Community of democracy practitioners and researchers

The grant opportunity titled "Community of Democracy Practitioners and Researchers" HORIZON-CL2 is part of Horizon Europe, specifically under Cluster 2, which focuses on culture, creativity, and inclusive society. Its primary aim is to strengthen and renew European democracy by establishing a network for researchers, policymakers, and civil society organizations. This network will build upon existing initiatives to enhance collaboration and policy recommendations regarding democratic governance, civic participation, deliberation, and citizenship education. Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, NGOs, and public-private partnerships engaged in democracy-related work. The grant is categorized as a coordination and support action (CSA) and will provide funding in the form of a lump sum grant, with a total budget of approximately €3.5 million allocated for one selected project. The funding range for applicants is between €3 million and €3.5 million. The application process is structured as a single-stage open call, with a deadline set for September 16, 2025. The project is expected to have a duration of at least 36 months. While there are indications that a consortium may be advantageous or required, explicit details about consortium requirements are not clearly outlined. The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, emphasizing inclusivity across Europe. The objectives of the project will encompass developing policy recommendations to reinforce democracy at various governance levels, designing civic participation strategies for policymakers, organizing training and capacity-building activities, and hosting conferences to promote democratic innovations. Success is intended to result in enhanced networking within the democratic research and civic engagement communities, delivering actionable insights and methodologies for policymakers. The grant is highly competitive, with a low success rate anticipated given the limited number of projects funded. Co-funding is likely not required, making this opportunity particularly appealing to potential applicants focused on democratic renewal and civic engagement in Europe.

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL2, titled "Community of democracy practitioners and researchers," aims to strengthen and augment the networking and capacity-building work of the European network established under HORIZON-CL2-2022-DEMOCRACY-02-01. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the Call Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - 2025 (HORIZON-CL2-2025-01).

The project type is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. The submission process is single-stage, with the opening date on 15 May 2025 and a deadline of 16 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The indicative budget for this topic is €3,500,000, with contributions ranging from 3,000,000 to €3,500,000, and an indicative number of 1 grant.

The expected outcomes of the projects should include:

Strengthened and augmented networking and capacity-building work of the European network set up under HORIZON-CL2-2022-DEMOCRACY-02-01.

Less fragmented and better networked research and innovation communities in the field of democracy and civic deliberation and participation and citizenship education across Europe.

Access to research results, innovative methodologies, and tools in the field of democracy and civic deliberation and participation and citizenship education for researchers, practitioners, communication experts, public authorities, and governments through networking events, accessible platforms, databases, knowledge repositories, advice, and capacity building on enhancing diversity and inclusion, civic participation, civic and citizenship education, and innovative and experimental deliberation processes at all governance levels.

Democratic innovation practiced by public authorities and governments by applying research results, innovative methodologies, and tools in the field of democracy and civic deliberation and participation and citizenship education, distilled by the network into useful “how-tos" and trainings.

Provision of proposals for future research agendas in the field of democracy to policymakers and research funding organizations.

The scope of the project involves creating a network for researchers (including from SSH disciplines), policymakers, and civil society organizations to collaborate on policy recommendations and knowledge-sharing opportunities. The selected proposal will establish an innovative successor network of democracy research organizations and practitioners of democratic innovation, which will:

Produce policy recommendations to strengthen and renew democracy in all governance levels and democratic debate in Member States and Associated Countries, drawing on the existing body of knowledge. These recommendations must be accessible, publicly available, and well disseminated, including through a central open access repository.

Help policymakers in the EU and Associated Countries design civic participation strategies for relevant policy areas, in conjunction with the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy as relevant.

Organize 2 retreats per year for policymakers from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and EU institutions, targeting high-level officials, to learn and exchange from experts and peers on democratic strengthening and renewal, and encourage exchange on emerging or persisting challenges and threats to democracy, participation, and civic engagement.

Design capacity building activities on inclusive participatory and deliberative forms of democracy at different governance levels, including training and knowledge sharing.

Organize at least one conference on democratic innovations gathering researchers, practitioners, education bodies, and EU and national policymakers.

