SUPPORT TO THE EUROPEAN FRMCS DEPLOYMENT GROUP

Opened

Code: 38513 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-JU-ER-2025-EXPLR-04 | Programme name: 24432 | Start submission calls: 30/10/2025 | End submission calls: 11/02/2026

The coordination and supporting actions of the project stemming from this topic shall deliver the following:

1. Programme Management Office (PMO) Functions
   • Set up and operate a central coordination function to oversee timelines, dependencies, and progress across planning of FRMCS future deployment activities.
2. Capacity Mapping & Planning Analysis
   • Develop and distribute sector-wide surveys (by sending out questionnaires) to gather data on deployment plans, readiness, and capacity. Analyse responses and identify gaps and challenges across Member States and cross-border situations.
3. Independent Cost and Time Driver Study
   • Conduct a study to assess cost structures and investment drivers relevant to FRMCS implementation across different operational contexts (in particular on-board assets).
   • Conduct relevant Cost Business Analyses.. Analyse main factors that determine the required rollout timeline and measures to optimise those.
4. Stakeholder Management
   • Facilitate cooperation among rail and telecom stakeholders, as well as with relevant associations.
5. Communication & Dissemination
   • Support targeted communications for the FRMCS Deployment Group and Organise outreach and engagement with the broader sector to raise awareness and share developments.
6. Deployment Guidelines Toolbox
   • Support the development a non-binding set of practical guidelines and migration scenarios to support railway undertakings and infrastructure managers in their transition to FRMCS.
7. Expertise & Technical Support
   • Provide subject-matter expertise on key domains including, but not exclusive: System authorisation, Cybersecurity, RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, and Safety)
8. European Deployment Dashboard
   • Support the establishment and maintenance an online dashboard to: Report on deployment readiness and progress and rack national initiatives and alignment with European goals
9. Knowledge Sharing and Acceleration
   • Gather and share test results, best practices, and lessons learned and promote early implementation and innovation in FRMCS assets.
10. Risk & Deviation Management
    • Support the development of frameworks for identifying, reporting, and mitigating risks and deviations across the deployment chain.
11. Develop market readiness
    • Support the identification of measures needed to be address by the market for ensure a swift FRMCS deployment. This activity should be framed in the context of the anticipated short time frame to conduct the migration from GSM-R to FRMCS that may lead to a high demand on scarce resources in different fields.

EXTENDING THE RAIL NETWORK OF PHDS

Opened

Code: 38509 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-JU-ER-2025-EXPLR-03 | Programme name: 24432 | Start submission calls: 30/10/2025 | End submission calls: 11/02/2026

In order to achieve the expected outcomes described above, proposals shall consist of the creation of at least 3 – 5 PhDs positions. It is expected that the PhD programmes stemming from this topic will have the possibility to interact with the Funding Members of the Europe’s Rail JU.

The PhD researchers are expected regularly to liaise with the Europe’s Rail JU and to present their research findings to the Europe’s Rail JU events and submit scientific papers to relevant conferences (e.g. TRA, WCRR, etc. but also non-rail related).

STUDIES ON INNOVATION IN CLIMATE FINANCE FOR RAIL

Opened

Code: 38506 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-JU-ER-2025-EXPLR-02 | Programme name: 24432 | Start submission calls: 30/10/2025 | End submission calls: 11/02/2026

The study should aim to provide actionable recommendations to help railways to access the growing pool of climate finance to support their transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient transport system , and can include the following:

• Conducting a comprehensive review of existing green financing instruments and their applicability to the rail sector, identifying key barriers and opportunities for increased uptake.
• Analysing the investment criteria and processes, and identifying strategies for an increased utilization of carbon credits by rail companies, as means to offset emissions, generate revenue, etc. This includes the investigation of innovative approaches to aggregate and scale up smaller rail initiatives, to meet minimum investment thresholds for climate finance. Explore the possibility of innovative financing structures as well that blend public, private and climate-specific funding sources to maximize investment in low-carbon rail infrastructure and operations. The study shall provide actionable and data-driven recommendations for the rail industry, to assist them in their decision making towards identification and implementation of decarbonization strategies capturing sustainable finance opportunities.
• Providing guidelines/recommendations for harmonising processes for monitoring, reporting and evaluation across European rail companies of accurate gas emissions measurements. The aim of these is to enable the progress towards achieving the decarbonization goals, while providing clear, easy to follow instructions regarding: regulatory requirements; access to financing channels; integration of climate-related considerations into corporate strategy and operations.
• Investigating the contribution and opportunities of climate finance instruments in enabling the transition towards rail passenger and freight transport from other less green transport modes, as a key step in achieving the EU green deal objectives. Provide recommendation for bridging the gaps in terms of policies, regulations, and incentives fostering the investments and use of low-carbon transport modes and in particular for rail fostering the market take-up of novel technologies and solutions into the existing European rail network and systems.

Gender dimension

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

Data Space for Manufacturing

Opened

Code: 38508 | Identifier Code: DIGITAL-2026-DSM-AI-09-DS-MANUFACTUR-STEP | Programme name: 15593 | Start submission calls: 04/11/2025 | End submission calls: 03/03/2026

This initiative will support up to three data-collection projects, with around 3 million co-funding from Digital Europe each, focused on manufacturing use cases to unlock advanced AI models, for example, predictive maintenance, process automation, supply chain management, product design and development and sustainability in production, and increase productivity in industrial environments such as purchases, logistics, resource planning and production halls. These projects aim to collect massive, high-quality data from real industrial environments, ensuring proper labelling where relevant, that could be used to train or finetune generative AI models for the manufacturing sector. The data collection has to be relevant for developing AI applications that can significantly benefit major EU manufacturing sectors (such as automotive, chemical, aeronautics and energy-intensive industries). The project proposal has to clearly identify the target sectors, the stakeholders, and have preliminary agreements about the intended data exchange.

STUDIES ON RAIL INDUSTRY 5.0

Opened

Code: 38503 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-JU-ER-2025-EXPLR-01 | Programme name: 24432 | Start submission calls: 30/10/2025 | End submission calls: 11/02/2026

European Commission’s Industry 5.0 Award provides a vision of the future of European industry taking into consideration the achievement of ‘societal goals beyond jobs and growth. Industry 5.0 is seen “as transition to a sustainable, people-centric and resilient European industry”^[1].

The expected outcome of this Research and Innovation Action is a study that identifies the key challenges, drivers, and expected measurable outcomes/benefits related to the application of the new concepts introduced by the 5.0 Industry principles to the rail sector.

The study shall provide recommendations for the implementation of Industry 5.0 vision that will lead to a significant improvement of safety, reliability, and efficiency in rail operations.

CAPACITY BUILDING CAP2B

Opened

Code: 38500 | Identifier Code: I3-2026-CAP2B | Programme name: 16401 | Start submission calls: 23/10/2025 | End submission calls: 19/03/2026

General objective

The overall objective of the I3 Strand 2b is to build capacity in less developed regions to develop and strengthen their regional innovation ecosystems and value chains through coordinated and interlinked investments in several regions.

This call for proposals aims to improve the capacity of public authorities and innovation intermediaries (e.g. clusters to support companies in the identification of investment portfolios at an interregional scale

The purpose of this activity is to build capacities for a successful participation in Strand 1 or Strand 2a calls, enhancing interregional cooperation with a view to identifying and sharing good practices, deriving actionable policy recommendations, strengthening institutional capacities, and experimenting new approaches. This will also help public authorities and agencies to design evidence-based and targeted policy interventions in the long-term, including updates to regional Smart Specialisation Strategies and related innovation policy frameworks.

 

Perform EU

Closed

Code: 38496 | Identifier Code: CREA-CULT-2026-PERFORM-EU | Programme name: 3948 | Sub-program: Culture | Start submission calls: 30/10/2025 | End submission calls: 15/01/2026

The specific objective of this action is to test and implement innovative models through changemaker projects, to rethink touring in the performing arts in a more sustainable, inclusive, diverse and balanced way.

This action addresses applicants that are active in the performing arts sector and have a high sectorial, sub-sectorial representativity and geographical coverage.

