Implementing co-funded action plans for connected regional innovation valleys

The HORIZON-EIE-2025-02-CONNECT-02 call, part of the Horizon Europe Programme, aims to strengthen interconnected innovation ecosystems in the EU. It addresses the innovation divide by creating connected regional innovation valleys that leverage regional strengths and specializations. Eligible applicants are national or regional authorities from EU Member States or Associated Countries, and the call encourages collaboration with private actors, including SMEs and research organizations.

Funding mechanisms include grants under both HORIZON Programme Cofund Action and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions. The total budget for this call is €40 million, with HORIZON-CSA featuring a budget of €5 million, providing indicative grants of around €1 million, while HORIZON-COFUND supports actions with grants ranging from €5 million to €8 million. The funding rate covers up to 50% of total eligible costs, necessitating co-funding for the remaining amount.

Consortia must consist of at least three national or regional authorities from different Member States, incorporating representatives from both 'moderate/emerging' and 'strong/innovation leader' regions as defined by innovation scores. The maturity of funded projects should be at a development or deployment stage, ideally at technology readiness levels (TRL) 6 to 8, and they may also include PCP or PPI schemes reaching TRL 8.

The open call has a single-stage submission process, commencing on May 14, 2025, and concluding on October 15, 2025. Successful projects are expected to emphasize joint efforts towards innovation development and deployment, including setting long-term strategic orientations, enhancing interregional cooperation, and integrating public and private investment strategies.

The call specifies that at least 50% of total eligible costs should be allocated to financial support for third parties, with proposals required to detail their plans for joint activities and the necessary financial backing through a letter of intent. Projects should address key thematic areas critical for EU value chains such as environmental, digital innovation, health, and food security.

Expected outcomes include improved cooperation among innovation ecosystems, enhanced capacity for innovation, and increased participation in technology and industrial value chains, targeting an overall enhancement of regional competitiveness and alignment with key EU strategic priorities. Proposals must focus on creating synergies and fostering inclusive innovation ecosystems within a timeframe of three to five years.

The HORIZON-EIE-2025-02-CONNECT-02 call, under the Horizon Europe Programme, aims to foster efficient, inclusive, and interconnected innovation ecosystems across the EU, addressing the innovation divide and supporting key EU priorities. This call focuses on creating connected regional innovation valleys by building on regional strengths and specializations. Successful regions will be recognized as "regional innovation valleys".

The expected outcomes include: enhanced innovation ecosystems, increased cooperation among ecosystems, creation of common knowledge assets, increased innovation capabilities (including deep tech), better links between innovation leaders and emerging regions, more co-investments, and increased participation in technology and industrial value chains.

The scope of the call is to support strategically oriented long-term programmes of activities (Annual Work Programmes) that enable authorities in charge of public national or regional innovation policies or programmes, with the participation of the private sector and research and innovation actors, to implement joint activities towards innovation development and deployment, possibly including innovation procurement, aimed at tackling challenges at EU, national and regional level. The call contributes to the twin green and digital transition, a resilient society, and the net-zero objective, particularly in areas like reducing reliance on fossil fuels, increasing food security, mastering digital transformation (including cybersecurity and AI), improving healthcare, and achieving circularity.

Applicants are encouraged to consider a project duration of three to five years. Proposals should present a commitment to enhance coordination of R&I investments and policies, joint strategic visions, and a joint innovation programme of activities. Before submission, participants should have selected a thematic/technological area and agreed on objectives to present concrete action plans.

Activities should ensure participation of private actors, complementarity with other funds and innovation-related strategies, and explain the need for scalable Annual Work Programmes with EU added value. These programmes should include capacity building, common strategy setting, concrete joint activities, and joint innovation actions, including the design and implementation of joint funding programmes/calls to select interregional innovation projects.

The interregional projects are expected to be similar to HE Innovation Actions (TRL 6-8), focusing on technology development and deployment through cooperation. They can also involve Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) or Public Procurement of Innovative solutions (PPI), reaching TRL 8. Each project should deliver tangible outcomes, ensure dissemination, and be managed in a coordinated manner, integrating into existing or emerging value chains.

Core collaborative activities should include networking, coordination structures, access to best practices, resources, research infrastructures, talents, markets, expertise, services, and knowledge. Support should be provided for interconnections between innovation hubs, market analysis, access to new markets and finance for innovative SMEs and start-ups, training, skills development, and reinforcement of public and private buyers' capacity to procure innovative solutions.

The strategic areas of cooperation should improve the efficiency of EU innovation ecosystems, focusing on specific thematic/technological areas aligned with smart specialisation strategies and contributing to EU strategic priorities. Proposals should explain how the consortium plans to design and coordinate joint activities, including resources, assets, and involvement of innovation stakeholders. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should be included, aligned with objectives and underpinned by verifiable indicators. A letter of intent should ensure long-term commitment to cooperation activities.

