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Soft Robotics for Advanced physical capabilities (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)
Details
Location:EU 27
Funding agency:
Grantmaking entity type:Development Institution
Quick summary
Objectives: The grant aims to stimulate the advancement of soft robotics technology, focusing on the integration of novel materials, design met...
Eligibility criteria: Entities eligible to apply for the grant include organizations located in EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe. The grant is open to entities engaged in research and innovation actions; these can include public or private entitie...
Description
Topic updates
06 February 2026
EVALUATION RESULTS
Published: 06.05.2025
Deadline: 02.10.2025
Available budget: EUR 132,000,000.00
The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:
|
|
HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-05 |
|
Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls) |
19 |
|
Number of inadmissible proposals |
0 |
|
Number of ineligible proposals |
0 |
|
Number of above-threshold proposals |
9 |
|
Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals |
81,866,208.67 € |
|
Number of proposals retained for funding |
2 |
|
Number of proposals in the reserve list |
1 |
|
Funding threshold[1] |
14.15 |
|
Ranking distribution |
|
|
Number of proposals with scores lower or equal to 15 and higher or equal to 14 |
3 |
|
Number of proposals with scores lower than 14 and higher or equal to 13 |
0 |
|
Number of proposals with scores lower than 13 and higher or equal to 10 |
6 |
[1] Proposals with the same score were ranked according to the priority order procedure set out in the call conditions (for HE, in the General Annexes to the Work Programme or specific arrangements in the specific call/topic conditions). For HE, to determine the ranking for ‘Innovation actions’, the score for ‘Impact’ is given a weight of 1.5.
Summary of observer report:
Seven topics of the digital theme in Cluster 4 of the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically under the call HORIZON-CL4-2025-04, were evaluated during the period of November 10 – 28, 2025.The evaluations of these topics took place both on-site and remotely.
Organisation, communication and process adherence were excellent, and the EC Staff effort was highly professional and commendable. Experts showed a high level of engagement, and their work is commendable. Technology involved was functioning well and, in most cases, matching the tasks involved. The whole evaluation process was fair, transparent and confidential. As a result, out of 500 proposals, the 20 best ones were selected, which could be considered as of top quality and deserving of EUR 132M financing in total.
While some improvements may always be possible, the whole formal part of the process has achieved a desirable high level of efficiency, an exemplary, almost a plateau of possible evaluation performance. Hence, all the interested parties could and should be satisfied with the adherence to the EC guidelines and outcomes of this work.
This level of execution should be locked-in, meaning becoming a part of the standard knowledge and skill management within the EC agencies in charge of evaluation. In conclusion, this makes the observers' job almost obsolete, and the whole text of this report is only a reflection, sort of systematic review from our side.
If any recommendations could be voiced, they are minor e.g. an ideal time point is reached to turn to increasing the depth of evaluation quality in terms of implementation analysis, while at the same time securing the current level of scientific and impact discussions.
We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.
For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.
03 October 2025
PROPOSAL NUMBERS
Call HORIZON-CL4-2025-04 has closed on 02 October 2025
A total of 503 proposals were submitted in response to this call.
The number of proposals for each topic is shown below:
HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-05: Soft Robotics for Advanced physical capabilities (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)
19 proposals submitted (indicative topic budget 20 EUR million)
The evaluation results are expected to be communicated in January 2026.
12 June 2025
Please note that due to a technical issue, during the first days of publication of this call, the topic page did not display the description of the corresponding destination. This problem is now solved.
In addition to the information published in the topic page, you can always find a full description of the Destination 4 ("Achieving open strategic autonomy in digital and emerging enabling technologies") that is relevant for the call in the Work Programme 2025 part for "Digital, Industry and Space". Please select from the work programme the destination relevant to your topic and take into account the description and expected impacts of that destination for the preparation of your proposal.
