Critical Facilities Serving Space EEE components for EU non-dependence – High and Very High Energy Irradiation Test Facility Market Deployment

The grant opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe framework and is specifically titled HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-85, which focuses on establishing critical facilities for space Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical (EEE) components to promote EU non-dependence. It aims at developing high and very high energy irradiation test facilities. This call is classified as a Horizon Innovation Action with a budget of approximately €3,920,000 specifically allocated for this topic. Each project can receive an estimated funding of €3,000,000 to €4,000,000.

Eligible applicants for this grant are legal entities based in EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland. This includes large enterprises, research institutions, universities, and space industry consortia specializing in radiation testing and space technologies. The opportunity appears to encourage a consortium approach, emphasizing collaboration across multiple entities as necessary for the development of complex space systems and technologies.

The call is set to open on March 10, 2026, with a submission deadline of September 3, 2026, and it follows a single-stage application process. With only one project expected to receive funding, the competition for this financial support is anticipated to be highly competitive, potentially with a success rate below 10%.

The overarching aim is to enhance the EU's strategic autonomy in space by ensuring access to critical testing facilities to support important space missions, including Galileo, EGNOS, and Copernicus. The establishment of these facilities is viewed as vital for reducing dependency on non-EU irradiation testing services and ensuring that European interests are prioritized.

Applicants are required to propose a comprehensive plan detailing the technology to be used for irradiation, the supply chain’s structure, and the strategy for maintaining EU-based availability of critical components. The proposal should also include a business plan for navigating commercialization and open access governance for external stakeholders.

In summary, this grant opportunity provides significant support for creating a pioneering irradiation test facility in the EU, aimed at fostering technological independence, enhancing competitive capabilities in the European space sector, and ensuring adherence to strategic interests within the region.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-85, focusing on Critical Facilities Serving Space EEE components for EU non-dependence – High and Very High Energy Irradiation Test Facility Market Deployment. It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The call is forthcoming with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 10 March 2026, and the deadline for submission is 03 September 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time. The topic budget is 3,920,000 EUR for the year 2026, with contributions ranging from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR. The indicative number of grants is 1.

The expected outcomes of the project are: Reinforcing EU strategic autonomy by reducing non-EU dependencies on critical space EEE components across their entire supply chain, including radiation testing facilities; Providing unrestricted access to critical space EEE components and testing facilities relevant for EU space missions (Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus, IRIS2 and EU pilot missions on In-Orbit Space Operations and Quantum Gravimetry); Developing or regaining capacity to operate independently in space by developing resilient space EEE components and testing facilities supply chains, relying on EU supply chains and/or trustable and reliable supply chains not affected by non-EU export restrictions; Enhancing competitiveness by developing products and capabilities reaching equivalent or superior performance level than those from outside the EU and compete at worldwide level.

The scope of the project involves financing and implementing a development project aimed at maturing a dedicated irradiation test facility open to EU space stakeholders. The focus is on testing EEE components for space applications, with the ultimate goal of lowering dependency from outside the EU. This will be achieved by transitioning from small-scale prototype irradiation testing demonstrations to a fully-fledged irradiation test facility with sufficient beam time spread across the entire year, supporting EU strategic autonomy in the space sector. The selection of supply chains should reflect this objective, preferably being fully based in the EU. If services are procured from outside the EU, the overall supply chain must remain trustable, not subject to national prioritization, and not affected by non-EU export control. The granting authority (DG-DEFIS and HaDEA) must approve the latter scenario.

The focused space development is based on needs related to strategic institutional space programs, inputs from European stakeholders, and the EU Observatory of Critical Technologies: High and Very High Energy (70 MeV/n up to 1GeV/n) Irradiation Test Facility Deployment. Further details will be provided at the opening of the Call in a Guidance document published on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Applicants are expected to include a dedicated proposal paragraph covering: The description of the technology that will be used for providing the irradiation beam and high-level breakdown of the supply chain relevant for the whole test facility. Applicants should demonstrate that the supply chain and final test facility are free of any legal export restrictions or limitations, such as those established in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or equivalent instruments applicable in other non-EU jurisdictions. Applicants shall also report, in a dedicated subsection, if and which part of the supply chain is affected by non-EU export controls such as the Export Administration regulation (EAR) i.e. EAR99.

The testing facility shall be open and accessible toward EU and non-EU space stakeholders nevertheless in case the amount of beam time requested will be exceeding the beam time available, the allocation shall be prioritizing EU based stakeholders. Requests coming from non-EU shall be analysed on an ad-hoc basis, considering also the remaining available beam time. This prioritization scheme shall be reflected in the proposal. The test facility as well as related control software and booking platform/website toward the public should clearly report the EU flag.

