Strengthening a European user facility for nuclear research

HORIZON-EURATOM is a Euratom Coordination and Support Action with an indicative budget of €7.0 million to fund one project to strengthen transnational and virtual access to European nuclear research infrastructures. The action funds a consortium to operate open calls, provide no-cost access and technical support to researchers, and may award grants to third parties up to €300,000 per beneficiary for access-related activities. Eligible applicants are legal entities established in EU Member States and Euratom Associated Countries, with active participation of major infrastructure operators expected. The single-stage submission opens 24 March 2026 and the deadline is 15 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Strengthening a European user facility for nuclear research

Call summary

What it funds

A Euratom Coordination and Support Action to operate and strengthen a transnational user facility/network that provides open access to state-of-the-art nuclear research infrastructures, technical expertise and experiment support (including experiment design, assembly, safety analysis and examination). Focus areas include nuclear safety, radiation protection, waste management, materials testing, irradiation, hot cells, thermal-hydraulic test facilities, modelling and digital twins, fuel cycle R&D and related experimental capabilities.

Who can apply and consortium rules:Eligible applicants are consortia of organisations established in Euratom Member States and countries associated to the Euratom programme; the Joint Research Centre may participate as a consortium member. Proposals must show active participation of major infrastructure operators and may pool national/regional funds. The action should run open calls and may award grants to third parties for access activities (third-party maximum per award: €300,000) ¹.

1. 1Type of action: EURATOM Coordination and Support Action (EURATOM-CSA)
2. 2Deadline: 15 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time); single-stage
3. 3Page limit for proposal: 40 pages (Part B)

Scope highlights: fund transnational and virtual access costs for researchers from Member States and Associated Countries at no cost to users; strengthen and build on the OFFERR user facility network; preserve and expand critical experimental facilities; enable synergies with EURAD-2, CONNECT-NM, PIANOFORTE and JRC infrastructures; support mobility and links with competence-building proposals where relevant.

Eligible countries: see General Annexes to the Euratom Work Programme; as published, Ukraine and Switzerland are associated to the Euratom programme and are eligible for funding. Participation rules, financial and exclusion conditions follow the General Annexes.

How funding is delivered:Grant agreement type: Euratom Action Grant (budget-based). Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants to implement access activities; access costs may be reimbursed using unit-cost rules where applicable ¹.

1. 1Apply via the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page Topic HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-04
2. 2Prepare Part A in the Portal and a Part B (technical description) up to 40 pages
3. 3Include plans for open calls, access modalities, third-party grant management and coordination with JRC where applicable

Footnotes

1. 1Full topic text, application templates and rules (including third-party grants and unit-cost guidance) are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-04 topic.

Strengthening a European user facility for nuclear research (HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-04)

Programme: Euratom Research and Training Programme (EURATOM). Call: Nuclear research and training (HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01). Type of action: EURATOM Coordination and Support Actions (EURATOM-CSA). Type of Model Grant Agreement: EURATOM Action Grant Budget-Based [EURATOM-AG]. Planned opening: 24 March 2026. Deadline: 15 September 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time. Deadline model: single-stage. Indicative EU contribution per project: around €7,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 1. Topic status: forthcoming at publication time. Official topic page: HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-04 topic page ¹.

Expected outcomes

• Transnational access for researchers and teams from Euratom Member States and Associated Countries to EU and international state-of-the-art nuclear research infrastructures.
• Enhancement and sustainability of the network developed under OFFERR for optimised use of nuclear research infrastructures identified in the EU, supporting Euratom objectives and the European Research Area (ERA) in nuclear safety and radiation protection.
• Strengthened cross-border collaboration in nuclear safety and radiation protection, with a significant increase in transnational nuclear research and shared expertise/resources.
• Preservation and potential increase in the number of critical facilities to ensure long-term availability for research into safety, security, safeguards, radioactive waste management and radiation protection. Examples include materials testing research reactors, irradiation infrastructure, hot cells and laboratories, mechanical and thermal-hydraulic test facilities, light water reactor sustainability, fuel cycle R&D, advanced modelling and simulation (including digital twins), and safety of advanced reactor technology programmes.
• Synergies with ongoing Euratom initiatives and European Partnerships (e.g. EURAD-2, CONNECT-NM, PIANOFORTE), ensuring open access to advanced research infrastructures (large-scale and small-scale) and expertise.