EIC Accelerator 2026 – Short application

Closed

Code: 38494 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIC-2026-ACCELERATOR-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: European Innovation Council-EIC (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/11/2025 | End submission calls: 17/12/2025

The EIC Accelerator supports companies (principally SMEs, including start-ups) to scale up high impact innovations with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones. The EIC Accelerator focuses in particular on innovations, building on scientific discovery or technological breakthroughs (‘deep tech’) and where significant funding is needed over a long timeframe before returns can be generated (‘patient capital’).

The EIC Accelerator supports the later stages of technology development as well as scale up. The technology component of your innovation must therefore have been tested and validated in a laboratory or other relevant environment (e.g. at least TRL 5). The EIC Accelerator looks to support companies where the EIC support will act as a catalyst to crowd in other investors necessary for the scale up of the innovation.

 

Large scale not-for-profit European sport event

Closed

Code: 38492 | Identifier Code: ERASMUS-SPORT-2026-LSSNCESE | Programme name: 2918 | Sub-program: Key Action 2 (KA2) – Cooperation among organisations and institutions | Start submission calls: 13/11/2025 | End submission calls: 22/01/2026

This Action aims to support the organisation of sport events with a European dimension in the following fields:

• Volunteering in sport;
• Social inclusion through sport;
• Fight against discrimination in sport, including gender equality;
• Encouraging healthy lifestyles for all: projects under this priority will mainly focus on
  • a)the implementation of the three pillars of the HealthyLifestyle4All initiative,
  • b) the implementation of the Council Recommendation on health-enhancing physical activity and the EU Physical Activity Guidelines,
  • c) the support to the implementation of the European Week of Sport,
  • d) the promotion of sport and physical activity as a tool for health,
  • e) the promotion of all activities encouraging the practice of sport and physical activity,
  • f) promotion of traditional sport and games.

Public Sector Loan Facility

Closed

Code: 38487 | Identifier Code: JTM-2026-PSLF | Programme name: 23747 | Start submission calls: 23/10/2025 | End submission calls: 27/01/2026

This topic targets projects linked to a framework loan to address serious social, economic and environmental challenges deriving from the transition towards the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets and the EU’s 2050 objective of climate neutrality, for the benefit of the EU territories identified in the Territorial Just Transition Plans.

– The projects must be linked to an EIB framework loan. Framework loans by other banks or EIB financial intermediaries (including EIB Intermediated Framework Loans or Multi-Beneficiary Intermediated Loans) cannot benefit from PSLF funding under this topic.

This Call has the following topics:

• JTM-2026-PSLF-STANDALONE-PROJECTS
• JTM-2026-PSLF-FRAMEWORK-LOANS

NEWS – Media Literacy

Opened

Code: 38484 | Identifier Code: CREA-CROSS-2026-MEDIALITERACY | Programme name: 15593 | Sub-program: Cross-sectoral strand | Start submission calls: 23/10/2025 | End submission calls: 11/03/2026

The call will support innovative cross-border media literacy projects and practices across Europe among various population segments, addressing the challenges of a continuously changing digital media landscape.

Support for information measures relating to the common agricultural policy (IMCAP)

Closed

Code: 38480 | Identifier Code: IMCAP-2026-INFOME | Programme name: 16396 | Start submission calls: 07/10/2025 | End submission calls: 14/01/2026

The general objective of the call is to raise awareness about the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the EU, amongst all citizens, farmers and non-farmers alike and to disseminate information about the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the key messaging should be fully consistent with the Commission’s legal requirement to carry out information measures on the CAP within the meaning of Article 46 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116.

The measures should help citizens understand the CAP, about how the CAP responds to challenges faced by agriculture and food producers, helps restore consumer confidence following crises, supports development in rural areas and promotes a more competitive, sustainable and resilient Union model of agriculture, including its simplification agenda.

Quantum Grand Challenge

Closed

Code: 38477 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QGC-02-01 | Programme name: 24430 | Start submission calls: 14/10/2025 | End submission calls: 08/01/2026

The primary objective is to establish a comprehensive technical and financial roadmap that demonstrates the potential of the quantum computer developed by the start-up for scientific innovation, economic relevance, and eventual industrial-scale deployment.

