Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

The final objective of this call is to prepare the next phases of the implementation of a Quantum Space Gravimetry (QSG) pathfinder mission. To achieve this objective, one proposal for a phase B study, as specified in ECSS‐M‐ST‐10C, leading to a preliminary definition of a quantum space gravimetry pathfinder mission, will be selected.

The focus of the QSG pathfinder mission shall be on the operation of a complete quantum accelerometer system and the detailed characterization of its performance in space.

100%

Expected EU contribution per project: €14.00 million

• Research, Technological Development and Innovation
• Space

• Legal Entities
• Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions

If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).

In order to achieve the expected outcomes, and safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security, it is important to avoid a situation of technological dependency on a non-EU source, in a global context that requires the EU to take action to build on its strengths, and to carefully assess and address any strategic weaknesses, vulnerabilities and high-risk dependencies which put at risk the attainment of its ambitions.

For this reason, participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States, Norway, Iceland and the United Kingdom. The eligibility of entities established in the United Kingdom to participate is conditional upon the following:

• the United Kingdom is associated to Horizon Europe,
• the United Kingdom’s equivalent space calls are published and open to the EU entities on a reciprocal basis.” Both conditions must be fulfilled on the date of the opening of this topic for submission.

For the duly justified and exceptional reasons listed in the paragraph above, in order to guarantee the protection of the strategic interests of the Union and its Member States, entities established in an eligible country listed above, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by a non eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity, may not participate in the action unless it can be demonstrated, by means of guarantees provided by their eligible country of establishment, that their participation to the action would not negatively impact the Union’s strategic, assets, interests, autonomy, or security.

The guarantees shall in particular substantiate that, for the purpose of the action, measures are in place to ensure that:

• control over the applicant legal entity is not exercised in a manner that restrains or restricts its ability to carry out the action and to deliver results, that imposes restrictions concerning its infrastructure, facilities, assets, resources, intellectual property or know-how needed for the purpose of the action, or that undermines its capabilities and  standards necessary to carry out the action;
• access by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity to sensitive information relating to the action is prevented; and the employees or other persons involved in the action have a national security clearance issued by an eligible country, where appropriate;
• ownership of the intellectual property arising from, and the results of, the action remain within the recipient during and after completion of the action, are not subject to control or restrictions by non-eligible countries or non-eligible country entity, and are not exported outside the eligible countries, nor is access to them from outside the eligible countries granted, without the approval of the eligible country in which the legal entity is established.

Research and Innovation Foundation

29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/

Contact Persons:
Dr Angelos Ntantos
Scientific Officer
Telephone: +357 22 205 033
Email: antantos@research.org.cy

Mr George Christou
Scientific Officer
Telephone: +357 22 205 030
Email: gchristou@research.org.cy

https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation_en

• Funding&Tenders
• HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – Digital, Industry and Space, p.323