OFFERR Call

The OFFERR Call for Proposals under EURATOM and Horizon Europe, grant agreement 101060008, offers cascade funding to support trans-national access to European nuclear research infrastructures with a total indicative budget of €7,000,000; the call opened on 31 August 2023 and operates with multiple cut-off dates including 30 September 2023, 31 March 2024, 30 September 2024, 31 March 2025 and 30 September 2025, all at 17:00 Brussels time. Eligible applicants are research teams from universities, higher education institutions, public and private research institutes, companies including startups and SMEs, infrastructure owners and operators and European associations acting within the EURATOM framework established in countries participating in Horizon Europe including EU Member States and third countries associated to Horizon Europe; entities from non-associated third countries may participate but cannot receive OFFERR funding and must demonstrate national or alternative financing. The call targets experimental nuclear research and innovation aligned with the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and supports work across reactor systems, materials, fuels and fuel cycle, safety and severe accident research, decommissioning and waste management, irradiation testing, dosimetry and radiological analysis, instrumentation and control and related cross-cutting domains. Two funding schemes are available, fast-track projects for limited-scope studies under six months with financial support up to €50,000, and complex projects for extended-scope studies up to 18 months with financial support up to €1,000,000, with the specific rule that requests above €300,000 cannot be funded via the standard Financial Support to Third Parties mechanism and require the infrastructure owner to join the OFFERR consortium. Proposals must be prepared jointly by the visiting research team and the host facility or facilities listed in the OFFERR user facility database, include agreed terms of reference and a co-developed technical work plan at submission, and be submitted through the OFFERR Call platform following OFFERR templates and guidance; the submission procedure is single-stage full proposal followed by eligibility screening under European Commission rules and evaluation according to OFFERR criteria, with funding decisions taken by the OFFERR consortium including SNETP and the OFFERR coordinator disbursing selected grants. The call provides monetary grants to cover access and related costs, requires applicants to liaise with infrastructure owners to arrange logistics, technical feasibility and access conditions prior to submission, and supplies official documents and templates such as terms of reference, eligibility and evaluation criteria, the user facility database and fast-track catalogue, guidelines for applicants, application templates and reporting templates; applicants should ensure alignment with SNETP SRIA and be aware of the administrative and legal framework of Horizon Europe and EURATOM that governs participation, funding eligibility and reporting. Official information, application platform access and detailed guidance are available on the OFFERR Call platform at snetp.eu.

Overview and Purpose

The OFFERR project announces a call for proposals to finance trans-national access to key nuclear research infrastructures. The objective is to facilitate international cooperation in nuclear research among research organizations, universities, companies, and their partners in the European Union and EURATOM associate Members. Proposals must align with the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform and can also be supported by other associations and organizations acting within the EURATOM framework. OFFERR provides cascade funding and operates under Horizon Europe and EURATOM rules and regulations.

Submission platform:All candidates must submit through the OFFERR Call platform and comply with all requirements, submission, and evaluation procedures: OFFERR Call Platform.

Key Facts

Scope and Thematic Alignment

The call covers all disciplines and topics of research, development, and innovation in nuclear science and technology that are in line with the SNETP Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda. This includes activities across the nuclear R&D spectrum provided they utilize or require access to experimental nuclear research infrastructures listed in the OFFERR user facility database. Proposals backed by other European associations and organizations working within the EURATOM framework are also considered.

Who Benefits and How Access Works

Two categories of beneficiaries are supported:organizations offering access to experimental infrastructures for the selected project proposals and research teams that are authorized to use these infrastructures as described in their proposals. Researchers must liaise with the infrastructure owner or operator from the OFFERR user facility database, agree on logistical and technical aspects, and co-develop the proposal jointly between the visiting team and the host facility or facilities. Applicants must agree to the terms of reference upon submission.

Funding Schemes

Note on complex projects:for costs above €300,000, the application cannot be funded via the Financial Support to Third Parties mechanism; in such cases, the infrastructure owner will need to join the OFFERR project consortium ².

