Grants

The Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (KAPP) grant aims to identify projects that contribute to strengthening cooperation among Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) countries and between the UCPM and third parties in preventing natural and human-induced disasters. The grant also seeks to enhance institutional preparedness and individual capacity initiatives, thus supporting the systemic relevance of the UCPM and the implementation of the Union disaster resilience goals and the Preparedness Union Strategy. Themes include increasing risk awareness, advancing early warning systems, and enhancing institutional capacity for disaster risk management.

This grant aims to provide sustainable, attractive and passenger-centred solutions for regional and suburban rail services by developing lightweight and cost-efficient rolling stock and automated Multi-Modal Mobility-Systems with 'moving infrastructures'. Building upon previous EU rail research, the initiative targets innovations such as modular regional vehicles suitable for different categories of regional lines, and the further design of automated multi-modal carrier systems for both rail and road. Objectives include significant reductions in both capital and operational expenditures (CAPEX/OPEX), improved mechanical and electrical architecture for vehicles, and new technical concepts for integrated, interoperable transport units. The project covers both virtual and physical prototyping, validation of new designs, and tests for energy-efficient powertrains as well as digital mobility management systems.

This grant aims to develop safety requirements, methods, and guidelines for the hyperloop system, validate key safety components, and identify certification processes to be applied across Europe. The objectives include producing harmonised safety and performance requirements, defining regulatory frameworks and certification procedures, and validating the compliance of critical hyperloop technologies, all with the aim of supporting future European standardisation, public acceptance, and regulatory frameworks for safe and reliable hyperloop transport systems.

This grant supports innovation actions (IA) under the Chips Joint Undertaking, aiming for projects at TRL 5-8 focused on the development and application of innovative technologies in Europe. Consortia may include large enterprises, SMEs, universities, research institutes, and public organizations. Activities may include pilot lines, full-scale testing, development of new processes, tools, frameworks, and their implementation in innovative products. Proposals should include a deployment plan targeting short- to midterm economic value in Europe and align with the SRIA’s functional technology layers and ECS key application areas. The grant advocates for a balanced portfolio between technology supply and demand side projects. The proposal size is not an evaluation criterion.

The project aims to develop advanced AI-assisted methods and tools, including generative AI, for automating software engineering tasks. Objectives include enhancing human efficiency, optimizing resource use, enabling complex data analysis and interpretation, and supporting intelligent decision-making. The approach involves creating an open and extensible AI-assisted integrated platform with AI-based tools and toolchains, supporting legacy integration and multi-domain, multi-stakeholder usage. The platform should impact ECS engineering automation tools by improving cost-effectiveness, resource management, product quality, interoperability, usability, and supporting the entire lifecycle from design to end-of-life. Results should be demonstrated through software-defined vehicle use-cases and small proof-of-concept studies for other sectors such as medical, pharmaceutical, or digital industries.

Chips JU Research and Innovation Action (RIA) primarily consists of activities aiming to establish new knowledge and/or to explore the feasibility of a new or improved technology, product, process, service, method, tool or solution. These activities may include applied research, technology development, method or tool integration, and testing and validation on a small-scale prototype in a laboratory or simulated environment at TRL 3-4. RIA projects are characterized by consortium execution, development and demonstration of innovative technologies or their use, addressing societal challenges, and demonstrating value in realistic lab environments related to Chips JU’s objectives. Proposals must outline deployment and valorisation plans and help maintain a balanced portfolio in technology development and application domains.

The EIC Pathfinder Open supports early-stage development of future technologies based on high-risk/high-gain deep-tech research. The objective is to develop the scientific basis for breakthrough technologies with transformative potential to create new markets or address global challenges. Projects should prove the feasibility of visionary ideas through interdisciplinary collaborative research, aiming to reach a proof of principle. Pathfinder Open is open to any field of science or technology without predefined thematic priorities, focusing on disruptive, ambitious, and novel approaches. Proposals are collaborative and must involve at least three independent legal entities from at least three different eligible countries.

The grant aims to support EU entities in developing game-changing innovations with the potential to revolutionize access to space, improving the competitiveness of the European space industry. This includes supporting novel launch solutions, such as advanced propulsion systems, subsystems, and materials, targeting disruptive breakthroughs that transform the industry and unlock new growth opportunities. The focus is on delivering solutions with significant impact on EU access to space competitiveness and strategic autonomy, with target operational capacity by 2035.

The grant supports the establishment of a European Nuclear Skills Academy to unify and standardise curricula across all qualification levels in the nuclear sector, from vocational to academic. The project aims to address the skills shortage in the European nuclear ecosystem, launch targeted training for critical fields such as Small Modular Reactors and advanced reactors, and develop a framework for mutual recognition of skills between Member States. The Academy will bridge education, research, and industry, serve as an EU-wide initiative to promote mobility and talent retention, and inform future skills development strategies in the nuclear field.