Space Critical Equipment and Related Technologies for EU non-dependence – Chip Scale Atomic Clocks and Solar Cells

The HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-72 grant under the Horizon Europe framework focuses on enhancing EU strategic autonomy in the space sector by funding the development of critical equipment like chip-scale atomic clocks and solar cells. Primary applicants include research institutions, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large businesses headquartered in EU member states or associated countries such as Norway and Iceland. Collaboration is emphasized, as projects must ensure supply chains are primarily EU-based, allowing non-EU partners under strict compliance with EU export controls.

This funding opportunity features a grant mechanism via Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action, with a target budget of approximately €6 million spread over two projects, estimating €2.5 to €3 million per project. Proposals are structured as single-stage submissions and are due by September 25, 2025. The grant supports projects aiming for Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 5 or higher, indicating a focus on development and validation in relevant environments.

The target sectors specifically focus on space technologies, semiconductors, and quantum sensing related to the specific areas of chip-scale atomic clocks and solar cells. Funding supports the establishment of reliable supply chains that are not dependent on external sources, thus fostering EU competitive advantage in the space market.

Proposals must include a detailed analysis of the supply chain, identify technologies affected by non-EU export restrictions, and ensure that the consortium assembles a robust plan to mitigate any vulnerabilities. The selection process will likely reflect the competitive nature of Horizon Europe's offerings, with a success rate estimated between 10 to 39%.

Co-funding is generally not required for Horizon Europe RIA grants, covering 100% of eligible costs. Proposals must adhere to specific technological and evaluation standards, demonstrating compliance with relevant procedures and requirements for space products. The overarching goal of this initiative is to reduce reliance on non-EU technologies, thereby enhancing the EU's capacity to operate independently in space while fostering innovation within the internal market.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call, specifically SPACE-HADEA (HORIZON-CL4-2025-02), focusing on "Critical Equipment and Related Technologies for EU non-dependence Chip Scale Atomic Clocks and Solar Cells". It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline. The opening date was May 22, 2025, and the deadline for submission is September 25, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this call are: Reinforcing EU strategic autonomy by reducing non-EU dependencies on critical space equipment and related technologies across their entire supply chain. Providing unrestricted access to critical space equipment and related technologies relevant for EU space missions. Developing or regaining capacity to operate independently in space by developing resilient critical space equipment and related technologies supply chains, relying on EU supply chains and/or trustable and reliable supply chains not affected by non-EU export restrictions. Enhancing competitiveness by developing products and capabilities reaching equivalent or superior performance level than those from outside the EU and compete at worldwide level. Opening new opportunities for manufacturers by reducing dependency on non-EU export restricted technologies.

The scope of the call is to finance and implement development projects aimed at maturing critical space equipment with the goal of reducing dependency from outside the EU, establishing a long-term sustainable supply chain, and supporting EU strategic autonomy in the space sector. The selection of supply chains should reflect this objective, preferably being fully based in the EU. If this is only partially achievable, services procured from outside the EU must ensure that the overall supply chain remains trustable and not affected by non-EU export control. The granting authority must approve the latter scenario.

The space equipment and related technologies relevant for this call are: Chip Scale Atomic Clocks (Target final TRL 6) and Solar Cells (Target final TRL 5-6). Additional context information and technical requirements are available in the Technical Requirements Guidance document on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Proposals should address only one technology area and clearly identify the area being addressed. Given that space is a low volume market with a dynamic industrial landscape, technological spin-in and bilateral collaborations between European non-space and space industries should be enhanced. Proposed activities should also be complementary to relevant national and/or other activities at the European level.

To achieve the non-dependence objective, applicants must include a dedicated proposal paragraph covering: The description of the technology and high-level breakdown of the space equipment supply chain to be used, demonstrating that the supply chain and final product are free of legal export restrictions or limitations like ITAR. Applicants should also report if and which part of the supply chain is affected by non-EU export controls such as the Export Administration Regulation (EAR). The description of the suitable technology development process identified and set up within the consortium for avoiding export restrictions of non-EU states and assessing vulnerabilities of the supply chain.

Proposals targeting a final Technology Readiness Level (TRL) equal to or higher than 5 must include a list of proposed applicable standards (e.g., ECSS, ESCC, MIL, JEDEC) considered relevant for implementing a formal space evaluation and/or qualification.

The proposal must include specific tasks as part of the work plan and related dedicated confidential deliverables to be provided within 6 months from the start of the project to the relevant Commission DG and Executive Agency (i.e., DG-DEFIS and HaDEA). The objectives of these tasks are to analyze and describe the full supply chain, each entity and its role, level of criticality, and any dependencies from outside the EU; describe the industrial technical roadmap and a business plan for commercialization with an accurate understanding of application needs and space mission insertion, including time to market indication; report the list of relevant non-EU export controls with extra-territorial applicability for the specific technology/product under development; and undertake a comprehensive literature review of the relevant technology/product, reporting the state-of-the-art and highlighting potential gaps between current EU solutions and competition from outside the EU.