The proposal is expected to include specific tasks as part of the work plan and related dedicated confidential deliverables to be provided within six months from the start of the project, with the objective of: Analysing and describing, in detail, the full supply chain, each entity and its role in the supply chain, level of criticality and, if relevant, identify dependencies from outside EU; Describing the technical roadmap and a business plan for commercialization (e.g. open access of the facility to the external space stakeholders) and future possible upgrades with accurate understanding of applications needs and relevance for EU space missions. Undertaking a comprehensive literature review of the relevant high and very high energy radiation test facilities at global level reporting the state-of-the-art and highlighting potential gaps between current EU solutions and competition from outside EU.

Beneficiaries must ensure that none of the entities that participate as subcontractors are established in countries which are not eligible as set out in the call conditions, unless otherwise agreed with the granting authority. The consortium as a whole and individual beneficiaries should ensure that, for a period of up to four years after the end of the project, supply and availability of the hardware, manufacturing, assembly processes developed and/or qualified within the project should be made available to any entity in the EU plus Norway and Iceland, at fair and reasonable market prices and conditions and with no legal restrictions and limitations stemming for example from International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or equivalent instruments applicable in non-EU jurisdictions. Additionally, beneficiaries that intend to transfer ownership or grant an exclusive licence must formally notify the granting authority before the intended transfer or licensing takes place; the granting authority may, up to four years after the end of the project, object to a transfer of ownership or the exclusive licensing of results. The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not relevant for this topic.

The page limit of the application is 80 pages. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. 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.

If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States, Norway, and Iceland to safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security. Entities directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or entity may not participate unless guarantees are provided and assessed positively.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. The evaluation committee will be composed partially by representatives of EU institutions. 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 are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information is available, with application form templates and evaluation form templates accessible via the Submission System. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, and the Model Grant Agreements (MGA) are HE MGA. A compulsory questionnaire on the declaration of ownership and control is to be filled by all project participants as part of the application. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and other related documents.

This funding opportunity aims to establish a state-of-the-art irradiation test facility within the EU to reduce reliance on external facilities for testing space-bound electronic components. The goal is to bolster the EU's strategic autonomy in space by ensuring that European companies have access to reliable and trustworthy testing services within the Union. The project seeks to mature existing prototype testing capabilities into a fully operational facility, accessible to both EU and non-EU stakeholders, while prioritizing EU-based entities. Applicants must demonstrate a clear understanding of the technology involved, the supply chain, and the commercial viability of the proposed facility, as well as its relevance to EU space missions. The project also requires a detailed analysis of existing global radiation test facilities to identify gaps and opportunities for the EU facility to excel. Ultimately, this initiative aims to enhance the competitiveness of the European space industry by providing unrestricted access to high-performance space EEE components and testing facilities.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are legal entities established in Member States, Norway, and Iceland. However, entities established in an eligible country but directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or entity may participate under specific conditions and guarantees. The call is primarily targeted towards entities involved in the space industry, including those specializing in EEE components, testing facilities, and related technologies. This encompasses a range of organizations, including but not limited to startups, SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, universities, and other relevant stakeholders in the space sector.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] under the Horizon Europe program. The call includes both HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to favor a consortium approach, as it emphasizes collaboration and complementarity between European non-space and space industries. The text mentions the consortium as a whole and individual beneficiaries should ensure supply and availability of hardware, manufacturing, and assembly processes.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on legal entities established in Member States of the European Union, as well as Norway and Iceland. Participation is limited to these countries to safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is the space industry, with a specific focus on critical facilities serving space, particularly those related to Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical (EEE) components. The program targets the development and market deployment of high and very high energy irradiation test facilities.

Mentioned Countries: European Union member states, Norway, Iceland.

Project Stage: The project stage targets maturing the development of a dedicated irradiation test facility, moving from small-scale prototype irradiation testing demonstrations to a fully-fledged irradiation test facility. This suggests a focus on the development, validation, and demonstration stages, with an ultimate goal of market deployment and commercialization.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call:
HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-11: €10,000,000 to €15,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-31: €3,000,000 to €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-32: €5,000,000 to €10,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-61: €1,500,000 to €2,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-81: €12,000,000 to €13,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-82: €6,000,000 to €7,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-85: €3,000,000 to €4,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-86: €2,000,000 to €3,000,000

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to finance and implement their development projects.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate, which would depend on the number of applications received.

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

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on enhancing the EU's strategic autonomy in the space sector by supporting the development and deployment of a high and very high energy irradiation test facility for EEE components. The goal is to reduce dependence on non-EU sources for critical space components and testing facilities, ensuring unrestricted access for EU space missions. The call encourages collaboration between space and non-space industries within the EU, Norway, and Iceland. Applicants are expected to propose projects that mature prototype irradiation testing into fully-fledged facilities, with a focus on reliable supply chains, commercialization, and adherence to EU strategic interests. The funding is provided through Horizon Innovation Actions and Research and Innovation Actions, with varying budget ranges depending on the specific topic. The application process is a single-stage open call, and proposals must demonstrate a clear understanding of the technology, supply chain, and business plan for the testing facility. The initiative aims to bolster the competitiveness of the EU space industry and ensure its independence in critical space technologies.