Coordination and Support Action (CSA)

A Coordination and Support Action (CSA) is an EU-funded grant instrument that finances accompanying measures such as standardisation, policy analysis, dissemination, awareness-raising, networking, and capacity building. Unlike Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) or Innovation Actions (IA), CSAs do not fund primary research or technological development. Instead, they strengthen the research and innovation ecosystem by connecting stakeholders, developing strategic roadmaps, supporting policy formulation, and ensuring that research results reach practitioners, industry, and the public.

How It Works

CSAs occupy a distinct position in the Horizon Europe funding landscape. While RIAs generate new knowledge and IAs bring innovations closer to market, CSAs provide the connective tissue that makes the research ecosystem function effectively. They serve as bridges between research projects, policy processes, and societal stakeholders.

Funding structure. CSAs are funded at a 100 percent reimbursement rate for all beneficiaries, regardless of entity type. This means that universities, research institutes, SMEs, large companies, public bodies, and NGOs all receive full reimbursement of their eligible costs. This uniform rate distinguishes CSAs from Innovation Actions, where for-profit entities receive only 70 percent. The 100 percent rate reflects the fact that CSA activities generate public goods (networks, policy recommendations, standards) rather than commercially exploitable outputs.

Typical budget and duration. CSA budgets are generally smaller than those of research actions. Most CSAs range from 500,000 to 3 million euros in total EU contribution, though some strategic CSAs supporting major EU policy initiatives may be larger. Project durations typically span 12 to 36 months, shorter than the four- to five-year timelines common for large collaborative research projects.

Consortium composition. CSA consortia tend to be smaller than RIA or IA consortia, often comprising three to eight partners. The composition reflects the action's focus: a policy-support CSA might include a think tank, a government research institute, and an industry association; a standardisation CSA might bring together a standards body, technology providers, and academic experts.

Activities. The range of activities conducted under CSAs is broad:

Networking and coordination: Connecting existing projects, platforms, and communities to share knowledge and avoid duplication
Policy support and analysis: Providing evidence-based analysis to support European Commission policymaking, including impact assessments and regulatory gap analyses
Standardisation: Pre-normative research coordination, development of technical specifications, and engagement with standards bodies such as CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI
Dissemination and communication: Raising public awareness of research achievements, organising conferences and workshops, maintaining knowledge platforms
Training and capacity building: Developing curricula, training materials, and competence frameworks for specific sectors or technologies
Strategic planning: Creating research agendas, technology roadmaps, and investment plans for emerging fields

Deliverables. CSA outputs are typically reports, recommendations, event proceedings, databases, websites, policy briefs, standards contributions, and strategic documents rather than the prototypes, demonstrators, or scientific publications characteristic of research actions. The European Commission often uses CSA deliverables directly in policy development.

Evaluation criteria. CSA proposals are evaluated against the standard Horizon Europe criteria -- Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of implementation -- but with adaptations reflecting the non-research nature of the action. Excellence in a CSA focuses on the soundness of the coordination/support methodology rather than scientific innovation. Impact emphasises the potential to strengthen the targeted ecosystem, inform policy, or improve coordination.

Legal Framework

Regulation 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe defines the action types eligible for funding, including CSAs. Article 2 of the regulation and the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan specify the scope and positioning of CSAs within the overall programme architecture.

CSAs are deployed across all three pillars of Horizon Europe:

Pillar I (Excellent Science): CSAs support research infrastructure networks, open science policies, and researcher mobility coordination
Pillar II (Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness): CSAs facilitate policy alignment across clusters such as Health, Digital, Climate, and Food
Pillar III (Innovative Europe): CSAs support the European Innovation Council's (EIC) ecosystem activities and technology transfer coordination

The Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement applies to CSAs with the same terms as other action types, subject to the specific funding rate (100 percent) and eligibility conditions. Beneficiaries must comply with all standard obligations including reporting, record-keeping, and audit requirements. The CFS threshold of 430,000 euros applies, though many CSA beneficiaries fall below this threshold due to smaller budgets.

The Horizon Europe Work Programme publishes specific CSA topics under each cluster and destination, specifying the expected scope, budget, consortium requirements, and expected outputs. Some topics are explicitly designated as CSAs, while others may offer multiple action types.

