IA Resilience call reinforcing Europe's strength in photonics

Call HORIZON-JU (IA Resilience) funds industrial scale-up of advanced photonic platforms targeting TRL 5–8 with emphasis on wafer-level process scaling, scalable automated packaging and test, heterogeneous integration and system-level demonstrations. The topic has an indicative EU budget of €20 million with an expected two grants and an approximate EU contribution of €10 million per project (range €1 million to €10 million). Single-stage electronic submission is via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the deadline for proposals is 16 September 2026. Applicants must form industry-led consortia, comply with Chips JU and Horizon eligibility and security rules and submit Ownership Control Declarations where required.

Call HORIZON-JU-CHIPS-2026-FT2-IA (Innovation Action)

High-level summary

Supports industrial scale-up of advanced photonic platforms:wafer-level photonic process scaling (SiN, InP, GaAs), scalable packaging and test solutions, heterogeneous integration (on-chip lasers, modulators, detectors), design-process-equipment co-optimisation (PDKs, validated building blocks) and system-level demonstrations in strategic sectors with quantified performance and market relevance. Proposal requirements include consortiums, technical maturity toward manufacturing and demonstrators, and ownership control declarations for eligibility. Apply via the Chips JU / EU Funding & Tenders Portal Chips JU topic page. ¹

Who can apply:Consortia of legal entities (industry, manufacturers, research organisations, SMEs) from EU Member States and associated countries; participation restrictions apply for protection of critical digital infrastructures and Ownership Control Declarations are required for assessment.

1. 1What it funds: innovation actions to industrialise and demonstrate high-volume, manufacturable photonic platforms and system-level use cases.
2. 2Who: multi-partner consortia combining industrial actors (manufacturers, packagers, test houses), research centres and relevant end-users.
3. 3Funding scale: expected EU contribution per project approximately €10 million; call indicates 2 expected grants with minEUR 1,000,000 and maxEUR 10,000,000 per project, total topic budget approx. €20 million (2026).
4. 4Deadline and procedure: single-stage submission, deadline 16 September 2026; submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

For application templates, evaluation rules and obligations (including Ownership Control Declaration and detailed eligibility) consult the Chips JU call documents and Guide for Applicants on the call page Chips JU topic page.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary call information and documents available at the Funding & Tenders Portal and Chips JU call page: ec.europa.eu

Call summary and purpose

This is a Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) Call for Proposals under the Horizon framework titled HORIZON-JU. It is an Innovation Action (IA) aimed at supporting the industrial scale-up of advanced photonic platforms to bridge the gap between research and production. The call targets wafer-level photonic process scaling, packaging and test automation, heterogeneous integration, design-process-equipment co-optimisation, and demonstration of system-level functionality in strategic application sectors such as AI, sensing, telecommunications, mobility, health and defence.

Key dates, budget and action type

Deadline:16 September 2026 (single-stage submission). Planned opening date for submission: 7 July 2026. The call action type is HORIZON JU Innovation Actions (HORIZON-JU-IA). Indicative EU budget mapped to this topic for 2026 is €20,000,000. Expected EU contribution per project is approximately €10,000,000. The budget mapping for this topic indicates an expected number of grants of 2, with per-project contributions ranging from a minimum of €1,000,000 to a maximum of €10,000,000.

Submission procedure:Single-stage electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal submission service. To start submission, choose the submission button next to the relevant action and model grant agreement in the portal. Existing draft proposals are accessed via My Proposals in My Area.

Expected outcome and technical scope

Proposals must address several of the following elements. Projects should focus on scaling, integration, manufacturability and system demonstration with clear market relevance and quantified performance metrics.

1. 1Scaling of wafer-level photonic processes for key materials (examples given: silicon nitride SiN, indium phosphide InP, gallium arsenide GaAs), including process integration, yield optimisation, and manufacturability at high volumes.
2. 2Development of packaging and test solutions that are scalable, automated, and compatible with co-packaged optics and advanced photonic-electronic integration.
3. 3Integration of heterogeneous materials and components, such as on-chip lasers, modulators, and detectors, using advanced packaging and assembly approaches.
4. 4Design-process-equipment co-optimisation enabling repeatable, cost-effective production of complex photonic circuits and systems, including the use of Process Design Kits (PDKs) and validated building blocks.
5. 5Demonstration of system-level functionality through application-relevant use cases in strategic sectors (examples: artificial intelligence, sensing, telecommunication, mobility, health, defence), with quantified performance metrics and clear market relevance.

