Safety of SMRs, advanced and innovative nuclear reactors and fuels

Call HORIZON-EURATOM under the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2026-2027 funds EURATOM Innovation Actions focused on safety, security and safeguards of small modular reactors (SMRs), advanced modular reactors (AMRs) and associated fuel cycles. The topic budget is €15,000,000 (€8.5M in 2026 and €6.5M in 2027) with indicative grants around €3,000,000 and approximately five projects expected, awarded as lump-sum contributions. Submission opens 24 March 2026 and the single-stage deadline is 15 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time; eligible applicants are legal entities from EU Member States and Euratom Associated Countries with standard consortium requirements. Proposals must address safety-by-design priorities, pre-normative R&D and experimental validation, comply with Part A/Part B templates (45-page limit for Part B) and include data management and dissemination plans.

Safety of SMRs, advanced and innovative nuclear reactors and fuels

Call: Nuclear research and training (HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01), Topic HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-02

What it funds

Innovation actions focused on safety research, design and demonstration for small modular reactors (LW-SMRs and Gen-IV AMRs), associated fuel cycles, advanced coolants, hybridisation and integration into low-carbon and smart energy systems. Emphasis on safety-by-design, 3S (safety-security-safeguards)-by-design, regulatory readiness, experimental validation of safety features, waste minimisation by design, emergency preparedness and non-electric applications (e.g. industrial heat, maritime).

Who can apply:Consortia of research organisations, industry (including SMR developers and utilities), regulators/TSOs, public authorities and other stakeholders from eligible Member States and associated countries; Joint Research Centre may join consortia and charge only its operational costs ¹.

Funding scale, deadlines and type

Call type: EURATOM Innovation Actions (EURATOM-IA), lump-sum budget model. Submission opens 24 March 2026; deadline 15 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time.

1. 1Indicative typical grant size: around €3,000,000 (per selected project).
2. 2Topic-level indicative contribution in the Work Programme: budget lines associated with the call show multi-million euro envelopes (see table).
3. 3Grantees may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants up to €60,000 per third party where applicable.

Eligibility and administrative notes

Eligibility, admissibility, evaluation and legal/financial rules follow the Euratom Work Programme General Annexes (A to G). Check the Funding & Tenders Portal for the current List of Participating Countries and call-specific templates. Proposals must respect page limits and use the official application templates.

Scope highlights:Balanced portfolio across LW-SMRs and AMRs and their fuel cycles; projects should advance independent safety demonstration, experimental validation of safety-relevant phenomena, pre-normative R&D, digital/instrumentation improvements for in-service operation, modularity/siting and integration in hybrid energy systems. Coordination with EURAD-2, PIANOFORTE and CONNECT-NM is expected.

Where to apply

Submit via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the call topic HORIZON-EURATOM. Use the standard Part A/Part B templates and include any required annexes (e.g., financial support to third parties, data management plan).

Footnotes

1. 1Decision and financing information referenced in the topic: Commission decision C(2024)8345. Details and related financing decisions are available at Financing decisions (European Commission).

Safety of SMRs, Advanced and Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuels — HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-02

Opportunity type: Call for proposals under the Euratom Research and Training Programme. Topic ID: HORIZON-EURATOM. Type of action: EURATOM-IA (Innovation Actions), implemented as lump-sum grants under the EURATOM Action Grant Budget-Based Model Grant Agreement. Programme: Nuclear research and training (HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01). Opening date: 24 March 2026. Deadline: 15 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Submission: single-stage via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Official Topic Page.

Topic focus and expected outcomes

This call funds a balanced portfolio of projects that advance the safety of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Gen-IV-based Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), including their associated fuel cycles. It targets both light water SMRs (LW-SMRs) and AMRs, emphasising safety-by-design, passive safety, and the integration of modern digital instrumentation and emerging technologies in safe in-service operation. The work should independently demonstrate safety of innovative systems and critical structures, and progress viability phases under safety-relevant conditions.