Scope and core activities

• Provide no-cost access to users to world-class nuclear research infrastructures, coupled with technical expertise and assistance for experiment design, assembly, safety analysis and examination.
• Advance research access in all Euratom areas (except fusion, which is covered by the European Partnership in fusion research) as listed in Annex I of the Council Regulation establishing the Euratom Programme.
• Encourage international cooperation with non-EU countries and international organisations, avoiding duplication with OECD/NEA’s FIDES initiative and exploring complementarities.
• Where beneficial for international cooperation and reciprocal access, support access for researchers from non-EU stakeholders, non-EU countries and international organisations.
• Refine a framework and common rules for the long-term sustainable operation of a network of Euratom User Facilities, building on lessons from former/current user facility projects.
• Include dedicated support for learner mobility and/or establish linkages with proposals submitted under topic HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-03 (Enhancing the European nuclear competence area).
• Ensure the active participation of major infrastructure operators; operate the support scheme via open calls that offer infrastructure access, expert support, and safety/technical assistance.
• Optionally pool financial resources from participating national or regional programmes to implement transnational proposals that result in grants to third parties.
• Include an option for the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) to use the project’s operational environment as a centralised EU-supported platform to facilitate access to JRC nuclear research infrastructures, in support of a dedicated complementing CSA between DG JRC and DG RTD on open access to JRC infrastructures.

Legal, financial and access scheme details

• Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants; this is a primary activity of the action to achieve objectives.
• Maximum grant to each third party: €300,000 for actions providing access to and securing availability of research infrastructures; justified by significant costs of access to unique infrastructures.
• Eligible access costs may take the form of unit costs for trans-national and virtual access, per the Commission Decision on unit costs for Research Infrastructures under Horizon Europe and Euratom (unit-cost-decision-research-infrastructures_horizon-euratom_en.pdf).
• JRC participation: The JRC may be a consortium member (bearing its own costs) and offers expertise, capacities and infrastructure free of charge for consortia’s preparation and submission. Proposals should include an option to host a centralised platform environment usable by the JRC.

Eligibility and conditions

• Admissibility: Application page limit 40 pages (Part B). Follow Part B layout. Other admissibility conditions per General Annex A of the Euratom Work Programme 2026–2027.
• Eligible countries: As per General Annex B and the List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe (including Euratom). At call publication, Ukraine and Switzerland are the only countries associated to the Euratom Programme and eligible for funding. Entities from other countries may participate according to HE/Euratom rules; support for non-EU researchers is envisaged when part of international cooperation with reciprocal access.
• Other eligibility: The JRC may participate as a member of the consortium.
• Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: per General Annex C.
• Evaluation procedures and award criteria: per General Annexes D, E and F; standard CSA evaluation form applies.
• Legal and financial set-up: per General Annex G; includes authorisation and use of unit costs for transnational/virtual access.

Budget and timing

Access types and examples of eligible infrastructures

• Transnational and virtual access to: materials testing research reactors, irradiation infrastructure, hot cells and laboratories, mechanical and thermal-hydraulic test facilities, light water reactor sustainability installations, fuel cycle R&D facilities, and advanced modelling and simulation platforms (including digital twins).
• Access includes scientific/engineering expertise and assistance for design, assembly, safety analysis and post-irradiation examination.

Operational model for user access

• Central coordination by the funded consortium to run periodic open calls to select user projects for access.
• Use of unit costs for access provisioning where applicable; conformity with the Unit Cost Decision and access calculators (transnational and virtual).
• User access granted at no cost to the researcher; underlying costs covered by the action, including expert support and safety assurance.
• Mechanisms to align and synergise with EURAD-2, CONNECT-NM, PIANOFORTE and to avoid duplication with OECD/NEA FIDES.

