Call for projects documents
CONNECT-NM Grant Agreement (excerpt)
Document containing a curated selection of the CONNECT-NM Grant Agreement, excluding any confidential information.
CONNECT-NM Open Call Announcement
Document announcing the upcoming launch of the open call for Projects of CONNECT-NM
CONNECT-NM Info Day Materials
Materials from the Info Day Presentation held on 28th of January, 2025.
CONNECT-NM Open Call Work-Programme
Document that explains the topics on which Project proposals can be presented within each research line (RL), including objectives, scope, expected output and outcome, expected impact.
CONNECT-NM Guide for Project Proposers
Schematic document with practical information about how to submit a proposal.
CONNECT-NM Guidance for Affiliated Entities
Document providing guidance on how organisations located in EURATOM Member States, which are not Beneficiaries, can be involved in CONNECT-NM as Affiliated Entities (AEs).
CONNECT-NM Project Idea Template
Template to be used to submit Project Ideas in the first phase of the submission procedure.
CONNECT-NM Project Proposal Template
Template to be used to submit full Project Proposals in the second phase of the submission procedure, including separate template for financial information and template for the Letter of Commitment that each project participant should sign upon proposal submission.
CONNECT-NM Understanding Consortium Composition Webinar Materials
Materials from the Understanding Consortium Composition webinar held on 26 May, 2025.
CONNECT-NM Data Management Plan (DMP) and Nuclear Materials Knowledge Organisation System Architecture (NM-KOS) Webinar Materials
Materials from the CONNECT-NM Webinar introducing its Data Management Plan (DMP) and Nuclear Materials Knowledge Organisation System (NM-KOS) Architecture public deliverables.
CONNECT-NM Project Proposal Evaluation Criteria and Scoring System
Version for proposers (information purposes).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Are universities from outside the EU eligible to take part in upcoming CONNECT-NM project proposals?
A. Organisations from countries not associated with Euratom are eligible as partners in a project consortium, but cannot receive funds from the European Commission. Therefore, they need to be able to count on national or regional funds to be able to perform the work they intend to carry out in the project. If the project proposal is accepted, they’ll be added as associated partners to the CONNECT-NM consortium through an amendment to the grant agreement and will need to sign a cooperation agreement with the coordinator of CONNECT-NM.
Q. Is there any way forward from JPNM Pilot projects to make a bid in the CONNECT-NM call?
A. JPNM Pilot Projects are not automatically transferred to CONNECT-NM and, if proposed as projects to CONNECT-NM, do not have any specific advantage over other proposals. However, the JPNM Pilot Project consortium is fully entitled to prepare a proposal connected with the Pilot Project, paying attention to ensuring consistency with the CONNECT-NM work programme for the open call.
Q. What is the task agreement and who has to sign it?
A. Projects in CONNECT-NM are formally tasks of the Work-Package that correspond to the Research Line to which the Project belongs. The Task Agreement is, accordingly, a document that defines the terms of implementation of the Project, now defined as Task of a Work-Package. It is signed by the Coordinator of CONNECT-NM and the Project (Task) Leading organisation (Beneficiary or Affiliated Entity), on behalf of all the organisations that contribute to the Project.
Q. Can the same organisation propose more than one Project per Research Line?
A. There is no limit of any kind imposed on the number of Projects that can be proposed. However, there is a limit to the Projects that can be accepted.
Q. If prospective applicants were not part of the proposal in the first phase, can they access the proposal in the second phase?
A. Yes, it is possible to become involved in a proposal in the second phase of the procedure, if the proposal requires the capability offered by this new partner for the project to be successful. However, it is not possible to present a proposal in the second phase that is not related to at least one project idea that was submitted in the first phase.
Q. Can graphite be eligible for this call?
A. Yes, as but only as “fuel containing” material, not as structural material.
Q. Do limitations exist on the funding agency or programme from which the national, regional or international funding is obtained, and can the other 50% funds come from other European Commission funded initiatives?