• Safety research into innovative reactors and fuel cycles, covering LW-SMRs and AMRs
• Design or demonstration of the viability of SMRs and their fuel cycles, including efficient integration into low-carbon and smart energy systems
• Support for a shared approach among regulators’ technical support organisations (TSOs) to safety requirements across advanced energy applications such as industrial heat, district heating, and maritime uses
• Innovation in safety aspects of LW-SMRs and AMRs with safety-by-design features
• Operating rules for specific services using emerging instrumentation and digital technologies for improved in-service operation
• Research on fuel cycles with inherently safe design, lower high-level waste generation, improved resource use, and contributions to energy transition and security

Scope and technical priorities

Projects should cover R&I needed to independently demonstrate safety in LW-SMRs and AMRs, including advanced coolant technologies, reactor hybridisation, and fuel designs. Proposals are expected to select concrete reactor and fuel-cycle concepts and address experimental validation under safety-relevant conditions.

• 3S by Design: Integrate safety-security-safeguards-by-design to facilitate TSO awareness of innovative reactor concepts for hybrid energy systems
• Passive safety and regulatory harmonisation: Investigate high degrees of passive safety and their implications for harmonised safety assessments
• Pre-normative R&D: Address cross-cutting, pre-normative research challenges for selected SMRs, potentially using modern digital solutions
• Viability phase testing: Test basic innovative technology concepts under safety-relevant conditions to assess proof of concept and safety improvements
• Experimental validation topics: Water natural circulation, two-phase flow, non-water coolants, severe accident phenomena, fluid-material interaction, thermal-hydraulics/neutronics coupling, design optimisation, higher operational temperatures for process heat and high-temperature hydrogen generation, and maritime applications
• Safety subjects to assess: Internal and external hazards including fires and explosions, radioactive waste management with waste minimisation and decommissioning by design, emergency preparedness and response, human and environmental impacts, safeguards, social perception, and long-term sustainability of fuel cycles
• Operational flexibility in integrated energy systems: Safety-by-design and safety demonstration for flexible operation with intermediate heat storage or other means
• Modularity and deployment: Factory fabrication, transportability, scalability, safety case development for multi-module sites and/or underground siting, regulatory readiness, and integration into energy systems

Coordination is expected with the following partnerships: EURAD-2 for radioactive waste, PIANOFORTE for radiation protection, and CONNECT-NM for materials. Proposals should also coordinate with relevant research institutions in Member States actively planning to deploy SMRs in Euratom Member States and Associated Countries. Where relevant, ensure complementarities with the grant scheme supporting national regulatory authorities on coordinated approaches to new nuclear safety regulatory challenges, granted under decision C(2024)8345 EC Financing Decisions. The Commission recommends using JRC services; JRC may participate and will cover its own staff and infrastructure operational costs. JRC facilities and expertise are listed in General Annex H of the Work Programme.

Budget and funding model

Grants are financed as lump sums. The lump sum is determined during grant preparation based on a detailed cost estimate per work package and beneficiary and includes the applicable reimbursement rates and the 25 percent indirect cost flat rate where applicable. Payments depend on proper implementation of work packages, not on actual costs incurred. See the Commission Decision authorising lump sum use for Horizon Europe and Euratom for full details Lump Sum Decision.

Financial support to third parties:Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties exclusively as grants. The maximum per third party is €60,000. If used, applicants must include the dedicated annex describing objectives, activities eligible for support, selection criteria, and calculation of support; use the official template Information on Financial Support to Third Parties Template.

Eligibility, participation, and evaluation

Eligible applicant types:Universities and higher education institutions, research institutes, technical support organisations (TSOs), SMEs and large enterprises including reactor and fuel developers and supply chain companies, nonprofit organisations, NGOs, standards bodies, national regulatory authorities and competent public bodies, utilities and operators, public-private partnerships, and the Joint Research Centre (JRC). The JRC may participate as a consortium member and covers its own operational costs.

Geographic eligibility and funding:Eligibility follows the Euratom Work Programme General Annexes. EU Member States are eligible. As of the call publication, Ukraine and Switzerland are the only countries associated to the Euratom Programme and hence eligible for funding. Other countries’ participation may be possible under Horizon Europe rules but is typically without EU funding unless specific conditions are met. See the current list of participating countries and association statuses List of Participating Countries (HE/Euratom).

