Large-scale pilots for supply end-to-end infrastructures integrating device, network computing and communication capabilities for Telco Edge Cloud deployments, as a basis for Connected Collaborative Computing Networks (3C networks) (RIA)

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal has announced a Horizon Europe call for proposals titled "Large-scale pilots for supply end-to-end infrastructures integrating device, network computing and communication capabilities for Telco Edge Cloud deployments, as a basis for Connected Collaborative Computing Networks (3C networks)" under the HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-08 topic. This initiative, part of the Horizon Europe program, is a Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) focused on enhancing the digital industrial ecosystem in the EU, promoting advanced digital infrastructures through integration of connectivity and cloud computing services.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of stakeholders in technological sectors such as SMEs, scale-ups, startups, operators, system integrators, and experts in AI and communication technologies. The call favors proposals that incorporate broad representation from Member States and Associated Countries.

The funding mechanism is structured as a grant, specifically designed for RIA-type initiatives. A consortium of multiple applicants is likely required due to the nature of the large-scale pilots, which emphasize collaboration across various sectors of the connectivity and compute value chain. The geographic eligibility extends to EU member states, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The call targets sectors such as telecommunications, cloud computing, and edge computing, with the primary goal of developing integrated infrastructures that enhance the capabilities of telco edge clouds. The maturity level of projects should range around medium Technology Readiness Levels, focusing on research, prototyping and demonstrating innovative technologies.

Funding amounts are anticipated to vary based on specific topics, with one proposed budget amounting to approximately €75 million. This funding call is an open, single-stage application process, with a submission deadline on 2 October 2025.

The expected outcomes of the projects include strengthening European industrial ecosystems through enhanced cooperation among stakeholders, developing open orchestration platforms, optimizing AI resource management, and enabling robust, interoperable networks. Key research areas include developing AI-enabled tools, ensuring cybersecurity and compliance, and achieving sustainable infrastructure practices.

In summary, this call aims to support the research and development of end-to-end telco edge cloud technologies while fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. Projects are expected to mature technological advancements and contribute to the overarching goals of digital autonomy and sustainability within the EU's connectivity landscape.

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal presents a Horizon Europe call for proposals: Large-scale pilots for supply end-to-end infrastructures integrating device, network computing and communication capabilities for Telco Edge Cloud deployments, as a basis for Connected Collaborative Computing Networks (3C networks) (RIA), with topic ID HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-08.

The call falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the DIGITAL - CNECT (HORIZON-CL4-2025-03) call. It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The deadline model is single-stage.

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

The expected outcomes of the project are to:

Strengthen European industrial ecosystems for the 3C Network, while enabling the path towards sustainability and competitiveness of key vertical sectors in the EU, to be supported in the work programme 2026-2027 of Horizon Europe by future large-scale pilot focusing on 3Cs demand in vertical industrial sectors such as “industrial virtual worlds” (automotive, aerospace, processing, manufacturing, agriculture, electronics), services (mobility, energy, smart communities, health) or others.
Foster strategic industrial cooperation among network and data processing stakeholders to enable new revenue streams in support of viable communication infrastructures by building open platforms, underpinning an emerging industrial open telco edge cloud ecosystem in Europe.
Devise appropriate cooperation mechanisms with the Open Internet Stack actions, to help defining the requirements for the development of the building blocks and ensure their integration in the pilot, including envisaging mechanisms for testing and integration of the solutions developed by the Open Internet Stack.
Realize a European vision of advanced digital infrastructures through the convergence of connectivity with interoperable edge and cloud computing services.
Secure clear commitment from major European telecom, cloud, and edge providers to industrialize further the results of the pilot among the major stakeholders, considering necessary business adaptations and future perspectives.
Establish an advisory group of end-users to discuss and advise about user requirements to be considered in relation to the pilots, collecting requirements from a large range of users and testing them through small demonstrations.

The scope of the action includes:

Researching and prototyping at scale end-to-end telco edge cloud integrated infrastructures and platforms, bringing together players from different segments of the connectivity value chain and beyond, such as operators, system integrators, network/cloud/edge suppliers, experts on AI and (wireless) communication, experts on testing and validation of network technologies and services, IoT platform providers et al.
Developing open orchestration platforms across the telco edge cloud continuum, to support unlocking the transformative value of AI for European businesses and driving business growth in multiple industries strategic for Europe and associated countries.
Integrating AI solutions for optimising the orchestration of the different resources to be managed by the pilot actions, such as bandwidth, spectrum, computing, hardware, other user requirements.
Investigating, testing, validating, and demonstrating solutions and prototypes of the simultaneous use of integrated devices, edge and cloud computing and communication resources in operational environments (including both public networks and large private networks), ensuring high level of security and privacy, energy efficiency, transparency and control of the ecological footprint.
Investigating, testing, validating, and demonstrating the integration of available infrastructures as cloud-edge continuum with distributed systems such as blockchain infrastructure and services, data spaces and seamless and comprehensive AI systems in the process of creation of decentralised digital infrastructure network, including the compliance with applicable EU regulations.
Exploring novel approaches for cybersecurity by design and sustainability in advanced communication infrastructure.
Addressing the network evolution complementing the cloud with progress towards the edge, as well as needing reliability from the mobile networks, considering the demands for low latency triggered by GenAI and AI applications.

