Enhanced Learning Strategies for General Purpose AI: Advancing GenAI4EU (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)

The HORIZON-CL4 grant, titled "Enhanced Learning Strategies for General Purpose AI: Advancing GenAI4EU," is part of the Horizon Europe program aimed at advancing General Purpose AI (GPAI) through interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Proposals are expected to be submitted by consortia including universities, research institutes, SMEs, and large enterprises that demonstrate the necessary technical expertise and engage with existing projects and the GenAI4EU Central Hub. Funding for the grant is structured as a monetary grant specifically categorized under RIA (Research and Innovation Actions). The primary geographical eligibility includes legal entities from EU Member States, along with associated countries such as Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The project targets various sectors including robotics, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, and data, with an emphasis on fostering European industrial leadership. Proposals must aim at developing advanced GPAI models with capabilities like formal reasoning, seamless adaptability to dynamic environments, and effective integration of innovative learning approaches, including hybrid learning architectures and various complementary learning techniques. The expected funding amounts will range from €6 million to €8 million per project. The application process will be a single-stage open call, with a submission deadline set for October 2, 2025. The success rates for similar grants typically range from 10% to 39%. Although co-funding is not explicitly required, collaborative efforts with national and regional initiatives are encouraged. Significant emphasis is placed on following Open Science principles and contributing to the broader European AI ecosystem through knowledge sharing. Successful applications should include mechanisms for assessing progress and demonstrating practical applications, ultimately contributing to the EU's climate neutrality objectives and strengthening the EU's position in the global AI landscape.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL4, titled "Enhanced Learning Strategies for General Purpose AI: Advancing GenAI4EU (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)". It falls under the DIGITAL - HADEA (HORIZON-CL4-2025-04) call and is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA). The Model Grant Agreement type is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. It is a forthcoming call with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 10 June 2025, and the deadline for submission is 02 October 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this call are:Development of General Purpose AI (GPAI) models and architectures demonstrating enhanced capabilities, such as formal reasoning, mathematical problem-solving, confidence level estimation, long-term planning, and seamless adaptation to dynamic and non-stationary environments. Innovative learning approaches combining self-supervised learning with hybrid learning, active learning, reinforcement learning, transfer learning, relational learning or continual learning and evolutionary learning. Theoretical insights to advance the understanding of synergies between self-supervised and complementary learning paradigms in GPAI model development.

The scope of this call is to push the boundaries of current AI technology by developing groundbreaking GPAI models that combine self-supervised learning with complementary learning strategies. These strategies include: Hybrid learning, which integrates symbolic reasoning and knowledge representation; active learning, which allows models to actively seek information to improve their performance; reinforcement learning, which enables models to learn through interaction with their environment; relational learning, which focuses on learning from relational data structures; continual learning, which allows models to continuously adapt and acquire new knowledge without forgetting previous tasks; evolutionary learning, which draws inspiration from biological evolution to optimize model architectures and parameters; and physics-based learning, which considers physical properties in the models’ architectures.

The call prioritizes proposals that explore innovative approaches to developing GPAI models, focusing on at least one of the following key research areas: Hybrid Learning Architectures for Advanced Reasoning: Development of architectures integrating self-supervised learning with symbolic reasoning, knowledge representation, and neuro-symbolic methods to foster robust reasoning, complex planning, and problem-solving abilities within GPAI. Continual and Evolutionary Learning for Dynamic Environments: Research on paradigms enabling GPAI models to seamlessly adapt, learn from changing conditions, and retain knowledge essential for operation in dynamic, real-world environments. Reinforcement Learning Integration: Research on the fusion of self-supervised learning and reinforcement learning to overcome challenges like non-stationary data, algorithm sensitivity, and computational cost. Explainable AI and Trustworthy Decision-Making: Integration of robust XAI methodologies, exploring causal inference and counterfactual reasoning techniques to enhance transparency, accountability, and responsible use of GPAI models in alignment with European values and principles. Other Novel Paradigms: Research on the combination of self-supervised learning with other learning paradigms, such as active learning, relational learning, and embodied learning, to equip GPAI models with new advanced capabilities.

Proposed projects should aim for a balanced approach between theoretical advancements and practical applications, with a strong emphasis on the development of GPAI models that align with European values and principles, including the AI Act. The potential impact of this research extends beyond scientific advancements, as it has the potential to transform key European industries and sectors, including advanced robotics, personalized healthcare, mobility, manufacturing, sustainable energy solutions, and the scientific sector, and to contribute to the EU climate neutrality objective through energy efficiency.