Eligibility of Applicants and Countries

• Applicants include research organizations, universities, companies, and their partners seeking trans-national access to nuclear research infrastructures.
• Proposals must be aligned with the SNETP Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda.
• Applicants must collaborate directly with infrastructure owners or operators listed in the OFFERR user facility database and prepare proposals jointly.
• Participation is governed by Horizon Europe and EURATOM rules. Candidates must come from countries included in the list of Horizon Europe participating countries.
• Entities from countries that are not Horizon Europe members or associated third countries may participate but cannot receive funding. Their proposals must explain how the team and facility will be supported by national funds.

Submission and Evaluation

Submission process:Submit via the OFFERR Call platform, ensuring compliance with OFFERR requirements, submission templates, and evaluation procedures: OFFERR Call Platform.

Evaluation workflow:After each cut-off date, applications undergo eligibility checks based on European Commission rules and then proceed through the evaluation procedure according to the published criteria. Funding decisions are made by the OFFERR consortium, including SNETP, based on the evaluation results.

Documentation and Templates

• Terms of reference
• Eligibility criteria
• Evaluation criteria
• User facility database, including clusters of facilities and the fast-track catalogue
• Guidelines for applicants
• Application template
• User report template
• Infrastructure report template

Administrative and Legal Framework

OFFERR is funded under Horizon Europe and EURATOM and therefore applies EU rules and regulations. The coordinator of the OFFERR project provides financial support to selected projects, in line with the consortium decision-making process informed by evaluation outcomes. Country participation and funding eligibility adhere to Horizon Europe participation rules.

Practical Application Guidance

1. 1Identify relevant infrastructure in the OFFERR user facility database and initiate contact with the owner or operator.
2. 2Define the project scope and select the appropriate scheme: fast-track for short, limited studies; complex for extended, multi-facility or higher-scope studies.
3. 3Co-develop the proposal with the host facility or facilities, agreeing on logistics, technical details, and access arrangements.
4. 4Ensure alignment with the SNETP Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and, if applicable, secure support from EURATOM framework organizations.
5. 5Prepare and submit all required documents and templates via the OFFERR Call platform before the relevant cut-off date.
6. 6For applicants from non-eligible countries for Horizon Europe funding, clearly describe the national funding arrangement supporting the team or facility.
7. 7For complex projects potentially exceeding €300,000 in costs, coordinate with the infrastructure owner regarding the requirement to join the OFFERR consortium.

Timelines and Cut-off Dates

Contact and Platform Access

Access, submission, and further guidance are available at the official OFFERR Call platform: OFFERR Call Platform.

Summary

This opportunity is a cascade funding call under the OFFERR project to enable trans-national access to European nuclear research infrastructures. It targets research organizations, universities, companies, and their partners across the EU and associated countries under Horizon Europe, with the aim of advancing nuclear R&D aligned with the SNETP Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda. Applicants must partner with infrastructure owners or operators from the OFFERR user facility database and jointly develop proposals that detail the technical and logistical plan for the planned work. Two funding schemes are available: fast-track projects with up to €50,000 and a duration under six months, and complex projects with up to €1,000,000 and a duration up to 18 months. Complex projects with costs above €300,000 trigger a different pathway in which the infrastructure owner must join the OFFERR consortium. Proposals are evaluated after each cut-off date through eligibility checks under European Commission rules and an evaluation procedure conducted by the OFFERR consortium, including SNETP. The call follows EU and EURATOM regulations, applies Horizon Europe country participation rules, and allows non-eligible country participants to join without EU funding if they secure national funds. In short, OFFERR provides structured, periodic access funding to accelerate high-impact nuclear research through coordinated use of leading European nuclear infrastructures, with clear schemes, timelines, and documentation to guide applicants from submission to reporting.

Footnotes

1. 1This project is funded by the Horizon Europe programme under grant agreement number 101060008.
2. 2If the cost of a complex project is above €300,000, it cannot be funded via Financial Support to Third Parties. In that case, the infrastructure owner must join the OFFERR project consortium.

