Thematically open joint call 2026

The deadline to submit an application is set for September 20, 2026, at 11:00 AM (CET). 

The models of the application as well as the financial annexes to be appended by each partner to the aid application will be made available to download here on the 20 July 2026.


This initiative aims to stimulate the development of new applications, services, and technological capabilities, thereby strengthening companies’ innovation capacity and overall competitiveness, while also contributing to the creation of new scientific knowledge and advancing the state of the art. 

Context of the call 

The development of disruptive innovations along with the fostering of a collaborative ecosystem, supporting technology and knowledge transfer among private and public actors are key priorities of the government’s strategy to strengthen Luxembourg’s competitiveness and resilience. The adoption and development of solutions based on emerging scientific advances are crucial to remaining at the forefront of technological progress and to enhancing companies’ competitiveness. 

To further incentivize the socio-economical valorization of scientific advances, the Ministry of the Economy, the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) and Luxinnovation are launching a joint call for proposals to encourage close and interactive collaboration between private companies and public research institutes to carry out innovative research projects. It is a strategic priority of the government and the FNR to turn public research into a competitive advantage for Luxembourg and to give researchers the opportunity to pursue a high-impact research strategy while working with the most innovative private actors. To this end, the development of Luxembourg's knowledge-based economy is supported by promoting applied research, strengthening the collaboration between public research and the innovative economy, and facilitating the potential commercial exploitation of research results. 

Purpose of the call

The purpose of this joint funding call for projects is to accelerate the development and integration of breakthrough innovations within companies’ internal R&D processes. In addition, it aims to stimulate the creation of new applications, services, and technological capabilities that leverage these scientific and technological advances. The joint funding call therefore supports the implementation of high‑quality, high‑impact, and innovative applied research and development projects. 

Objectives  

As a cornerstone of a company’s long‑term performance and competitiveness, continuous engagement in innovation and R&D is key. An effective R&D strategy relies on cutting‑edge technologies that incorporate the latest scientific and technical advances. 

In this spirit, the present call for projects aims to facilitate collaborative initiatives between public research institutions and companies in order to jointly achieve applied research and development outcomes that are mutually beneficial. Public research institutions will have the opportunity to explore new research challenges and advance their scientific expertise, while companies can strengthen their innovation capacity and gain access to world‑class public research competencies. Projects are expected to generate tangible added value for Luxembourg’s industrial and economic landscape and to align with national strategic priorities. 

The specific objectives of the Joint Call are: 

• To foster innovation and sustainable value creation by stimulating strong partnerships between public research institutions and industry. 
• To strengthen companies’ expertise in scientific and technical domains of relevance for their positioning in the market. 
• To encourage the implementation of innovative projects that contribute to the development of Luxembourg’s economic landscape and are consistent with national strategic priorities. 
• To enhance Luxembourg’s attractiveness as an innovation hub by promoting advanced technological research and high‑impact applications. 

Call topic

Projects submitted under this call must be innovative, of the highest quality, and contribute meaningfully to the development of Luxembourg’s economic landscape. They should demonstrate a positive and sustainable impact by diversifying or strengthening the future business activities of companies, while simultaneously enhancing their R&D capabilities, knowledge base, and technical expertise. Moreover, the projects should clearly build upon the state of the art, demonstrate scientific excellence, and contribute to the creation of new scientific knowledge. Eligible projects may fall within the categories of industrial research and/or experimental development as set out in the RDI law [1]. 

The R&D projects should address complex and forward-looking challenges, resulting in new solutions or services that either outperform existing technologies or significantly accelerate their development. Projects must also tackle key issues relevant to industry, science, or society at large. 

To ensure the successful implementation of complex scientific or technological developments, each project must be carried out through close collaboration between a public research institution and an industry partner. These partnerships are crucial for providing scientific expertise, access to specialized infrastructure, and guidance on best practices required for effective execution. By fostering strong public-private cooperation, the initiative aims to facilitate knowledge transfer, lower technological barriers, and maximize the return on R&D investments. 

 

General eligibility criteria and instruments of the joint call

1. Consortia are expected to include at least one eligible participating company and one FNR-eligible participating research organization. In the consortium, the contribution of the private and public parties should be as close to equal as possible, whereas no party shall bear more than 70% of the total project cost. Companies must fulfil the general eligibility criteria as set out in the RDI law [1] and the respective criteria of the specific state aid scheme they apply for as set out in the R&D schemes [2]. Research organizations must be eligible under article 3-(2) of the FNR statute (Loi modifiée du 31 mai 1999 portant création d'un fonds national de la recherche dans le secteur public) and be registered at the FNR.  
2. The project must be in the field of industrial research and/or experimental development as defined in the RDI law [1], and in line with the call topic. 
3. The research topic must not be eligible for funding in other (thematically focused) joint calls, i.e. in 2026: The Data/AI/Quantum and Defence Call.  
4. For research and development activities under the joint call for projects, public institutions should comply with the general principles set forth in the FNR Guidelines, such as the formal requirements to qualify as PI (Principal Investigator) of an FNR-funded project, the FNR Research Integrity Guidelines, and the FNR data management plan, as well as those included in the FNR BRIDGES Programme description. 
5. The cost to cover the PhD student and their research is not permissible for projects in this joint call. 
6. A PI may submit a maximum of two proposals per call. 
7. For classical or narrative CVs, a maximum of three pages is allowed. 
8. The consortium must have the necessary expertise in the relevant fields to carry out the specific research tasks. The FNR will fund the costs of the eligible research organizations in Luxembourg, up to 500.000 € per project covering all project specific costs. The Ministry of the Economy will co-finance costs borne by Luxembourg eligible companies up to 500.000 € per project, using the R&D aid scheme [1].  

