Impact of the learning environment and the use of digital tools in everyday life on key skills and competence development

The grant opportunity HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-07 seeks to evaluate the impact of learning environments and digital tools on the development of skills and competencies among children and teenagers. This initiative falls under the Horizon Europe program, specifically within the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society domain for the year 2025. The key funding mechanism is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, which provides non-repayable funding through Research and Innovation Actions (RIA).

Eligible applicants for this grant include universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and public-private partnerships, emphasizing the necessity for interdisciplinary collaboration, which may involve educational entities, tech providers, and civil society organizations. The applications are open to entities from EU Member States and associated countries, with potential participation from selected non-EU countries under specific provisions.

The budget for the topic stands at approximately 10.2 million euros, with an estimated contribution of around 3.4 million euros per project. A total of three grants are expected to be awarded. The application process is structured as a single-stage open call, accepting submissions from 15 May 2025 until 16 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Successful projects are anticipated to generate analyses and evidence-based recommendations on how digital tools and learning environments influence children's wellbeing and educational outcomes. They are encouraged to tackle the increasing integration of digital devices in young people's lives and investigate topics such as literacy, numeracy, and adolescent education, taking into account various factors like age, gender, disabilities, and socio-economic status.

Proposals should utilize mixed methods approaches and promote interdisciplinary research, including social sciences, integrating the perspectives of children and relevant stakeholders during data collection. The projects must leverage data and services from European Research Infrastructures, adhering to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data practices.

The application must ensure compliance with funding regulations, including a detailed budget table, and adhere to a limit of 50 pages for part B of the RIA application. Partner search support is available via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

In summary, this call encourages research and innovation aimed at understanding the effects of digital tools on educational quality and children's wellbeing. It emphasizes the significance of effective learning environments and aims to provide concrete recommendations to enhance educational practices within schools.

This EU grant opportunity focuses on the impact of learning environments and digital tools on children's skills and competence development. It falls under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society call for 2025. The call, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-07, is for HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and utilizes a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement.

The submission process is single-stage, opening on 15 May 2025, and closing on 16 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of funded projects are: analyses of the impact of digital tools on children's wellbeing and learning, and evidence-based recommendations for high-quality education using digital technologies to support the school community's wellbeing.

The scope of the projects should address the increasing integration of digital devices and tools in children's and teenagers' lives. Proposals should investigate the impact of digital technologies, including generative AI, on learning during literacy, numeracy skill development, and adolescence. Projects can select target groups, considering factors like age, gender, disabilities, digital exclusion, and socio-economic status. They should also investigate how school learning environments can support learning and identify effective interventions for students' social, emotional, and academic needs, focusing on primary and/or secondary general compulsory education. The importance of physical learning environments in education facilities, as emphasized by Sustainable Development Goal (4.a), should also be investigated, examining the impact of learning environments on education outcomes and their design in response to changes in teaching and learning.

Proposals should use methods that address the complexity of the topic, existing data, and the rapid technological changes. Mixed methods approaches and inter- and transdisciplinary research, including from SSH disciplines, are encouraged. Projects can focus on specific aspects of student well-being and should include the voices of children, young people, and relevant stakeholders in data collection.

Where applicable, projects should leverage data and services from European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud and relevant Data Spaces, ensuring data is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

The proposal page limit for Part B of the RIA application using a lump sum is 50 pages. A detailed budget table must also be submitted.

Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, and a detailed budget table template. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and various guidance documents and online manuals.

The budget overview indicates that for the topic HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-07, which is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (RIA), the budget is 10,200,000 EUR for the year 2025. The opening date is 15 May 2025, and the deadline is 16 September 2025. The estimated contribution per project is around 3,400,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants to be awarded is 3.

Partner search announcements are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

In summary, this opportunity is a call for research and innovation projects that aim to analyze and provide recommendations on how digital tools and learning environments impact children's wellbeing and learning. It encourages mixed methods approaches, interdisciplinary research, and the inclusion of children's voices in the research process. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process is single-stage with a deadline of 16 September 2025. The call is part of the Horizon Europe program and focuses on culture, creativity, and inclusive society. Successful projects are expected to contribute to a better understanding of how digital technologies can be used to support high-quality education and the wellbeing of the school community.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that the funding is provided under Horizon Europe for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), eligible applicants are likely to include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The mention of LEAR appointment and financial capacity assessment suggests that any legal entity is potentially eligible, pending validation.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. This means that eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum contribution as defined by the relevant EU decision.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the presence of a "Partner Search" function suggests that consortia are possible and perhaps encouraged, although single applicants are not necessarily excluded.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on EU member states and associated countries, as indicated by the reference to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. However, the text also mentions that "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," suggesting some international participation is possible.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society, Education, Digital Technologies, Generative AI, Learning Environments, and Child and Teenager Wellbeing. The specific call, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-07, focuses on the impact of the learning environment and the use of digital tools in everyday life on key skills and competence development.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is within the Horizon Europe framework, implying eligibility for EU member states and associated countries. The text also alludes to potential participation from non-EU/non-associated countries under specific provisions.

Project Stage: The project stage is geared towards Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), suggesting projects should be in the research, development, or validation stages. The call aims to provide analyses and evidence-based recommendations, implying a need for projects to generate new knowledge and insights.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. For the HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-07 topic, the budget is EUR 10,200,000, with an indicative contribution of around EUR 3,400,000 per grant. Other topics within the same call have different budget allocations and contribution ranges, as detailed in the Budget overview section.

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

Nature of Support: 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 in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, as the funding is provided as a lump sum, it is implied that the applicants will need to manage their resources effectively to achieve the project outcomes within the allocated budget.

Summary: This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically within the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society domain. The call, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-07, seeks research and innovation actions focused on the impact of learning environments and digital tools, including generative AI, on the skills and wellbeing of children and teenagers. The goal is to generate analyses and evidence-based recommendations for high-quality education that supports the school community's wellbeing. Eligible applicants include a range of organizations capable of conducting research, such as universities, research institutes, and businesses, primarily from EU member states and associated countries, with some potential for participation from non-EU countries. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with a budget of approximately EUR 3,400,000 per project for the TRANSFO-07 topic. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of September 16, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to form consortia and leverage European Research Infrastructures and data spaces to ensure FAIR data practices.