A. As CONNECT-MN is a co-funded partnership, the matching funds should come from national or regional sources.
Q. Under the fuels materials category, are materials related to the nuclear fuel cycle, particularly mixed oxide fuel (MOX), also covered in the Call?
A. Yes, MOX is included within the scope of the Call, but back-end related issues (e.g. recycling processes) are not in scope.
Q. Is it mandatory to establish collaboration with the Beneficiary institute during the first phase of proposal submission, or is it permissible to formalise these collaborations in the second phase, contingent on the project being selected for the subsequent round, based on the progress and requirements of the project?
A. It is advisable to have a signed a Collaboration Agreement ahead of the selection of the project, because this will enable the CONNECT-NM team to ensure that the actor in question will be eligible for the status of Affiliated Entity, as well as to avoid unnecessary delays in the signature of the Task Agreement.
Q. When and where will the Brokerage Event for the Open Call be held?
A. It will be hybrid, taking place in Brussels and online from 8-10 April 2025.
In logistical terms, on both 8 and 9 April, the CONNECT-NM team will hold individual discussions of Project Idea Proposals with proposers one at a time. On 10 April, the actual Brokerage Event with all registered participants will take place.
Currently, it is only necessary to register for the actual event on 10 April. For Project Idea proposers who will meet with CONNECT-NM between 8 and 9 April, it is not necessary to be available at all times on both days, just for approximately one half an hour slot, at a time to be yet defined.
Q. Is it correct that the funding limit of €900k/project is related only to the European Commission allocation, which accounts for 50%, so the total funding limit for the whole project are €1.8m?
A. Yes, it is correct that €900k/project is the maximum possible European Commission allocation. However, it is important to note that the total budget may be higher than €1.8m, if, for example, one or more of the participants have national or regional funding covering expenses above 50%. Conversely, the request can be less than €900k for smaller projects.
Q. From the perspective of an Affiliated Entity, must the corresponding Beneficiary also be part of the project?
A. No, an Affiliated Entity can participate in a project where the corresponding Beneficiary is not involved. However, the funding for that project will come from the Coordinator through the Beneficiary.
Q. What level of detail is a Project Idea expected to have?
A. CONNECT-NM recommends all applicants to put as much detail as possible in the allocated five pages, simultaneously remaining both concise and convincing. In technical terms, please kindly note that the font cannot be reduced below 10.5 Arial.
Q. Is there a deadline for communicating the intention to submit a Project Idea?
A. Yes, if you are planning to submit a Project Idea, please inform the CONNECT-NM Management Support Office (MSO) at info@connect-nm.eu by 28 February 2025.
Q. How can entities from a member state that is part of Euratom, but has no Beneficiary in CONNECT-NN, participate?
A. The Beneficiary and the entity do not need to be from the same country. For instance, the partnership already has two Affiliated Entities, one from Germany and one from the Czech Republic, who joined as Affiliated Entities of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA), which is based in Belgium. However, in practice this might be more difficult than in the case of a country with a national Beneficiary. The alternative, in the absence of a cooperation agreement, is to become Third Party, but this still requires a Beneficiary of which being Third Party.
Q. Are advanced fuels such as TRISO also covered in the Call?
A. Yes, advanced fuels such as TRISO are covered.
Q. Is the Project Idea Template available on the website?
A. Yes, the template corresponding to the first phase of the Call (Project Ideas) is available in the list of call documents above in both Word and RTF format. The template for the second phase of the submission procedure (Project Proposals) will also become available on the website soon.
Q. How will "project overlaps" be managed?
A. In the case that two proposals have very closely aligned subjects, the Brokerage Event in April will provide the opportunity for them both to be presented, with a likely recommendation from CONNECT-NM to merge the proposals it this stage. This will only be a recommendation, however, as just one of the proposals can be accepted, it is in the interest of both applicants to either merge together or modify the proposals to ensure a greater level of differentiation.
Q. Are projects related to the back-end (fuel recycling) allowed?
A. The materials of interest in this Open Call are materials of reactors. Other initiatives that deal with the back end of the fuel cycle are not included.
