Strengthening the fabless Start-up and SME ecosystem in Europe (CSA)

The grant opportunity titled "Strengthening the fabless Start-up and SME ecosystem in Europe" falls under the Horizon Europe initiative as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA). The target applicants are specifically fabless startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and mid-caps operating in the semiconductor industry. The focus is on supporting entities involved in chip design without manufacturing, reflecting the goals of the European Chips Act, which aims to increase the EU's semiconductor market share to 20% by 2030.

The funding type is confirmed as a non-repayable grant, structured under the HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based Model Grant Agreement. While the call encourages collaboration, it does not explicitly require a consortium, allowing for single applications as well. The geographic scope primarily includes EU member states and associated countries, with an emphasis on European entities to enhance technological sovereignty.

The target sector is advanced semiconductor technologies, including chips for artificial intelligence, low-power computing, and autonomous driving. The estimated funding amount is between €1 million and €5 million per project, with a total budget of €1 million allocated for this specific call, aiming to support approximately one project.

The application process is single-stage, with an opening date of June 10, 2025, and a submission deadline of October 2, 2025. Successful proposals are expected to establish a supportive network for fabless SMEs, facilitating dialogue with key stakeholders and providing essential information on funding and regulatory developments. Furthermore, the action aims to enhance the visibility of these entities in EU policymaking and foster partnerships and innovation through collaboration.

Overall, the grant seeks to fortify Europe's fabless semiconductor ecosystem, addressing fragmentation and providing strategic support to startups and SMEs, aligning with initiatives that promote both economic growth and technological advancement in the sector. The call encourages proposals that can demonstrate an ability to drive collective growth and innovation while benefiting from EU-level cooperation.

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals entitled "Strengthening the fabless Start-up and SME ecosystem in Europe (CSA)" under the HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-08 topic. This call falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the DIGITAL - CNECT (HORIZON-CL4-2025-03) call. It aims to foster a collaborative and inclusive European fabless ecosystem capable of thriving in a dynamic global market. The action type is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

The call adopts a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 10 June 2025, and the deadline for submission is 02 October 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of proposals should be an enhanced and integrated support instrument for fabless startups, SMEs, and mid-caps, driving collective growth and innovation. Specific outcomes include:

A sustainable and active organization or network representing the interests of European fabless SMEs, potentially forming an open industry association.

A comprehensive framework facilitating dialogue between fabless SMEs and European stakeholders, including public authorities and key industrial actors, to address sector-specific needs and challenges.

A platform providing fabless SMEs with easy access to up-to-date information on relevant calls and funding opportunities, policy and regulatory developments, and key technological updates.

Active representation of fabless SMEs in high-profile forums and events to strengthen their role and influence within the European semiconductor ecosystem.

Targeted services to support startup acceleration and scaling, with emphasis on advanced semiconductor technologies, such as chips for AI, low-power computing, autonomous driving, and integrated photonics.

The scope of this call emphasizes the crucial role of fabless semiconductor start-ups and SMEs in driving innovation and economic growth within the global technology sector. These companies design chips and outsource their manufacturing, positioning them at the forefront of technological advancements in semiconductor technologies related to AI, data processing, communications, and automotive applications. The call acknowledges that Europe's share in this market is less than 1%, which is a significant gap that needs to be addressed to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy and economic security.

The Coordination and Support Action (CSA) aims to bridge this gap by providing targeted support and advocacy for Europe’s fabless semiconductor start-ups, SMEs, and small mid-caps. The CSA will establish a coordination and knowledge hub to foster collaboration, improve access to strategic resources, and bridge the gap between them and decision-making entities.

The proposed actions include:

Establishing a sustainable organization or network to represent the interests of European fabless SMEs.

Promoting dialogue and advocacy between fabless SMEs and European stakeholders, including public authorities and policymakers, while representing their interests with key industrial actors.

Enhancing the visibility and engagement of fabless start-ups and SMEs in EU policy-making to leverage their innovation potential.

Aligning with relevant support actions in key EU programs, including coordination with the network of the European Semiconductor Competence Centres and the Design Platform under the "Chips for Europe Initiative".

Developing a central platform (a one-stop-shop) for semiconductor start-ups and SMEs that aggregates and disseminates all essential information they need and facilitates access to funding and investment opportunities.

Organizing and participating in events, including workshops and conferences, to enhance the profile of fabless startups and SMEs.

Fostering partnerships and innovation through networks that connect start-ups and SMEs, promoting cross-sector knowledge-sharing and joint projects to advance technological solutions and business growth.

The action should be coordinated and driven by the relevant representative European start-up and SME stakeholders operating in the field. Links with topics in other Work Programmes include Chips JU WP 2024 and 2025.

General conditions for participation include admissibility conditions, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, exclusion criteria, and legal and financial setup, all detailed in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025, the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, rules for Legal Entity Validation, the EU Grants AGA, and the Funding & Tenders Portal documents.

The budget overview lists several topics with their respective budget, action type (RIA, CSA, IA), opening date, deadline, contributions, and indicative number of grants. The HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-08 topic has a budget of EUR 1,000,000 and aims to award one grant.

Partner search announcements are available for those seeking collaboration on this topic. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to bolster the European fabless semiconductor ecosystem by providing targeted support to startups, SMEs, and mid-caps. It seeks to establish a sustainable network, improve access to resources, enhance visibility in policymaking, and foster collaboration to strengthen Europe's position in the global semiconductor industry. The call encourages proposals that are coordinated and driven by relevant European stakeholders and that align with key EU programs and initiatives. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-08 topic is EUR 1,000,000, with the intention to fund one project.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity are fabless startups, SMEs, and mid-caps. The action should be coordinated and driven by the relevant representative European start-up and SME stakeholders operating in the field.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (CSA) under the Horizon Europe program. The Type of MGA is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to favor a consortium, as it aims to establish a network or organization. However, the text does not explicitly exclude a single applicant. The proposals should result in an enhanced and integrated support instrument for fabless startups, SMEs and mid-caps that drives collective growth and innovation.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on European entities, specifically European fabless start-ups, SMEs and mid-caps.

Target Sector: The target sector is the semiconductor industry, specifically fabless semiconductor companies, with emphasis on advanced semiconductor technologies, such as chips for AI, low-power computing, autonomous driving, integrated photonics, data processing, communications, advanced sensing, power systems and quantum computing.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on Europe, with explicit mention of the Chips for Europe Initiative. 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.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on supporting existing entities and fostering collaboration, rather than early-stage research. It targets startup acceleration and scaling.

Funding Amount: The budget for the topic HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-08 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions is EUR 1,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage open call. The planned opening date is 10 June 2025, and the deadline is 02 October 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support their coordination and support actions.

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 this specific topic is 1.

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

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-08, aims to strengthen the European fabless semiconductor ecosystem by providing support to startups, SMEs, and mid-caps. The call is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with a budget of EUR 1,000,000. The goal is to create a sustainable and inclusive fabless ecosystem in Europe that can compete globally.

The successful proposal should establish a network or organization representing the interests of European fabless SMEs, facilitate dialogue between these SMEs and key stakeholders (including public authorities and industrial actors), and create a platform providing easy access to relevant information and funding opportunities. The action also aims to enhance the visibility of fabless SMEs in EU policy-making and foster partnerships and innovation through networking and knowledge-sharing.

Eligible applicants are European fabless startups, SMEs, and mid-caps. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of 02 October 2025. The funding will be provided as a grant to support the coordination and support actions. The action should be coordinated and driven by the relevant representative European start-up and SME stakeholders operating in the field.