Application package, templates and guidance

• Standard application form (HE CSA) in the Submission System.
• Application Part B page limit: 40 pages.
• Information on financial support to third parties template required when FSTP is foreseen (HE template).
• Access cost calculators: HE UN RI TA (transnational access) and HE UN RI VA (virtual access).
• Model Grant Agreements: Horizon Europe MGA family applies to Euratom (EURATOM-AG).
• Evaluation forms: Standard evaluation form (HE CSA) will be used with necessary adaptations.
• General resources: Online Manual, Terms and Conditions, Privacy Statement on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Submission portal:EU Funding & Tenders Portal call list and topic page provide access to Start Submission, Partner Search, and Topic Q&A: HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01 call list.

Evaluation and award

• Single-stage evaluation against CSA criteria: Excellence, Impact, Quality and efficiency of implementation; thresholds per General Annex D.
• Indicative timeline per General Annex F; grants set up under EURATOM-AG framework.
• Lump sums are not specified for this topic; access costs may be reimbursed via unit cost decisions for transnational/virtual access.

Detailed categorisation of the opportunity

Eligible Applicant Types:Research-performing organisations and infrastructure operators; universities; research institutes; large enterprises operating nuclear facilities; SMEs with relevant nuclear infrastructure roles; technical safety organisations; public bodies; non-profit organisations; national or regional research programme owners; Joint Research Centre (JRC) as a consortium member; international organisations and non-EU entities may participate under Horizon Europe/Euratom rules and where reciprocity or mutual benefit applies. Active participation of major infrastructure operators is required.

Funding Type:Grant (Coordination and Support Action). Includes financial support to third parties (FSTP) via grants for user access, with unit costs authorised for access provisioning.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. The action requires coordinated operation of a European user facility network, the active participation of major infrastructure operators, and may include the JRC as a member.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Euratom Member States and Euratom Associated Countries are eligible for funding per General Annex B. As of publication, Ukraine and Switzerland are associated to the Euratom Programme and eligible for funding. International cooperation with non-EU countries and international organisations is encouraged within the action’s scope; support for non-EU researchers is envisaged where reciprocal access for Euratom researchers is ensured.

Target Sector:Nuclear fission research infrastructures and services with thematic coverage of nuclear safety, security, safeguards, radioactive waste management, radiation protection; enabling areas include materials testing, irradiation, hot cells, thermal-hydraulics, advanced modelling/simulation (digital twins), LWR sustainability, fuel cycle R&D. Cross-cutting with education and training, and links to health (radiation protection), advanced materials, and digitalisation.

Mentioned Countries:Ukraine; Switzerland; non-EU countries (general, for cooperation); EU Member States. OECD/NEA referenced regarding avoidance of duplication with FIDES (international organisation, not a country).

Project Stage:Implementation and operation of a coordinated access scheme; service delivery to users; validation and optimisation of access procedures; not R&I per se but enabling R&I through transnational and virtual access. Activities include coordination, networking, access management, user support, and sustainability planning.

Funding Amount:EU contribution per project around €7,000,000. Topic total indicative budget €7,000,000. Financial support to third parties up to €300,000 per third party for access/availability of infrastructures. Access costs may be budgeted using unit costs per the Commission Decision.

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

Nature of Support:Money: grant funding to the consortium; grant funding to third-party users for access. Non-monetary: beneficiaries provide access services, technical expertise, and safety/design assistance to selected users at no cost to the users.

Application Stages:1 stage (single-stage proposal, evaluation, and grant agreement).

Success Rates:Not specified. No historical success rate data provided for this topic. Only one grant is foreseen, implying a highly competitive selection.

Co-funding Requirement:For CSAs under Euratom, the EU funding rate is typically up to 100% of eligible costs. Co-funding is not required by the topic text. However, proposals may pool national/regional financial resources to implement transnational proposals that result in grants to third parties, on a voluntary basis to enhance scope and impact.

