Government in transition – how governments change the way they work and prepare the civil service for the future

This EU grant opportunity is titled "Government in transition:how governments change the way they work and prepare the civil service for the future," under the Horizon Europe program, specifically within the "Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society" cluster for the year 2026. Its primary objective is to address challenges faced by public services in EU Member States and Associated Countries (MS/AC), particularly in light of concurrent crises, technological advancements, and declining public trust.

The grant aims to enhance government capacities to develop complex public policies and strategies in a rapidly evolving environment, moving away from traditional methods that are becoming ineffective. The focus areas of the initiative include new governance paradigms, innovative public service and policy development, and empowering civil services through modern management strategies.

Proposals are expected to address three main research pillars:

1. New Governance Paradigm - exploring anticipatory governance, agile leadership, digital technology impacts, open government principles, and public trust rebuilding efforts.

2. Innovative approaches to public service and policy development - emphasizing interdisciplinary methods, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-informed policymaking.

3. Civil Service Empowerment - focusing on HR policies, capacity building, and organizational reforms aimed at attracting and retaining talent.

The research methodology for proposed projects should involve large-scale primary data collection through surveys, interviews, and workshops to ensure diverse perspectives are included. This will be complemented by existing research from EU institutions and international organizations.

The total funding available for this specific topic is €8 million, with an expected allocation of €3.5 million to €4 million per project across two grants. The application process will be single-stage, with proposals due by September 23, 2026, following a planned opening date of May 12, 2026.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, public administrations, and other legal entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries. While consortia must consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of three primary beneficiaries, larger groups may include additional partners who do not receive funding. The funds will be disbursed as lump sums to cover eligible costs.

Projects are expected to result in tangible outputs, including policy recommendations, innovative governance case studies, online training resources, and knowledge exchange platforms to foster collaboration among government entities. Overall, the initiative seeks to drive governmental modernization, emphasizing that public sector innovation is essential to European competitiveness and social cohesion.

This EU grant opportunity, titled "Government in transition how governments change the way they work and prepare the civil service for the future," aims to address the challenges faced by public services in EU Member States and Associated Countries (MS/AC) due to concurrent crises, technological advancements, and declining public trust. The call falls under the Horizon Europe program, specifically the "Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society" call for 2026. It seeks to furnish a precise depiction of the current condition of public service in MS/AC, highlight the substantial challenges governments are endeavoring to manage at the same time, the general state of the civil service and the evolution of related public employment management, including HR policy, the organizational framework conditions conducive to innovation and agile operations, and organizational development efforts.

The primary goal is to enhance government capacities to define strategies and develop complex public policies in a swiftly evolving context, recognizing that traditional methods are increasingly ineffective and necessitate a reinvention of government operations. The investigation intends to shed light on the disruptions currently reshaping the work of governments, the complex tasks they are grappling with, their internal innovation efforts and change processes little known by the public, and to showcase the immense investment and good practices governments developed and are developing to deal with their core business in radically new ways.

The scope of the projects should cover three main focus areas:

1. New governance paradigm:This area focuses on new governance approaches and reforms in response to declining public trust. It includes preparation for crisis, anticipatory governance, agile leadership, using an innovation portfolio approach to strategic planning, working with the innovation ecosystem in strategic decision-making, the impacts of digital technology (especially the role of AI, automation, the redefinition of tasks, related opportunities and threats), open government approaches, democratic participation and central communication strategies, information flows (including social media), and related civil service development governments undertake to stand the ground today and to prepare for tomorrow.

2. Innovative approaches to public service and policy development:This area emphasizes multidisciplinary and innovative approaches to solving complex issues in public service and policy development. It includes citizen participation, stakeholder engagement, systems thinking, the role of technology/AI and interconnected data systems, and experimentation (i.e., evidence-informed policymaking).

