Africa-EU CO-FUND action on climate

The Africa-EU CO-FUND action on climate, identified as HORIZON-CL5-2027-01-D1-11, is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe framework that aims to foster long-term research and innovation collaboration between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) focusing on climate change. The project is particularly significant as it allows legal entities established in all African Union member states to be eligible for EU funding, contrary to typical Horizon Europe rules. At least 30% of beneficiaries must come from African Union member states, underscoring the importance of African leadership in these initiatives.

This funding opportunity provides a total budget of €15 million and operates on a co-funding basis, covering up to 50% of eligible costs incurred by the projects. The funding is aimed at research and innovation capacity building in the areas of climate change research, adaptation, resilience, climate risk reduction, climate services, and disaster preparedness. Additionally, the action encourages the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence in climate research.

The application process opens on November 17, 2026, with a submission deadline of March 4, 2027. This is a single-stage submission process, meaning applicants must present complete proposals without preliminary stages. The action is designed to establish a consortium of multiple applicants, fostering joint collaborative activities between EU and AU member states as well as other like-minded countries.

The projects funded are expected to have a duration of 5 to 6 years and should include elements of research, demonstration, policy implementation, and capacity building, engaging end-users in co-design and co-development processes. Funding also allows for third parties to receive financial support through cascading grants of up to €500,000 to further enhance local participation and impact.

Expected outcomes include enhanced scientific capacity, improved climate resilience, and better representation of African scientists in international climate discussions. The overarching goal is to advance collective understanding and action on climate issues, particularly in vulnerable regions of Africa, aligning efforts with global frameworks like the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

In summary, this call for proposals encourages a diverse range of stakeholders—including universities, research institutions, governments, non-profits, and civil society—from both Europe and Africa to collaborate on innovative solutions to pressing climate challenges, fostering scientific knowledge, practical tools, and sustainable development strategies in Africa.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call, specifically CLIMATE (HORIZON-CL5-2027-01), for an Africa-EU CO-FUND action on climate, identified as HORIZON-CL5-2027-01-D1-11. It falls under the HORIZON-COFUND (HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions) type of action, utilizing a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The call is forthcoming, employing a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 17 November 2026, and the deadline for submission is 04 March 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this call are:

Establishment of a long-term collaboration on climate change research between the EU and the African Union through the Climate Action pillar of the EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy (CCSE), co-designed by African and European partners.

Reduced fragmentation by aligning EU, national, and multilateral R&I efforts, increasing the leverage and impact of funding.

Equipping African scientific, policy, and practice communities with knowledge and tools to better understand, withstand, and adapt to the accelerating effects of climate change, fostering science-based implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change, the international dimensions of the EU Adaptation and Preparedness Union Strategy, the Global Gateway, and the Team Europe Initiative on Adaptation and Resilience in Africa.

Improved representation of African science and scientists in international fora such as IPCC and UNFCCC.

The scope of this action involves establishing joint collaborative activities between the EU and the AU, their respective Member States, and other like-minded countries implementing the Climate Action Pillar of the CCSE Partnership. Activities should be framed using the CCSE Roadmap and priorities identified by the Coordination and Support Action funded from the call “HORIZON-CL5-2025-03-D1-07: Implementing the climate action pillar of the EU-African Union Partnership on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy”. Consideration should be given to the latest scientific and policy developments. The action should address a variety of climate issues under the Climate pillar of the CCSE Partnership, with emphasis on climate risk reduction and resilience. It should advance the availability of climate-related data, data sharing, and related information platforms, enhance climate services, and promote an integrated approach to knowledge, including awareness raising, especially for vulnerable sectors. The digital revolution should be leveraged to improve accessibility and impact. Co-design, co-development, and demonstration with end-users should be integral to increase uptake of outcomes.

The action should organize joint calls and allow sufficient time for the implementation of co-funded projects, with an estimated duration of 5-6 years to establish long-term, sustainable collaboration. A horizontal requirement is to promote collaborations between government, research, academia, the private sector, and civil society, prioritizing capacity building among African scientists, practitioners, and other stakeholders, including skills development and researcher exchange.

Proposals should consider elements within the Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) scheme to ensure geographical balance and inclusiveness of EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and African Union member states.

Beyond transnational calls, the action should design and carry out a program of coordination and clustering activities to seek synergies, align efforts, exchange results, and organize joint activities with relevant Horizon Europe, EU, national, and multilateral initiatives. It should support the operation of the CCSE partnership and promote its activities internationally to increase the visibility of EU science diplomacy actions in Africa for climate-resilient development. Drawing on experience from the energy pillar of the CCSE Partnership is recommended.