The OFFERR project, funded by EURATOM under Horizon Europe (grant agreement 101060008), announces an open call to finance trans-national access to key nuclear research infrastructures across Europe. The call facilitates international cooperation among European Union and EURATOM-associated research organizations, universities, companies, and their partners by supporting research, development, and innovation activities aligned with the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNETP). Proposals may be supported by other European associations and organizations acting within the EURATOM framework. Applications are submitted through the OFFERR Call platform and must follow OFFERR requirements, eligibility, and evaluation procedures. OFFERR Call Platform ¹

Key Facts and Timeline

Scope and Access Types

The call supports trans-national access to experimental nuclear R&D infrastructures listed in the OFFERR user facility database. Researchers must liaise with the infrastructure owner or operator to agree on logistical and technical aspects. Proposals are prepared jointly by the visiting research team and the host facility or facilities.

• Fast-track projects: Limited-scope studies completed within less than 6 months of access. Financial support up to €50,000. Applicants should consult the fast-track activity catalogue.
• Complex projects: Extended-scope studies completed within up to 18 months. Financial support up to €1,000,000. Note: If the requested cost is above €300,000, it cannot be funded via the Financial Support to Third Parties mechanism. In such cases, the infrastructure owner must join the OFFERR project consortium.

Who Can Apply and How Access Is Organized

Beneficiaries include the organizations offering access to experimental infrastructures for selected proposals and the research teams allowed to use those infrastructures. Researchers must coordinate with the infrastructure owner or operator from the OFFERR user facility database to co-develop the work plan, access conditions, and technical feasibility. Terms of reference must be agreed to upon submission.

Submission and Evaluation

1. 1Applicants create and submit proposals via the OFFERR Call platform in line with the OFFERR requirements.
2. 2After each cut-off, proposals undergo an eligibility check according to European Commission rules.
3. 3Eligible proposals are evaluated following OFFERR evaluation criteria. The OFFERR consortium, including SNETP, takes funding decisions based on evaluation results.
4. 4Selected projects receive financial support from the OFFERR coordinator in compliance with consortium decisions.

Eligibility of Countries and Funding Rules

OFFERR applies Horizon Europe and EURATOM rules. Applicants must come from countries participating in Horizon Europe, including EU Member States and third countries associated to Horizon Europe. Countries not listed as Member States or associated countries may still participate but cannot receive funding from OFFERR. In such cases, proposals must explain how the research team or facility will be supported by national funds.

Official Guidance and Templates

Detailed conditions and templates are provided through OFFERR materials:Terms of Reference, Eligibility Criteria, Evaluation Criteria, User Facility Database including clusters and the fast-track catalogue, Guidelines for Applicants, Application Template, User Report Template, and Infrastructure Report Template.

Categorization and Structured Information

Eligible Applicant Types:Universities and higher education institutions; public and private research institutes; companies including startups, SMEs, and large enterprises engaged in nuclear R&D; infrastructure owners and operators of nuclear research facilities listed in the OFFERR user facility database; European associations and organizations acting within the EURATOM framework; research teams from entities in Horizon Europe participating countries. Entities from non-associated third countries may participate without funding and must rely on national funds.

Funding Type:Grant provided as cascade funding, also known as Financial Support to Third Parties, distributed by the OFFERR project coordinator to selected third-party projects accessing nuclear R&D infrastructures.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium or joint application between a visiting research team and one or more host infrastructures is required in practice because proposals must be prepared jointly by the visiting team and the visited facility or facilities. For requests exceeding €300,000, the infrastructure owner must join the OFFERR project consortium, changing the arrangement beyond standard FSTP.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Applicants must be established in countries participating in Horizon Europe, including EU Member States and third countries associated to Horizon Europe, in line with EURATOM rules. Entities from non-associated third countries may participate without receiving OFFERR funding and must secure national co-financing or alternative support.

