Hop-on facility

The Hop-on Facility is a grant program under Horizon Europe aimed at improving research participation from low-performing research and innovation (R&I) countries, referred to as "Widening countries". The initiative allows legal entities from these countries to join ongoing Horizon Europe projects, specifically those within Pillar II and the EIC Pathfinder program, enhancing their participation and visibility.

Eligible applicants include research institutions, such as universities and public research organizations, from Widening countries, which encompass specific EU Member States and associated nations with lower R&I performance. The program operates as a grant, specifically under the Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) framework.

The application process requires participation in existing consortia, so applicants do not need to form new partnerships but instead integrate into ongoing projects. A single entity from a Widening country must collaborate with the coordinator of an eligible already funded action, which should not currently include beneficiaries from Widening countries.

The project scope includes various sectors aligned with Horizon Europe Pillar II and EIC Pathfinder, inspiring cross-sectoral participation in areas like health, energy, and climate innovation. Applications must show how the new beneficiary adds R&I value and integrates into the project.

Funding amounts range from 200,000 to 600,000 EUR per project, within a total budget of 40 million EUR. The application procedure is a single-stage open call with a deadline set for September 4, 2025. Approximately 90 grants are anticipated under this call.

Co-funding is required, with at least 90% of the grant allocated to the Widening beneficiary for project activities, while a maximum of 10% can go to the coordinator for integration efforts. The proposal submission involves detailing the new partner's role and relevance to the ongoing action.

Overall, the Hop-on Facility aims to foster excellence in Widening countries, promote collaboration, and increase access to funding opportunities, thereby improving the overall quality and inclusivity of EU research initiatives. The program is designed to be administratively efficient, allowing for swift integration of new participants into established research consortia.

The Hop-on Facility under the HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-03-ACCESS-01 call aims to enhance the inclusiveness of Horizon Europe by enabling legal entities from low R&I performing countries (Widening countries) to join already funded Horizon Pillar II ‘main’ Work Programme and EIC Pathfinder collaborative R&I actions. This is contingent on the agreement of the existing consortium and the condition that these entities are not already participating as beneficiaries, associated partners, or affiliated entities. Selected consortia will be invited to submit a grant agreement amendment request to incorporate the new participant.

The expected outcomes of this facility are threefold: at the system level, it aims to mobilize excellence in Widening countries, increase their visibility, improve knowledge circulation, and reduce their underrepresentation in specific thematic domains. At the consortium level, it seeks to create new connections and partnerships, improve research excellence in Widening country institutions, expand the outreach of R&I actions, and provide access to new talent pools. Finally, at the level of the Widening beneficiary, the facility aims to foster the acquisition of new competencies and skills for working in transnational projects, including research management, dissemination, and exploitation.

The scope of the Hop-on Facility involves integrating an additional beneficiary from a Widening country into an ongoing project under Pillar 2 or the EIC Pathfinder scheme. This new beneficiary is expected to 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 action, including a detailed description of their profile, R&I role, and complementarity. The proposal should use a dedicated template and include the Description of the Action (DoA) of the ongoing project as an annex. Successful applicants will be invited to submit an amendment request to include the Widening beneficiary and modify the action description. Budget allocated to the coordinator should be justified in terms of integration efforts for the new participant.

The Widening countries include Member States Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Widening Associated countries (subject to association agreements) are Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, and Ukraine. The Widening outermost regions are Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte Saint-Martin, The Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands. An updated list of Widening Associated countries with applicable association agreements is available on the European Commission website. A list of funded projects under Horizon Europe Pillar 2 and EIC Pathfinder is available for reference, but it is purely indicative and does not guarantee eligibility for the Hop-on Facility call.

The call is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a single-stage submission process. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 4, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total budget for the call is 40,000,000 EUR, with individual contributions ranging from 200,000 to 600,000 EUR. The indicative number of grants to be awarded is 90.

General conditions for admissibility include compliance with proposal page limits 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. Eligible countries are detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, and specific provisions may apply to non-EU/non-Associated Countries as outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Additional eligibility criteria stipulate that the proposal must include only one legal entity from a Widening country and one legal entity that is the coordinator of an eligible already funded action. The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the eligible action. 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 not already have a legal entity from a Widening Country as a beneficiary, affiliated entity, or associated partner. The granting authority must be the European Commission or an Executive Agency, and the action must stem from a Horizon Pillar II or EIC Pathfinder collaborative R&I action. The first reporting period of the Horizon Europe grant agreement must be ongoing and between 1 to 12 months from its starting date by the submission deadline.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria will prioritize ex-aequo proposals based on geographical diversity, favoring proposals with a Widening Country beneficiary not otherwise represented higher up the ranking list. The method described in General Annexes Part F will then be applied to the remaining equally ranked proposals. Successful proposals will proceed to grant agreement amendment preparations, and the coordinator will be invited to submit an amendment to the grant agreement on behalf of the beneficiaries.