The Financial Regulation (Regulation 2018/1046) provides the overarching framework for grant management, including the rules on eligible costs, payments, and controls that apply to all CSA beneficiaries.

Practical Examples

A CSA funded under Horizon Europe Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space) brings together five European cybersecurity centres of excellence to create a coordinated training framework for public-sector cybersecurity professionals. The project develops a common competence model, designs modular training curricula, and pilots joint training events in three Member States. Its outputs feed directly into the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre's work programme. The total EU contribution is 1.5 million euros over 24 months.

Under Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility), a CSA coordinates 12 existing Horizon projects on green hydrogen production to identify common barriers, share technical learnings, and develop a joint roadmap for industrial-scale deployment. The CSA organises annual stakeholder forums, publishes synthesis reports, and provides input to the European Commission's Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking strategy.

A Pillar I CSA supports the coordination of European research infrastructure access policies. Three national research funding agencies and two research infrastructure networks collaborate to harmonise access procedures, develop common performance indicators, and propose policy recommendations for the next EU framework programme. The project budget is 800,000 euros over 18 months.

In the context of IT procurement, a CSA might coordinate the development of common procurement specifications for AI-based public services across multiple Member States, enabling interoperability and avoiding fragmentation. In construction, a CSA could coordinate the development of harmonised digital building standards across European standards bodies.

Key Considerations for Suppliers

While CSAs are grant instruments rather than procurement contracts, they offer significant opportunities for organisations across the research and innovation landscape.

For research organisations and universities: CSAs provide a lower-barrier entry to Horizon Europe participation. The smaller budgets and shorter durations make them accessible to organisations that may not have the capacity to coordinate large multi-year research projects.

For SMEs: CSAs offer 100 percent funding and relatively modest proposal writing effort. SMEs with deep sector expertise can contribute valuable industry perspectives to networking and standardisation activities. The administrative burden is lower than for research actions because CSAs do not involve laboratory work, ethical approvals, or complex IP arrangements.

For industry associations and NGOs: CSAs are often the most suitable Horizon Europe instrument for these entity types. Policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination align naturally with the core competencies of associations and advocacy organisations.

Proposal strategy: Successful CSA proposals demonstrate a clear understanding of the ecosystem gap the action will address, a concrete methodology for coordination or support activities, and a credible plan for sustained impact beyond the project's duration. Evaluators assess whether the proposed activities add value beyond what individual organisations could achieve independently.

Consortium building: Because CSA consortia are typically small, partner selection is critical. Each partner should bring a distinct and essential capability -- geographic coverage, sector expertise, policy access, or communication reach. Redundant partners dilute the budget without strengthening the action.

CSAs sit alongside Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA) as the three main collaborative action types in Horizon Europe. The grant instrument governs CSA funding. Beneficiaries implement CSA activities and report costs under the standard Model Grant Agreement. Horizon Europe is the overarching programme. The coordinator manages CSA administration and communication with the funding body. Consortia in CSAs tend to be smaller and more focused than those in large research actions. The CFS requirement applies to CSA beneficiaries exceeding the cumulative cost threshold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a CSA include any research activities?

CSAs may include limited research-related activities such as literature reviews, surveys, data collection, and analysis to the extent necessary to support the coordination or policy objectives. However, primary research -- laboratory experiments, clinical trials, technology development, or prototype creation -- is not eligible under a CSA. If a topic requires both research and coordination, a combined RIA with coordination work packages is more appropriate.

What is the typical success rate for CSA proposals?

Success rates for CSA proposals in Horizon Europe vary by cluster and topic but are generally higher than for RIA or IA proposals, partly because fewer proposals are submitted for each CSA topic. Typical success rates range from 15 to 30 percent, compared to 10 to 15 percent for large RIA topics. However, competition remains strong, and proposals must demonstrate clear added value.

Can a single organisation submit a CSA proposal alone?

In principle, a CSA can be implemented by a single beneficiary if the Work Programme topic allows it. However, most CSA topics require multi-partner consortia because the coordination function inherently involves multiple stakeholders. Topics that allow single-beneficiary implementation are rare and typically relate to specific support activities such as programme evaluation or targeted studies.

Want to monitor procurement opportunities? Start your free trial or subscribe to our newsletter for weekly insights.