Q. Is it still possible to nominate an institute through a Ministry to become an Affiliated Entity or Beneficiary?
A. For Affiliated Entities, the process is straightforward because it is possible for the actor in question to begin preparing the agreement whenever they wish (better well ahead the submission of the proposal, though). However, adding a Beneficiary can be more complicated and requires the direct involvement of the European Commission in the discussion, because it corresponds to including a new member state, via mandate of the corresponding Ministry. Moreover, the inclusion of a new Beneficiary requires signing the Consortium Agreement. However, ideally CONNECT-NM welcomes the addition of new Beneficiaries representing additional member states.
Q. Is the Task Agreement for the Projects accepted through this Call similar to the one of the pre-selected Projects?
A. It will follow exactly the same template. It is now taking some time to go through all required legal aspects, however this ‘’learning phase’’ with the pre-selected Projects will then enable CONNECT-NM to have immediately available the documents for signing, when the new Projects are selected through the Call.
Q. Are corrosion oxides or corrosion layers included in the scope of the Call?
A. Independently of anything else, the study corrosion oxides, or corrosion layers, on their own, is not covered. However, if we are speaking of qualifying structural or cladding materials, or developing new corrosion resistant (structural or cladding) materials, with focus on the role of oxides or layers, then yes, this is included.
Q. How will funding be split between the different Research Lines?
A. Ultimately, the General Assembly decided against splitting the funding per Research Line (RL) at this stage of the process, as it is not possible to foresee how many proposals per RL will be presented. A balance will be sought on the occasion of the intermediate discussion in April, but it may happen that one RL receives more funding than another, primarily depending on the quality of the proposals. The Evaluation Committee will also be asked to provide a ranking both in total and per RL.
Q. What is a Third Party?
A. A third party is an organisation that is not a formal member of the project consortium but contributes to the project through a specific link with a Beneficiary. Third parties can be involved either by providing in-kind contributions or by carrying out specific tasks, but they do not sign the grant agreement directly with the European Commission. Their involvement is managed by the Beneficiary to which they are affiliated.
Q. Can a private company be a Third Party?
A. Yes, private companies can participate as Third Parties. However, there are two key limitations to keep in mind:
- Funding cap: A Third Party cannot receive more than €300,000 in total from the European Commission (via the Beneficiary) over the entire duration of the Partnership, regardless of how many projects they are involved in and the amount of tasks they undertake.
- Payment process and cost-sharing: Third Parties are reimbursed by the Beneficiary they are affiliated with, based on an invoice they submit. For the Beneficiary, this payment is categorised as “Financial Support to Third Parties”. The Beneficiary must pay the invoice in full (100%), treating the Third Party similarly to a subcontractor.
However, there is an important financial constraint. The European Commission will only reimburse the Beneficiary for 50% of the invoiced amount. This means the Beneficiary must cover the remaining 50% of the cost through other means. The Beneficiary has two options: a) Pay the full cost itself: The Beneficiary can choose to cover the remaining 50% from its own budget; b) Agree on reimbursement agreement: The Beneficiary and the Third Party can sign a separate agreement in which the Third Party agrees to reimburse the Beneficiary for the 50% that is not covered by the European Commission. In practice, this means the Third Party pays for half of its own costs indirectly. In-kind contribution of Third Parties is also possible and preferred, as it notably avoids the complex process described above.
Providing in-kind contributions is also possible and preferred, as it avoids the complexities of the financial support process described above.
Q. Is there a collaboration agreement template to be used by partners planning to submit a proposal?
A. No formal collaboration agreement is required between partners at the proposal stage. If the project is selected for funding, the Project Leading Organisation will sign a Task Agreement with the Coordinator of the Partnership. Before that, each project participant must sign a Letter of Commitment confirming their intention to carry out the proposed work. A template for this letter is included as an annex to the Project Proposal Template.
Regarding Affiliated Entities, there is no standard cooperation agreement template between a Beneficiary and its Affiliated Entity, primarily because many types of valid agreements exist, and it is the European Commission, not the Partnership, that assesses them.