Consortium requirement:This is a collaborative Innovation Action under Euratom. Standard Horizon Europe consortium rules apply, typically requiring at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Associated Country to the Euratom Programme. Single-beneficiary applications are not foreseen for this topic.

Admissibility and proposal format:Part B page limit for RIA and IA lump-sum proposals is 45 pages. Layout and structure follow the standard HE RIA/IA templates. Proposals must include a plan for dissemination, exploitation, and communication at submission stage. Ethics, security, and other declarations are completed in Part A. See templates and instructions via the Submission System and the Online Manual Application Form (example, Part A) HE RIA/IA Funding & Tenders Online Manual.

Evaluation and award:Evaluation follows the Euratom Work Programme General Annexes. Award criteria cover excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. Submission and evaluation processes, scoring and thresholds, and indicative timelines are per General Annexes E, D, and F respectively. Lump-sum budgets are checked by experts with financial know-how against benchmarks to ensure reliability and plausibility.

Key categorisation for applicants

Eligible Applicant Types:Universities, research institutes, technical support organisations and regulators’ TSOs, SMEs, large enterprises, utilities and operators, engineering firms, standards and certification bodies, nonprofit organisations and NGOs, government bodies and competent national regulatory authorities, public-private partnerships, and EU agencies such as the JRC.

Funding Type:Grant in the form of an Innovation Action, implemented as a lump-sum contribution under the Euratom Model Grant Agreement.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. Standard Horizon Europe collaborative minimum of three independent legal entities from three different eligible countries applies.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States; Euratom Associated Countries eligible for funding as of call publication include Ukraine and Switzerland. Other international participation may be possible without EU funding unless explicitly allowed. Always verify current status via the official country list.

Target Sector:Nuclear energy safety; reactor technologies (LW-SMRs and Gen-IV AMRs); fuel cycles and nuclear materials; thermal-hydraulics and neutronics; advanced coolants; instrumentation and control including digital solutions; radioactive waste management and decommissioning; radiation protection; materials science; hydrogen production at high temperature; industrial and district heat; maritime applications; integrated energy systems and operational flexibility.

Mentioned Countries:Ukraine; Switzerland; Region: European Union and Euratom Member States and Associated Countries.

Project Stage:Innovation Action stage focusing on development, validation, and demonstration, including proof-of-concept of safety features, viability testing under safety-relevant conditions, experimental validation, and pre-normative research feeding regulatory readiness.

Funding Amount:Indicative EU contribution per project is around €3,000,000. Total topic budgets are €6.5 million (2026) and €8.5 million (2027), with approximately five grants expected.

Application Type:Open call; single-stage submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Monetary grant funding (lump sum). Projects may additionally regrant limited amounts to third parties (up to €60,000 each) if justified.

Application Stages:1 stage (single-stage submission and evaluation).

Success Rates:Not specified in the topic documentation. No historical success rate data provided.

Co-funding Requirement:The EU contribution is calculated using the standard reimbursement rate for Euratom Innovation Actions within a lump-sum grant. This may not cover 100 percent of estimated eligible costs depending on beneficiary type and action rules; applicants should consult the Euratom Model Grant Agreement and the Work Programme General Annexes for the applicable reimbursement rate and plan co-funding accordingly. The lump sum incorporates the 25 percent flat-rate indirect costs where applicable.

