Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for photonics, enabling low-power and ultra-broadband performance for telecommunication (RIA) (Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe partnership)

The grant opportunity titled HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-MATERIALS-46 is part of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA) program. It focuses on advancing photonic technologies through the development of Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) such as two-dimensional materials (2DMs) and electro-optic (EO) polymers. The objective is to enhance telecommunications systems by promoting low-power and ultra-broadband performance.

Eligible applicants include a range of entities such as universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and industry partners with expertise in advanced materials, photonics, or telecommunications. Collaboration within consortia is strongly encouraged, aligning with the framework of the Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe partnership.

The funding type is a grant, specifically an RIA under Horizon Europe, focusing on both research and development across several areas, including prototyping and demonstrating advanced materials in integrated photonic systems. The expected funding amount is not explicitly stated, but similar grants typically range from €1 million to €5 million, with an indicative budget of €10 million for this particular topic and an expected average contribution of around €5 million per grant.

The submission process is a single-stage open call set to begin on 10 June 2025, with a deadline for proposals on 02 October 2025 at 17:00 Brussels time. Success rates for Horizon Europe RIAs generally vary from 10% to 39%, depending on competition levels and proposal alignment with key priorities. Co-funding from partners is likely required, often estimating around 20% of costs.

This funding opportunity aims to bridge research and market readiness, supporting the creation of compact, high-performance, low-power photonic devices compatible with existing infrastructure. Applicants are encouraged to explore innovative solutions that integrate existing manufacturing technologies for practical application and scalability. The overall goal is to strengthen the competitive position of Europe in the telecommunications sector by facilitating the effective development and commercialization of advanced materials in photonic applications.

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-MATERIALS-46, titled "Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for photonics, enabling low-power and ultra-broadband performance for telecommunication (RIA) (Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe partnership)", is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA) call. It falls under the DIGITAL - CNECT (HORIZON-CL4-2025-03) call within the Horizon Europe Programme. The call aims to explore innovative solutions based on Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs), including Two-Dimensional Materials (2DMs), for state-of-the-art performance and low power consumption in photonics, while demonstrating scalability for volume production.

The expected outcomes of this funding opportunity are: Demonstrated added value of Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) such as Two-dimensional materials and EO polymers for integrated photonic devices and systems, with focus on low power consumption, enabling future telecommunication networks in which Europe can build competitive value chains and IAMs for miniaturized and outperforming photonic integrated technologies e.g. in terms of performance, power, cost, novel functionality enabling the development of future-proof, scalable, low-power and high-bandwidth devices.

The scope of this topic includes: Exploring innovative solutions based on IAMs, including 2DMs, that offer state-of-the-art performance and low power consumption, while demonstrating scalability for volume production, thus exploiting the semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure. The envisioned compact devices are expected to be designed to be compatible with low-power driving electronics and thus reduce energy consumption. Solutions should be compatible with existing photonic integrated platforms and low-voltage electronics. Integrating the value chain and include relevant manufacturing technologies required to bring the developed devices to market. Developing prototypes using packaged devices, including electronics, to enable testing in relevant environments. Envisioning optimized routes for electronic and photonic design, fabricating photonic circuits, producing IAMs, conducting testing, executing wafer-scale fabrication, and performing co-integration and co-packaging, ultimately leading to demonstrations of the developed technologies and their added values.

The indicative budget for this topic is EUR 10,000,000, with an expected contribution of around EUR 5,000,000 per grant and an indicative number of 2 grants.

The planned opening date for the submission system is 10 June 2025, and the deadline for submission is 02 October 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The general conditions for this call include: Admissibility conditions regarding proposal page limits and layout, as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. Eligibility criteria for countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other eligibility conditions, subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria, as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds, as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes, as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. Legal and financial setup of the grants, as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

The application and evaluation forms, as well as the Model Grant Agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. 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, 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.

There are 18 partner search announcements available for this topic. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

This funding opportunity seeks to advance the development and application of innovative advanced materials, particularly 2DMs and EO polymers, in photonics and optoelectronics. The goal is to create miniaturized, high-performance, low-power, and scalable photonic integrated technologies for future telecommunication networks. The projects should focus on integrating the value chain, incorporating relevant manufacturing technologies, and developing prototypes for testing in realistic environments. The call encourages collaboration with existing European initiatives and outreach to national projects, with adequate resources allocated for these synergies. The ultimate aim is to strengthen Europe's competitive position in the telecommunications sector by fostering the development and adoption of these advanced materials. The call is part of the Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe (IAM4EU) partnership.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities, such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations. The call is open to a range of participants as defined in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) under the Horizon Europe program. The MGA (Model Grant Agreement) is a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the nature of the projects, particularly RIAs and IAs, suggests that a consortium is preferred, if not required, to integrate the value chain and ensure comprehensive expertise. The call encourages collaboration and synergy with other projects and initiatives.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. The opportunity also mentions that 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 target sector is focused on Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for photonics and optoelectronics, with applications in telecommunications, data centers, high-performance computing (HPCs), and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) systems. This includes areas like ultrafast integrated photonic circuits, modulators, waveguides, detectors, emitters, switches, high-frequency transmitter modulators, and receiver demodulators. The program targets digital industries and space.

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

Project Stage: The project stage ranges from research and innovation actions (RIA) to innovation actions (IA), indicating a focus on both development and demonstration, with an emphasis on bringing developed devices to market. The projects are expected to develop prototypes and demonstrate their added value.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary widely depending on the specific topic and type of action (RIA, CSA, IA). The budget overview provides a detailed breakdown of the budget allocated to each topic, ranging from €1,000,000 to €75,000,000.

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 grants to support their research, development, and innovation activities.

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 co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under the DIGITAL CNECT (HORIZON-CL4-2025-03) program, focuses on "Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for photonics, enabling low-power and ultra-broadband performance for telecommunication." It aims to foster research and innovation in advanced materials, particularly two-dimensional materials (2DMs) and EO polymers, to enhance integrated photonic devices and systems. The primary goal is to reduce power consumption and improve the performance of telecommunication networks, ensuring Europe can build competitive value chains in this sector.

The call encompasses various actions, including Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), and Innovation Actions (IA), each with different funding levels and objectives. The scope includes developing innovative solutions based on IAMs, integrating the value chain, developing prototypes, and demonstrating the added value of these technologies.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and potentially non-EU/non-Associated Countries with specific funding provisions. The call encourages collaboration and synergy with existing projects and initiatives, such as the Graphene Flagship and the ARIE network.

The application process is a single-stage submission, with funding amounts varying from €1,000,000 to €75,000,000 depending on the specific topic and action type. The call seeks to advance technologies from the research and development phase to demonstration and market readiness, contributing to future-proof, scalable, low-power, and high-bandwidth devices for telecommunications and related fields.