However, once a project is running, Beneficiaries must sign a specific agreement with their Affiliated Entities covering their collaboration within the CONNECT-NM context. A template for this type of agreement is available, though its use is optional. It serves as a reference for defining the nature of the relationship in relation to CONNECT-NM, but it should not be used as model to justify Affiliated Entity status itself. To be officially recognised as an Affiliated Entity under CONNECT-NM, two conditions must be met:
- The cooperation agreement between the Beneficiary and the Affiliated Entity must predate their involvement in CONNECT-NM; the older, the better.
- The agreement must define a broader, long-term relationship that is independent of CONNECT-NM. Ideally, it should not mention the Partnership at all, as the Commission expects a pre-existing link between the two organisations that is not created solely for the purpose of participating in the Partnership.
Q. Is it possible to include project materials not yet covered in the ID cards of ORIENT-NM in Research Line 2, for example refractory/ceramic alloys?
A. No, the accepted materials are the same for all Research Lines. Currently, only four categories are included. However, if the application of the refractory alloy is cladding, it might be acceptable as metallic cladding material. In any case, please refer to the ORIENT-NM materials ID cards, as only materials mentioned there are eligible.
Q. What is the expected/maximum duration of the projects?
A. Projects can run until 30 September 2029. This is currently the programmed end of the Partnership, beyond which funds can no longer be claimed from the Commission. If the project continues beyond this date, it will have to be based on self-funding. At the moment, it is not possible to anticipate firm details about the possibility of extension which, in any case, will only concern projects from the second call (if there is a second call).
Q. What is the process for becoming an Associated Partner?
A. Associated Partners are organisations that contribute to a project without receiving financial support from the European Commission, meaning they cover their own costs. These organisations are typically based in countries outside the EU that are not associated with Euratom. While they cannot (or choose not to) receive EU funding, they can still take part in projects.
If such an organisation enters a consortium for a project selected for funding, it will become an Associated Partner. This involves providing some basic information to the European Commission, most importantly, the Participant Identification Code (PIC), and signing an association agreement with the Partnership Coordinator.
Q. Will CONNECT-NM provide a course on Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (ML) within the scope of this Call?
A. Such a course is outside the scope of the Call.
Beyond the Call, it is possible that CONNECT-NM could initiate educational initiatives related to the topic; however, it is necessary to possess already this set of skills for this particular Call.
Q. What is the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in CONNECT-NM?
A. IAEA and NEA are CONNECT-NM stakeholders. In general, based on their respective statutes, they cannot be partners in projects. However, in particular with the case of NEA, the partnership will try where possible to undertake initiatives that can be mutually beneficial. Several examples exist already in the case of NEA.
Q. For the Project Ideas, is there a minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) required, and what TRL objective is expected by the end of the Projects?
A. It may depend on the Research Line, however there is no strict condition imposed on the TRL. The idea is to be open to different levels ranging from early ideas to industrial applications. It is however important to show in the proposal how the existing TRL will be increased over the duration of the project, to allow for the different ideas and approaches to be compared.
Specifically for Research Line 3, while there is no formal prescription, the need to deal with licensing makes it difficult to start at a very low TRL. In this regard, materials or components that are at a medium TRL are expected.
Additionally, for Research Line 4, it is expected that the TRL be at 4 at the beginning of the project and increase to 6 by the end.
Q. Does the Joint Research Centre (JRC) participate on its own budget?
A. Yes, to the knowledge of CONNECT-NM, the JRC participates on its own budget.
Q. To what extent and when will data management be in use in the different Research Lines?
A. The partnership is currently producing a Data Management Plan that the Research Lines must comply with. This plan will define how data should be stored, collected and in what form, particularly regarding the kind of technologies to be used for the data. It will serve as a collection of principles that all Research Lines should follow to ensure that data produced aligns with the best practices of the partnership.