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Type of action and participation:This is an Innovation Action under the Chips JU. The call page and work programme appendices define detailed eligibility and participation restrictions, including ownership control requirements and additional checks for protection of European digital infrastructures, communication and information systems and related supply chains.

1. 1Eligible applicant types: The call is open to organisations capable of delivering large-scale industrial photonics projects. Typical eligible entities include SMEs, startups, large enterprises, research organisations, universities, public research institutes, non-profit organisations and consortia combining these types of organisations. Specific participation rules, limits and restrictions are detailed in the Multiannual Work Programme and call documents.
2. 2Consortium requirement: The action is intended for consortia. The Funding & Tenders Portal lists the submission procedure as single-stage and the call documentation and templates are prepared for multi-partner proposals. Ownership Control Declarations (OCDs) are required from consortium members to assess eligibility under participation restrictions; these OCDs should normally be merged into a single PDF and uploaded with the proposal or submitted individually if sensitive.
3. 3Geographic eligibility: The call follows Chips JU / Horizon programme participation rules. Eligible participants include entities from EU Member States and Horizon-associated countries as defined by the Horizon framework and the Chips JU. National Contact Points and the Guide for Applicants provide details on participation from third countries and associated states.

Funding type, financial details and co-funding

Primary financial mechanism:Grant (Horizon Action Grant, budget-based, using the HORIZON-AG model grant agreement). The call uses the HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based MGA model.

Indicative funding amounts and budget distribution:Indicative EU contribution per project approximately €10,000,000. Topic-level budget for 2026: €20,000,000, with an expected number of grants of 2, minimum contribution per project indicated as €1,000,000 and maximum contribution indicated as €10,000,000.

Co-funding requirement:The call documentation refers to the standard Horizon/Chips JU funding rules and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement. Specific co-funding percentages or in-kind contributions are not listed in the scraped summary text. Applicants must consult the 2026 Guide for Applicants, the Annotated Model Grant Agreement and call-specific documents for precise funding rates, eligibility of costs and co-financing obligations. For Horizon grants, beneficiaries normally finance the remaining eligible costs not covered by the EU contribution; the exact percentage rates and rules depend on the action and beneficiary type and are set out in the MGA and Guide for Applicants ¹.

Application process, templates and required documents

Application is electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Several call-specific templates and guidance documents are provided on the Chips JU call page and in the Funding & Tenders Portal call documents section. Applicants must follow the page limits and layout specified in Part B of the Application Form and use the provided templates.

1. 1Template Application form Part B IA-RIA-FT FPP (Part B template).
2. 22026 Guide for Applicants RIA_IA_FT-FPP (Guide for Applicants for this type of call).
3. 3Evaluation Form Chips IA RIA FT-FPP (evaluation criteria and scoring layout).
4. 4Ownership Control Declaration form template (OCD).
5. 5National Budgets Table template (xls) for national budget reporting where relevant.
6. 6Chips JU Multiannual Work Programme and Appendix 7 - Electronic Components and Systems (ECS) - 2026 (call-specific rules and priorities).
7. 7Annotated Model Grant Agreement for EU Funding Programmes 2021-2027 and Model Grant Agreements (MGA) related documents.
8. 8Call-specific instructions, information on financial support to third parties, information on clinical studies where relevant, and EU Financial Regulation references.

How templates look and what to include (structure outline):Part B Application Form: Typically structured into sections including (but not limited to) excellence (objectives, relation to topic, concept and methodology, innovation potential), impact (expected outcomes, exploitation and dissemination, market and commercialisation strategy, socio-economic impact), implementation (work plan, work packages, milestones, deliverables, consortium description, resources, risk management), and ethics and security considerations. Ownership Control Declaration: per legal entity form to declare ownership and control; usually merged into single PDF for upload. National Budgets Table: Excel table to map national budget contributions if relevant. Full structure and mandatory sections are provided in the Part B template and Guide for Applicants that must be followed precisely.