Technical and regulatory integration expectations

• Safety-by-design: Integrate safety, security, and safeguards early in the design and demonstrate how these are verified experimentally and analytically
• Digital and instrumentation: Use of modern digital solutions and advanced instrumentation to improve operation and safety; consider data integrity, validation, and cybersecurity aspects in safety cases as appropriate
• Thermal-hydraulics and neutronics: Coupled modelling and experimental validation addressing natural circulation, two-phase flow, severe accident management, and interactions between fluids and materials across operating envelopes including higher temperatures
• Coolant and fuel innovation: Evaluation of non-water coolants and advanced fuel designs, including their impacts on safety margins, waste generation, and resource efficiency
• Waste and decommissioning by design: Demonstrate how design choices reduce waste generation and facilitate decommissioning, with traceable metrics
• Emergency preparedness and impact: Consider human and environmental impact assessments, emergency preparedness and response, and social perception within the safety assessment framework
• Operational flexibility: Address nuclear safety implications of load following, hybrid operation with heat storage, and integration into variable energy systems; define safe operating envelopes and demonstration strategies
• Deployment aspects: Analyse safety cases for multi-module sites, factory fabrication and transportability, including siting (including underground) and regulatory readiness milestones
• Coordination with partnerships: Plan interfaces with EURAD-2, PIANOFORTE, and CONNECT-NM to avoid duplication and leverage results
• Regulatory engagement: Structured exchanges with TSOs and regulators, and alignment with the grant scheme for coordinated regulatory approaches where relevant

Proposal templates and required structure

Part A — Administrative forms (online):Includes general information, participants, budget webforms, ethics and security questionnaires, and declarations. Coordinator manages partner list and contacts. Gender Equality Plan is an eligibility criterion for specific organisation types in EU/Associated Countries. Ethics self-assessment and security self-assessment must be completed if triggered.

Part B — Technical description (PDF upload):Maximum 45 pages for lump-sum IA. Structure: 1) Excellence: objectives, ambition beyond state-of-the-art, methodology including interdisciplinary integration, gender dimension in R&I content if applicable, and open science practices. 2) Impact: pathways toward outcomes and destination-level impacts; barriers and assumptions; plan for dissemination, exploitation, and communication with target groups; IP management and standardisation where applicable. 3) Implementation: work plan with work packages, tasks, deliverables, milestones, critical risks and mitigation, person-months per partner and WP, subcontracting and major equipment justifications. A Data Management Plan and a Plan for dissemination, exploitation and communication are due within 6 months after grant signature as deliverables. See the example template for fields and tables Application Form (example, Part A) HE RIA/IA.

Annexes at submission:Where applicable: Information on financial support to third parties (if re-granting is planned), security-sensitive information annex for flagged calls, and any extended ethics information if required by the topic. Use the official templates on the portal.

Administrative and legal conditions

• Admissibility: As per Euratom Work Programme 2026–2027 General Annex A. Part B page limit 45 pages for lump-sum IA.
• Eligibility: As per General Annex B. Note that as of call publication, Ukraine and Switzerland are the Euratom Associated Countries eligible for funding in addition to EU Member States.
• Financial and operational capacity; exclusion: As per General Annex C.
• Award criteria, scoring and thresholds: As per General Annex D.
• Submission and evaluation processes; indicative timelines: As per General Annexes E and F and the Online Manual.
• Legal and financial set-up: As per General Annex G and the Euratom lump-sum decision. Pre-financing, reporting, and Mutual Insurance Mechanism apply per MGA.
• Model Grant Agreements: Horizon Europe and Lump Sum MGA apply to this topic as adapted for Euratom.

Practical application guidance

1. 1Build a consortium covering reactor technology, safety analysis, experimental facilities, fuel cycle expertise, digital I&C, materials, TSOs/regulatory interface, and end-use contexts such as industrial heat or maritime applications; consider including JRC where appropriate.
2. 2Select and justify representative LW-SMR and/or AMR concepts and associated fuel cycles; map to concrete experiments and analysis to meet safety-by-design and passive safety evidence needs.
3. 3Define a pre-normative R&D plan that targets regulatory readiness, standardisation inputs, and harmonised safety assessment aspects.
4. 4Plan experimental validation campaigns addressing the listed thermal-hydraulic, neutronic, severe accident, coolant, and materials interactions under safety-relevant conditions; ensure data quality, metrology, and traceability.
5. 5Articulate safety case elements for modular deployment, multi-module sites, and underground siting, with clear milestones toward regulatory engagement.
6. 6Design WPs for operational flexibility in integrated systems with heat storage, including safety envelopes, transients, and demonstration scenarios.
7. 7Integrate waste minimisation and decommissioning-by-design metrics; coordinate with EURAD-2, PIANOFORTE, and CONNECT-NM to reuse guidance, databases, and protocols.
8. 8Establish a structured stakeholder engagement plan with TSOs, regulators, licensees, and SMR developers, including workshops and iterative reviews.
9. 9Prepare the lump-sum budget with detailed WP-level estimates per beneficiary, aligned to planned activities and resources; follow usual cost accounting practices and eligibility rules.
10. 10If providing financial support to third parties, define a transparent sub-grant scheme using the official annex template with a clear activity list, selection criteria, and maximum €60,000 per recipient.