Key aspects to be researched, validated, and demonstrated include:

AI-enabled orchestration and quality assurance tools, algorithms, and techniques for hybrid multi-cloud technologies.
Enablers for multi-level (networks, edge, cloud, and services) federation management and interoperability.
Tools and mechanisms that facilitate the standardised exposure of network functions.
Enablement of Edge-as-a-Service approaches that effectively integrate cloud computing's multi-tenancy and resource sharing concepts into access networks.
Security and Compliance mechanisms targeted for telco edge cloud.
Tools for guaranteed end-to-end QoS and QoE across heterogeneous network, cloud and edge infrastructures.
Mechanisms to exploit specialised hardware and accelerators to address the strict requirements (e.g. latency, energy efficiency) of virtualised network functions.
Investigation on the trade-offs associated to Edge nodes density and placement required in telco edge cloud deployments to achieve the target latency rates.
Lightweight virtualisation and cloud-native approaches for virtualised network functions.
Novel approaches to handle user mobility to ensure edge service continuity and quality of service.
Privacy preserving record linkage on individual citizen level and device-related level to foster meaningful linkage of data for secondary usage.

The pilot should provide an open, multi-supplier, multi-vendor, and interoperable Telco Edge Cloud reference architecture and ecosystem that encourages cooperation and cooperative development among all key stakeholders, with broad representation of MS/AC. It should also define open access policies and mechanisms that aim to maximise the impact of the provided infrastructure, considering long-term sustainability and addressing different uses by industrial and research communities.

Project participants should analyse the existing standards landscape and relevant open-source projects (e.g., Sylva, ANUJET, Nephio, CAMARA), merging the development paths of critical technologies to support the standardisation and uptake of 6G and Web 4.0.

The pilot should help maturing technologies resulting from medium TRLs projects, while performing its own research towards enabling and prototyping of converged telco cloud edge platforms in operational and multi-suppliers, multi-domain and multi-tenant environments.

The pilot should cover research on infrastructure and platforms mid-TRLs telco edge cloud technologies, including development of telco-cloud network resources orchestration, demos, proof of concepts and early deployment of technologies.

The main achievements of the pilot should be showcased by means of small-scale demonstrations, that could be scaled up in future work programmes, for instance demonstrators on virtual worlds for industrial settings.

The pilot should ensure a high degree of participation of stakeholders from the relevant technological sectors, including SMEs, scaleups and start-ups, as well as properly consider the demand side from vertical sectors and broad representation of MS/AC. The Consortium should define a policy on the ownership and access of 3Cs network resources and facilities, during the Horizon Europe project and beyond.

Proposals are expected to build synergies and ensure complementarities with relevant topics under SNS JU Work Programme 2022-2024, Digital Europe Programme WP2023-2024, IPCEI-CIS, Connecting Europe Facility.

The large-scale pilot would ideally reuse and extend relevant open-source frameworks and capitalise on existing testing and trial platforms from European or national initiatives, including IPCEI-CIS, SNS Stream C, SNS Stream D projects, other SNS projects, results from Open Internet Stack action, the Cloud-Edge-IoT HE projects, and the Digital Europe Programme’s Reference edge-cloud deployments, the “Empowering AI across the continuum” and the “Software engineering for AI” R&I areas, as well as research results on infrastructure and platforms. It should also establish strong relationship and collaboration with complementary EU-funded research activities, and also ensure close interaction with the relevant constituencies driving that research, including the Open Internet Stack constituencies.

Digital autonomy in edge and cloud implies that computation infrastructure should be able to be sourced from European technology, including non-terrestrial network infrastructure. The project will also seek to coordinate with other EU (HE) research activities with a view to integrating new processor architectures into cloud edge infrastructures as they become available.

The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

The budget for this topic is 75,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants to be awarded is 1.

The admissibility conditions include:

Proposal page limits and layout, described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible countries, 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 guarantees are provided.

