Higher Speed Optical Access Networks and future end-to-end Packet Optical Network Architecture in 6G

The HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01 grant is part of the Horizon Europe program, aimed at funding Research and Innovation Actions focused on developing advanced optical access networks and packet optical network architectures for 6G integration. The official call opened on May 22, 2025, and submissions are due by September 18, 2025. This grant emphasizes the creation of energy-efficient solutions with a total budget of approximately EUR 128 million dedicated to supporting these research efforts.

Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States, Associated Countries, OECD countries, and Mercosur countries, while excluding entities from non-eligible countries such as Russia, Belarus, and certain areas of Ukraine. Applicants must adhere to specific conditions, including the necessity for a gender equality plan for public bodies, research organizations, and higher education institutions.

The funding type available is a grant, specifically a Research and Innovation Action which provides non-repayable funding. The participation in projects necessitates collaboration among multiple partners, highlighting partnerships between industry and academia. The targeted sectors include Information and Communication Technology, with an emphasis on 6G architecture, optical networks, and the integration of advanced technologies like AI and quantum networking.

Funding amounts vary by project stream, typically ranging from EUR 8 million to EUR 21 million, with notable grants such as EUR 15 million for certain topics and indicative numbers of grants per topic generally being low-moderate, which suggests competitive selection.

The call process follows a single-stage submission model, which allows for streamlined evaluation. However, success rates are not specified, and co-funding requirements appear to be non-existent as Horizon Europe typically covers 100% of eligible costs for RIAs.

Overall, this initiative aims to advance the capabilities of future networks by fostering innovations in optical access and packet optical architectures, enhancing EU leadership in telecommunications, and supporting sustainable network solutions while promoting collaboration among diverse stakeholders in the telecom ecosystem.

The EU's Horizon Europe program, under call HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01, is offering funding for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) aimed at developing higher speed optical access networks and future end-to-end packet optical network architecture for integration with 6G. The call, titled "Higher Speed Optical Access Networks and future end-to-end Packet Optical Network Architecture in 6G," falls under Stream B-03. The submission session is now available since May 22, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is September 18, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of the projects funded under this call is the availability of advanced optical access networks and packet optical network architectures that can be integrated with 6G. These systems should be applicable across various domains, providing energy-efficient data transport for very high throughput rates. Key targets include:

Integration of high-performance and efficient passive optical networks (PON) based on technologies like PON or DWDM, and adaptive multiband optical transmission, including xhaul, into the 6G architecture.
Integration of photonics and wireless systems, including sensing capabilities.
Development of protocols for future end-to-end packet optical network architecture, considering adaptive multiband optical transmission and open, disaggregated optical networks.
AI-enhanced green optical networks and systems, AI-enabled optical network automation, and optical sensing for environment and networks.
Enhanced trustworthiness through security enhancements and increased resilience.

The proposed activities should address both research and innovation issues for low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) topics and plan for demonstrations of end-to-end architecture, particularly for very wideband use cases, to showcase overall energy consumption.

The scope of the call focuses on:

Higher speed optical access networks and future end-to-end packet optical network architecture in all network domains.
Architectures and protocols for access and backhaul use cases, including potential optical space links in Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) systems.
Integration of wireless, optical, and optical sensing technologies to support services.
AI support for network automation and efficient resource utilization, focusing on energy consumption and efficiency.
Quantum networking over fiber for trustworthy systems and applications.
Impact of photonic systems in 6G on energy consumption and sustainability.

Applicants should clearly identify the specific areas and priorities they are addressing within their proposals.

Restrictions on participation apply in accordance with Article 22(5) of the Horizon Europe Regulation, limiting participation in Stream B and Stream C to legal entities established in Member States, Associated Countries, OECD, and Mercosur countries. Entities controlled by non-eligible countries or entities may face restrictions unless they can demonstrate that their participation would not negatively impact the Union’s strategic interests. Entities assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment are not eligible. Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine are also ineligible.

The proposal page limit for RIAs submitted under Stream B and C is 70 pages.