Financial support to third parties (FSTP): structure and requirements

• Form: grants to third parties (users and/or facilities for securing availability).
• Maximum per third party: €300,000.
• Primary activity for achieving access objectives.
• Access costs: can use unit costs for transnational/virtual access; beneficiaries must apply the authorised unit-cost methodology and calculators.
• FSTP specification in proposal: objectives, closed list of eligible activities, types of recipients, award criteria, maximum amount per third party, and calculation criteria, using the dedicated HE template for Information on financial support to third parties.

Admissibility and proposal preparation details

• Part B page limit: 40 pages.
• Mandatory inclusion of a plan for dissemination and exploitation including communication activities (first version at submission; detailed version as deliverable within 6 months of grant start).
• If FSTP is included, upload the specific FSTP annex template as part of the application.
• Access cost budget construction must follow the relevant unit-cost calculators and Commission Decision where unit costs are used.
• Ethics and Security: complete Parts A ethics and security tables; include any necessary ethics annex if required by the system.

Templates and key reference documents

• Standard application form (HE CSA) in the Submission System.
• Information on financial support to third parties (HE) template.
• Calculator (HE UN RI TA) for transnational access and Calculator (HE UN RI VA) for virtual access.
• Decision authorising use of unit costs for access under Horizon Europe and Euratom (unit-cost-decision-research-infrastructures_horizon-euratom_en.pdf).
• Standard evaluation form (HE CSA).
• Horizon Europe MGA and Euratom-AG legal framework documents.
• General Annexes A–G of the Euratom Work Programme 2026–2027.
• Euratom Work Programme 2026–2027 Annex, including the full topic text for HORIZON-EURATOM.

Contacts and support

• Funding & Tenders Portal: Online Manual; IT Helpdesk for submission system access, roles, and technical issues.
• Partner Search option available on the topic page for LEARs, Account Administrators, self-registrants, and users with public profiles.
• JRC contact for participation in Euratom calls: JRC-EURATOM-IA@ec.europa.eu (JRC bears its own costs when participating).

What a strong proposal should demonstrate

• Comprehensive, sustainable governance to operate a European network of user facilities, bridging existing initiatives like OFFERR and aligning with EURAD-2, CONNECT-NM and PIANOFORTE.
• Clear, transparent open call mechanisms for user access selection, with robust evaluation, safety, and support processes.
• Detailed access provisioning plan using the authorised unit-cost methodologies and access calculators; justified FSTP implementation with clear eligibility and award criteria.
• Active participation and commitments from major infrastructure operators, covering a representative and needed portfolio of facilities.
• International cooperation strategy that avoids duplication with OECD/NEA FIDES and ensures reciprocity for Euratom researchers when supporting non-EU access.
• A sustainability roadmap for the Euratom User Facilities network, including common rules, data and knowledge management, and long-term funding strategies.
• Mobility and training components, and linkage with HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-03 to strengthen the competence pipeline.
• Option and technical readiness to integrate a centralised access platform environment usable by the JRC for its open access measures.

Long summary: What this opportunity is about and how to explain it

This Coordination and Support Action funds the operation of a European-wide user facility network in nuclear research. The selected consortium will coordinate and finance access for researchers and research teams from Euratom Member States and Associated Countries to world-class nuclear infrastructures in the EU (and beyond, under cooperation rules). The project must deliver an open, transparent user access scheme via periodic calls, provide technical and safety support around experiments, and ensure that users do not pay for access. It must also preserve critical, unique facilities and increase their availability by offering transnational and virtual access, thereby enabling high-impact nuclear safety, radiation protection, safeguards and waste management research that many individual labs could not otherwise afford. To achieve this, the action authorises grants to third parties up to €300,000 per user project and the use of Commission-approved unit costs for access provisioning. The consortium should strengthen and build on Europe’s existing OFFERR network, closely coordinate with on-going European Partnerships (EURAD-2 on radioactive waste, CONNECT-NM on nuclear materials, PIANOFORTE on radiation protection), and avoid overlap with OECD/NEA’s FIDES. The proposal should include a centralised operational environment that the JRC could use to offer open access to its own nuclear infrastructures. The action will be awarded as a single grant of around €7 million for the 2026 call, with a single-stage proposal due by 15 September 2026. Applicants must be a capable consortium, led by and including major infrastructure operators, with the organisational, financial and technical capacity to run the Europe-wide access scheme, implement FSTP, and ensure long-term sustainability of a Euratom User Facilities network.