3. New public employment management and civil service empowerment:This area focuses on enabling governments to explore possibilities and transforming the civil service through innovation and public intrapreneurship. It includes HR policy, a public administration health-check, capacity building (e.g., upskilling, reskilling, future literacy), the organizational framework conditions (also sensitive to the needs of the next generation of civil servants) conducive to innovation and building resilience, and cooperation with other EU governments (data exchange, mutual support) while building a modern, future-ready civil service.

While national governments in the EU and Associated Countries are the primary focus, regional and local governments, as well as documented, highly inspirational good practice cases from the global context, are of interest. The research should give voice to the civil service, examining how civil service officials see the changing role of the state, their own role, organizational framework conditions, how they cope under current pressures, and their visions, hopes, and needs for the future.

The research should build on existing work by EU institutions, international organizations (World Economic Forum, OECD, United Nations, Chandler Institute of Governance, etc.), schools of governance, national governments, and innovation agencies in EU Member States and Associated Countries. It should be complemented by primary data collected through large-scale surveying, in-depth interviews, strategic reflection workshops, and key stakeholder engagement. Proposals should elaborate on the planned collection and analysis of primary data and the proposed engagement with senior officials in national government, at the European level, and in international organizations.

Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

* Country government innovation info sheets, trends, inspiring good practices, the most innovative solutions recently developed or work in progress for next-generation governance and future-informed public decision making in EU Member States and Associated Countries (MS/AC).

* Policy recommendations for both EU level and MS/AC level actions on adopting new governance paradigms, and strategies for enhanced (technical and financial) support for internal government innovation efforts.

* Publication of lessons learned to enlighten government officials and the public about the often-invisible internal innovation strategies and impactful solutions in national governments.

* A comprehensive MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) for government officials with relevant examples and cases.

* Fostering of closer ties and collaboration among MS/AC (and any other relevant actors) to leverage national capabilities in innovative governance and maintain peer learning through e.g. relevant networks and knowledge exchange platforms.

The call is structured as a single-stage submission process with a planned opening date of May 12, 2026, and a deadline of September 23, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The type of action is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), and the Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS].

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 available in the Submission System.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding or as an associated partner but will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal.

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 granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results.

The following table outlines the budget and indicative number of grants for various topics under the call:

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-01 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3500000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-02 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3500000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €8 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3500000 to €4000000 2 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-04 HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3500000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-05 HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions €4 500 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 4000000 to €4500000 1 grant

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-06 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3500000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-07 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3500000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-08 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3500000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-09 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €16 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3500000 to €4000000 4 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-10 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3500000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-01 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €15 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 4500000 to €5000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-02 HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 5000000 to €6000000 2 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-03 HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions €15 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 4000000 to €5000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-04 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3000000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-05 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €15 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3000000 to €3750000 4 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-06 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €11 500 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 5000000 to €5750000 2 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-07 HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions €5 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 4500000 to €5000000 1 grant

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-02 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3000000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-03 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3000000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-04 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3000000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-05 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3000000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-06 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €10 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3000000 to €3300000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-07 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3000000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-08 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €12 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 3000000 to €4000000 3 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-09 HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions €15 000 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 around €3750000 4 grants

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-10 HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions €3 500 000 Single-stage 2026-05-12 2026-09-23 around €3500000 1 grant

This opportunity is about funding research and innovation projects that aim to understand and improve how governments in the EU and associated countries operate. It recognizes that governments face many challenges today, like crises, new technologies, and a lack of public trust. The goal is to find ways for governments to be more innovative, efficient, and responsive to citizens' needs. The projects should look at new ways of governing, innovative approaches to public service, and how to empower civil servants. The ultimate aim is to help governments adapt to the changing world and better serve their citizens.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The text mentions "national governments," "regional and local governments," "EU institutions," "international organizations," "schools of governance," and "innovation agencies" as relevant actors, implying their potential eligibility or involvement in projects.

Funding Type:The funding type is primarily grant-based, specifically HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) under the Horizon Europe Programme. The grants are disbursed as lump sums.

