Hop-On Facility

The Hop-on Facility (HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-03-WIDENING-01) is a new grant opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, specifically aimed at enhancing the inclusivity and participation of legal entities from Widening countries in already funded Horizon Pillar II projects and EIC Pathfinder collaborative actions. This initiative seeks to integrate these entities into ongoing projects to bolster research and innovation capacity in regions identified as having lower performance in these areas.

Eligible applicants must include one legal entity from a Widening country and the coordinator of a relevant existing funded action. Specifically, the eligibility criteria dictate that the primary applicant must be the coordinator of a successful Horizon Europe project, who submits a proposal demonstrating the new beneficiary's contribution to the existing project. This new beneficiary cannot be currently involved in the existing project, ensuring that they add fresh perspectives and expertise.

The funding type is structured as a grant, with contributions ranging from €200,000 to €600,000 per project. An indicative total budget of €30 million has been allocated, with approximately 60 grants anticipated to be awarded. The allocation stipulates that at least 90% of the funding must support the Widening country beneficiary, whereas a maximum of 10% can be designated for the coordinator's administrative efforts.

The application process is designed as an open call, scheduled to launch on January 13, 2026, and close on September 24, 2026. This process involves several evaluation and integration stages, ensuring that proposals are rigorously assessed for their innovation and research potential.

The purpose of the Hop-on Facility is to mobilize research excellence in Widening countries, enhancing their visibility, fostering knowledge exchange, and promoting their involvement in competitive research endeavors. By facilitating direct financial support and easing the integration of Widening countries into successful projects, this initiative aims to address existing disparities in research and innovation capacities across the European landscape.

Overall, the Hop-on Facility represents a strategic effort to bridge research and innovation gaps, modernize R&I systems in Widening countries, and promote a more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities within the European Research Area. The expected impact of this initiative includes increased research excellence, stronger collaborations across borders, and improved participation in European projects.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals named "Hop-on Facility" (HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-03-WIDENING-01). It falls under the HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) funding scheme. The call aims to enhance the inclusiveness of Horizon Europe by enabling legal entities from Widening countries to join already funded Horizon Pillar II ‘main’ work programme and EIC Pathfinder collaborative R&I actions.

The total budget allocated for this topic is 30,000,000 EUR. The expected contribution per project ranges from 200,000 to 600,000 EUR, and approximately 60 grants are expected to be awarded. The call utilizes a multiple cut-off deadline model. The planned opening date for submissions is 13 January 2026, and the deadline for the first cut-off is 24 September 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The Hop-on Facility is designed to integrate an additional beneficiary from a Widening country into an ongoing project under Pillar 2 or the EIC Pathfinder scheme. This new beneficiary should contribute a relevant task, work package, or another visible and distinguishable activity. Applications must demonstrate the R&I added value of the new beneficiary to the existing project, including a detailed profile, R&I role, and complementarity.

The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the ‘eligible already funded action’. The proposal should include only one legal entity from a Widening country and the coordinator of the existing project. A maximum of 10% of the grant can be allocated to the coordinator for integration efforts, while at least 90% must be allocated to the widening beneficiary. An eligible already funded action must meet specific conditions, including that no legal entity from a Widening country is already a beneficiary, affiliated entity, or associated partner, and that the granting authority is the European Commission or an Executive Agency. The Horizon Europe grant agreement must have been awarded to Horizon Pillar II or EIC Pathfinder actions, and its first reporting period must be ongoing, between 1 to 12 months from its starting date by the submission deadline.

The expected outcomes of the Hop-on Facility include mobilizing excellence in Widening countries, increasing visibility of beneficiaries from these countries, improving knowledge circulation, boosting their participation in specific thematic domains, opening up established networks to new connections, improving research excellence, enlarging outreach of R&I actions, providing access to new talent pools, and developing new competencies and skills for Widening beneficiaries.

The call contributes to the destination of "Widening participation and spreading excellence (2026-27)". This destination aims to improve access to excellence, promote a more inclusive approach to R&I, tackle disparities between R&I leading and lagging countries, and strengthen R&I capacities in Widening countries. The expected impact includes increased science and innovation capacities, structural changes leading to modernised R&I systems, mobilisation of resources for strategic investments, higher participation in Horizon Europe, stronger linkages between academia and business, greater involvement of regional actors, attraction of excellent talents, balanced circulation of R&I talents, and free circulation of knowledge and expertise.