Target Sector:Nuclear energy research and innovation spanning experimental studies and R&D in line with SNETP’s SRIA. This includes access-driven work across nuclear technologies such as reactor systems, materials, fuels and fuel cycle, safety and severe accident research, decommissioning and waste management, thermal-hydraulics, irradiation testing, dosimetry and radiological analysis, instrumentation and control, and related cross-cutting scientific and engineering domains.

Mentioned Countries:Regionally referenced: European Union and EURATOM associate Members; Horizon Europe participating countries. No specific individual countries are named in the call text.

Project Stage:Research, development, and innovation with an emphasis on validation and experimental campaigns at nuclear research infrastructures. Suitable for studies of limited or extended scope that leverage facility access rather than late-stage commercialization.

Funding Amount:Fast-track projects: up to €50,000. Complex projects: up to €1,000,000, noting that amounts above €300,000 cannot be supported via the standard FSTP route and would require the infrastructure owner to join the OFFERR consortium. The total indicative budget available for this call is €7,000,000.

Application Type:Open call with multiple periodic cut-off dates. Submission is electronic through the OFFERR Call platform.

Nature of Support:Money in the form of grants to third parties, combined with trans-national access to nuclear research infrastructures. Financial support is administered by the OFFERR coordinator following OFFERR evaluation and selection procedures.

Application Stages:1 stage. Single full proposal submission followed by eligibility screening and evaluation. There is no two-stage outline-to-full progression; instead, a single submission is assessed after each cut-off, then selected for funding.

Success Rates:Not specified in the call information. No numerical success rate or expected selection ratio is provided.

Co-funding Requirement:Other. Co-funding is not generally required for eligible entities within Horizon Europe participating countries receiving FSTP support. However, applicants from non-associated third countries cannot receive funding and must demonstrate how their participation will be financed, for example through national funds. Additionally, if a project’s required support exceeds €300,000, the standard FSTP mechanism cannot be used, and the infrastructure owner must join the OFFERR consortium under a different arrangement.

What to Prepare for Submission

• Agreement on terms of reference with the host infrastructure at submission time.
• A jointly prepared technical work plan between the visiting team and host facility or facilities.
• Eligibility and compliance documentation in line with Horizon Europe and EURATOM rules.
• Application package using the OFFERR templates, including the Application Template, and, where applicable, User Report and Infrastructure Report templates after completion.
• Alignment of the proposed work with SNETP’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda.

Where to Find Official Documents

• Terms of reference
• Eligibility criteria
• Evaluation criteria
• User facility database including clusters and fast-track catalogue
• Guidelines for applicants
• Application template
• User report template
• Infrastructure report template

Long Summary

OFFERR is a EURATOM-funded Horizon Europe initiative that provides cascade funding for trans-national access to European nuclear R&D infrastructures. Through an open call with multiple cut-offs, it supports both fast-track studies of up to 6 months and complex projects of up to 18 months that are aligned with SNETP’s SRIA. Research teams collaborate directly with host infrastructure owners or operators to co-design the technical plan and agree on terms before submitting via the OFFERR platform. Selected projects receive financial support from the OFFERR coordinator, enabling access to specialized facilities for nuclear research across areas such as reactor technologies, materials and fuels, safety, waste and decommissioning, irradiation testing, thermal-hydraulics, and instrumentation. The funding is available to applicants from Horizon Europe participating countries, while entities from non-associated third countries may participate without direct OFFERR funding and must use national sources. Awards range up to €50,000 for fast-track projects and up to €1,000,000 for complex projects, with the caveat that standard Financial Support to Third Parties is capped at €300,000; requests above this threshold require the infrastructure owner to join the OFFERR consortium. Proposals undergo eligibility screening and evaluation after each cut-off, and funding decisions are made by the OFFERR consortium including SNETP. With a total indicative budget of €7 million and a focus on high-impact experimental research, OFFERR is designed to accelerate collaborative nuclear R&D by simplifying access to Europe’s leading infrastructures. Apply via the OFFERR Call platform for the latest cut-off schedules and full guidance.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call information, platform access, and documents are available at the OFFERR Call platform: OFFERR Call Platform.