Summary and explanation of the opportunity

This Euratom Innovation Action call funds collaborative, demonstration-oriented projects that independently evidence and advance the safety of small modular and advanced nuclear reactors and their fuel cycles. Projects are expected to validate safety features experimentally and analytically under safety-relevant conditions, covering topics from passive safety and advanced coolants to severe accident behaviour, coupled thermal-hydraulic and neutronic modelling, and materials interactions. The call emphasises safety-by-design and modularity, the development of operating rules leveraging digital instrumentation, and readiness for integration into low-carbon smart energy systems delivering electricity and non-electric applications such as industrial and district heat and maritime propulsion. Proposals should include pre-normative research that can contribute to harmonised regulatory safety assessments and engage actively with TSOs and regulators, drawing links to ongoing EU partnerships on waste, radiation protection, and materials. With around €3 million per project, lump-sum funding, and a single-stage submission by 15 September 2026, competitive consortia should align strong experimental capabilities and modelling with regulatory interfaces and end-use contexts, incorporate waste and decommissioning-by-design, and plan for operational flexibility in hybrid systems. Eligible applicants span academia, industry, TSOs, regulators, and public bodies across EU Member States and Euratom Associated Countries Ukraine and Switzerland. The opportunity aims to de-risk deployment pathways for SMRs and AMRs, support energy transition and security while respecting technology neutrality, and enhance EU-wide nuclear safety through coordinated, evidence-based innovation.

Funding Opportunity Analysis: Safety of SMRs, Advanced and Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuels

Opportunity Overview

This is a call for innovation action projects under the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2026-2027, specifically addressing the safety, security and safeguards of small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs). The European Union is committing significant resources to advance nuclear innovation, with approximately €108 millioneuros allocated to nuclear fission research across multiple topics, of which this call represents a key priority. The opportunity is part of the EU's broader strategy to strengthen Europe's energy independence and support the transition to carbon-neutral energy systems by 2050 through safe and sustainable nuclear technologies. ¹

Call Identifier and Key Dates:Topic identifier HORIZON-EURATOM. Submission system opens 24 March 2026. Deadline for proposal submission is 15 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Single-stage submission procedure.

Type of Action:EURATOM Innovation Actions (EURATOM-IA). This action type focuses on developing innovative nuclear technologies and bringing them closer to market deployment or regulatory approval.

Funding Information

The total budget for this specific topic is €15 millioneuros distributed across 2026 and 2027. The funding is expected to support approximately 5 projects, with an average grant size of around €3 millioneuros per project. Grants will be provided using a budget-based lump sum model, which simplifies financial management for beneficiaries by providing fixed amounts rather than requiring detailed cost reporting. ²

Research Focus and Scope

Primary Research Areas

The call is structured around three main reactor technology categories: light water SMRs (LW-SMRs), which are smaller-scale conventional nuclear reactors with a power capacity of up to 300 megawatts electric per unit; Gen-IV-based advanced modular reactors (AMRs), representing innovative reactor concepts with enhanced safety and operational features; and associated fuel cycle research. Currently, over 100 SMR models are under development in 19 countries worldwide, including 13 EU countries, making this research critical for advancing commercially viable nuclear technology in Europe. ³

Safety and Innovation Priorities

Proposals must emphasize safety-security-safeguards-by-design (3S by Design) principles that enable regulators to understand how innovative reactor concepts can be integrated into hybrid energy systems. A key priority is investigating the high degree of passive safety characteristics in SMRs and working toward possible harmonization of regulatory approaches across member states. Research should address pre-normative R&D challenges, cover the viability phase of innovative technologies, and experimentally validate safety aspects including water natural circulation, two-phase flow dynamics, non-water coolant performance, severe accident scenarios, thermal-hydraulic-neutronic coupling, design optimization, and higher operational temperatures relevant to industrial heat production and hydrogen generation applications. Maritime applications of SMRs are also within scope. ⁴

