Space critical equipment for EU non-dependence

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity titled "HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-84: Space Critical Equipment for EU Non-Dependence" is focused on developing critical space technologies to enhance the European Union's autonomy in the space sector. The call targets legal entities, including large enterprises, SMEs, research institutes, and universities, from EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland. Entities controlled by non-eligible countries may participate under specific conditions. The funding is categorized as a "HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based," providing financial support to cover eligible costs for research and development projects.

The call operates under a single-stage submission process with an open application timeline from March 9, 2027, to September 2, 2027. The funding for individual projects ranges from €250,000 to €300,000, with a total budget of €490,000 allocated for this specific topic, leading to the expectation of funding only one project. This results in a very low success rate, roughly estimated at below 10%.

Projects chosen for funding must focus on developing and validating critical space equipment to reduce dependency on non-EU suppliers. This includes advancing technologies currently limited by export controls or those that do not meet performance requirements against non-EU alternatives. Projects should demonstrate collaboration among stakeholders to establish secure supply chains that are either fully EU-based or involve trusted sources resilient against export restrictions.

The application requires adherence to specific guidelines, including an 80-page proposal limit, and a necessity to provide a questionnaire on ownership and control for all participants in the project. Eligible projects are encouraged to complement national initiatives and advance collaboration between European space and related industrial sectors.

Overall, this grant opportunity underscores the EU's commitment to enhancing its technological independence and operational capacity within the strategic and competitive landscape of the global space industry.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call under the SPACE (HORIZON-CL4-2027-03) program, specifically targeting "Space critical equipment for EU non-dependence" with the topic ID HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-84. It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 09 March 2027, and the deadline for submission is 02 September 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time. The Model Grant Agreement is a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this topic 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, and opening new opportunities for manufacturers by reducing dependency on non-EU export restricted technologies.

The scope of this topic includes financing and implementing development projects aimed at maturing critical space equipment, lowering 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 built fully within the EU. If EU capabilities are lacking, services procured from outside the EU must ensure the overall supply chain remains trustable and unaffected by non-EU export control, subject to the granting authority's approval. The list of relevant space equipment and technologies will be selected based on strategic institutional program needs, inputs from European stakeholders, and the EU Observatory of Critical Technologies, proposed in 2026 and validated with HE delegations. The call emphasizes enhancing collaboration between European non-space and space industries due to space being a low-volume market. Proposed activities should be complementary to national activities and European space agencies, with clear identification, description, and ensured complementarity.

The general conditions include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: The proposal page limit is 80 pages, as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout are detailed in Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries: Specified in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Some non-EU/non-Associated Countries have specific funding provisions for their participants in Horizon Europe projects, detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions: Projects using satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, and/or related timing data and services must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States, Norway, and Iceland to safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security. Entities controlled by non-eligible countries may participate only with guarantees positively assessed by their eligible country of establishment, ensuring no negative impact on the Union’s strategic interests. High-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment cannot submit guarantees. The guarantees must substantiate that control over the applicant legal entity does not restrain its ability to carry out the action, access by non-eligible countries to sensitive information is prevented, and ownership of intellectual property remains within the recipient and is not subject to control or restrictions by non-eligible countries.

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

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds: To ensure a balanced portfolio, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but also to the highest-ranked proposal within each development area, provided all thresholds are met. The evaluation committee will include representatives of EU institutions and are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes: 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: Described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

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

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information:

Application form templates: Available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE RIA, IA).

Evaluation form templates: Will be used with necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form HE RIA, IA).

Guidance: HE Programme Guide.

Model Grant Agreements (MGA): HE MGA.

Declaration of ownership and control: A compulsory questionnaire must be filled by all project participants and assembled by the coordinator into a single file for upload. Consult the draft guidance for participation in restricted calls for additional information.

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space, 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, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for 2027 includes several topics:

HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-12 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: Budget 5,000,000 EUR, Contributions 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-21 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 980,000 EUR, Contributions 800,000 to 1,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-33 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 4,000,000 EUR, Contributions 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-34 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: Budget 26,000,000 EUR, Contributions 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 4.

HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-71 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 29,200,000 EUR, Contributions 14,000,000 to 15,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-83 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 490,000 EUR, Contributions 250,000 to 300,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-84 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 490,000 EUR, Contributions 250,000 to 300,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

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

For support, applicants are encouraged to read all provisions carefully, consult the Online Manual and Horizon Europe Programme Guide, check the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, use the Research Enquiry Service, contact National Contact Points (NCPs) or the Enterprise Europe Network, and use the IT Helpdesk for technical questions. The European IPR Helpdesk and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks are also available for specific advice. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment should also be consulted.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to bolster the EU's strategic independence in the space sector by funding projects that mature critical space equipment and establish reliable, EU-centric supply chains. It seeks to reduce reliance on non-EU technologies and ensure that the European space industry can confidently respond to EU space mission needs. The call encourages collaboration between space and non-space industries and emphasizes complementarity with existing national and European space agency activities. Eligible entities must be based in Member States, Norway, or Iceland, with strict conditions for participation of entities controlled by non-eligible countries. The call provides various support resources and detailed guidelines for proposal preparation and submission.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are legal entities established in Member States, Norway, and Iceland. Entities controlled by non-eligible countries or entities may participate under specific conditions and guarantees. The opportunity is geared towards entities involved in the space industry, including manufacturers, research institutions, and other organizations capable of contributing to the development and maturation of critical space equipment.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) under the Horizon Europe Programme. These grants are budget-based.

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the nature of the projects, particularly those involving supply chains, suggests that a consortium approach is likely beneficial, if not implicitly required. The partner search announcements further suggest that collaborations are encouraged.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is primarily limited to legal entities established in EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland. Participation of entities from non-EU/non-Associated Countries is possible if specific provisions are made available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. However, entities controlled by non-eligible countries face additional scrutiny and must provide guarantees.

Target Sector: The program targets the space sector, specifically focusing on critical space equipment and related technologies. This includes areas such as satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, and timing data and services, with a requirement to utilize Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, Norway, Iceland.

Project Stage: The project stage targets development projects aiming at maturing critical space equipment. This suggests a focus on Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) from development to demonstration, with the goal of establishing long-term sustainable supply chains.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call:
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-12: EUR 5,000,000 (EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 3,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-21: EUR 980,000 (EUR 800,000 to EUR 1,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-33: EUR 4,000,000 (EUR 1,500,000 to EUR 3,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-34: EUR 26,000,000 (EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 10,000,000 per grant, 4 grants)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-71: EUR 29,200,000 (EUR 14,000,000 to EUR 15,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-83: EUR 490,000 (EUR 250,000 to EUR 300,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-84: EUR 490,000 (EUR 250,000 to EUR 300,000 per grant, 1 grant)

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to finance their projects.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the competition level.

Co-funding Requirement: The document does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, under the SPACE (HORIZON-CL4-2027-03) designation, aims to bolster the EU's strategic autonomy in the space sector by reducing dependencies on non-EU sources for critical space equipment and technologies. The call is structured around several topics, each with a specific budget and scope, targeting research and innovation actions (RIA) and innovation actions (IA). Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland, with possibilities for non-EU/non-associated countries under specific conditions. The projects should focus on maturing critical space equipment, establishing sustainable supply chains within the EU, and enhancing the competitiveness of the EU space industry. The application process is a single-stage submission, with funding amounts varying from EUR 490,000 to EUR 29,200,000 depending on the topic. The call emphasizes the use of Copernicus and Galileo/EGNOS for projects involving satellite-based earth observation and related services.

 In simpler terms, this EU funding opportunity seeks to make the European space industry more independent and competitive. It provides grants to companies and research organizations in Europe to develop critical components and technologies for space missions, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers. The goal is to ensure that Europe has secure and unrestricted access to the equipment needed for its space programs, fostering innovation and creating new opportunities for European manufacturers.