The call requires the participation of at least three national or regional authorities from three different Member States or Associated Countries, including at least one representing a 'moderate' or 'emerging' innovator region and one representing a 'strong' or 'innovation leader' innovator region. The Regional Innovation Scoreboard and European Innovation Scoreboard are used as references. At least 50% of total eligible costs must be allocated to financial support to third parties and/or implementation of PCP or PPI procurements. A letter of intent indicating the source of 50% of complementary funding is required. Identical proposals submitted under call HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-05-ACCESS-01 are not eligible.

Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 600,000 per third party. The funding rate is 50% of total eligible costs. Grantees must submit annual work plans for Commission approval.

The call opens on 14 May 2025, and the deadline for submission is 15 October 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The budget for HORIZON-EIE-2025-02-CONNECT-01 (HORIZON-CSA) is EUR 5,000,000, with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 1,000,000 and 5 grants expected. The budget for HORIZON-EIE-2025-02-CONNECT-02 (HORIZON-COFUND) is EUR 35,000,000, with grant amounts ranging from EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 8,000,000 and 5 grants expected.

The call aims to connect regional innovation valleys across the EU, particularly involving regions with lower innovation performance, to build on their strengths and support EU priorities such as the green and digital transition. It seeks to create efficient, open, and interconnected innovation ecosystems by fostering collaboration between national and regional authorities, the private sector, and research institutions. The funding supports joint activities, innovation development, and deployment, including innovation procurement, to address challenges at the EU, national, and regional levels. Ultimately, this initiative aims to bridge the innovation gap, enhance regional competitiveness, and contribute to the EU's strategic goals.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are national or regional authorities from Member States or Associated Countries. The quadruple helix model, which requires the collaboration of academia, business, regional government, and societal actors, is relevant. The call encourages participation from private actors, innovative SMEs, start-ups, industry, private entities supporting innovation, clusters, associations, investors, and foundations.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Programme Cofund Action (HORIZON-COFUND) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) under the Horizon Europe program. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 600,000 per third party.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The action necessitates the participation, as beneficiaries, of at least three national or regional authorities from at least three different Member States or Associated Countries. The consortium must include at least one authority representing a 'moderate' or 'emerging' innovator region and at least one representing a 'strong' or 'innovation leader' region.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. 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.

Target Sector: The program targets multiple sectors, including innovation, deep tech, green technologies, digital technologies, health, food security, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, circularity, bioeconomy, and food systems. It aims to foster efficient, open, inclusive, and interconnected European innovation ecosystems.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries. It also references non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of projects includes development and deployment of technologies and innovations (TRL 6-8), including breakthrough and disruptive innovations. It also supports Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) and Public Procurement of Innovative solutions (PPI), both arriving at TRL 8.

Funding Amount: For HORIZON-CSA, the budget is EUR 5,000,000 with an indicative contribution of around EUR 1,000,000 per grant. For HORIZON-COFUND, the budget is EUR 35,000,000 with contributions ranging from EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 8,000,000 per grant. The funding rate is 50% of the total eligible costs.

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. They may also provide financial support to third parties through cascading grants, up to EUR 600,000 per third party.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants suggests that approximately 5 projects will be funded under each topic.

Co-funding Requirement: Yes, co-funding is required. The funding rate is 50% of the total eligible costs, implying that the remaining 50% must be covered by the applicants or other sources. The consortium must provide a single letter of intent indicating the source of the required 50% of complementary funding (e.g., national and/or regional funding, EU funding, or private investments).

This Horizon Europe call, under the Interconnected Innovation Ecosystems initiative, aims to connect regional innovation valleys across the EU to address the innovation divide. It seeks to create efficient, inclusive, and interconnected innovation ecosystems, particularly in thematic areas critical for EU value chains, such as deep tech, green and digital transitions, and resilience. The call supports long-term programs of activities, enabling authorities to implement joint activities towards innovation development and deployment, including innovation procurement. Consortia must consist of at least three national or regional authorities from different Member States or Associated Countries, including both 'moderate/emerging' and 'strong/innovation leader' regions. Projects should enhance coordination of R&I investments, present joint strategic visions, and propose joint innovation programs. Activities should involve private actors and ensure complementarity with other funding sources. A key requirement is the allocation of at least 50% of total eligible costs to financial support for third parties or the implementation of PCP/PPI procurements. The call encourages projects with a duration of three to five years and requires a letter of intent indicating the source of complementary funding. The call has two main topics: HORIZON-CSA, which focuses on coordination and support actions with a budget of EUR 5,000,000, and HORIZON-COFUND, which supports program co-fund actions with a budget of EUR 35,000,000. The call opens on May 14, 2025, and closes on October 15, 2025.