In addition to the roadmap, eligible companies should deliver physical proofs of principle or preliminary prototypes that demonstrate the feasibility of their integrated hardware and software quantum computing systems. These outputs will be subject to technical assessment and a financial pre-screening, and pending a positive outcome, they will form the basis for consideration in Phase 2.

The projects should showcase the added value of their quantum computing solutions in one or more carefully chosen application sectors, selected by the start-up based on technical feasibility and projected market return. As of Phase 2, the start-up should be accompanied by a number of users representative of the selected application sectors. Applicants are encouraged to include in their proposal Expressions of Interest from those user representatives.

NEWS – JOURNALISM PARTNERSHIPS – COLLABORATIONS

Closed

Code: 38469 | Identifier Code: CREA-CROSS-2026-JOURPART-COLLABORATIONS | Programme name: 3948 | Sub-program: Cross-sectoral strand | Start submission calls: 23/10/2025 | End submission calls: 04/02/2026

The European news media sectors play a crucial and valuable role in Europe.

Yet, they are facing multiple challenges. Partially as a result of the digital shift, with readers shifting to online sources and traditional news outlets losing advertising revenues, the economic sustainability of professional journalism has come under pressure.

Many media at the local level as well as those putting their public interest mission before profits, have had to close down, weakening media pluralism and posing risks for the good functioning of democracy.

Topic 1. “Journalism Partnerships – Collaborations” seeks to help the wider European news media sector become more sustainable and resilient, including small media. Support is foreseen for collaborative projects in and between any news media (sub)sector and/or genre that aim to enhance cooperation, help media adapt to new economic and consumption realities and instil systemic change across that (sub)sector.

NEWS – JOURNALISM PARTNERSHIPS – PLURALISM

Closed

Code: 38466 | Identifier Code: CREA-CROSS-2026-JOURPART-PLURALISM | Programme name: 3948 | Sub-program: Cross-sectoral strand | Start submission calls: 23/10/2025 | End submission calls: 04/02/2026

The European news media sectors play a crucial and valuable role in Europe.

Yet, they are facing multiple challenges. Partially as a result of the digital shift, with readers shifting to online sources and traditional news outlets losing advertising revenues, the economic sustainability of professional journalism has come under pressure.

Many media at the local level as well as those putting their public interest mission before profits, have had to close down, weakening media pluralism and posing risks for the good functioning of democracy.

Creative Innovation Lab

Opened

Code: 38463 | Identifier Code: CREA-CROSS-2026-INNOVLAB | Programme name: 3948 | Sub-program: Cross-sectoral strand | Start submission calls: 23/10/2025 | End submission calls: 23/04/2026

The Creative Innovation Lab support shall support the design, development and/or spread of innovative tools, models or solutions applicable in the audiovisual (compulsory) and at least one the following sectors: music, books or museums.

The audiovisual sector covers all activities and companies related to the development, production, distribution, promotion and circulation of the following content:

• Feature films, animations and creative documentaries intended primarily for cinematic release;
• Fiction audiovisual works (one-off or series), animation (one-off or series) and creative documentaries (one-off or series) intended primarily for the purposes of television or digital platform exploitation;
• Interactive, non-linear fiction, animation or creative documentary projects (e.g. narrative virtual reality projects);
• Narrative video games and interactive narrative immersive experiences. In order to be considered narrative, the story must be told or shown throughout the whole game (in-game storytelling) or interactive immersive experience, and not only as an introduction or an ending.

The objectives of the scheme is to encourage cooperation between the audiovisual sector and the music, book or museum sectors to accompany their environmental transition and/or to improve their competitiveness and/or the circulation, visibility, discoverability, availability, diversity and the audience of European content across borders. The support also aims to enable the European audiovisual sector and these three sectors (music, books and museums) to better adapt to the opportunities offered by the development of Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Worlds.

Innovative space-based applications enhancing capabilities for a resilient Europe

Opened

Code: 38460 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EUSPA-2026-SPACE-02-52 | Programme name: 25135 | Start submission calls: 22/10/2025 | End submission calls: 24/02/2026

Proposals should be built on the exploitation of the distinguishing features of Galileo and EGNOS seeking to enhance the way practitioners prepare for and manage crises and security operations.

