Open strategic autonomy, economic and research security in EU foreign policy

The Horizon Europe funding opportunity titled HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-04 is designed to advance the EU’s open strategic autonomy, economic security, and resilience in foreign policy through research and innovation. The focus is on addressing dependencies and vulnerabilities in key sectors, and funding is available under a lump-sum grant model, specifically through Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

Eligible applicants are primarily research-oriented entities including universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises, large companies, and public-private partnerships involved in policy-relevant innovation. The funding is open to entities based in EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and potentially certain third countries under specific agreements.

A consortium of at least three independent legal entities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries is required for proposals, reflecting the collaborative nature typical of Horizon Europe projects. The budget for this grant is €7 million, with each project expected to receive between €3 million and €3.5 million, and the initiative aims to fund approximately two projects.

Proposals are invited through a single-stage application process with a deadline of September 16, 2025. The call emphasizes the importance of understanding and improving the EU's capacity to act independently in strategic areas, including energy, technology, defense, and the promotion of democracy and human rights. Successful projects should provide evidence-based insights for policymakers, analyze risks and benefits associated with open strategic autonomy, and develop recommendations that consider the implications for both EU Member States and developing countries.

Although specific success rates for this call are not provided, Horizon Europe typically experiences competitive selection. Notably, co-funding is not required, allowing for full coverage of project costs by the grant.

This grant opportunity is integral for fostering international cooperation, maintaining EU values, and ensuring competitiveness in the face of global challenges. It seeks to balance the need for openness with the protection of strategic interests, and encourages consideration of ethical and gender-responsive approaches in foreign policy.

Overall, this funding initiative is targeted at enhancing research and innovation that supports the EU’s strategic objectives in a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, while also integrating diverse stakeholder input and expertise.

This is a description of a funding opportunity within the Horizon Europe program, specifically under the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society call for 2025. The focus is on "Open strategic autonomy, economic and research security in EU foreign policy." The funding is provided through HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), utilizing a lump sum grant approach. The submission deadline is September 16, 2025.

The primary goal of funded projects should be to contribute to the following expected outcomes:

1.  Providing EU institutions, national decision-makers, and practitioners with consolidated concepts, definitions, and a robust evidence base for policymaking related to open strategic autonomy and economic security, including research security.

2.  Enhancing the understanding of EU institutions and national decision-makers regarding the benefits of open strategic autonomy and economic security, including research security, for the EU, its Member States, associated countries, neighboring countries, and developing countries, as well as the impacts of potentially divergent EU and Member States' policies.

3.  Providing EU institutions and national decision-makers with policy recommendations on enhancing open strategic autonomy and economic security, including research security, without negatively affecting economic and societal actors in the EU, associated countries, neighboring countries, and developing countries, or the geopolitical influence of the EU.

4.  Fostering a deeper understanding among EU institutions, national decision-makers, and researchers (including those from SSH disciplines) of the drivers of open strategic autonomy and economic security, including research security, in key policy fields, and its historical evolution.

The scope of the funding opportunity encompasses the EU's open strategic autonomy, which refers to the EU's capacity to act independently in strategically important policy areas, both economic and non-economic. These areas include energy, research, health, media, technology, defense, food, industry, development cooperation, promotion of democracy, and defense and promotion of human rights.

The call emphasizes the importance of conceptual clarity, defining key concepts, and establishing a theoretical framework, as well as gathering evidence for policymaking, including threat landscape analysis. Proposals should analyze the drivers for open strategic autonomy and economic security in various sectors of the European economy, particularly research, innovation, and production, and map relevant actors, trends, and risks.

Applicants are encouraged to analyze the correlation between open strategic autonomy and economic security, including research security, considering the three pillars of the European Economic Security Strategy: promoting EU competitiveness, protecting it from economic security risks, and collaborating with countries sharing EU concerns or interests. Recommendations should be developed on balancing openness and necessary restrictions, considering the implications for economies and populations outside the EU, especially in developing countries.

Proposals should assess the proportionality, effectiveness, costs, and benefits of policies and measures aimed at open strategic autonomy, technological sovereignty, and economic security, including research security, and their impact on the research and innovation sector. This includes analyzing interlinkages and tensions with concepts like open science, academic freedom, research integrity, and science diplomacy. The risks and implications of individual Member States not adhering to EU strategic autonomy policies should also be analyzed, and legal tools to prevent and address such divergences should be explored.

The call also highlights the risk of negative impacts on developing countries due to open strategic autonomy ambitions, potentially weakening multilateralism, cross-border trade, and foreign investment. Proposals should consider the implications of greater EU autonomy for populations outside the EU and how this could influence engagement in areas like development cooperation, promotion of democracy, and defense and promotion of human rights.