The general conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation, award, and legal and financial setup are described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Ex-aequo proposals will be prioritised based on geographical diversity criteria.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System. Additional documents include the Horizon Europe Work Programme, EIC Work Programme, ERC Work Programme, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Horizon Europe Framework Programme, Horizon Europe Specific Programme Decision, EU Financial Regulation, and other related guidelines and regulations.

This funding opportunity aims to integrate research institutions and entities from Widening countries into existing, successful Horizon Europe projects. By providing additional funding and support, the Hop-on Facility seeks to foster collaboration, enhance research excellence, and promote a more inclusive and equitable European Research Area. It is a strategic initiative to bridge the R&I gap between leading and lagging countries, ensuring that all regions can contribute to and benefit from European research and innovation efforts.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are legal entities from Widening countries and the coordinator of an eligible already funded action. An eligible already funded action refers to an action stemming from a Horizon Europe grant agreement that meets specific conditions: no legal entity established in a Widening country is already a beneficiary, affiliated entity, or associated partner in the Horizon Europe grant agreement; the granting authority is the European Commission or an Executive Agency; the Horizon Europe grant agreement was awarded to Horizon Pillar II ‘main’ Work Programme or EIC Pathfinder collaborative R&I actions; and the first reporting period of the Horizon Europe grant agreement is ongoing and between 1 to 12 months from its starting date by the submission deadline.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) under the Horizon Europe program.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, consisting of one legal entity from a Widening country and the coordinator of an eligible already funded action. The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the eligible already funded action.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility focuses on "Widening countries." These are countries that the European Union has identified as having lower research and innovation performance.

Target Sector: The program targets the thematic area of "Widening participation and spreading excellence," aiming to strengthen research and innovation capacities in Widening countries. It spans across various sectors covered under Horizon Europe Pillar II and EIC Pathfinder, including but not limited to health, culture, civil security, digital, industry, space, climate, energy, mobility, food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, and environment.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on "Widening countries," which are specific EU member states and associated countries identified as needing to improve their research and innovation performance.

Project Stage: The project stage is aimed at integrating a new beneficiary into an already ongoing project. Therefore, the project is in the development or implementation stage, requiring the integration of a new partner to contribute to relevant tasks and work packages.

Funding Amount: The contributions range from 200,000 EUR to 600,000 EUR. The total budget for the topic is 30,000,000 EUR. No more than 10% of the maximum grant amount can be allocated to the coordinator as a coordination fee for the integration of the new widening beneficiary. No less than 90% of the max grant amount must be allocated to the widening beneficiary.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with multiple cut-off dates. The planned opening date is 13 January 2026, and the deadline date is 24 September 2026.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support the integration of the new partner from a Widening country into the existing project.

Application Stages: The application process involves multiple stages, including admissibility checks, eligibility checks, evaluation against award criteria, and grant agreement preparation. If successful, the coordinator of the existing project will be invited to submit an amendment to the grant agreement.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is 60, but the actual success rate will depend on the number and quality of proposals received.

Co-funding Requirement: There is no explicit mention of a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

The Hop-on Facility under the Horizon Europe program is designed to promote inclusivity and enhance research and innovation capacities in "Widening countries." This initiative enables legal entities from these countries to join ongoing Horizon Pillar II and EIC Pathfinder projects. The program aims to foster collaboration, knowledge circulation, and increased participation of Widening countries in European research endeavors.

To be eligible, a proposal must include one legal entity from a Widening country and the coordinator of an already funded Horizon Europe project. The coordinator submits the proposal, demonstrating the added value of the new beneficiary to the existing project. The budget allocation stipulates that at least 90% of the grant must go to the Widening country beneficiary, with a maximum of 10% for the coordinator's integration efforts.

The application process involves several stages, including checks for admissibility and eligibility, evaluation based on award criteria, and, if successful, preparation for a grant agreement amendment. The indicative budget ranges from 200,000 EUR to 600,000 EUR, with a total budget of 30,000,000 EUR allocated for approximately 60 grants.

This facility not only provides financial support but also aims to create lasting structural changes in the R&I systems of Widening countries, leading to modernization, increased competitiveness, and greater involvement in European research and innovation. It is a strategic effort to balance research capabilities across the European Union and associated countries, ensuring that all regions can benefit from and contribute to the ERA's goals.