It is expected that the projects will be considered as industrial research and/or experimental development projects. In this case, the maximum co-financing rates for companies through collaboration are as follows: 

 

Maximum aid intensities	Large company	Medium company	Small company
Experimental development	40%	50%	60%
Industrial research	65%	75%	80%

 

Project durations are targeted for a 24 to 36 months period.  

Upon justification regarding their liquidity needs, the Ministry of the Economy may give a 30% upfront payment to SMEs leading a project selected in this Joint Call. For public research organisations FNR financial regulations apply.  

Self-funded international or national partners are permitted to participate in the consortium.  

 

Evaluation criteria and scoring system of the joint call 

The project proposals will be evaluated in a balanced manner based on the following criteria and taking into account the general considerations formulated under the call topic and objectives: 

 

1. Relevance

This criterion aims to evaluate the quality and the innovative character of the project through the following aspects: 

• Novelty and pertinence of the project idea / hypotheses;  
• Clarity and pertinence of the objectives; 
• Level of research quality and the potential to advance the state-of-the-art; 
• Appropriateness of the research approach and methodology; 

 

2. Implementation: quality and efficiency of the project plan

This criterion is intended to assess the quality and feasibility of the project work plan to ensure its success. The following aspects are considered: 

• coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including appropriateness of the allocation of tasks and resources; 
• realistic timing taking into account - where applicable - the allocation of appropriate resources; 
• competences, experience and complementarity of the individual participants, as well as of the consortium and collaboration as a whole; 
• appropriate co- and pre-financing capacity of the participants; 
• level of ambition of the collaboration and commitment of the participants in the proposed program; 
• appropriateness of the measures to comply with applicable legislation and regulations; 
• credibility of the management structures and procedures, quality of the risk management plan and soundness of the risk mitigation plan. 

 

3. Impact

This criterion is intended to assess the potential impacts and contributions of the project. The following aspects are considered: 

• broader impact with economic, environmental and societal added value of the proposed research and development project in line with national priorities; 
• strengthening of the competitiveness and growth of the companies involved by developing innovations; 
• effectiveness of the proposed measures to exploit and disseminate the results of the project; 
• contribution of the project to the advancement of knowledge and expertise of companies; 
• particular focus on R&D projects involving new innovations and processes rather than improvements to existing technologies and core business activities. 

 

Call process

The submission and evaluation process will be composed of 1 phase. 
 

1. Submission process (20.07.2026 – 29.09.2026 11:00 am)

Project application to be submitted by each project participant either to the Ministry of the Economy (MyGuichet platform) for companies and to FNR (FNR Grant Management System) for accredited research organizations. The templates of the application as well as the financial annexes to be appended by each partner to the aid application can be downloaded here guichet+FNR-links+Research Industry collaboration. 

The project application shall provide information on: 

• Detailed description of the research project;  
• Different activities of the project (Work packages);  
• Description of the technical challenges and implementation of the project; 
• Description of the expected outcome and the economic impact; 
• Milestones;  
• Timeline;  
• Resources; 
• Description of costs; 
• Collaboration agreement (draft ready for signature) including agreement on intellectual property1; 
• GDPR aspects: data flow and ownership, delegations to data processors. 

Additional documents to be attached to the proposal: 

• Narrative CV for the Principal Investigator (PI) (for research organizations only) 
• Organizational chart of the group (for companies only) 
• Financial statements both at the level of the applicant undertaking and if applicable, of the group (2024 and 2025) (for companies only) 

 

2. Eligibility check

It is recommended that, prior to filling out the application templates, applicant companies contact Luxinnovation via contact@research-industry-collaboration.lu to get support with regards to the eligibility check - including, but not limited to, financial viability and co-financing capacity.  
 

 

3. Evaluation process

Project applications submitted will be reviewed by a thematic panel, composed of recognized international experts and representatives from the Ministry of the Economy (“panel”) that will assess the project application from a scientific/technical and economic point of view. The panel will establish a ranking list based on the criteria set in the “Evaluation criteria and scoring system” section above. Both the structure and scope of the call necessitate a highly selective evaluation process and only the highest ranked projects will be recommended for funding to FNR and Ministry of the Economy.  

A project can only be funded by a concurring decision of FNR and the Ministry of the Economy. 

The results of the evaluation will be communicated in January 2027, at the latest. Projects are expected to start in early 2027. 
 

Joint Call Timeline

 

 

References

[1] Law of 6 June 2025 on the promotion of research, development and innovation  

[2] https://guichet.public.lu/en/entreprises/financement-aides/aides-recherche-developpement/rdi/aides-rdi.html 

[3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R0651 ; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023R1315