Evaluation, selection and support

The call follows the Chips JU evaluation and selection procedures. Evaluation criteria and scoring are provided in the Evaluation Form. There is a call-specific Decision on the evaluation and selection procedures related to calls launched by the Chips JU. Applicants should expect evaluation according to standard Horizon rules covering excellence, impact and quality and efficiency of implementation, plus additional Chips JU rules where applicable (e.g., participation restrictions for critical infrastructures).

Support services and contacts:For questions about the call contact Calls@chips-ju.europa.eu. Additional support resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Programme Guide for Horizon, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points, Enterprise Europe Network, and the IT Helpdesk. Intellectual property advice is available from the European IPR Helpdesk. Standardisation advice is available from CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks.

Cross-cutting priorities, restrictions and compliance

Cross-cutting priority:Digital Agenda. The call is subject to participation restrictions for the protection of European digital infrastructures and related supply chains; Annex 4 to the Multiannual Work Programme describes these restrictions in detail. Applicants must submit Ownership Control Declarations to allow eligibility checks. Security, ethics and possible clinical study rules apply where relevant and are specified in the call documents and Annexes.

Target sectors and technology areas

This call targets the photonics value chain and applied sectors where photonics systems provide strategic advantage. The thematic and industry sectors include photonics, semiconductors, optical components and packaging, electronics-photonics integration, advanced manufacturing and test, and downstream application sectors such as artificial intelligence, sensing, telecommunications, mobility, health and defence.

1. 1Photonics platforms and manufacturing (materials mentioned: SiN, InP, GaAs).
2. 2Packaging, assembly and test automation for co-packaged optics and photonic-electronic integration.
3. 3Heterogeneous integration of on-chip lasers, modulators, detectors, and other active/passive photonic components.
4. 4Design-process-equipment co-optimisation, including PDK development and validated building blocks.
5. 5System-level demonstration in application-relevant use cases with market focus and quantified metrics.

Project maturity and expected stage

Expected project stage:development, validation, demonstration and early industrial scale-up. The call supports transition from research and pilot production to manufacturable, high-volume production and system-level demonstrations with market relevance.

Geographic and country mentions

Documents and the call are published by the European Commission / Chips JU. Geographic eligibility follows Horizon and Chips JU rules (EU Member States and Horizon-associated countries). The scraped content does not explicitly list individual countries; the region of applicability is the EU and Horizon-associated countries unless otherwise specified in the Guide for Applicants and the Multiannual Work Programme.

Mentioned countries and region:No specific countries are explicitly named in the scraped call text. The relevant region is the European Union and Horizon-associated countries as per standard Horizon/Chips JU participation rules.

Application stages, evaluation and success rates

Application stages:single-stage submission (one formal submission). The Chips JU documentation references evaluation and selection procedures consistent with Horizon evaluation processes. There is no separate pre-proposal or two-stage evaluation for this topic according to the provided metadata.

Success rates:The scraped material does not provide historical or expected success rates for this specific call. The call indicates an expected number of grants of 2 from the topic budget; applicants should derive implied competitiveness from the expected number of grants versus likely applicant numbers, but precise success rates are not published in the call text.

Successor obligations and security compliance

Projects will be required to comply with Horizon/Chips JU reporting, auditing, ethics, security and ownership control requirements described in the Multiannual Work Programme and Model Grant Agreement. Participation restrictions for protection of European digital infrastructures may require additional declarations and potential limitations on participation from certain third-country controlled entities.

Contacts and support

For call-specific questions contact Calls@chips-ju.europa.eu. Additional support resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Horizon Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points, Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks.

Checklist for applicants

1. 1Confirm consortium composition and that all partners meet participation rules and ownership control requirements; prepare Ownership Control Declarations for each partner.
2. 2Download and follow the Template Application Form Part B and the 2026 Guide for Applicants exactly, respecting page limits and layout.
3. 3Prepare a proposal addressing the topic expected outcomes: wafer-level scaling, packaging/test automation, heterogeneous integration, DPE co-optimisation, and system-level demonstrations with quantified metrics and market relevance.
4. 4Ensure compliance with security, ethics and any domain-specific regulations; include security-sensitive information handling instructions when uploading OCDs if needed.
5. 5Use the Funding & Tenders Portal to create, validate and submit the proposal before the single-stage deadline.
6. 6Consult the Annotated Model Grant Agreement and Chips JU Multiannual Work Programme (Appendix 7 ECS) for contractual, reporting and financial rules.
7. 7Contact Calls@chips-ju.europa.eu for clarifications and use National Contact Points or Enterprise Europe Network for consortium building and national-level support.