Unless otherwise agreed with the granting authority before the grant agreement is signed, beneficiaries must ensure that none of the entities that participate as affiliated entities, associated partners or subcontractors are established in countries which are not eligible countries or target countries set out in the call conditions.

Applicants are reminded that all provisions reported by the Model Grant Agreements related to topics with restricted eligibility conditions are applied. Consortiums must ensure that for up to 4 years after the end of the action, supply and availability of the developed products and/or processes shall be given to any entity in the EU at fair and reasonable market prices, conditions, and with no legal restrictions. Beneficiaries intending to transfer ownership or grant an exclusive license must formally notify the granting authority before the intended transfer or licensing takes place, and the granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or the exclusive licensing of results up to four years after the end of the action.

The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not relevant for this topic.

The page limit for proposals is 80 pages, as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States and associated countries: Norway and Iceland. Entities directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or entity may not participate unless guarantees are provided and positively assessed.

Projects using satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, and/or related timing data and services must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

To ensure a balanced portfolio covering all development areas, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but also to at least one proposal that is the highest ranked within each development area, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.

Evaluation and award 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 aspects are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

A Technical Guidance Document is provided to clarify technological expectations.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the Model Grant Agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. A compulsory questionnaire on the declaration of ownership and control must be filled by all project participants.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, EU Grants AGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and related terms and conditions and privacy statements.

There are 17 partner search announcements available.

The budget overview for the call includes various topics with different budget allocations and indicative numbers of grants. The opening date for all topics is May 22, 2025, and the deadline is September 25, 2025.

The topics and their respective budgets and indicative number of grants are:

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-11 HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions: Budget 1,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-12 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 3,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-13 HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: Budget 7,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-21 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 18,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-22 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 17,500,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-23 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-24 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 5,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-31 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 3.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-32 HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: Budget 11,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 3.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-41 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 10,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-42 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 3,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-43 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 3,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-44 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 5,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-45 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-46 HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: Budget 5,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-71 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 5,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-72 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-73 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 1,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-74 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-81 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 500,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

This Horizon Europe call aims to bolster the EU's strategic independence in the space sector by funding projects that develop and mature critical space equipment and related technologies. The focus is on reducing reliance on non-EU sources and establishing secure, sustainable supply chains within the EU or through trusted partners. The call specifically targets Chip Scale Atomic Clocks and Solar Cells, encouraging proposals that address only one technology area and promote collaboration between space and non-space industries. Applicants must demonstrate that their supply chains are free from restrictive export regulations and should detail their technology development process to avoid such restrictions. The call emphasizes the importance of adhering to space evaluation and qualification standards and requires a comprehensive analysis of the supply chain and commercialization plans. Participation is generally limited to entities within EU Member States and associated countries, with strict conditions for entities controlled by non-eligible countries. The overall goal is to enhance the competitiveness of the EU space industry and ensure unrestricted access to essential space technologies.

Eligible Applicant Types: Legal entities established in Member States and associated countries: Norway and Iceland. Entities directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or entity may participate under specific, guaranteed conditions.

Funding Type: Grant. Specifically, HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: Not explicitly stated, but the need for supply chain descriptions and collaborations suggests a consortium is preferred or necessary for many topics.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Member States of the EU, Norway, and Iceland.

Target Sector: Space, specifically focusing on critical space equipment and related technologies.

Mentioned Countries: Norway, Iceland, EU Member States.

Project Stage: Development projects aiming at maturing critical space equipment, targeting final Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) of 5-6 or 6, depending on the technology area.

Funding Amount: Variable, depending on the specific topic:
HORIZON-CSA: around EUR 1,000,000
HORIZON-RIA: EUR 500,000 to EUR 17,500,000 (various ranges)
HORIZON-IA: EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 11,000,000 (various ranges)

Application Type: Single-stage open call.

Nature of Support: Money.

Application Stages: 1.

Success Rates: Not specified in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Not explicitly stated, but implied through the budget-based action grant.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under the SPACE-HADEA designation, aims to reinforce EU strategic autonomy in the space sector by funding projects that reduce dependencies on non-EU sources for critical space equipment and technologies. The call is open to legal entities based in EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland, with specific conditions for entities controlled by non-eligible countries. The funding instruments include HORIZON RIAs, IAs and CSAs, with budgets ranging from EUR 500,000 to EUR 17,500,000, depending on the action type and specific topic. Projects should focus on maturing critical space equipment, establishing sustainable and reliable supply chains within the EU, and enhancing the competitiveness of EU space manufacturers. Proposals must address specific technology areas, such as Chip Scale Atomic Clocks and Solar Cells, and demonstrate compliance with relevant space evaluation and qualification standards. A key requirement is a detailed description of the technology, supply chain, and measures to avoid export restrictions from non-EU countries. The call emphasizes the importance of unrestricted access to developed technologies for EU entities and includes provisions to prevent ownership or licensing limitations that could hinder EU strategic interests. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of September 25, 2025.