Consolidation of the research infrastructure landscape – individual support for evolution, long-term sustainability and emerging needs of pan-European research infrastructures

With the funding scheme "Consolidation of the research infrastructure landscape – individual support for evolution, long-term sustainability and emerging needs of pan-European research infrastructures," the European Commission supports ESFRI Landmarks and European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs) with a grant amount ranging from EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 4,500,000 (up to 80% of eligible costs). The objective is the long-term sustainability and further development of key research infrastructures in Europe. Eligible costs include personnel expenses, operating costs, as well as research and development costs – excluding retrospective costs and debt coverage. A prerequisite for application is the involvement of at least one ESFRI Landmark or ERIC as a direct grant recipient. The evaluation focuses on innovation content, sustainability aspects, and relevance to the European Research Area. Eligible applicants are public institutions and non-profit organizations from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Submission is done electronically via the Horizon Europe portal, with the application deadline running from 10 March to 16 June 2026.

Projects should implement concrete measures to expand the user base, foster international cooperation, and enable the evolutionary realignment of infrastructures. These include revising business and financing plans, training infrastructure staff, expanding remote access, FAIR-compliant data management, and impact assessments. A special emphasis is placed on resource conservation and climate protection throughout the infrastructure’s lifecycle. The evaluation is conducted by independent experts; successful projects are typically notified about five months after the deadline, and the grant agreement can be signed approximately eight months after submission. Through this measure, the EU contributes to strengthening the European Research Area by enabling research institutions to sustainably consolidate their leading position in global scientific networks.