It is important for the data to follow a certain structure to comply with requirements of the partnership; however, as for the location of data, this will be stored by the data owner. As such, there is no specific guidelines in terms of format, but there are strong requirements in terms of structure of the data.
Q. Is it possible to take part as a partner in several research projects in different Research Lines?
A. Yes, it is possible to be partner in several project proposals that belong to different Research Lines, provided that national funding exists to cover the activities in question and ensuring that such activities are consistent with the Research Lines of the partnership.
Q. How can an organisation become a member of the CONNECT-NM consortium?
A. New members of the consortium are added through approved projects. Contributors to projects that have been accepted for funding in a call will be added to the consortium through a post-call amendment in the most suitable status:
- Affiliated entity (recommended status and is applicable if there is a pre-existing cooperation agreement with a Beneficiary, or by being member of one of the associations that are Beneficiaries in CONNECT-NM);
- Third party (applicable if no pre-existing cooperation agreement with any Beneficiary exists);
- Associated partner (applicable if the organisation is outside the EU and is not in a Euratom associated country).
Q. Is the 50% reimbursement rate for projects also for non-profit organisations?
A. CONNECT-NM is a co-funded action, meaning that funds must come in part from the European Commission (50% in this specific case, irrespective of the status of the project contributor, except associated partners who have no right to receive European Commission funds) and in part from other sources.
These other sources are implicitly assumed to be the Member States, in a broad sense, national, regional, local, or institutional funds. In practice, if eligible (and demonstrable) costs are declared for €100k, including indirect costs, the project contributor receives €50k from the European Commission allocation to CONNECT-NM. There is no need to declare or specify the origin of the remaining 50% of funds (which, however, cannot be the European Commission via another project).
Q. What does it mean that projects will be funded for 50% of the total eligible costs? Does this mean that in-kind contributions can be distributed among the partners? Or does each partner need to request only 50% of the budget and secure the remaining 50% from their own resources?
A. The latter option is what applies to all co-funded actions. Moreover, it is important to note that the remaining 50% does not qualify as in-kind contribution, but as covered, in principle, by matching funds, whichever their origin. In other words, if an organisation declares that they spent €100k, this expense needs to be demonstrably corresponding to the total eligible expenditure for the project, and €50k will be received from the European Commission via Connect-NM.
Q. When submitting a Project Idea by uploading an electronically signed PDF file to the Project Idea folder, who is required to sign this document?
A. Considering that the project ideas are in a way “draft project proposals”, anyone associated with the Project Idea can sign it. This step is put in place as a way to ensure the file cannot be changed, given that if anyone tries to change it, the signature disappears.
Q. Is it possible to change the status of the partner between submitting the Project Idea and full Project Proposal?
A. Yes, concerning the consortium, almost everything can change between submitting the Project Idea and Project Proposal. It is the content of the work that has to remain linked and cannot change.
Q. Do all the results from a project have to be disclosed?
A. For CONNECT-NM, the rules of the European Commission hold: “As open as possible, as close as necessary”.
Q. What does it mean that “All consortium partners have to be affiliated by the deadline of the project proposal submission”?
A. Ahead of project proposal submission, all project partners must already be formal members of the CONNECT-NM consortium. This means they must appear either as a beneficiary or as an Affiliated Entity of an existing Beneficiary.
If an organisation is not already part of the consortium, it must meet all the requirements to qualify as either a Beneficiary or an Affiliated Entity before the proposal is submitted.
Affiliation cannot be created retroactively. Only entities with a valid and pre-existing relationship with a Beneficiary, recognised under the European Commission’s rules, can be included in the CONNECT-NM consortium as Affiliated Entities.
If an organisation does not meet the criteria to be either a Beneficiary or an Affiliated Entity, the only way it may contribute and receive funding is by participating as a Third Party under the responsibility of a Beneficiary.
For more information:
- See the FAQ “What is the procedure to become an Affiliated Entity?”
- See the FAQ “Can a private company be a Third Party?” for details on Third Parties, including funding limits.
