelerate the scaling and deployment of innovative technologies by leveraging EU Missions as catalysts for lead markets, fostering demand-driven innovation and developing proof-of-concept for deep tech solutions.
Applicant
Applicants should possess skills in deep tech innovation, project management, and collaboration between public and private stakeholders, with an emphasis on addressing market dynamics and regulatory barriers.
Developments
The funding will support projects that develop proof-of-concept for deep tech solutions relevant to EU Missions, focusing on technology readiness levels up to TRL 7.
Applicant Type
This funding is designed for public and private stakeholders, including research institutions, SMEs, large enterprises, and non-profit organizations.
Consortium
This funding requires a consortium of multiple applicants, typically at least three independent legal entities from different countries.
Funding Amount
The funding amount is fixed at €4,000,000 per project, with a total budget of €8,000,000 for the call.
Countries
Eligible countries include all EU Member States, EEA countries, and associated countries as per Horizon Europe rules.
Industry
This funding targets multiple sectors relevant to EU Missions, including deep tech, public services, and innovation, integrating Social Sciences and Humanities insights.

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