Roadmap for next generation computing technologies from IoT device level to edge to cloud to HPC (CSA)

The grant opportunity titled HORIZON-CL4, "Roadmap for next generation computing technologies from IoT device level to edge to cloud to HPC (CSA)," is part of the Horizon Europe program. It aims to support the development and annual update of roadmaps for research and innovation in the computing sector. The focus spans a spectrum from edge-IoT devices to high-performance computing (HPC), encompassing various applications in scientific, industrial, and societal contexts. Eligible participants include a broad range of stakeholders such as key stakeholders in computing, academic institutions, research centers, industrial entities, and public-private partnerships, predominantly from EU member states and associated countries. There might also be opportunities for non-EU participants under specific provisions. The funding type is structured as a grant under the HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (CSA), with a budget of approximately €2.5 million per awarded project. The expected contributions for individual projects range between €1.8 million and €2.5 million. The grant is anticipated to have a single-stage application process, with the opening date set for June 10, 2025, and the closing date on October 2, 2025. The nature of support provided through this grant is monetary, directed towards coordinating actions and fostering collaborations aimed at establishing a supportive structure for the European computing ecosystem. Events like conferences and vision workshops will be organized to enhance networking among the academic and industrial computing community. The success rate for grants in this domain generally varies between 10% and 39%, although the specific rate can be influenced by competitive factors. No explicit requirement for co-funding has been indicated. In summary, this grant provides a significant opportunity to enhance collaborative efforts in computing technology development across Europe, promoting strategic planning and vision-setting rather than direct research activities. It seeks to gather diverse expertise to produce comprehensive roadmaps on next-generation computing technologies, aligning with broader EU objectives for digitalization and technological sovereignty.

The HORIZON-CL4 call, titled "Roadmap for next generation computing technologies from IoT device level to edge to cloud to HPC (CSA)", is part of the Horizon Europe program under the DIGITAL - CNECT (HORIZON-CL4-2025-03) call. It is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The deadline model is single-stage, with a planned opening date of 10 June 2025 and a deadline of 02 October 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of this CSA action is to establish a support structure for the European Computing ecosystem, including networking events such as conferences and summer schools, as well as vision workshops for the academic and industrial computing community. It also aims to provide yearly updated roadmaps on computing, addressing the area from a broad perspective, encompassing edge-IoT devices to edge cloud to cloud to HPC, and covering scientific, industrial, societal, and research applications. These roadmaps should address all relevant aspects, including real-time, security, support to artificial intelligence, and the use of generative AI for computing system engineering.

The scope of the call is to support the European Commission and the European computing constituency by providing annually updated roadmaps for research and innovation related to computing. This topic is overarching and aims to bridge Destinations 3 ("From Cloud to Edge to IoT for European Data") and 4 ("Ultra Low Power Processors"), as well as the Joint Undertakings (JU) on Chips, Smart Networks and Services, and high-performance computing (HPC). This effort builds on the achievements and structures established by the HIPEAC project and think tank of renowned European research centres on computing "at large" and their key experts. The call emphasizes that both academic visions and the industrial perspective, complementing the Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas of the JUs, as well as roadmapping done by the European Alliance for Industrial Data, Edge & Cloud and the IPCEI exploitation office, should be taken into consideration.

The general conditions for this call include:

1. Admissibility Conditions:Proposal page limit and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions for funding participants from non-EU/non-Associated Countries are detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions are subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks and are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

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

5a. Evaluation and award:Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

€5B. Evaluation and award:Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award:Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants are 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. The standard application form is HE CSA, and the standard evaluation form is HE CSA, which will be used with necessary adaptations. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, and the Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include HE MGA.

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

The budget overview includes various topics under the HORIZON-CL4-2025-03 call, with their respective budget, type of action, opening date, deadline, contributions, and indicative number of grants. For example, HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-08, a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA), has a budget of €75,000,000 and is a single-stage action.

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics after logging into the Portal. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

Support is available through 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, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and Partner Search.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster collaboration and create updated roadmaps for computing technologies across Europe, spanning from IoT devices to high-performance computing. It seeks to align academic and industrial visions, promote networking, and support the European Commission's strategic goals in the digital domain. The call encourages key stakeholders to participate and contribute to the development of a comprehensive and forward-looking computing ecosystem.

Eligible Applicant Types:Key stakeholders in the field, academic institutions, industrial entities, research centers, and experts. The call targets a broad range of stakeholders involved in the European computing ecosystem.

Funding Type:Grant. Specifically, it is a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. The type of action is HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions.

Consortium Requirement:The CSA action should be prepared, managed, and coordinated by key stakeholders in the field, suggesting a consortium approach is preferred or required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The call specifies eligibility as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, which includes EU member states and associated countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector:This program targets the digital sector, specifically focusing on computing, including edge computing, IoT, cloud computing, high-performance computing (HPC), ultra-low power processors, chips, smart networks, services, artificial intelligence, and generative AI for computing system engineering.

Mentioned Countries:The opportunity explicitly mentions EU member states and associated countries as generally eligible. It also refers to non-EU and non-associated countries that have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage:The project stage is focused on roadmapping, coordination, and support. It involves creating updated roadmaps for research and innovation, suggesting a focus on strategic planning and vision-setting rather than direct research or development.

Funding Amount:The budget for the HORIZON-CL4 topic is €2,500,000, with contributions ranging from 1,800,000 to €2,500,000.

Application Type:The application type is a single-stage call.

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support the coordination and support actions.

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

Success Rates:The indicative number of grants for the HORIZON-CL4 topic is 1.

Co-funding Requirement:The information provided does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, HORIZON-CL4, aims to support the European Commission and the European computing constituency by funding the creation and annual update of roadmaps for research and innovation in computing. The scope is broad, encompassing everything from edge-IoT devices to edge-cloud to cloud to HPC, and considers scientific, industrial, societal, and research applications. The call encourages participation from key stakeholders, including academic institutions, industrial partners, and research centers, to prepare, manage, and coordinate the CSA action. The expected outcomes include a support structure for the European Computing ecosystem with networking events and vision workshops, and yearly updated roadmaps on computing addressing various aspects such as real-time, security, support to artificial intelligence, and use of generative AI for computing system engineering. The funding mechanism is a Horizon Coordination and Support Action (CSA) grant, with a budget of €2,500,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant to be awarded. The call follows a single-stage submission process with a planned opening date of June 10, 2025, and a deadline of October 2, 2025. Eligible applicants include those from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries with specific funding provisions. The call is focused on strategic planning and vision-setting in the computing sector, rather than direct research or development activities.