Additional Research Components

• Radioactive waste management optimization through waste minimization and decommissioning by design
• Establishment of operating rules for innovative reactors incorporating emerging instrumentation and digital technologies
• Investigation of nuclear safety aspects of operational flexibility in integrated energy systems with intermediate heat storage facilities
• Development of safety cases for multi-module sites and underground siting options
• Fuel cycle research focusing on inherently safe design, reduction of high-level waste generation, and improved resource utilization
• Coordination with related partnerships including EURAD-2 (radioactive waste), PIANOFORTE (radiation protection), and CONNECT-NM (materials)

Eligibility Criteria

Geographic Eligibility

Legal entities established in EU Member States are automatically eligible for funding. Associated countries Switzerland and Ukraine are eligible under the Euratom Programme for award procedures implementing budgetary commitments from 2025 onwards. Entities from other countries may participate without EU funding or in exceptional cases where their participation is deemed essential for project implementation due to outstanding competence, access to critical research infrastructure, or unique geographical or data access capabilities. Participants subject to EU restrictive measures are not eligible in any capacity. ⁵

Organizational Eligibility

Eligible participants include higher education establishments, research organizations, public and private companies, including SMEs, and other legal entities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a consortium member, bearing its own operational costs for staff and research infrastructure. Public bodies, higher education establishments, and research organizations from member states must have a Gender Equality Plan in place by the time the grant agreement is signed, though this plan can be developed before signature if the proposal is selected.

Proposal Requirements and Conditions

Technical Requirements

• Part A: Administrative and financial information generated by the submission system
• Part B: Technical narrative description covering Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation
• Page limit for Part B: 45 pages maximum for topics using lump sum funding
• Minimum font size: 11 points with standard spacing
• All margins minimum 15 mm
• Mandatory data management plan (DMP) due within 6 months of grant agreement signature
• Mandatory plan for dissemination and exploitation including communication activities due within 6 months of signature

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated on three main criteria: Excellence (clarity and relevance of objectives, soundness of methodology, state-of-the-art advancement, interdisciplinary approaches, gender dimension integration, and open science practices); Impact (credibility of pathways toward expected outcomes and impacts, quality of dissemination and exploitation measures, communication activities, and contribution to work programme expected outcomes); and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation (quality and effectiveness of work plan, risk assessment, appropriate effort allocation, and consortium capacity to execute the project). External independent experts will conduct the evaluation.

Admissibility and Capacity Assessment

Proposals must comply with general admissibility conditions including page layout requirements and eligible country participation rules. All participants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity to implement the proposed activities. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties only in the form of grants, with a maximum of €60,000 per third party unless otherwise specified in the work programme topic.

Funding Mechanisms and Grant Management

Lump Sum Funding Model

This call uses budget-based lump sum contributions as a simplified funding mechanism. Applicants must propose the lump sum amount based on estimated direct and indirect project costs using detailed budget templates provided by the Commission. The lump sum is calculated by applying a 25 percent flat rate for indirect costs to eligible direct costs. External experts will assess whether the proposed budget appropriately approximates actual eligible costs using relevant benchmarks such as market prices and historical data from comparable funded actions. Once established, the lump sum is fixed in the grant agreement as the maximum grant amount, and payment depends on proper implementation of work packages rather than actual costs incurred. ²

Cost Categories and Eligible Expenses

Eligible direct cost categories include personnel costs for employees and natural persons under direct contract, subcontracting costs for specific tasks, purchase costs including travel and subsistence, equipment (depreciation or full capitalized costs), other goods works and services, and other cost categories such as financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods and services, and transnational access to research infrastructure. All costs must meet the basic eligibility conditions for actual cost grants under Horizon Europe rules and must exclude ineligible expenses.