Consortium Requirement:While not explicitly stated, the call for proposals encourages collaboration and engagement with various stakeholders, including EU Member States, Associated Countries, international organizations, and senior officials. This suggests that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, if not required, to ensure a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach to the research and innovation activities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The primary geographic eligibility focuses on EU Member States and Associated Countries (MS/AC). However, the call also expresses interest in documented, highly inspirational good practice cases from the global context, suggesting that some level of participation or knowledge transfer from international entities is possible. 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:

Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society

Public Administration

Innovation in Governance

Human Resources (HR) Policy

Digital Technology (AI, Automation)

Open Government

Democratic Participation

Strategic Planning

Policy Development

Civil Service Empowerment

Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)

Mentioned Countries:EU Member States, Associated Countries

Project Stage:The project stage varies depending on the type of action:

Research and Innovation Actions (RIA):Focus on research and development activities.

Innovation Actions (IA):Focus on demonstrating and scaling up innovative solutions.

Coordination and Support Actions (CSA):Focus on networking, coordination, and dissemination of knowledge.

Overall, the projects are expected to be in the research, development, validation, and demonstration stages.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action. The indicative contributions and number of grants for each topic are as follows:

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-01 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,500,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-02 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,500,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2 - HORIZON-RIA:€8,000,000 (€3,500,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-04 - HORIZON-IA:€12,000,000 (€3,500,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-05 - HORIZON-CSA:€4,500,000 (€4,000,000 to €4,500,000 per grant, 1 grant)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-06 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,500,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-07 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,500,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-08 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,500,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-09 - HORIZON-RIA:€16,000,000 (€3,500,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 4 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-10 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,500,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-01 - HORIZON-RIA:€15,000,000 (€4,500,000 to €5,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-02 - HORIZON-IA:€12,000,000 (€5,000,000 to €6,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-03 - HORIZON-IA:€15,000,000 (€4,000,000 to €5,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-04 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,000,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-05 - HORIZON-RIA:€15,000,000 (€3,000,000 to €3,750,000 per grant, 4 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-06 - HORIZON-RIA:€11,500,000 (€5,000,000 to €5,750,000 per grant, 2 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-07 - HORIZON-CSA:€5,000,000 (€4,500,000 to €5,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-02 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,000,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-03 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,000,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-04 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,000,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-05 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,000,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-06 - HORIZON-RIA:€10,000,000 (€3,000,000 to €3,300,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-07 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,000,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-08 - HORIZON-RIA:€12,000,000 (€3,000,000 to €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-09 - HORIZON-RIA:€15,000,000 (around €3,750,000 per grant, 4 grants)

HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-10 - HORIZON-CSA:€3,500,000 (around €3,500,000 per grant, 1 grant)

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

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive monetary support in the form of lump sum grants to cover eligible costs.

Application Stages:The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates:Success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement:The need for co-funding is not explicitly mentioned.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society 2026 initiative, focuses on "Government in transition – how governments change the way they work and prepare the civil service for the future." It aims to fund projects that investigate and promote innovative approaches to public service, policy development, and civil service empowerment in EU Member States and Associated Countries. The call seeks to address the challenges governments face in an era of concurrent crises, technological advancements, and declining public trust.

The call encompasses various Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), each with specific objectives and funding ranges. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The call encourages collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including national, regional, and local governments, EU institutions, international organizations, and schools of governance.

Projects funded under this call are expected to contribute to several key outcomes, including:

Developing country government innovation info sheets and identifying trends and inspiring good practices.

Providing policy recommendations for adopting new governance paradigms.

Publishing lessons learned to inform government officials and the public about internal innovation strategies.

Creating a comprehensive MOOC for government officials.

Fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among EU Member States and Associated Countries.

The call emphasizes three focus areas:new governance paradigms, innovative approaches to public service and policy development, and new public employment management and civil service empowerment. Proposals should elaborate on the planned collection and analysis of primary data and demonstrate engagement with senior officials in national government and international organizations.

The application process involves a single-stage submission, with eligible costs taking the form of lump sum contributions. The call aims to support projects that can enhance government capacities, promote innovation in public service, and build a modern, future-ready civil service.