Risk management, mitigation and contingency for ESFRI/ERIC and other world-class research infrastructures

This summary provides an overview of the Horizon Europe funding call titled "Risk management, mitigation and contingency for ESFRI/ERIC and other world-class research infrastructures" HORIZON-INFRA. The opportunity is designed to enhance risk management frameworks for pan-European research infrastructures, specifically targeting organizations such as ESFRI and ERICs that operate critical research facilities across Europe. Eligible applicants include operators and consortia responsible for these infrastructures, focusing on established entities that address risks in scientific sectors including climate, health, and social sciences. The funding mechanism is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, with financial allocations between €1 million and €4 million per project, totaling approximately €10 million available for the call. The application process is open and involves a single-stage submission, commencing on March 10, 2026, and closing on June 16, 2026. Successful proposals must involve collaborative actions between multiple organizations to implement coordinated mitigation and contingency plans. The expected project outcomes include robust risk management plans, enhanced operational sustainability, and contributions to broader research and innovation strategies within the EU. The eligibility for funding encompasses EU member states and associated countries, with details regarding the co-funding requirements left unspecified. Overall, this funding call emphasizes the importance of resilience in research infrastructures, encouraging partnerships that leverage shared risks and knowledge for improved research capacity in Europe.

This is a comprehensive description of the Horizon Europe Research Infrastructures 2026 funding call, specifically focusing on risk management, mitigation, and contingency planning for ESFRI/ERIC and other world-class research infrastructures. The call aims to enhance the robustness of European research infrastructures against various risks, including those related to climate, biodiversity loss, pollution, health, social sciences, and access to critical resources.

The expected outcomes of funded projects include:

More robust risk management plans for European research infrastructures.

Implementation of mitigation and contingency plans for critical risks.

Improved information for EU and Member States on critical research infrastructures and R&I services.

Preservation of capacity and research freedom within the European Research Area.

Reinforcement of the global competitiveness and attractiveness of the European Research Area.

The scope of the call targets pan-European research infrastructures, particularly those in climate, health, and social sciences. Proposals should address risks shared by multiple infrastructures and focus on sustainable mitigation and contingency plans.

Proposed actions should:

Describe capacities at risk due to various factors like geographical coverage, data loss, access limitations, and supply challenges.

Exchange best practices in risk assessment and develop guidance.

Describe the expected impact of realized risks on related programs, international agreements, EU priorities, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy.

Implement mitigation and contingency plans to ensure the sustainability of research infrastructures and preserve EU research capacity.

Develop guidance and disseminate best practices on risk assessment and research security.

Explore links to initiatives like the development of a European center of expertise on research security.

General conditions for participation include:

Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, as detailed in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligible countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other eligible conditions, also described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria, detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds, as specified in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission and evaluation processes, described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, also described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial setup of the grants, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions include details described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Templates include:

Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)

Standard application form (HE CSA)

Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)

Standard evaluation form (HE CSA)

Guidance documents include:

HE Programme Guide

HE MGA

Lump Sum MGA

Framework Partnership Agreement FPA

Detailed budget table (HE LS)

Information on financial support to third parties (HE)

Information on clinical studies (HE)

Guidance:"Lump sums - what do I need to know?"

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 3. Research Infrastructures

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes

HE Programme Guide

HE Framework Programme 2021/695

HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme

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

The budget overview for the call includes several topics:

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-01-EOSC-01:€40,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 1 grant.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-01-EOSC-02:€10,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 2 grants (3,000,000 to €5,000,000 each).

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-01:€10,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 4 grants (2,000,000 to €3,000,000 each).

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-02:€40,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 6 grants (4,000,000 to €8,000,000 each).

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-03:€9,900,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 3 grants (3,000,000 to €4,500,000 each).

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-04:€2,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 1 grant.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-05:€8,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 1 grant.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-06:€8,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 5 grants (1,000,000 to €1,500,000 each).

HORIZON-INFRA:€10,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 3 grants (1,000,000 to €4,000,000 each).

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-SERV-01-01:€32,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 1 grant.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-TECH-01-01:€110,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 11 grants (5,000,000 to €10,000,000 each).

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-TECH-01-02:€15,000,000, single-stage, opening 2026-03-10, deadline 2026-06-16, indicative 2 grants (5,000,000 to €7,500,000 each).