Pre-financing and Payment

Pre-financing will follow standard Horizon Europe rules with approximately 5 to 8 percent of the total lump sum retained as contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism. Lump sum contributions per work package are paid to the coordinator upon verification that corresponding work packages have been properly implemented in accordance with the grant agreement. If work package conditions are not met during a reporting period, payment may occur in subsequent periods or the grant may be reduced if conditions are never satisfied.

Expected Project Outcomes and Contributions

Funded projects are expected to deliver comprehensive research supporting the development of safer, more sustainable, and economically competitive SMRs and advanced modular reactors. The research should contribute to establishing shared regulatory approaches across European member states, demonstrating innovations in passive safety systems, and validating safety improvements through experimental and computational methods. Projects should advance the Technology Readiness Level of SMR and fuel cycle technologies, provide evidence supporting regulatory approval and licensing, and contribute to building Europe's critical mass of expertise in advanced nuclear technologies required to achieve commercial deployment targets in the early 2030s. ¹

Strategic Context and EU Priorities

This funding opportunity is positioned within the EU's broader energy security and climate neutrality agenda. The European Commission released its EU Small Modular Reactor Strategy in March 2026, confirming SMRs as an important component of a secure and decarbonized energy system. However, Europe's SMR development remains constrained by fragmented national licensing frameworks, limited regulatory capacity, uncertain political cycles affecting investor confidence, uneven access to financing instruments, and lack of coordinated supply chain and workforce development strategies. This call directly addresses these barriers by supporting safety research, regulatory harmonization, and technology validation activities essential for reducing deployment risks and timelines. The EU committed €530 millioneuros to nuclear initiatives across two funding mechanisms in March 2026, with €200 millioneuros for SMR construction and €330 millioneuros for nuclear research and training, demonstrating sustained political commitment to nuclear energy as a decarbonization solution. ⁶

Application Timeline and Next Steps

The submission system is scheduled to open on 24 March 2026. Prospective applicants should prepare by downloading relevant templates and guidance documents from the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Applications must be submitted by 15 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation process will be conducted by external independent experts according to standard Horizon Europe procedures, with particular attention to financial expertise given the complexity of lump sum budget estimation. Following evaluation, successful proposals are expected to move into grant agreement preparation, where detailed deliverables, work packages, and milestone definitions will be finalized. Organizations wishing to find consortium partners can publish partner search announcements on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Key Contacts and Resources

Detailed call documentation including the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027, General Annexes, application form templates, standard evaluation forms, and Model Grant Agreements are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at [[ec.europa.eu. The online manual provides step-by-step guidance through the submission and project management processes. Technical assistance for submission system questions is available through the IT Helpdesk. Questions regarding call content and eligibility can be addressed through the portal's general FAQ and topic-specific Q&A section once it becomes available.

Footnotes

1. 1European Commission announcement dated 19 March 2026 regarding the 2026-2027 Euratom Research and Training Programme work programme. The programme allocates €108 millioneuros to nuclear fission research including SMR safety research and €222 millioneuros to fusion energy research.
2. 2Commission Decision C(2021) on authorization to use lump sum contributions under Horizon Europe and Euratom programmes establishes simplified financial management through fixed budget amounts rather than actual cost reporting and financial audits.
3. 3Joint Research Centre analysis indicates that SMRs represent a power capacity of up to 300 megawatts electric per unit compared to approximately 1000 MWe for traditional large reactors. Over 100 SMR models are under development in 19 countries, with 13 EU member states actively pursuing SMR technology development.
4. 4The call scope encompasses both light water based designs and advanced Generation IV reactor concepts, with emphasis on passive safety features, digital technologies for operation, and integration into hybrid energy systems combining nuclear with renewable and storage technologies.
5. 5Euratom Programme eligibility regulations specify that EU Member States and Associated Countries (currently Switzerland and Ukraine) are automatically eligible for funding. Third country participation may be funded exceptionally if deemed essential for project implementation.
6. 6The European Commission committed €530 millioneuros total to nuclear initiatives in March 2026: €200 millioneuros through the European Innovation Council for SMR construction pilot projects and €330 millioneuros through the Euratom Research and Training Programme for 2026-2027, of which €108 millioneuros addresses fission research and €222 millioneuros targets fusion energy development.