Proposals should develop applications and technologies that focus on commercial exploitation in one of the following priority areas, which must be clearly indicated:

• Development of EGNSS-based spoofing-proof downstream solutions to support the digital transformation of security practitioners in security-critical operations (e.g. Law Enforcement Agencies, Custom Authorities, Border and Coast Guards, etc) in various applications, including: environmental crimes management, prevention of smuggling and trafficking, counter-terrorism, border and maritime surveillance, migration management, fugitive search, public safety and fundamental rights, illegal poaching, customs operations and Electronic Freight Transport Information, dangerous goods transportation, usage of robots and/or automated Galileo-enabled platforms for surveillance, etc.;
• Development of EGNSS-based downstream solutions to support the resiliency and functioning of critical infrastructures in EU (e.g. digital infrastructure, drinking water supply and distribution, water waste management, healthcare, e-government, etc.);
• Development of EGNSS-based downstream solutions to support crisis management operations: drone-supported operations, improved and safer asset management systems, AR/VR for first responders, novel EGNSS smartphone-sized or wearable technologies, UneXploded Ordnance (UXO) risk assessment and clearance for humanitarian operations, etc.

Space Data Economy

Opened

Code: 38457 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EUSPA-2026-SPACE-02-51 | Programme name: 25135 | Start submission calls: 22/10/2025 | End submission calls: 24/02/2026

Europe has made a considerable investment in its space infrastructure, resulting in two pivotal outcomes: first, a strategic autonomy of the continent, and second, a surge in economic growth driven by space-enabled applications. Additionally, Europe boasts a thriving sector offering space data, services and products, which continues to show steady growth.

The market for space data and services is fragmented, both on the side of supply and demand. A fragmented and underdeveloped demand from both public and private users does not allow for scaling up, hindering the realization of the full potential of the EU Space infrastructure.

Space data can be used in almost all industry verticals in the EU and worldwide. While some sectors are already using space data to high extent, providing benefits to the citizens, economy and environment, other sectors are only marginally testing the ground. The demand creation is progressing, however, in order to foster the space data economy, it is needed to scale up and accelerate the market uptake and mass adoption of space data, in the context of the applicable legal framework.

In order to achieve this, the proposals should focus on the development of innovative solutions, tailored to the specific needs of downstream industries and verticals and addressing inherent sectorial demand fragmentation issues. There is also an untapped potential of using space data to bolster green and digital transitions, presenting an opportunity to create innovative solutions in these domains.

Moreover, the projects should leverage the existing relevant sectorial regulations and policies, by exploring how the proposed solutions using space data and services can support these regulations.

ELEVATE: European League of Advanced Digital Skills Academies

Opened

Code: 38454 | Identifier Code: DIGITAL-2026-SKILLS-09-LEAGUE-OF-ACADEMIES | Programme name: 15593 | Start submission calls: 04/11/2025 | End submission calls: 03/03/2026

Initiatives such as the Cybersecurity Skills Academy and the four academies (see topic 4.1 of the DEP work Programme 2025-2027) tackle the shortage of ICT specialists in a specific area, highlighting critical issues.

The League aims to enhance coordination and collaboration among sectoral initiatives and projects, fostering synergies and a collective approach to minimize fragmentation risks.

European Advanced Digital Skills Competitions

Opened

Code: 38451 | Identifier Code: DIGITAL-2026-SKILLS-09-COMPETITIONS | Programme name: 15593 | Start submission calls: 04/11/2025 | End submission calls: 03/03/2026

The scope of this topic is to develop six challenges for the European Digital Skills Competitions in the four digital areas corresponding to the Sectoral digital skills academies (Quantum, GenAI, Chips, Virtual Worlds), the Destination Earth Initiative (see topic 4.2 of the DEP Work Programme 2025-2027) and one additional area to be developed by the consortium.

The challenges will be designed to target three clear objectives: each will address a European societal-, technological or industrial-relevant challenge, attract a large participation of students and help them develop their skills, and raise their awareness and understanding of team and project-based work as well as applied research and innovation in the respective digital technologies. Special attention will also be given to design local and major tournaments.

The consortium will also design attractive prize schemes and award for the best challenges from the six areas.