Citizenship education as part of lifelong learning

The grant opportunity HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-09 focuses on "Citizenship education as part of lifelong learning" under the Horizon Europe program. With a total budget of €16 million, the initiative aims to enhance democratic engagement through research and innovation related to citizenship education. This program specifically targets lifelong learning, vocational education, adult education, and democratic participation, intending to create tools and recommendations that facilitate civic involvement at different community levels.

Eligible applicants include a wide array of entities such as universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), public bodies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and other organizations involved in relevant research and innovation activities. The funding operates as a lump sum grant, allowing beneficiaries to receive a fixed amount rather than reimbursement for their costs, simplifying financial management.

A consortium of participants is required, typically comprising at least three independent legal entities from different eligible EU member states or associated countries. The project scope emphasizes the need for collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and policy stakeholders, aimed at fostering democracy through inclusive education initiatives.

The application process is single-stage, opening on May 12, 2026, and closing on September 23, 2026, with specific instructions for proposal submissions. Each project is expected to secure funding in the range of €3.5 to €4 million, with an estimated success rate of 10 to 39% based on prior submissions and funding patterns.

Projects funded under this opportunity should address how educational initiatives contribute to democratic values and practices, support civic knowledge, and make recommendations for improving citizen participation. There is an explicit focus on integrating gender and intersectional perspectives, finding ways to engage marginalized communities, and leveraging both digital and traditional methods of civic engagement.

In summary, HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-09 offers a significant funding opportunity for collaborative projects that aim to develop effective citizenship education strategies, enhance democratic participation, and address barriers to civic engagement across various demographics within EU member states and associated countries.

This EU funding opportunity focuses on citizenship education as part of lifelong learning, aiming to boost citizens' democratic involvement and civic engagement. The program falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) framework, specifically the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society call for 2026 (HORIZON-CL2-2026-01). It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and utilizes the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model.

The planned opening date for submissions is May 12, 2026, with a deadline of September 23, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The submission process is single-stage.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this opportunity are:

Tools and recommendations for policymakers, educators, and other relevant actors to create more opportunities for lifelong civic and citizenship learning, supporting democracy and democratic participation, including through digital means like civic tech.
Tools and recommendations for policymakers at local, regional, national, and EU levels to ensure the participation of citizens in democratic life, regardless of their background, especially those facing barriers to democratic processes.

The scope of the research should address the following areas:

How vocational education and training (VET) (e.g., at secondary and post-secondary levels), including apprenticeships, or adult education programs can raise civic knowledge, political awareness, and attachment to democratic values, such as respect for human dignity, freedom, equality, and the rule of law. Projects should examine either VET or adult education programs.
How involvement in these programs is linked to increased civic participation actions like voting or standing as a candidate in elections, engaging in public policy-making processes, or broader democratic participation such as volunteering or engaging with civil society organizations.
How VET or adult learning programs could support citizens, including persons with disabilities, in enhancing their digital and media literacy skills, and navigating and understanding the rapidly changing democratic information ecosystem, for example, by being able to recognize disinformation and make use of digital tools for democratic engagement.
Testing and piloting innovative methods and curricula to develop citizenship awareness for VET or adult education teachers and students.
Integrating a gender and intersectional perspective throughout the research, as well as the perspective of other groups that are marginalized, underrepresented in political decision-making, face barriers due to accessibility issues, or are at risk of disengagement.
Examining digital and media literacy to foster critical thinking, to shape and develop citizens’ media and other competencies of citizens, and make recommendations for best practices in this area.
Examining democratic participation among aging populations for whom digital tools are a barrier and propose recommendations for solutions to improve their participation.
Examining non-digital, person-to-person approaches that support participation, including in an inter-generational setting.
Collaboration with the European Partnership on Social Transformations and Resilience.

The Action plan on basic skills (March 2025) explicitly recognizes citizenship as a basic skill, defining it as: “The ability to act responsibly and participate fully in civic life, grounded in an understanding of social, economic, legal and political structures. This involves understanding and evaluation of civic and democratic concepts, institutions and processes, including democracy, media literacy, crisis preparedness and respect for others and freedom of speech.”