Footnotes

1. 1Official topic text and full conditions are provided via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-04 topic page and the Euratom Work Programme 2026–2027 Annex.

Funding Opportunity Analysis: Strengthening a European User Facility for Nuclear Research

Opportunity Overview

This is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) under the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2026-2027, specifically designed to strengthen European nuclear research infrastructure access. The call aims to enhance transnational and virtual access to cutting-edge nuclear research facilities across the EU and associated countries, building on the successful OFFERR project network.

Call Identifier:HORIZON-EURATOM

Programme:Euratom Research and Training Programme 2026-2027, complementing Horizon Europe

Key Funding Details

Total Budget Available:€7.0 million (€3.5 million for 2026 and €3.5 million for 2027)

Expected EU Contribution per Project:Around €7.0 million

Indicative Number of Grants:1 project expected to be funded

Funding Rate:100% of eligible costs (standard for CSAs under Euratom)

Timeline and Submission

Call Opening Date:24 March 2026

Submission Deadline:15 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels local time

Submission Procedure:Single-stage submission through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal

Eligibility and Eligible Countries

Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries. As of the call publication date, Ukraine and Switzerland are the only countries associated to the Euratom Programme and therefore eligible for funding. Entities from other countries may participate as associated partners without funding, unless their participation is deemed essential for project implementation.

Eligible Entity Types:

• Research organisations and universities
• Public bodies and government institutions
• Research infrastructure operators
• Technical support organisations
• International organisations (under specific conditions)

Special Provision:The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a consortium member without receiving funding from the indirect actions budget, bearing its own operational costs instead.

Project Objectives and Expected Outcomes

The project must contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Provide access to cutting-edge infrastructure for researchers and research teams from Euratom and Associated Countries to EU and international state-of-the-art nuclear research infrastructures
• Enhance the network developed under the OFFERR project for optimised use of nuclear research infrastructures identified in the EU, supporting implementation of Euratom programme objectives and establishment of the European Research Area in nuclear safety and radiation protection
• Strengthen cross-border collaboration in nuclear safety and radiation protection research in the EU, increase transnational nuclear research, and foster shared expertise and resources
• Preserve critical facilities and possibly increase their number to ensure long-term availability of key experimental facilities for research into safety, security, safeguards, radioactive waste management and radiation protection
• Create synergies with ongoing initiatives including EURAD-2, CONNECT-NM and PIANOFORTE partnerships, providing open access to advanced research infrastructures

Scope of Work

The action must ensure transnational access for researchers and research teams from Member States and Associated States to EU and international state-of-the-art nuclear research infrastructures in other countries. Users will receive access at no cost to the researcher, including world-class nuclear research facilities, technical expertise from experienced scientists and engineers, and assistance with experiment design, assembly, safety analysis and examination.

Eligible Research Areas:

All areas covered in Annex I of the Council Regulation establishing the Euratom Programme, excluding fusion research which is undertaken by the European Partnership in fusion research. This includes materials testing research reactors, irradiation infrastructure, hot cells and laboratories, mechanical and thermal hydraulic test facilities, light water reactor sustainability, fuel cycle research and development, advanced modelling and simulation including digital twins, and safety of advanced reactor technology programmes.

Financial Support to Third Parties

Maximum Amount per Third Party:€300,000 for actions providing access to and securing availability of research infrastructures

Form of Support:Grants only (not loans or other forms)

Justification:This maximum amount is justified by the significant cost for providing key access to and securing the availability of unique research infrastructures

Financial support to third parties is one of the primary activities of this action and is essential to achieve its objectives. Eligible costs may take the form of unit costs for providing transnational and virtual access as defined in the corresponding Decision on unit-cost-decision-research-infrastructures.

Admissibility Requirements

Proposal Page Limit:40 pages maximum for the application

Proposal Layout:As described in Part B of the Application Form in the General Annexes to the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027

Other Admissibility Conditions:As described in General Annex A of the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated against three main criteria, each with a threshold score of 3 out of 5. The overall threshold is 10 points out of 15.

1. Excellence (Weighting: 1/3):Clarity and pertinence of project objectives; quality of proposed coordination and support measures; soundness of methodology

2. Impact (Weighting: 1/3):Credibility of pathways to achieve expected outcomes and impacts; suitability and quality of measures to maximise outcomes and impacts through dissemination, exploitation and communication activities

3. Quality and Efficiency of Implementation (Weighting: 1/3):Quality and effectiveness of work plan; assessment of risks; appropriateness of effort assigned to work packages; capacity and role of each participant; extent to which consortium brings together necessary expertise

Key Requirements for Applicants

• Demonstrate active participation of major infrastructure operators
• Establish open calls for infrastructure access
• Provide technical expertise from experienced scientists and engineers
• Offer assistance with experiment design, assembly, safety analysis and examination
• Pool financial resources from participating national or regional research programmes
• Include option for JRC to use project operational environment as centralised platform for facilitating access to JRC nuclear research infrastructures
• Develop framework and common rules for sustainable operation of Euratom User Facilities network
• Support mobility of learners and link with topic HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-03 where advantageous
• Ensure international cooperation with non-EU countries and international organisations while avoiding duplication with OECD/NEA FIDES initiative

Consortium Composition

While no minimum consortium size is specified, the project must bring together major nuclear research infrastructure operators and relevant stakeholders. The consortium should include entities with expertise in managing and operating nuclear research facilities, as well as representatives from the research community that will benefit from improved access.

Intellectual Property and Results Ownership

Beneficiaries must establish an appropriate consortium agreement to manage ownership and access to key knowledge, including intellectual property rights and research data. A results ownership list must be provided in the final periodic report.

Dissemination and Exploitation

A plan for dissemination and exploitation including communication activities is mandatory and must be submitted as a deliverable within 6 months of grant agreement signature. This plan should describe how the project will maximise impact through targeted communication to the scientific community, infrastructure operators, policymakers and other stakeholders.

Data Management

A detailed Data Management Plan must be developed by month 6 and revised towards the end of the project lifetime. The plan should describe how research outputs and data generated during the project will be managed to ensure they are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR principles).

Strategic Context

This funding opportunity is part of the EU's broader commitment to nuclear research and energy independence. The European Commission has allocated €330 million to the Euratom Research and Training Programme for 2026-2027, with €222 million focused on fusion energy and €108 million on nuclear fission research, safety and radiation protection. This specific call supports the infrastructure access component essential for enabling collaborative nuclear research across Europe ¹.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted electronically through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. The submission system is an online wizard that guides applicants through a 6-step process: logging in, selecting the call and topic, creating a draft proposal, managing consortium parties and contacts, editing proposal forms and uploading Part B, and final submission. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

Support and Guidance

Applicants can access comprehensive guidance through the Funding and Tenders Portal Online Manual, which provides step-by-step instructions for proposal preparation and submission. Standard application form templates are available for download in the submission system. The portal also provides access to frequently asked questions and IT helpdesk support for technical issues.

Key Dates Summary

Footnotes

1. 1The European Commission adopted the 2026-2027 work programme for the Euratom Research and Training Programme on 19 March 2026, allocating €330 million total for nuclear research and training activities across fusion energy, fission safety, radiation protection and related infrastructure access initiatives.