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

Evaluation and award processes are described in Annexes D, F, and G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Application form templates and evaluation form templates 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
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the Portal.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

The Online Manual is the guide on procedures from proposal submission to managing the grant. The Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains detailed guidance to the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ provides answers to frequently asked questions. The Research Enquiry Service can be used to ask questions about European research. National Contact Points (NCPs) provide guidance and practical information. The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) offers advice to businesses, especially SMEs. The IT Helpdesk can be contacted for technical questions. The European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks advise on standardisation. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment outline the roles, responsibilities, and entitlements of researchers. Partner Search helps find partner organisations for proposals.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks to fund a large-scale pilot project focused on developing and validating end-to-end telco edge cloud infrastructures and platforms. The project aims to bring together key players in the connectivity and compute value chain to research, prototype, and demonstrate integrated solutions that leverage AI, 5G, and advanced network technologies. The goal is to strengthen European industrial ecosystems, promote digital autonomy, and enable new revenue streams while ensuring security, privacy, energy efficiency, and interoperability. The project should also contribute to the standardisation and uptake of 6G and Web 4.0 technologies. Eligible entities from Member States, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are encouraged to apply. The call emphasizes the importance of collaboration with other EU initiatives and the participation of SMEs, scaleups, and start-ups.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity include a wide range of stakeholders from relevant technological sectors, including SMEs, scaleups, start-ups, operators, system integrators, network/cloud/edge suppliers, experts on AI and (wireless) communication, experts on testing and validation of network technologies and services, and IoT platform providers. The call emphasizes the importance of broad representation from Member States and Associated Countries (MS/AC).

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is 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 type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. The call emphasizes bringing together players from different segments of the connectivity and compute value chain and beyond, indicating that a single applicant is not suitable. The pilot should ensure a high degree of participation of stakeholders from the relevant technological sectors, including SMEs, scaleups and start-ups, as well as properly consider the demand side from vertical sectors and broad representation of MS/AC. The pilot’s Consortium should also define a policy on the ownership and access of 3Cs network resources and facilities, during the Horizon Europe project and beyond.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on legal entities established in Member States of the European Union, Iceland, and Norway. The following additional associated countries are also eligible: Canada, Israel, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Target Sector: The program targets the digital, industry, and space sectors, with a specific focus on telecommunications, cloud computing, edge computing, AI, IoT, 5G, 6G, and related digital infrastructure technologies. It aims to strengthen the EU's "Telco Edge Cloud" infrastructure and promote the convergence of electronic communications networks and cloud services.

Mentioned Countries: Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Spain, Germany, Finland.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is medium Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). The pilot should help maturing the technologies resulting from medium TRLs projects, while performing its own research towards enabling and prototyping of converged telco cloud edge platforms in operational and multi-suppliers, multi-domain and multi-tenant environments. The pilot should cover research on infrastructure and platforms mid-TRLs telco edge cloud technologies, including development of telco-cloud network resources orchestration, demos, proof of concepts and early deployment of technologies.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview provides the following ranges:
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-08: around €75,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-09: €1,800,000 to €2,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-10: €1,800,000 to €2,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-11: around €10,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-12: €1,900,000 to €2,100,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-13: €7,000,000 to €9,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01: around €4,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-02: around €5,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-03: €2,500,000 to €2,700,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-04: around €2,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-07: €40,000,000 to €45,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-08: around €1,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-09: around €15,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-14: €5,000,000 to €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-15: €4,000,000 to €5,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-16: €1,000,000 to €3,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-17: around €2,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-18: around €3,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-19: around €3,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-MATERIALS-46: around €5,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-MATERIALS-47: around €5,000,000

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, innovation, and coordination activities.

Application Stages: The application process consists of 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 competition level. For example, some topics indicate only one grant will be awarded, while others may award multiple grants.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement. As the MGA is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based, co-funding is not mandatory.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, DIGITAL - CNECT (HORIZON-CL4-2025-03), focuses on "Large-scale pilots for supply end-to-end infrastructures integrating device, network computing and communication capabilities for Telco Edge Cloud deployments, as a basis for Connected Collaborative Computing Networks (3C networks)". It aims to strengthen European industrial ecosystems by fostering collaboration among various stakeholders in the connectivity and compute value chain. The call seeks to promote a European vision of advanced digital infrastructures through the convergence of connectivity with interoperable edge and cloud computing services. The projects should research, prototype, and validate integrated infrastructures and platforms, develop open orchestration platforms, integrate AI solutions for resource optimization, and demonstrate solutions in operational environments. The call encourages participation from SMEs, scaleups, start-ups, and other relevant technological sectors, with a broad representation from Member States and Associated Countries. Eligible entities can apply for funding through HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions) and HORIZON-IA (Innovation Actions), with varying budget allocations for each topic. The submission deadline is October 2, 2025. The call aims to mature technologies, promote digital autonomy, and ensure the security, privacy, and sustainability of advanced communication infrastructures.