Applicants are encouraged to investigate policies developed by international partners in open strategic autonomy and economic security, including research security, and their potential impact on the EU and its Member States. Ideas should be developed to ensure a level playing field in cooperation with these partners, ensuring safeguarding measures do not hinder collaboration.

The call promotes the integration of ethical and feminist principles into diplomatic strategies and encourages ethical and gender-responsive approaches to foreign policy and the design of open strategic autonomy. Research activities should involve a wide range of stakeholders, including non-scientific and non-academic actors, and utilize participative and experimental methodologies.

Proposals should build on past EU-funded projects and seek cooperation with ongoing ones, addressing issues related to strategic autonomy. Applicants should indicate relevant Horizon 2020 projects as sources of research results. Research activities could involve the analysis of Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI). Clustering and cooperation with other selected projects under this topic and other relevant projects are strongly encouraged.

Where applicable, proposals should leverage data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud, as well as data from relevant Data Spaces. Efforts should be made to ensure data is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

The call provides a detailed budget overview for various topics under the HORIZON-CL2-2025-01 framework, including DEMOCRACY, HERITAGE, and TRANSFO, specifying the type of action (CSA or RIA), budget allocation, opening and deadline dates, contribution amounts, and the indicative number of grants. For example, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-04, a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action, has a budget of 7,000,000 EUR, opens on May 15, 2025, closes on September 16, 2025, and aims to award approximately 2 grants with contributions ranging from 3,000,000 to 3,500,000 EUR.

The call is a single-stage submission process. The page limit for Part B of the Research and Innovation (RIA) application using lump sum is 50 pages, and a detailed budget table must be submitted.

The call provides a list of general conditions related to admissibility, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, evaluation and award processes, and legal and financial setup. It also lists specific conditions, application and evaluation forms, model grant agreements, and additional documents such as work programs, program guides, financial regulations, and online manuals.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to fund research and innovation projects that contribute to a better understanding and implementation of open strategic autonomy and economic security within the EU's foreign policy. It encourages proposals that address conceptual clarity, policy recommendations, and the broader implications of strategic autonomy for both EU member states and developing countries, while promoting ethical and gender-responsive approaches. The call provides funding opportunities for both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) across various topics related to democracy, heritage, and transformation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but the call encourages a wide range of stakeholders and societal actors, including non-scientific and non-academic actors, such as public bodies, policymakers, private corporates, industry federations, media organisations, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, and educational research bodies. This suggests that a variety of organizations, including research institutions, NGOs, private companies and public entities, are eligible to apply.

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 Programme. The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The information suggests that both single applicants and consortia are possible, as there is a partner search functionality available. However, given the scope and nature of the research, a consortium is more likely to be successful.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be EU Member States and associated countries. However, the text 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 program targets the following sectors: democracy, governance, energy, research, health, media, technology, defence, food, industry, development cooperation, promotion of democracy, defence and promotion of human rights, culture, creativity, and inclusive society. It is heavily focused on research and innovation related to open strategic autonomy and economic security, including research security.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions the EU, its Member States, associated countries, Neighbourhood countries, and developing countries. It also alludes to "other international key partners/geopolitical players" without naming specific countries. Russia and Ukraine are mentioned in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on research and innovation actions (RIA) and innovation actions (IA), suggesting projects should be in the research, development, validation, or demonstration phases. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) are also included, which suggests support for projects in earlier stages, such as idea or research.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action:
HORIZON-CSA: typically between €2,000,000 and €3,500,000
HORIZON-RIA: typically between €3,000,000 and €5,000,000
HORIZON-IA: between €2,500,000 and €4,000,000

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 a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned. However, Horizon Europe actions typically fund a significant portion of the project costs, implying that co-funding may not be mandatory but could strengthen a proposal.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar, focuses on "Open strategic autonomy, economic and research security in EU foreign policy". It aims to fund research and innovation actions (RIA), innovation actions (IA) and coordination and support actions (CSA) that contribute to a better understanding and policymaking related to the EU's open strategic autonomy and economic security, including research security. The call encourages proposals that provide conceptual clarity, analyze drivers and risks, and develop policy recommendations. It emphasizes the importance of balancing openness and protection, considering the impact on developing countries, and fostering international cooperation. The call is open to a wide range of stakeholders, including research institutions, NGOs, private companies, and public entities, primarily from EU Member States and associated countries, with some possibilities for non-EU countries. Funding amounts vary depending on the type of action, with a single-stage application process and funding provided as a lump sum grant. The call seeks to address the evolving geopolitical landscape and ensure the EU's ability to act autonomously in strategically important policy areas while maintaining its values and international commitments.