Summary:What this opportunity is about and how to explain it

This Chips JU Innovation Action call finances medium-to-large scale projects that accelerate the industrialisation and high-volume manufacturing readiness of advanced photonic technologies across materials, processes, packaging and system integration. It expects consortia to deliver end-to-end value: scaling wafer-level processes for key photonic materials, developing scalable and automated packaging and test solutions (including co-packaged optics), integrating heterogeneous photonic components (on-chip lasers, modulators, detectors), co-optimising design, process and equipment (including PDKs and validated building blocks), and demonstrating application-relevant system-level use cases with quantified metrics and market relevance in strategic sectors such as AI, sensing, telecoms, mobility, health and defence. The call provides significant EU funding, with an indicative per-project contribution around €10 million and an overall topic budget for 2026 of €20 million. Applicants must submit a single-stage electronic proposal using the provided templates and comply with Chips JU and Horizon eligibility, financial and security rules, including Ownership Control Declarations. Full application details, templates and legal requirements are available on the Chips JU call page and in the Guide for Applicants and Multiannual Work Programme Appendix 7.

Reference and where to apply:Official call page and submission entry are on the European Commission Funding & Tenders Portal topic page for HORIZON-JU and the Chips JU call page. The submission link and portal guidance are provided in the call documents and on the Funding & Tenders Portal submission interface.

Contact for questions:Calls@chips-ju.europa.eu.

Additional note:applicants should consult the provided Guide for Applicants and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement for definitive rules on funding rates, eligible costs, co-financing and other financial and contractual obligations ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Consult the 2026 Guide for Applicants, the Annotated Model Grant Agreement and the Chips JU Multiannual Work Programme Appendix 7 for exact funding rates, co-financing requirements, eligible costs and legal obligations. These documents are available from the Chips JU call page and the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Call Overview and Strategic Objective

This Innovation Action (IA) call, identified as HORIZON-JU, aims to support the industrial scale-up of advanced photonic platforms to bridge the gap between research and production in Europe [[1]][[2]]. The primary objective is to reinforce Europe's leadership in photonics by funding projects that deliver industrial-grade demonstrators at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 7–8 [[5]][[7]].

Key Technical Focus Areas

Proposals must address several core elements, including the scaling of wafer-level photonic processes for key materials like SiN, InP, and GaAs, with a focus on yield optimization and high-volume manufacturability [[1]][[14]].

Packaging and Integration:Projects must develop scalable, automated packaging and test solutions compatible with co-packaged optics and integrate heterogeneous materials such as on-chip lasers, modulators, and detectors [[1]][[5]].

Co-optimisation and System Functionality:The call requires design-process-equipment co-optimisation using PDKs and validated building blocks, culminating in system-level functionality demonstrations for strategic sectors like AI, sensing, telecommunication, and health [[1]][[14]].

Funding Details and Eligibility

This call is industry-led, requiring a consortium that may consist of large enterprises and SMEs, potentially including universities and public organizations [[16]]. The submission procedure is single-stage, with the deadline set for 16 September 2026 [[1]][[11]].

Participation Restrictions:This call is subject to participation restrictions for the protection of European digital infrastructures; participants must submit Ownership Control Declarations (OCD) to assess eligibility [[2]][[7]].

Application Timeline and Resources

1. 1Opening Date: 07 July 2026 [[1]][[2]]
2. 2Submission Deadline: 16 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time) [[1]][[4]]
3. 3Submission Portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal [[1]][[8]]
4. 4Key Documents: 2026 Guide for Applicants, Model Grant Agreement, and Ownership Control Declaration template [[2]][[7]]

Applicants should consult the Chips JU Multiannual Work Programme and Appendix 7 for detailed call conditions and national co-funding opportunities [[2]][[7]]. For support, contact Calls@chips-ju.europa.eu [[1]].

Footnotes

1. 1Official Call Details: Chips JU Call Page
2. 2Funding Portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal