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Strategic Analysis
This Coordination and Support Action (CSA) call aims to bridge the gap between industry and Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) expertise to foster innovation. Proposals must develop robust methodologies for knowledge exchange, provide practical services to companies (especially SMEs and startups), and conduct a feasibility study to inform future policy, ensuring SSH contributions are effectively valorised for industrial and organisational development.
Developing a methodology for understanding how various needs from industry, SMEs and customers can be addressed by knowledge exchanges with SSH researchers and students.
Service to industry and SMEs including spinoffs and startups to support solving company challenges with international teams of SSH researchers and students.
A study to tackle the key questions concerning the technical and conceptual feasibility of Industry-Academia knowledge exchange with SSH to improve innovation management and organisational development.
Increased innovation capabilities for industry by harnessing the potential of Social Sciences and Humanities, including the Arts, to provide effective solutions to companies' research and innovation challenges and organisational development.
Improved strategies to bring new products and technologies to the industry environment and ultimately to the market.
Clean Industrial Deal adopted in February 2025;
Critical Raw Materials Act;
Advanced Materials Communication and future Advanced Materials Act planned for 2026;
Future Circular Economy Act planned for 2026;
Steel and Metals Action Plan adopted in March 2025;
European Chemicals Industry Action Plan adopted in July 2025;
Industrial action plan for the European automotive sector adopted in March 2025; and
Strategy on research and technology infrastructures, with regard to technology infrastructures and the valorisation of knowledge.
Strategy on research and technology infrastructures
mediumThis strategy aims to strengthen the European Research Area by developing, integrating, and optimizing world-class research and technology infrastructures. It focuses on providing researchers with access to cutting-edge facilities, fostering collaboration, and supporting the translation of research results into innovation and industrial applications.
Proposals should demonstrate how they leverage existing research and technology infrastructures or contribute to their development and accessibility, particularly for advanced manufacturing. This could involve using shared facilities for testing, piloting, or scaling up innovative manufacturing processes, or contributing to the infrastructure's capabilities.
Clean Industrial Deal
lowThe "Clean Industrial Deal" refers to the industrial dimension of the European Green Deal, aiming to make European industry more sustainable, competitive, and resilient. It focuses on decarbonization, circularity, resource efficiency, and the development of clean technologies and products, while ensuring a level playing field and supporting innovation.
Proposals should demonstrate how their advanced manufacturing solutions contribute to the green transition of industry, for example, by reducing emissions, improving resource efficiency, enabling circularity, or developing clean technologies. Alignment with the EU's climate and environmental objectives and enhancing industrial competitiveness are key.
Critical Raw Materials Act
lowAdvanced Materials Communication
lowThe Communication on Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership (COM(2024) 98 final) outlines a strategic approach to strengthen the EU's leadership in advanced materials. It recognizes advanced materials as key enablers for the green and digital transitions and for enhancing Europe's open strategic autonomy. The Communication proposes actions across the entire value chain, including R&D, skills development, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks, to accelerate their development, production, and adoption.
Proposals should demonstrate how they contribute to the objectives of the Advanced Materials Communication, even if indirectly through SSH knowledge exchange. This could involve addressing societal aspects of advanced materials adoption, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between SSH and material science, or analyzing the skills gaps and societal impacts related to advanced materials innovation and deployment.
Advanced Materials Act
lowThe proposed Advanced Materials Act aims to establish a comprehensive framework to accelerate the development, testing, and deployment of advanced materials in the EU. It seeks to streamline regulatory processes, foster investment, and create a more predictable environment for innovation in advanced materials, crucial for strategic industries and the green and digital transitions.
Proposals should demonstrate how their advanced manufacturing activities align with the objectives of fostering innovation and industrial uptake of advanced materials. This could involve addressing regulatory hurdles, contributing to standardization, or showcasing pathways for rapid deployment and scaling of new materials and their manufacturing processes.
Circular Economy Act
lowThe "Circular Economy Act" refers to the legislative and policy framework stemming from the EU's Circular Economy Action Plans. It aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy by promoting sustainable product design, reducing waste, increasing recycling and reuse, and fostering circular business models across key value chains.
Proposals should clearly demonstrate how their advanced manufacturing processes contribute to circularity. This includes aspects like resource efficiency, waste reduction, use of secondary raw materials, design for longevity, repairability, or recyclability, and the development of circular business models within the manufacturing context.
Steel and Metals Action Plan
lowThe Steel and Metals Action Plan (or similar initiatives) focuses on supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of the EU's steel and metals industries. It addresses challenges such as decarbonization, raw material supply, energy efficiency, and the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies to ensure the sector's long-term viability and contribution to the green transition.
If the advanced manufacturing project involves steel or other metals, proposals should highlight how it contributes to the objectives of this action plan, such as reducing the carbon footprint of metal production, improving resource efficiency in metal processing, or developing innovative metal products and processes.
European Chemicals Industry Action Plan
lowIndustrial action plan for the European automotive sector
lowThis action plan aims to support the European automotive sector in its twin green and digital transitions, enhancing its competitiveness and resilience. It addresses challenges such as electrification, connectivity, automation, and the need for new skills, while fostering innovation in manufacturing processes and supply chains.
If the advanced manufacturing project specifically targets the automotive sector, proposals should demonstrate how their solutions contribute to the sector's transformation, for example, by enabling new production methods for electric vehicles, improving supply chain resilience, or supporting the development of autonomous driving components.
1. Admissibility conditions — Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries — 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 .
3. Other Eligibility Conditions — described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
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 — are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes — are 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 — The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf ]]. described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System Standard application form (HE CSA) Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations Standard evaluation form (HE CSA) Guidance HE Programme Guide Model Grant Agreements (MGA) Lump Sum MGA Operating Grants MGA Framework Partnership Agreement FPA Call-specific instructions Detailed budget table (HE LS) Information on financial support to third parties (HE) Information on clinical studies (HE) Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"
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 – 14. Horizontal Activities 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 Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Evaluators will prioritize the clarity and innovativeness of the proposed methodology for SSH-industry knowledge exchange (@SC1), the concrete services offered to industry and SMEs (@SC2), and the depth of the feasibility study (@SC3). Strong emphasis will be placed on how SSH expertise, including the Arts, genuinely contributes to increased innovation capabilities (@EO1) and improved market strategies (@EO2), directly aligning with the listed EU industrial policies (@EI1-EI8). The proposal must demonstrate a clear understanding of industry needs and how SSH can provide effective, measurable solutions.
Everything the call asks for, seen from the call's point of view. Each line shows what answers it, and which partner carries it.
This matrix lists everything the call asks for: outcomes, impacts, scope, the requirements buried in the call text, and policy alignment. Sign up free and GrantForge tracks each line against the concept you build.
| Requirement | Covered by | Carried | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope activities | |||
| SC1Developing a methodology for understanding how various needs from industry, SMEs and customers can be addressed by knowledge exchanges with SSH researchers and students. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2Service to industry and SMEs including spinoffs and startups to support solving company challenges with international teams of SSH researchers and students. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC3A study to tackle the key questions concerning the technical and conceptual feasibility of Industry-Academia knowledge exchange with SSH to improve innovation management and organisational development. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| EO1Increased innovation capabilities for industry by harnessing the potential of Social Sciences and Humanities, including the Arts, to provide effective solutions to companies' research and innovation challenges and organisational development. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO2Improved strategies to bring new products and technologies to the industry environment and ultimately to the market. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Other requirements | |||
| No other requirements in this call. | |||
| Expected impacts | |||
| EI1Clean Industrial Deal adopted in February 2025; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI2Critical Raw Materials Act; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI3Advanced Materials Communication and future Advanced Materials Act planned for 2026; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI4Future Circular Economy Act planned for 2026; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI5Steel and Metals Action Plan adopted in March 2025; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI6European Chemicals Industry Action Plan adopted in July 2025; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI7Industrial action plan for the European automotive sector adopted in March 2025; and | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI8Strategy on research and technology infrastructures, with regard to technology infrastructures and the valorisation of knowledge. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Underlying policies | |||
| No underlying policies in this call. | |||
The binding rules of this call. Items marked auto are verified by GrantForge from the call and the template. The others are yours to confirm.
LMIC entities auto-eligible
Low/middle-income country entities are automatically eligible for funding.
Topic-specific consortium
Many CSA topics require a broader consortium than the general-annex minimum. The call-specific Eligibility and admissibility conditions override the general annex.
Restricted beneficiary type
Many CSA calls are reserved for specific beneficiary types (national funding agencies, research infrastructures, standards bodies). Check the call.
Coordination/support activities only
CSA funds coordination, networking, policy support, dissemination, training. Not research activities per se.
Gender Equality Plan
GEP eligibility criterion applies to public bodies, research organisations, higher education institutions from MS/AC.
Talk to the Grant Coach to build your concept. The steps below fill in as it takes shape, and your coverage tracks the progress. You can refine everything once your project workspace is created.
Step 1 of 2 · Build your concept
The problems this call frames, and who they affect. Your concept and plan address them.
Companies, including spinoffs and startups, seeking to enhance innovation and organisational development through SSH expertise, particularly those in sectors targeted by EU industrial policies.
Academics and students from Social Sciences and Humanities, including the Arts, looking for opportunities to apply their knowledge in industrial settings and gain practical experience.
Relevant EU and national bodies responsible for industrial policy, innovation, research valorisation, and the implementation of acts like the Clean Industrial Deal or Circular Economy Act.
Broader academic and research institutions interested in developing and adopting interdisciplinary collaboration models, assessing the impact of SSH, and valorising knowledge.
Step 2 of 2 · Build your concept
The long-term impacts your project should drive — this shapes the objectives next.
The project will enable companies to leverage SSH insights for more human-centric, sustainable, and socially responsible innovation, leading to enhanced competitiveness and resilience in line with EU industrial policies.
By integrating SSH perspectives, companies will develop more effective market entry and adoption strategies, considering societal needs, user acceptance, and ethical implications, thereby accelerating the uptake of innovative solutions.
The project will demonstrate effective models for translating SSH research into practical applications for industry, thereby increasing the societal and economic value of SSH knowledge and strengthening the role of research infrastructures in knowledge transfer.
Through direct engagement with industry, SSH researchers and students will acquire new skills and competencies relevant to industrial innovation, fostering a more interdisciplinary and impact-oriented academic environment.
The project's findings and methodologies will provide valuable input for the development and implementation of EU policies such as the Clean Industrial Deal, Critical Raw Materials Act, and Circular Economy Act, ensuring a human-centric and socially informed approach.