Evaluation and award processes are detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual, with the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement also described in Annex F. Legal and financial aspects are covered in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes, and specific conditions are outlined in the topic description.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, and evaluation form templates will be adapted as necessary, using the standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) as a base. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, and Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, Lump Sum MGA, Operating Grants MGA, and Framework Partnership Agreement FPA. Call-specific instructions, a detailed budget table (HE LS), information on financial support to third parties (HE), information on clinical studies (HE), and guidance on lump sums are also available. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme sections, the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme, the HE Specific Programme Decision, the EU Financial Regulation, the Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, and the EU Grants AGA.

The Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Statement are also relevant. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests on the Portal. The Electronic Submission Service can be accessed via the submission button, and existing draft proposals can be accessed through the My Proposals page.

The Hop-on Facility is a targeted funding mechanism within Horizon Europe designed to promote greater inclusivity and geographical balance in research and innovation projects. It provides an opportunity for research entities from Widening countries, which have historically faced challenges in accessing EU funding, to join ongoing, successful projects under Pillar II and the EIC Pathfinder program. This initiative not only aims to boost the research capabilities and visibility of these entities but also to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange across Europe, ultimately strengthening the European Research Area as a whole. By integrating new partners from Widening countries into established consortia, the Hop-on Facility seeks to create a more diverse and dynamic research landscape, ensuring that excellence is recognized and supported regardless of geographical location. The funding mechanism is designed to be relatively straightforward, requiring an amendment to the existing grant agreement to incorporate the new partner and their proposed activities. This approach minimizes administrative overhead and allows for a swift integration of the new partner, maximizing their contribution to the project's objectives.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are legal entities from low R&I performing countries, also known as Widening countries, and legal entities which are the coordinator of an ‘eligible already funded action’. An ‘eligible already funded action’ refers to an action stemming from a Horizon Europe grant agreement. The legal entity from the Widening country must not already be a beneficiary, affiliated entity, or associated partner in the Horizon Europe grant agreement.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

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

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes Widening countries. These are defined as Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Widening Associated countries (on condition of an association agreement): Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Widening outermost regions (as defined in Art. 349 TFEU): Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte Saint-Martin, The Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands.

Target Sector: The program targets all thematic or industry sectors covered under Horizon Europe Pillar II ‘main’ Work Programme and EIC Pathfinder collaborative R&I actions. This includes a broad range of sectors such as health, energy, climate, digital, industry, space, culture, creativity, and civil security for society, food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment, and European innovation ecosystems.

Mentioned Countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Faroe Islands, French Guiana, Georgia, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Martinique, Madeira, Mayotte Saint-Martin, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Réunion, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (Canary Islands, The Azores), Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine.

Project Stage: The project stage is for integrating an additional beneficiary into an ongoing project. The eligible already funded action must be in its first reporting period, specifically between 1 to 12 months from its starting date by the submission deadline.

Funding Amount: The contributions range from 200,000 EUR to 600,000 EUR. The total budget for the topic is 40,000,000 EUR, with an indicative number of 90 grants.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant. No less than 90% of the maximum grant amount must be allocated to the Widening beneficiary, while no more than 10% can be allocated to the coordinator as a coordination fee.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be a single-stage process, with successful proposals moving to grant agreement amendment preparations.

Success Rates: The success rate cannot be determined from the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned, but the distribution of the grant (90% to the Widening beneficiary, 10% maximum to the coordinator) suggests that the existing project's funding covers the main activities, and this call provides additional funding for integrating the new partner.

Summary:

The Hop-on Facility is a Horizon Europe initiative designed to enhance the inclusiveness of the program by enabling legal entities from Widening countries (low R&I performing countries) to join ongoing Horizon Pillar II and EIC Pathfinder projects. This initiative aims to mobilize excellence in Widening countries, increase their visibility, improve knowledge circulation, and reduce their under-participation in specific thematic domains.

The call for proposals, HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-03-ACCESS-01, invites consortia of already funded projects to integrate one additional beneficiary from an eligible Widening country. The coordinator of the existing project must submit the proposal, demonstrating the R&I added value of the new beneficiary and their complementarity to the project. The funding ranges from 200,000 EUR to 600,000 EUR, with at least 90% of the grant allocated to the Widening beneficiary.

Eligible Widening countries include specific EU Member States, Associated Countries, and outermost regions. The existing Horizon Europe grant agreement must be within its first 1 to 12 months of operation and must not already include a beneficiary from a Widening country. The application process involves submitting a dedicated proposal template with a description of the new beneficiary and their role, along with the Description of the Action (DoA) of the ongoing project.

The expected outcomes include mobilizing excellence in Widening countries, opening up established networks, improving research excellence in specific fields, enlarging the outreach of R&I actions, and providing access to new talent pools. The call aims to strengthen the efficiency of the ‘Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area’ program by prioritizing geographical diversity in the selection process.