This Destination contributes to the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic Orientations of ‘Green transition’, ‘Digital transition’, and ‘A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe’, aiming to contribute to “Advancing science for a transition to a climate-neutral and resilient society”.

Expected impacts include:

Research contributing to closing knowledge gaps on climate change impacts and risks.

Development of tools to support decision-makers in implementing effective mitigation and adaptation actions.

Supporting climate action through advancing climate science and the knowledge base.

Closing key knowledge gaps related to climate change.

Strengthening the European Research Area on climate change.

Maximising synergies between mitigation and adaptation with other policy priorities.

General conditions for admissibility include proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other eligible conditions include the use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for projects using satellite-based data, and exceptional eligibility for legal entities established in all African Union member states. A minimum of 30% of beneficiaries must be legal entities from African Union member states.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The funding rate is up to 50% of eligible costs. Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is allowed, with a maximum amount of EUR 500,000 per third party, justified by the research-intensive nature of the action.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details are available in the Submission System, including standard application forms (HE COFUND and HE COFUND Top-up) and evaluation forms.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction, Climate, Energy and Mobility, and General Annexes), the 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, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for the year 2027 includes several HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) topics with varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants, as well as the HORIZON-CL5-2027-01-D1-11 HORIZON-COFUND action with a budget of EUR 15,000,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant.

There are 9 partner search announcements available.

This funding opportunity aims to foster a long-term research collaboration between the European Union and the African Union, focusing on climate change and sustainable energy. It seeks to address the unique climate challenges faced by Africa through joint research calls, capacity building, and knowledge sharing, with a strong emphasis on climate risk reduction and resilience. The initiative encourages participation from a diverse range of stakeholders, including governments, research institutions, the private sector, and civil society, to ensure the development of tailored, context-specific solutions that contribute to the implementation of international climate agreements and promote sustainable development in Africa. The funding mechanism supports projects that not only advance scientific knowledge but also translate research findings into practical tools and strategies for climate preparedness and adaptation, ultimately enhancing the resilience of African communities and ecosystems.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the context, eligible applicants likely include governments, research institutions, academia, private sector entities, and civil society organizations from both EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and African Union member states. The call emphasizes collaboration between these different types of entities.

Funding Type: The funding type is a co-fund action (HORIZON-COFUND) under the Horizon Europe Programme. This means that the EU provides funding to support a program that also receives funding from other sources. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. The action should establish joint collaborative activities between the EU and the AU, their respective Member States and other like-minded countries. At least 30% of the beneficiaries must be legal entities established in the African Union member states.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and African Union member states. Legal entities established in all African Union member states are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is climate action, with a focus on climate change research, climate risk reduction, resilience, climate-related data, data sharing, climate services, and sustainable energy. It also touches on digital technologies for improving accessibility and impact.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and African Union member states. It also refers to "like-minded countries" without specifying which ones.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on establishing long-term collaboration, co-design, co-development, demonstration, and implementation of research and innovation activities. This suggests a focus on development, validation, and demonstration stages, with an eye toward practical application and impact.

Funding Amount: The budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2027-01-D1-11 - HORIZON-COFUND action is EUR 15,000,000. The indicative number of grants is 1, suggesting a single large project will be funded. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 500,000 to each third party.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call, meaning applicants submit a full proposal at once.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants. They may also provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but with one grant expected for the HORIZON-CL5-2027-01-D1-11 action, the success rate is likely to be below 10%.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is implicitly required, as this is a co-fund action. The EU funding rate is up to 50% of the eligible costs, meaning the remaining costs must be covered by other sources.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-CL5-2027-01-D1-11) aims to foster a long-term research and innovation collaboration between the European Union and the African Union, focusing on climate change and sustainable energy. The call seeks to implement the Climate Action pillar of the EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy (CCSE). It encourages projects that establish joint activities between EU and AU member states, promote capacity building among African scientists, and address climate risk reduction and resilience. The funding mechanism is a co-fund action, requiring consortia to secure additional funding beyond the EU contribution, which covers up to 50% of eligible costs. Projects should promote collaboration between government, research institutions, academia, the private sector, and civil society. A significant portion (at least 30%) of the beneficiaries must be legal entities established in African Union member states. The selected project will receive approximately EUR 15 million to organize joint calls and support concrete R&I projects aimed at boosting climate preparedness in the African Union, with individual third parties potentially receiving up to EUR 500,000 in financial support. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a deadline of March 4, 2027. The overall goal is to advance climate science, enhance climate services, and support the implementation of international agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, while also increasing the visibility of EU science diplomacy actions in Africa.