Soft Robotics for Advanced physical capabilities (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)

This summary outlines a grant opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, specifically focusing on soft robotics for advanced physical capabilities within the AI/Data/Robotics Partnership. The grant aims to support consortia of diverse entities, including universities, research institutes, SMEs, and large enterprises from EU member states, EEA countries, and associated countries. The funding type is a non-repayable grant, with each project receiving between €4 million and €6 million, with a project window focusing on development, validation, and demonstration stages.

Eligible applicants are encouraged to form multi-sector consortia, typically requiring at least three different partners from diverse sectors. The application process will follow a single-stage open call format, with a deadline set for October 2, 2025. Co-funding is likely necessary for projects, aligning with standard practices for Horizon Europe funding.

The primary sectors targeted include soft robotics, AI, advanced materials, and digital technologies. Proposals should emphasize exploiting novel materials and control methods for non-rigid structures, including at least three demonstrators from various fields to showcase the technology's versatility and implementation.

The overall goal is to encourage innovation and collaboration in robotics, ultimately enhancing the European landscape in AI and data-driven technologies. The call includes a strong emphasis on dissemination of findings and collaboration with existing projects to maximize innovation potential.

Applicants must adhere to specific conditions, such as submission parameters and evaluation criteria, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Various support resources will be available to assist potential applicants in the proposal process.

This is a summary of several Horizon Europe funding opportunities related to digital, industry, space, data, AI, and robotics. The opportunities are part of the DIGITAL - HADEA (HORIZON-CL4-2025-04) call and include HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA). The submission system is planned to be opened on June 10, 2025, and the deadline for submission is October 2, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. All opportunities are single-stage.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DATA-02: This is a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 30,000,000 EUR. The expected contribution per project is between 6,000,000 and 8,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 4.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DATA-03: This is a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 15,000,000 EUR. The expected contribution per project is between 4,000,000 and 6,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 3.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01: This is a HORIZON-IA with a budget of 25,000,000 EUR. The expected contribution per project is between 4,000,000 and 6,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 5.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-04: This is a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 7,000,000 EUR. The expected contribution per project is between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-05: This is a HORIZON-IA with a budget of 20,000,000 EUR. The expected contribution per project is around 10,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 2. This topic focuses on Soft Robotics for Advanced physical capabilities (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership). The aim is to increase the exploitation of novel materials, design methods, and control techniques for soft robotics, enabling the creation of inherently safe and versatile robotic systems with applications in various industries, including healthcare, maintenance, manufacturing, and transportation. Proposals should focus on exploiting novel materials and design methods for non-rigid structures, along with advanced control techniques for soft robotic systems, covering areas such as: exploitation of novel materials, design methods for non-rigid structures, and control methods for structures built from novel and soft materials. Proposals should include at least three different demonstrators from different sectors.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-07: This is a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 30,000,000 EUR. The expected contribution per project is around 15,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-HUMAN-08: This is a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR. The expected contribution per project is between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 2.

General conditions for all opportunities include:

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

Eligible Countries: Described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Some non-EU/non-Associated Countries have specific provisions for funding.

Other Eligible Conditions: Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: Described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) are available in the Submission System. Additional documents include the Horizon Europe Main Work Programme 2025, the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, the EU Financial Regulation, and guidelines for legal entity validation and financial capacity assessment.

There are partner search announcements available, and the submission system will open on the date stated on the topic header. Support resources include 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, ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the European Charter for Researchers.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on advancing digital and emerging technologies, data, AI, and robotics. It offers several funding opportunities for research and innovation actions, particularly in soft robotics, with the goal of creating safer and more versatile robotic systems for various industries. The call encourages collaboration, the use of novel materials and design methods, and the dissemination of results to strengthen the European AI, Data, and Robotics ecosystem. Applicants should carefully review the general conditions, eligibility criteria, and required documents before preparing their proposals.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe and the types of actions (RIA and IA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The mention of LEAR (Legal Entity Appointed Representative) also suggests that any legal entity can apply.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily grant-based, specifically through HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA). The type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, the presence of a partner search announcement with 28 searches for partners suggests that collaborative projects involving multiple entities are encouraged, if not required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is soft robotics, with applications across various industries including healthcare, maintenance, manufacturing, and transportation. The program also targets AI, data, and robotics, as it implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics (ADRA).

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific provisions for funding. However, it does not list specific countries. The eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) typically support projects from research to validation, while Innovation Actions (IA) focus on demonstration and deployment. The call specifically mentions the need for at least three different demonstrators from different sectors, suggesting a focus on demonstration and validation.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic, as detailed in the budget overview:
HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DATA-02: €6,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DATA-03: €4,000,000 to €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01: €4,000,000 to €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-04: €3,000,000 to €4,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-05: around €10,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-07: around €15,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-HUMAN-08: €1,000,000 to €2,000,000

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 grants to support their research and innovation activities.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, part of the DIGITAL - HADEA (HORIZON-CL4-2025-04) program, focuses on advancing soft robotics for enhanced physical capabilities. It aims to increase the exploitation of novel materials, design methods, and control techniques to create inherently safe and versatile robotic systems. The call is structured around HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), each with specific funding ranges and expected outcomes. Projects should address challenges in learning, modelling, simulation, control, actuation, sensing, and the integration of soft electronics.

Eligible applicants, which typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and large enterprises, are encouraged to form consortia, as indicated by the partner search announcements. Projects should cover areas such as the exploitation of novel materials, design methods for non-rigid structures, and control methods for soft materials. A key requirement is the inclusion of at least three demonstrators from different sectors to showcase the advantages of soft robotics.

The call emphasizes the importance of disseminating results, collaborating with existing projects, and aligning with the European Partnership on AI, data and robotics (ADRA). The submission deadline is October 2, 2025, with the submission system planned to open on June 10, 2025. Funding amounts vary by topic, ranging from €1,000,000 to €15,000,000, and are provided as grants. This initiative seeks to bolster the European AI, Data, and Robotics ecosystem by fostering innovation and collaboration in the field of soft robotics.