Partner search announcements are available, and the submission system is planned to open on March 10, 2026.

For support, applicants are encouraged to consult the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to bolster the resilience of European research infrastructures by funding projects that develop and implement robust risk management, mitigation, and contingency plans. It targets a wide range of infrastructures across various scientific domains and encourages collaborative approaches to address shared risks. The call provides substantial funding opportunities through various topics, supporting both research and innovation actions as well as coordination and support actions. Applicants should carefully review the call conditions, guidelines, and available support resources to prepare competitive proposals.

Eligible Applicant Types:The opportunity targets pan-European research infrastructures. Specifically mentioned are ESFRI research infrastructures, ERICs, and other world-class research infrastructures in Europe. These infrastructures should be in the fields of climate, health, and social sciences. 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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Funding Type:The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA). Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025).

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity appears to favor consortia, as proposals should involve research infrastructures that are sharing similar or related risks. This suggests a collaborative approach is preferred, although it does not explicitly exclude single applicants.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility primarily focuses on European research infrastructures. However, the mention of non-EU/non-Associated Countries suggests that participants from these countries may also be eligible for funding, provided they meet specific provisions outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector:The program targets research infrastructures in the fields of climate, health, and social sciences. It aims to support these infrastructures in implementing mitigation and contingency plans for critical risks. The scope includes addressing risks related to access to critical data, equipment, or facilities.

Mentioned Countries:The opportunity explicitly mentions EU member states and refers to non-EU and non-associated countries.

Project Stage:The expected maturity of the project is at the stage where research infrastructures are ready to implement mitigation and contingency plans. This implies a stage of development, validation, and potentially demonstration, rather than basic research or idea generation.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. Here's a breakdown of the indicative budgets and contributions for each topic:

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-01-EOSC-01:Budget of around €40,000,000, with an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-01-EOSC-02:Budget of €10,000,000, with contributions ranging from €3,000,000 to €5,000,000 and an indicative number of 2 grants.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-01:Budget of €10,000,000, with contributions ranging from €2,000,000 to €3,000,000 and an indicative number of 4 grants.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-02:Budget of €40,000,000, with contributions ranging from €4,000,000 to €8,000,000 and an indicative number of 6 grants.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-03:Budget of €9,900,000, with contributions ranging from €3,000,000 to €4,500,000 and an indicative number of 3 grants.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-04:Budget of €2,000,000, with an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-05:Budget of €8,000,000, with an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-06:Budget of €8,000,000, with contributions ranging from €1,000,000 to €1,500,000 and an indicative number of 5 grants.

HORIZON-INFRA:Budget of €10,000,000, with contributions ranging from €1,000,000 to €4,000,000 and an indicative number of 3 grants.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-SERV-01-01:Budget of €32,000,000, with an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-TECH-01-01:Budget of €110,000,000, with contributions ranging from €5,000,000 to €10,000,000 and an indicative number of 11 grants.

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-TECH-01-02:Budget of €15,000,000, with contributions ranging from €5,000,000 to €7,500,000 and an indicative number of 2 grants.

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 involves a single stage.

Success Rates:The success rates can be inferred from the indicative number of grants for each topic. For instance, a topic with a budget of €40,000,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant suggests a highly competitive environment. Conversely, a topic with €8,000,000 and 5 grants indicates a higher chance of success.

Co-funding Requirement:The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, given that it is a Horizon Europe grant, co-funding might be expected, depending on the specific rules of the call and the type of action (RIA or CSA).

Summary:This Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-INFRA-2026-01) focuses on enhancing the resilience and risk management of pan-European research infrastructures, particularly those in climate, health, and social sciences. The call aims to support these infrastructures in developing and implementing mitigation and contingency plans to address critical risks, such as data loss, access limitations, and supply challenges. The funding is provided through lump sum grants, and the call is structured into various topics, each with a specific budget and scope. Eligible applicants include ESFRI research infrastructures, ERICs, and other world-class research infrastructures in Europe, with potential participation from non-EU/non-associated countries. The application process is a single-stage open call, and successful projects are expected to contribute to more robust risk management plans, the implementation of mitigation strategies, and the preservation of EU research capacity and freedom. The call encourages collaboration among research infrastructures facing similar risks and emphasizes the importance of sustaining mitigation plans beyond the project's duration.