Proposals should establish links to and seek complementarities with closely related actions, such as relevant R&I actions funded by Horizon Europe (such as the network established under HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-12) or synergies with the Citizens Equalities Rights and Values programme (CERV). Specifically, it must build on, rather than repeat or reproduce, the work produced by Nets4Dem under HORIZON-CL2-2022-DEMOCRACY-02-01. Proposals are also invited to build links with global communities addressing democracy. The project should have a minimum duration of 36 months.

The general conditions include:

Admissibility Conditions:Proposal page limit and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. The page limit of Part B of a CSA using lump sum funding is 33 pages, with a mandatory detailed budget table.

Eligible Countries:As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other Eligible Conditions:Legal entities from non-associated third countries may exceptionally participate as beneficiaries or affiliated entities if eligible for funding.

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

Evaluation and award:The granting authority can fund a maximum of one project, as 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 also described in Annex F.

Legal and financial set-up:Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021, with details 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) information:

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE CSA).

Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE CSA).

Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.

Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA.

Call-specific instructions and a detailed budget table (HE LS) version 3.3 are available, along with guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 5. Culture, creativity and inclusive society

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes

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 — Annotated Model Grant Agreement

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview details various HORIZON-CL2-2025-01 calls related to Democracy, Heritage and Transformation, each with its specific budget, type of action (CSA, RIA, IA), opening and deadline dates, contribution amounts, and indicative number of grants.

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests.

To start the submission process, applicants should access the Electronic Submission Service via the provided link and select the appropriate type of action and model grant agreement.

This funding opportunity is focused on creating a successor network to an existing European network of democracy researchers and practitioners. The goal is to strengthen and renew democracy by producing policy recommendations, assisting policymakers in designing civic participation strategies, organizing retreats for high-level officials, designing capacity-building activities, and organizing a conference on democratic innovations. The project aims to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among researchers, policymakers, and civil society organizations to contribute to the EU’s future policy on democracy. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the project should last at least 36 months.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the call's focus on creating networks and collaboration, eligible applicants likely include research organizations, universities, policymakers, civil society organizations, and practitioners of democratic innovation, civic participation, deliberation, and citizenship education. The call targets a broad range of entities involved in research, policy, and practice related to democracy.

Funding Type:The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA). Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025).

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as it focuses on establishing and strengthening networks. The selected proposal will establish an innovative successor network of democracy research organisations and practitioners of democratic innovation.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. The policy recommendations are to strengthen and renew democracy in all governance levels and democratic debate in Member States and Associated Countries.

Target Sector:The target sector is democracy, civic participation, deliberation, citizenship education, and related social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines. The call aims to strengthen and renew European democracy through research, policy recommendations, and networking.

Mentioned Countries:The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries as the target beneficiaries and participants.

Project Stage:The project stage is focused on strengthening and augmenting existing networks, producing policy recommendations, designing capacity building activities, and organizing conferences. This suggests a focus on development, implementation, and dissemination rather than basic research or initial idea stages.

Funding Amount:The budget overview indicates a funding range of 2,000,000 to €5,000,000 for various topics under the HORIZON-CL2-2025-01 call. Specifically, for HORIZON-CL2, the budget is €3,500,000, with contributions ranging from 3,000,000 to €3,500,000.

Application Type:The application type is a single-stage open call, as indicated by the deadline model being single-stage and the submission session being open.

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

Application Stages:The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for HORIZON-CL2 is 1, suggesting a competitive selection process.

Co-funding Requirement:The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:This Horizon Europe call, HORIZON-CL2, aims to strengthen and renew European democracy by supporting a network of researchers, policymakers, and civil society organizations. The selected project will build upon the work of existing networks to produce policy recommendations, design civic participation strategies, organize retreats for policymakers, and conduct capacity building activities. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the call is open to entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries. The application process is single-stage, and the project should have a minimum duration of 36 months. The call targets the sectors of democracy, civic participation, deliberation, and citizenship education, with a focus on development, implementation, and dissemination of research and innovative methodologies. The overall goal is to contribute to the EU’s future policy to strengthen and renew democracy by fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among relevant stakeholders.