Soft Robotics for Advanced physical capabilities (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)
TOPIC ID: HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-05
Type of grant: Call for proposals
General information
Programme:
Call: DIGITAL - HADEA (HORIZON-CL4-2025-04)
Type of action: HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions
Type of MGA: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]
Status: Forthcoming
Deadline model: single-stage
Planned Opening Date: 10 June 2025
Deadline dates: 02 October 2025 17:00 (Brussels time)
Topic description
Expected Outcome:
Increased exploitation of novel materials, design methods, and control techniques for soft robotics, enabling the creation of inherently safe and versatile robotic systems with applications in various industries, including healthcare, maintenance, manufacturing, and transportation.
Scope:
Soft robotics[1] represents an important avenue to advance robotics, particularly for enhancing safety and physical interaction. Its potential lies in creating systems with intrinsic and functional safety, capable of securely interacting with humans across various scenarios. By using compliant designs, these systems overcome the limitations of rigid robotic systems, such as limited adaptability and reduced safety around humans. Novel design methods, the use of smart materials, deformable physical architectures, and bioinspired approaches are key to improving robotic performance. However, significant challenges remain in learning, modelling, simulation, control, actuation, sensing, and the integration of soft electronics.
To address this, proposals should focus on exploiting novel materials and design methods for non-rigid structures, along with advanced control techniques for soft robotic systems.
Proposals should cover one or more of the following areas:
- Exploitation of novel materials suited to developing robotic systems, both as the main structure and of manipulators and end effectors. These may encompass passive and active materials, and combination materials with specific properties.
- Design methods for non-rigid structures and the means to accurate and sense position where this may no longer involve fixed rotational or linear links
- Control methods for structures built from novel and soft materials or for structures that emulate rigid structures using soft materials.
The proposals should include at least three different demonstrators from different sectors that clearly show the advantage of soft robotics in the context of some chosen application scenarios. The objective is to develop and disseminate general purpose tools and systems, therefore the results should not be limited to the demonstration scenarios selected in the proposals to demonstrate the technological progress.
All proposals are expected to incorporate mechanisms for assessing and demonstrating progress, including qualitative and quantitative KPIs, benchmarking, and progress monitoring. When possible, proposals should build on and reuse public results from relevant previous funded actions. Communicable results should be shared with the European R&D community through the AI-on-demand platform, and if necessary, other relevant digital resource platforms to bolster the European AI, Data, and Robotics ecosystem by disseminating results and best practices.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics (ADRA), and all proposals are expected to allocate tasks for cohesion activities with ADRA.
Proposals should also build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop synergies with other relevant International, European, national or regional initiatives.
[1] soft robotics concerns the design, control, and fabrication of robots composed of compliant materials, instead of rigid links. Hence such robots can be composed of rigid parts linked by compliant links
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries
are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligible Conditions
Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.
Described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
Guidance
HE Programme Guide
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
HE MGA
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Start submission
The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.
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Please read carefully all provisions below before the preparation of your application.
Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.
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grant Background
About the Funding Agency
Horizon Europe will incorporate research and innovation missions to increase the effectiveness of funding by pursuing clearly defined targets.
The Commission has engaged policy experts to develop studies, case studies and reports on how a mission-oriented policy approach will work.
Mission areas
5 mission areas have been identified, each with a dedicated mission board and assembly. The board and assembly help specify, design and implement the specific missions which will launch under Horizon Europe in 2021.
- Adaptation to climate change including societal transformation
- Cancer
- Climate-neutral and smart cities
- Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters
- Soil health and food
About the Sectors
ICT & Telecommunications
Features information and communication technologies, digital systems, and telecommunications infrastructure and services.
Key areas:
- ICT systems, software, and digital solutions
- Telecommunications networks and services
- Digitalization, data, and communication tools
Research & Innovation
Focuses on collecting data, generating new knowledge, and applying it to develop improved methods, technologies, products, and solutions across sectors.
Key areas:
- Scientific research, studies, and investigations
- Innovation programs and applied R&D initiatives
- Technology development
- Space-related research and exploration themes
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