Safety of operating nuclear power plants and research reactors

This grant supports research and innovation to improve the safety of nuclear power plants and research reactors. The main focus is on the safety assessment and management of current and planned nuclear reactor fleets, including ageing management programmes, development and validation of advanced assessment tools, and optimisation of safety solutions. The aim is to prevent and mitigate risks, address regulatory challenges, and promote innovative technologies such as digital upgrades, advanced simulation, AI/ML-assisted defect detection, and digital twins. The grant also supports the evaluation of reactor safety margins, development of advanced materials and component integrity assessment, and sharing of best practices and knowledge to ensure the highest safety standards, particularly in the deployment of alternative nuclear fuels. Projects are expected to support the implementation of EU directives on nuclear safety, radioactive waste management, and basic safety standards, while promoting international collaboration, knowledge transfer, and strategies to make energy production more climate-neutral and secure.

Check your compatibility

Agency	EURATOM (EU)
Region	EU
Country	N/A
Legal form	Company, NGO, Government organization, Other
Start date	24 Mar 2026
End date	15 Sep 2026
Max funding	EURATOM Research and Innovation Actions (RIA): 3,000,000 EUR per grant (expected 5 grants), EURATOM Innovation Actions (IA): 2,000,000 EUR per grant (expected 1 grant), 3,000,000 EUR per grant (expected 5 grants), EURATOM Coordination and Support Actions (CSA): 7,000,000 EUR per grant (expected 1 grant), 5,000,000 EUR per grant (expected 1 grant), 500,000 EUR per grant (expected 1 grant), EURATOM Cofund Actions: 15,000,000 EUR per grant (expected 2 grants)
Budget	RIA (HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-01): 15,000,000 EUR (2026: 7,000,000 EUR; 2027: 8,000,000 EUR) IA (HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-02, HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-05): 17,000,000 EUR (2026: 7,500,000 EUR; 2027: 9,500,000 EUR) CSA (various): 13,000,000 EUR (2026: 6,000,000 EUR; 2027: 7,000,000 EUR) Cofund (HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-08, HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-09): 30,000,000 EUR (2026: 15,000,000 EUR; 2027: 15,000,000 EUR)
Coverage	Funding is provided as lump sum grants. Detailed budget requirements and cost categories are set according to the Horizon Europe/Euratom Work Programme rules.

Grant application conditions

Admissibility Conditions	Proposal page limits: 45 pages for RIA & IA lump sum. Layout must follow instructions in Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible Countries	Applicants must be established in countries listed in the Horizon Europe (including Euratom) List of Participating Countries, including EU Member States and certain Associated Countries.
Applicant type	Open to consortia that may include companies, NGOs, research institutes, universities, government organizations, and international organizations. The EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a consortium member.
Financial and operational capacity	Applicants must have sufficient financial and operational resources to carry out the project as verified in accordance with the Euratom Work Programme General Conditions.
Award criteria	Submission and evaluation processes, scoring, and thresholds are described in the General Annexes of the Euratom Work Programme. Proposals will be evaluated according to excellence, impact, and quality of implementation.
Legal and financial set-up	Grants are set up as lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme. Eligible costs and legal requirements must be fulfilled as defined in the model grant agreement.
Project scope	Proposals must address challenges related to ageing management or the evaluation of safety margins of existing and planned reactor fleets. Activities should cover safety assessment, development/validation of methods and tools, inspections, monitoring, digitalisation, digital twins, materials integrity, and best practice dissemination. Focus may extend to safety of fuel supply for Soviet-designed research reactors and facilitation of harmonised approaches among national regulators. Projects are expected to complement existing regulatory support schemes and promote international collaboration. Proposals should demonstrate contribution to EU energy and climate strategies, specifically around long-term operation (LTO) of reactors.
Documentation	https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-01

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

Business exclusions

Reporting

Application process

Application requirements