Fostering competences for the green transition

The EU funding opportunity titled "HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-07: Fostering Competences for the Green Transition" falls under the Horizon Europe program, specifically within the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar. This forthcoming call, scheduled to open on May 12, 2026, and close on September 23, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time, aims to address the urgent need for skills development to support the European Union’s green transition. The total budget allocated is €12 million, intending to fund approximately three projects with expected contributions ranging from €3 million to €4 million per project.

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutions, public bodies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and large enterprises that can demonstrate sufficient capacity to conduct the proposed research and innovation activities. While the call encourages collaboration, requiring a consortium or individual applicants is not explicitly stated, though it is common for Horizon Europe projects. Geographic eligibility extends to legal entities in EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some third countries under specific conditions.

The funding type is a lump sum grant, which simplifies financial administration by providing a fixed amount regardless of the actual costs incurred, allowing for greater flexibility. Successful projects are expected to develop actionable recommendations concerning the competences young people and workers need for the green transition across sectors such as sustainable agriculture, automotive, energy, construction, and nature-based solutions. A key focus of the call is to foster skills that promote both green and digital transitions, emphasizing inclusive and equitable access to these opportunities, particularly for underrepresented groups like women and persons with disabilities.

The evaluation process will consider how well proposals address critical research questions, including the identification of relevant competences, assessment methods for green job readiness, and strategies for the effective collaboration of policymakers, education institutions, and employers. Projects must also demonstrate a commitment to gender equality and disability dimensions, ensuring broad societal participation in the transition.

The application requires a complete submission process without prior invitations, and it is accessible to diverse applicants providing they meet the eligibility criteria. Additional support services such as project management guidance and access to resources will be available to beneficiaries. This funding opportunity positions itself as vital for equipping the workforce with necessary skills to facilitate the transition towards a sustainable and carbon-neutral economy while maintaining a focus on social inclusivity.

This is a summary of the EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-07, which falls under the Horizon Europe program, specifically the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society 2026 call. It is a Horizon Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a lump sum grant type. The call aims to foster competences for the green transition. The planned opening date is 12 May 2026, and the deadline is 23 September 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this topic are:

Providing policymakers, education and training institutions, and social partners with a solid understanding of the competences young people and workers need to support the EU economy towards the green transition, including reaching carbon neutrality and protecting natural ecosystems.
Developing actionable advice for policymakers and education and training institutions regarding education and training programs and policy measures that can promote the acquisition of these competences by young people and workers in a lifelong perspective, considering gender and disability dimensions.
Providing policymakers with guidance on addressing the interconnection between fostering competences for the green transition and those for the digital transition.

The scope of the call focuses on addressing environmental challenges by analyzing the competences needed for the green transition. It acknowledges the limited availability of robust quantitative data at national and international levels and the need to move beyond macro-level policies to understand how workers and communities can drive change. The call emphasizes the importance of understanding attitudes, concerns, and behaviors related to climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and sustainable economic growth. It also highlights the interconnectedness of the green and digital transitions, focusing on skills transferability and workforce upskilling and reskilling.

Proposals should concentrate on one of the following sectors:

Sustainable agriculture and food production
Automotive industry
Energy
Construction
Nature and climate adaptation

Research questions to be addressed using quantitative and qualitative methods (including from SSH disciplines) and a lifelong perspective include:

What are the most relevant competences required to actively contribute to the green transition in these industries?
Which assessment methods and frameworks are most effective in measuring readiness for green jobs and sustainable innovation?
What roles do digital skills and technological literacy play in equipping young people and workers for the green transition, and how can education and training systems exploit the synergies between the competences for the green and digital transitions?
How can policymakers, education and training institutions, and employers collaborate to identify and address skills shortages that may hinder the green transition?
How can vocational education and training systems become more accessible and flexible to respond effectively to evolving labor market needs for the green transition?
How to ensure that women and persons with disabilities benefit equally from the opportunities of the green transition?
How does an effective lifelong acquisition of competences for the green transition occur? How can we design and implement inclusive systems that improve career advice, and support the best decisions by all learners regarding their career choices and pathways?
What works to get disadvantaged children onto the pathways that are proven to lead to upwards mobility (including helping those who are not in education, employment or training) and raising ambition where needed? At what age are interventions most effective?
How can policymakers best create collaborations with industry to increase training opportunities, to ensure learners are as prepared as much as possible for work, and to reduce barriers to those from disadvantaged backgrounds?

The call encourages consideration of gender and disability dimensions, clustering and cooperation with other relevant projects (e.g., Horizon 2020 European Green Deal Call), and exploration of synergies with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Facility and the European Partnership on Social Transformations and Resilience.

General conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, evaluation, award, and legal and financial setup are detailed with references to the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and other relevant documents. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum.

The proposal 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 available in the Submission System.

Application and evaluation forms, model grant agreements, call-specific instructions, and additional documents are available in the Submission System and through provided links.

The budget overview indicates that for the topic HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-07, which is a HORIZON-RIA, the total budget is 12,000,000 EUR. The estimated contribution per project ranges from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, and it is expected that approximately 3 projects will be funded.

There are partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

This funding opportunity aims to address the critical need for skills development to support the European Union's green transition. It seeks to generate research and actionable recommendations for policymakers and educational institutions to equip young people and workers with the necessary competences for a sustainable future. By focusing on specific high-impact sectors and encouraging consideration of social inclusion, the call aims to foster a just and effective transition towards a carbon-neutral and environmentally sustainable economy. The call is structured to support research and innovation actions, providing funding for projects that can contribute to a better understanding of skills needs and the development of effective training programs.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but given the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, non-profit organizations, and other legal entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The call encourages collaboration between policymakers, education and training institutions, and employers.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the Horizon Europe Programme.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the scope and the encouragement of clustering and cooperation, a consortium is highly probable and advisable. Partner search announcements are explicitly mentioned, suggesting that consortia are expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, which typically includes EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some third countries. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors affected by an increasing demand for green expertise: sustainable agriculture and food production, automotive industry, energy, construction, and nature and climate adaptation. It also addresses the interconnection between competences for the green transition and those for the digital transition.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the geographic eligibility extends to EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some third countries as defined in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be focused on research, development, and actionable advice, suggesting a focus on research, development, and validation, leading to implementable policy recommendations and training programs.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from approximately €3 million to €6 million per project. For example, HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-01 has a budget of €12,000,000 and aims to fund 3 projects with contributions between €3,500,000 and €4,000,000. HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-02 has a budget of €12,000,000 and aims to fund 2 projects with contributions between €5,000,000 and €6,000,000. HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-10 has a budget of €3,500,000 and aims to fund 1 project with a contribution of around €3,500,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

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 instance, topics aiming to fund 3-4 projects out of a likely larger pool of applicants would suggest a success rate somewhere below 40%.

Co-funding Requirement: The information provided does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe projects often encourage or require some level of co-funding, which would be detailed in the specific call documents.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar, focuses on "Fostering competences for the green transition." It aims to fund research and innovation projects that provide policymakers, education and training institutions, and social partners with a solid understanding of the competences needed by young people and workers to support the EU economy's green transition. The call encourages projects to develop actionable advice on education, training programs, and policy measures to promote the acquisition of these competences, considering gender and disability dimensions. The scope includes environmental challenges, skills transferability, and the interconnection between green and digital transitions. Proposals should focus on sectors like sustainable agriculture, automotive, energy, construction, and nature adaptation, using quantitative and qualitative methods. Synergies with initiatives like the New European Bauhaus are encouraged. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying budgets per topic, and the application process is a single-stage submission. The call is open to a wide range of applicants from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some third countries, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and clustering among projects.