Attracting management talent for capacity building for Technology Infrastructures staff members (CSA)

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity titled HORIZON-CL4-2026-01-MAT-PROD-44 focuses on attracting management talent to enhance capacity building within Technology Infrastructures across EU member states. This initiative, falling under the Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), will award a lump sum grant of €3,000,000, with a planned opening date on January 6, 2026, and a deadline for applications set for April 21, 2026.

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, public research organizations, technology infrastructure providers, and other institutions involved in delivering advanced technical services to industry, particularly those with expertise in management sciences and organizational development. The application process is single-stage, encouraging a collaborative approach even though it is not mandatory for applicants to form a consortium.

The focus is on improving the management and operational capabilities of technology infrastructures, addressing challenges like skills shortages, budget constraints, and inefficiencies due to rapid advancements in technology. Successful proposals should lead to a comprehensive understanding of the competencies and skills needed within these infrastructures, improved training programs for staff, increased collaboration among technology infrastructures, and enhanced service uptake by industry, focusing on startups and SMEs.

Key expected outcomes include the establishment of better business and governance models for technology infrastructures, enhanced visibility and accessibility of services, and the development of training programs that are remotely accessible and open-source. The project aims to foster transnational collaboration among infrastructures, promoting resource sharing and best practices.

No co-funding is required from applicants for this funding opportunity. The overall objective is to build a stronger innovation ecosystem throughout Europe by attracting necessary management talents to support and upgrade the handling of technology infrastructures that are vital for industry advancements. The proposal is expected to culminate in a range of deliverables that will benefit the broader technology ecosystem beyond the project timeframe.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL4-2026-01-MAT-PROD-44, which aims to attract management talent for capacity building within Technology Infrastructures (TIs). It falls under the INDUSTRY (HORIZON-CL4-2026-01) call and is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA). The grant type is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. It is a forthcoming, single-stage call with a planned opening date of January 6, 2026, and a deadline of April 21, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The budget for the HORIZON-CL4-2026-01-MAT-PROD-44 topic is 2,500,000 EUR, and it is expected that one grant will be awarded.

The expected outcomes of successful proposals include: a sound understanding of the competences and skills needs of TIs related to effective management and service provision to industry in all member states; improved and structured training for TI staff with sector-agnostic competencies; increased collaboration between Research and Technology Infrastructures, leading to the exchange of best practices in management and capacity building, and peer learning; better uptake of TI services by industry, including startups, scaleups, innovators, and researchers; improved coherence, visibility, and accessibility of TI facilities and services; and improved business and governance models for TIs.

The scope of the call addresses the sub-optimal technology infrastructure management resulting from rapid technological advancements, inefficient strategic planning, skills gaps, and budget limitations. Proposals should develop schemes to attract management talent, potentially from organizational sciences, to TIs in EU member states. These schemes should focus on studying the needs of TIs in terms of competencies, skills, organizations, and business models to improve service delivery to industry, especially SMEs, startups, and scaleups. The attracted management talents are expected to advise TI senior management and provide training to staff to enhance their capacity to serve industry. The developed training should be sector-agnostic, open-source, remotely accessible, easy to update, and consider existing initiatives in Research and Technology Infrastructures.

Proposals should also aim to enhance the skills and career profiles of technical staff in TIs to address evolving needs like research security, data management, and quality assurance. Further professionalizing managerial and leadership training is also encouraged, as is promoting entrepreneurial skills in training curricula to leverage TIs as deep-tech innovation ecosystem centers.

Transnational and multisite collaboration among TIs is another key objective, fostering TI ecosystems, sharing experiences, resources, and best practices in management and capacity building, and promoting staff exchange and networking. These collaborations could form the basis for a future framework to coordinate TI policy and priority setting at the EU level, as well as facilitate the exchange of experiences and good practices. Proposals can also benefit from sharing best practices and learning from other relevant projects in the field of TIs, while also considering existing best management practices and European frameworks in relevant technology fields.

Regarding general conditions, the 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. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other eligible conditions are also described in Annex B, while financial and operational capacity and exclusion are detailed in Annex C. Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are in Annex D, and submission and evaluation processes are in Annex F and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F. The legal and financial setup of the grants allows the granting authority to object to ownership transfer or exclusive licensing of results for up to four years after the action's end, as per Annex 5. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of July 7, 2021, and Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. The standard application form is HE CSA, and the evaluation form is a standard evaluation form (HE CSA) that will be adapted as necessary. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. Model Grant Agreements include the Lump Sum MGA, Operating Grants MGA, and Framework Partnership Agreement FPA. Call-specific instructions, a detailed budget table (HE LS), information on financial support to third parties (HE), information on clinical studies (HE), and guidance on lump sums are also available. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction, Digital, Industry and Space, Horizontal Activities, and General Annexes), the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, the EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

This funding opportunity is focused on improving the management and operational capabilities of Technology Infrastructures across the EU. It seeks to address challenges stemming from rapid technological changes, skills shortages, and budget constraints by attracting skilled management professionals and enhancing the skills of existing staff. The goal is to make these infrastructures more efficient, accessible, and better equipped to support industry, especially SMEs and startups, thereby fostering innovation and economic growth. The call encourages collaboration and the sharing of best practices among TIs to create a more cohesive and effective European research and innovation ecosystem.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the context of Horizon Europe, eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations involved in research and innovation. The call is specifically targeted towards attracting management talent to technology infrastructures, suggesting that technology infrastructures themselves or organizations closely collaborating with them are primary targets.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) being HORIZON-AG-LS. The call also includes HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), which are grants designed to coordinate research, disseminate knowledge, and support collaboration.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the emphasis on transnational collaboration and the nature of Coordination and Support Actions, a consortium is highly probable. The call aims to foster collaboration among Technology Infrastructures, suggesting that multiple entities should be involved.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, as indicated by the reference to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the mention of non-EU/non-Associated Countries with specific provisions for funding.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: industry, technology infrastructures, management, organizational sciences, research, deep-tech innovation ecosystem, SMEs, startups, and scaleups. It focuses on enhancing skills, career profiles, and entrepreneurial skills within technology infrastructures.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU member states. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific provisions for funding, indicating a broader international scope beyond just the EU.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on coordination and support actions, which implies activities related to development, validation, and demonstration rather than basic research or initial idea stages. The emphasis is on attracting management talent, enhancing skills, and fostering collaboration, suggesting a maturity level geared towards implementation and improvement of existing infrastructures.

Funding Amount: The funding amount for the topic HORIZON-CL4-2026-01-MAT-PROD-44 is around €3,000,000, as indicated in the Budget overview section.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process, as stated under the "Deadline model" in the General Information section.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage, as indicated by the "Deadline model: single-stage" in the general information.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, specifically topic HORIZON-CL4-2026-01-MAT-PROD-44, focuses on attracting management talent to enhance the capacity of Technology Infrastructures within EU member states. It aims to address inefficiencies in technology infrastructure management caused by rapid technological advancements, skills gaps, and budget limitations. The call seeks proposals that develop schemes to attract management talent, enhance skills of technical staff, promote entrepreneurial skills, and foster transnational collaboration among Technology Infrastructures. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a single-stage submission. The projects should lead to a sound understanding of the competences and skills needs, improved training, increased collaboration, better uptake of services by industry, and improved business models for Technology Infrastructures. Eligible applicants include various organizations involved in research and innovation, particularly those closely associated with technology infrastructures. The geographic scope includes EU member states and associated countries, with potential provisions for non-EU/non-associated countries.