The call strongly encourages the formation of interdisciplinary teams combining the necessary technical expertise. Proposals must adhere to Horizon Europe's requirements regarding Open Science. All proposals are expected to incorporate mechanisms for assessing and demonstrating progress, including qualitative and quantitative KPIs, benchmarking, and progress monitoring. This should include participation in international evaluation contests and the presentation of illustrative application use-cases that demonstrate concrete potential added value. Communicable results should be shared with the European R&D community through the AI-on-demand platform, and if necessary, other relevant digital resource platforms to bolster the European AI, Data, and Robotics ecosystem by disseminating results and best practices.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics (ADRA), and all proposals are expected to allocate tasks for cohesion activities with ADRA and the CSA HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-18: GenAI4EU central Hub. Proposals should also build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop synergies and complementarities with relevant projects funded under Horizon Europe but also under the Digital Europe Programme (DEP).

Regarding admissibility conditions, proposal page limits and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and 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. Participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States, Iceland and Norway and the following additional associated countries: Canada, Israel, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Entities controlled by non-eligible countries may not participate unless they can demonstrate that their participation would not negatively impact the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and 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 are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA). Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the HE MGA. Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space, 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, 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, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for the call in 2025 includes several topics:HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DATA-02 (€30,000,000, contributions of 6,000,000 to €8,000,000, 4 grants), HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DATA-03 (€15,000,000, contributions of 4,000,000 to €6,000,000, 3 grants), HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01 (€25,000,000, contributions of 4,000,000 to €6,000,000, 5 grants), HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-04 (€7,000,000, contributions of 3,000,000 to €4,000,000, 2 grants), HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-05 (€20,000,000, contributions around €10,000,000, 2 grants), HORIZON-CL4 (€30,000,000, contributions around €15,000,000, 2 grants), and HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-HUMAN-08 (€5,000,000, contributions of 1,000,000 to €2,000,000, 2 grants).

There are 38 partner search announcements available. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

This Horizon Europe call aims to foster the development of next-generation General Purpose AI models by encouraging research into innovative learning strategies that combine self-supervised learning with complementary techniques. The goal is to overcome the limitations of current AI models, such as their lack of adaptability, limited reasoning abilities, and failure to recognize their own limitations. The call encourages interdisciplinary teams to develop GPAI models that are not only theoretically sound but also practically applicable and aligned with European values and principles. Successful projects are expected to contribute to various industries and sectors, enhancing productivity, improving decision-making, and fostering innovation while adhering to Open Science principles and promoting collaboration within the European AI, Data, and Robotics ecosystem. The call also emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the Union's strategic assets and interests by limiting participation to legal entities from Member States, Iceland, Norway, and other associated countries, with strict conditions for entities controlled by non-eligible countries.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are legal entities established in Member States, Iceland and Norway and the following additional associated countries: Canada, Israel, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Entities directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or entity may be restricted unless guarantees are provided. The call strongly encourages the formation of interdisciplinary teams combining the necessary technical expertise.

Funding Type:The funding type is a grant, specifically HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) under the Horizon Europe Programme.

Consortium Requirement:The call encourages the formation of interdisciplinary teams, suggesting a consortium is preferred, although not explicitly stated as mandatory.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility is limited to legal entities established in Member States of the EU, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Target Sector:The target sector is digital, specifically focusing on General Purpose AI (GPAI) models, data, and robotics. It also encompasses industries and sectors like advanced robotics, personalized healthcare, mobility, manufacturing, sustainable energy solutions, and the scientific sector.

Mentioned Countries:Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Also mentioned are EU Member States.

Project Stage:The project stage is research, development, and innovation, aiming to develop groundbreaking GPAI models and architectures.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call:

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DATA-02:€6,000,000 to €8,000,000

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DATA-03:€4,000,000 to €6,000,000

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01:€4,000,000 to €6,000,000

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-04:€3,000,000 to €4,000,000

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-05:Around €10,000,000

HORIZON-CL4:Around €15,000,000

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-HUMAN-08:€1,000,000 to €2,000,000

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 grants to support their research and innovation activities.

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

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.

Co-funding Requirement:The need for co-funding is not explicitly mentioned, so it is assumed that co-funding is not required.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, part of the DIGITAL - HADEA (HORIZON-CL4-2025-04) program, aims to foster the development of next-generation General Purpose AI (GPAI) models. It seeks to overcome the limitations of current AI systems by promoting research and innovation in areas such as hybrid learning architectures, continual learning, reinforcement learning integration, explainable AI, and other novel learning paradigms. The call encourages interdisciplinary teams to propose projects that combine theoretical advancements with practical applications, aligning with European values and principles, including the AI Act. The expected outcomes include the development of GPAI models with enhanced capabilities like formal reasoning, mathematical problem-solving, and adaptation to dynamic environments. The funding is available to legal entities from EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, and associated countries like Canada, Israel, South Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget and indicative number of grants, ranging from €1,000,000 to €15,000,000. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of October 2, 2025. This initiative is designed to transform key European industries and sectors, contributing to the EU's climate neutrality objective and fostering innovation across various domains.