Q. Is it absolutely necessary for an organisation to sign a cooperation agreement with a Beneficiary of CONNECT-NM before the project proposal is submitted in order to later join the CONNECT-NM consortium as an Affiliated Entity?
A. Not necessarily. A formal cooperation agreement does not need to be signed right before proposal submission if either of the following conditions is already met:
- A pre-existing cooperation agreement is in place between the organisation and the Beneficiary. (This is the preferred situation: the older the agreement, the better.)
- The organisation is already a member of one of the three associations that are Beneficiaries in CONNECT-NM: EERA, ENEN, or SNETP.
However, if neither condition is met, and the organisation intends to be included in the CONNECT-NM consortium as an Affiliated Entity (if the project is selected), it must act quickly—either by:
- Signing a cooperation agreement with a Beneficiary, or
- Becoming a member of one of the three associations.
If this is not completed in time, the organisation cannot join the consortium as an Affiliated Entity. The only remaining option to participate and receive EU funding is as a Third Party to a Beneficiary. (See the FAQ “Can a private company be a Third Party?” for details on the limitations.)
It is important to note that even if a cooperation agreement or association membership is finalised shortly before the proposal deadline, the European Commission may still reject the Affiliated Entity status. This could happen if they believe the link was created solely to enable participation in CONNECT-NM, rather than reflecting an independent, long-standing relationship.
In such cases, again, the organisation would have to participate as a Third Party, with the corresponding limitations.
Q. What is the procedure to become an Affiliated Entity in CONNECT-NM?
A. Strictly speaking, there is no formal procedure to “become” an Affiliated Entity. An organisation must already be affiliated with a Beneficiary before the project proposal is submitted in order to be considered an Affiliated Entity in CONNECT-NM. If this affiliation is not in place by that time, the organisation cannot acquire this status later within the framework of CONNECT-NM.
A key consideration is whether the organisation meets the Commission’s criteria for affiliation prior to the proposal deadline. The European Commission ultimately decides if an organisation qualifies as an Affiliated Entity, based on the evidence submitted when CONNECT-NM requests a post-call amendment to its Grant Agreement (after project selection).
To be eligible, an organisation must provide evidence of a pre-existing, broad, and independent link with the Beneficiary. This typically takes the form of a signed cooperation agreement that:
· Is dated before the project proposal submission (the older, the better)
· Covers a scope broader than CONNECT-NM, and
· Was not signed solely to enable participation in CONNECT-NM.
Alternatively, being a member of one of the three associations that are Beneficiaries in CONNECT-NM (EERA, ENEN, or SNETP) also qualifies as a valid form of affiliation. In such cases, long-standing membership is preferred, as the Commission may question very recent joinings.
Organisations that are not affiliated in either of these ways must act early during the proposal preparation phase. They can:
· Sign a cooperation agreement with a Beneficiary that should be broader than just involvement in the CONNECT-NM consortium, or
· Join one of the three associations mentioned above, which is in the view of CONNECT-NM the simplest alternative.
However, if these steps are taken too close to the submission deadline, there is a risk that the Commission may see them as motivated solely by CONNECT-NM participation and reject the affiliation.
In such cases, the only way for the organisation to still receive EC funding is by participating as a Third Party of a Beneficiary—subject to specific limitations (see the FAQ “Can a private company be a Third Party?”).
Q. Considering that Affiliated Entities and Beneficiaries have similar rights, would it be possible for a new organisation to enter the consortium as an affiliate of an Affiliated Entity?
A. As stated in Article 8 of the CONNECT-NM Grant Agreement, Affiliated Entities must be specifically linked to a Beneficiary:
‘’The following entities which are linked to a beneficiary will participate in the action as ‘affiliated entities.’’
Therefore, an Affiliated Entity cannot be linked to another Affiliated Entity.
Q. Do Associated Partners need to declare their full costs, even though their request for reimbursement is zero?
A. Associated Partners who participate in the Partnership and its Projects may not charge costs or contributions to the action as the costs for their tasks are not eligible. Therefore, Associated Partners do not need to declare any costs.