High Risk Suppliers

The European Union recently published a political commitment to strengthen the ICT supply-chain security and proposed a new plan to expand and reinforce its EU-wide cyber defence capabilities, reaffirming its commitment to the security of its digital infrastructure and to international law and norms in cyberspace.

This also impacts Horizon Europe, as in the General Annexes of the Work Programme 23-25 "Restrictions for the protection of European communication networks" has been added as an eligbility condition (p. 7).

Entities that are assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment (and any entities they own or control) are not eligible to participate as beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners.

This restriction applies to proposals within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions part that concern the evolution of European communication networks (5G, post-5G and other technologies linked to the evolution of European communication networks) and 35 actions in pillar 2 (only in calls opening after the publication of this amended Work Programma, 18 April 2024), where the call topic contains the specific ‘eligibility’ condition “Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks”. 

• Cluster 1 –1 action
• Cluster 3 –19 actions
• Cluster 4 –1 action
• Cluster 5 –8 actions
• Cluster 6 –1 action
• Missions –5 actions

This eligibility rule will be assessed at Grant Agreement Preparation phase by the project officer.