The general conditions of the call include adherence to General Annex A of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2023-2025, with specific derogations to page limits. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with additional restrictions as mentioned above. Other eligible conditions include those described in Annex B, with an additional requirement for gender equality plans for public bodies, research organizations, and higher education establishments. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are based on General Annex C. Evaluation and award processes are detailed in Annexes D and F, with specific complements for SME and IKOP objectives. The legal and financial setup of grants follows General Annex G, with additional requirements for cooperation among selected projects. AI/ML training datasets created within selected projects must be made available through a common repository. General Annex H is not applicable to this call.

A call-specific application form must be used, which will be available in the Submission System.

The indicative budget and number of grants for the various streams are as follows:

HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-01-01: EUR 15,000,000, indicative number of grants 5
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-01-02: EUR 9,000,000, indicative number of grants 3
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-02: EUR 21,000,000, indicative number of grants 3
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-03-01: EUR 8,000,000, indicative number of grants 1
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-03-02: EUR 8,000,000, indicative number of grants 1
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-04-01: EUR 8,000,000, indicative number of grants 1
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-04-02: EUR 8,000,000, indicative number of grants 1
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-05: EUR 12,000,000, indicative number of grants 1
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-C-01: EUR 15,000,000, indicative number of grants 1

There are 35 partner search announcements available.

This Horizon Europe call aims to foster research and innovation in optical access networks and packet optical network architectures to support the future 6G mobile communication standard. It seeks to integrate advanced photonics, wireless systems, and AI to create energy-efficient, secure, and high-capacity networks. The call encourages collaboration and synergy between different initiatives and emphasizes the importance of SME participation and gender equality in research. By addressing both low TRL research and end-to-end architecture demonstrations, the EU aims to strengthen its strategic assets and autonomy in the global technology landscape.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are legal entities established in Member States, Associated Countries, OECD, and Mercosur countries. Restrictions apply to entities controlled by non-eligible countries or those assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment. Public bodies, research organizations, and higher education establishments must provide a gender equality plan.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-JU-RIA) under the Horizon Europe Programme. The Model Grant Agreement is a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as it encourages cooperation among participants and mentions collaboration agreements.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Eligible countries include EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, OECD countries, and Mercosur countries. Restrictions apply to entities controlled by non-eligible countries and entities established in Russia, Belarus, or non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine.

Target Sector: The target sector is ICT, specifically focusing on 6G architecture, optical access networks, photonics, wireless systems, AI, and quantum networking.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, Associated Countries, OECD countries, Mercosur countries, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine.

Project Stage: The project stage ranges from low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) research and innovation (R&I) to demonstration of end-to-end architecture.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic:
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-01-01: EUR 15,000,000 (Indicative number of grants: 5, around EUR 3,000,000 each)
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-01-02: EUR 9,000,000 (Indicative number of grants: 3, around EUR 3,000,000 each)
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-02: EUR 21,000,000 (Indicative number of grants: 3, around EUR 7,000,000 each)
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-03-01: EUR 8,000,000 (Indicative number of grants: 1, around EUR 8,000,000)
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-03-02: EUR 8,000,000 (Indicative number of grants: 1, around EUR 8,000,000)
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-04-01: EUR 8,000,000 (Indicative number of grants: 1, around EUR 8,000,000)
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-04-02: EUR 8,000,000 (Indicative number of grants: 1, around EUR 8,000,000)
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-B-05: EUR 12,000,000 (Indicative number of grants: 1, around EUR 12,000,000)
HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01-STREAM-C-01: EUR 15,000,000 (Indicative number of grants: 1, around EUR 15,000,000)

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 fund 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 per topic provides some insight.

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

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-JU-SNS-2025-01, focuses on Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) to advance 6G architecture, particularly in higher-speed optical access networks and end-to-end packet optical network architecture. The call aims to integrate advanced photonics, wireless systems, and AI to create energy-efficient, trustworthy, and resilient networks. Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States, Associated Countries, OECD, and Mercosur countries, with specific restrictions for entities controlled by non-eligible countries or those deemed high-risk suppliers. The funding amounts vary by topic, ranging from EUR 8 million to EUR 21 million, and the application process involves a single-stage submission with a deadline of September 18, 2025. The call encourages collaboration and synergy with other initiatives like Photonics 21 and Chips JU, and it emphasizes the importance of gender equality plans for participating organizations. The ultimate goal is to develop and demonstrate end-to-end 6G architectures that support very wideband services and applications while minimizing energy consumption.