General conditions for admissibility include:

Proposal page limit 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. The page limit for Part B of the Research and Innovation (RIA) application using lump sum is 50 pages. A detailed budget table must be submitted using the template in the Submission System.
Eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.
Other eligible conditions as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial setup of the grants: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the action's end. Additional details are in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

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

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA).
Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).
Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA.
Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 5. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorizing 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 — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview for the call in 2026 is as follows:

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-01 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-02 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-03 - HORIZON-RIA: 8,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 2 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-04 - HORIZON-IA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-05 - HORIZON-CSA: 4,500,000 EUR, contributions of 4,000,000 to 4,500,000 EUR, 1 grant
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-06 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-07 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-08 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-09 - HORIZON-RIA: 16,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 4 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-10 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-01 - HORIZON-RIA: 15,000,000 EUR, contributions of 4,500,000 to 5,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-02 - HORIZON-IA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 EUR, 2 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-03 - HORIZON-IA: 15,000,000 EUR, contributions of 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-04 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-05 - HORIZON-RIA: 15,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,000,000 to 3,750,000 EUR, 4 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-06 - HORIZON-RIA: 11,500,000 EUR, contributions of 5,000,000 to 5,750,000 EUR, 2 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-07 - HORIZON-CSA: 5,000,000 EUR, contributions of 4,500,000 to 5,000,000 EUR, 1 grant
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-02 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-03 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-04 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-05 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-06 - HORIZON-RIA: 10,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,000,000 to 3,300,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-07 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-08 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, contributions of 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-09 - HORIZON-RIA: 15,000,000 EUR, contributions of around 3,750,000 EUR, 4 grants
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-10 - HORIZON-CSA: 3,500,000 EUR, contributions of around 3,500,000 EUR, 1 grant

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited on the portal. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests.

The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

For support, applicants are encouraged to consult the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment.

In summary, this opportunity seeks to fund research and innovation projects that aim to improve citizenship education across all age groups and backgrounds, with a focus on lifelong learning and addressing barriers to democratic participation. The projects should develop tools and recommendations for policymakers and educators to promote civic engagement and strengthen democracy, considering both digital and non-digital approaches and the needs of marginalized groups. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and collaboration with the European Partnership on Social Transformations and Resilience is encouraged.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include a range of entities involved in research and innovation, such as universities, research institutions, and possibly other organizations capable of conducting relevant research and innovation activities. The mention of Enterprise Europe Network suggests that SMEs are also eligible.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) being HORIZON-AG-LS. The actions are HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to allow for both single applicants and consortia, although this is not explicitly stated. The nature of research and innovation actions often implies the possibility or even preference for collaborative projects involving multiple partners.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-associated countries as detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society sector, with a specific focus on citizenship education, lifelong learning, democracy, civic engagement, digital and media literacy, and social transformations and resilience. It also touches upon vocational education and training (VET) and adult education programmes.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity details do not explicitly mention specific countries, but it refers to EU member states, associated countries, and non-EU/non-associated countries with specific provisions as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Project Stage: The project stage targets research, development, and innovation, including testing and piloting innovative methods and curricula. This suggests a focus on projects in the research, development, validation, and demonstration stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action (RIA, IA, CSA), ranging from approximately €3,000,000 to €6,000,000. Some Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) have smaller budgets, around €3,500,000.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call, as indicated by the "single-stage" deadline model.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, topics with a budget to award three grants will likely have a success rate dependent on the number of applications received.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society 2026 work program, focuses on "Citizenship education as part of lifelong learning." It aims to fund projects that boost citizens' democratic involvement and civic engagement through research and innovation in vocational education and training (VET) and adult education programs. The call seeks to develop tools and recommendations for policymakers and educators to enhance lifelong civic learning, promote democratic participation, and address barriers to participation, especially for marginalized groups. The call encourages projects to explore digital and non-digital approaches, integrate gender and intersectional perspectives, and collaborate with the European Partnership on Social Transformations and Resilience. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, with project budgets ranging from approximately €3,000,000 to €6,000,000, depending on the type of action (RIA, IA, CSA). The application process is a single-stage submission, with a planned opening date of May 12, 2026, and a deadline of September 23, 2026. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutions, SMEs, and other organizations capable of conducting relevant research and innovation activities within EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries with specific provisions.