Open topic: Strengthen Europe's social model and sustainable competitiveness through productivity

The HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-02 call under Horizon Europe focuses on enhancing Europe's social model and sustainable competitiveness through productivity. It is open to various eligible applicants including universities, research institutions, and enterprises from EU Member States and Associated Countries, with non-EU participants potentially included based on specific provisions. Funding is structured as a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, totaling €12 million with expected allocations of €3-4 million per grant for three anticipated projects.

The application process is a single-stage submission, commencing on May 12, 2026, and concluding on September 23, 2026. Proposals are expected to analyze sustainable competitiveness against demographic, technological, and geopolitical shifts, delivering actionable recommendations for policymakers while balancing social and environmental standards.

Projects should examine the interplay between productivity, social welfare, and environmental sustainability. There is neither a specific success rate announced nor a mandatory co-funding requirement, making it a competitive opportunity characterized by the strategic importance of the research outcomes. Collaboration among awarded projects is strongly encouraged to foster knowledge exchange. Overall, this call aims to equip researchers and policymakers with comprehensive strategies for maintaining Europe’s global competitiveness while enhancing social standards.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call for proposals under the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society 2026 (HORIZON-CL2-2026-01). The specific topic is HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-02, titled "Strengthen Europe's social model and sustainable competitiveness through productivity". It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. The deadline model is single-stage. The planned opening date is 12 May 2026, and the deadline date is 23 September 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects are: analysis of the concept of sustainable competitiveness considering shifts in geopolitics, global trade patterns, climate, environment (including biodiversity loss), technology, and demography; provision of recommendations and innovative solutions, including a toolbox, for policymakers to boost Member States and Associated Countries' labor productivity while ensuring high social and environmental standards and increasing competitiveness within planetary boundaries.

The scope of the projects should address the following: The Future of European competitiveness report (also known as the Draghi report) analyzed the reasons for Europe's declining competitiveness, productivity, and growth compared to its main competitors. A competitive economy is defined as one whose sustained rate of productivity drives growth, income, and welfare. Both the economy and the European social model must adapt to changes including demography, technology, global trade patterns, climate, and geopolitical shifts. The European social model is the basis for the EU's high level of productivity and competitiveness, and without continuous upgrading and sustaining it, there is a risk of negative consequences, such as increased poverty, deterioration of human capital, and a decline in well-being. Research (including by SSH disciplines) should lead to recommendations to help Europe remain a world power through a high level of welfare, competitiveness, and productivity, while analyzing the tensions and opportunities created by the strengthening of the European social model and sustainable competitiveness through productivity. Proposals should look into possible opportunities and tensions between driving competitiveness, maintaining Europe’s social model and high environmental and biodiversity standards. Clustering and cooperation among selected projects under this call topic and collaboration with the Social Transformations and Resilience partnership are strongly encouraged. Nature is an essential part of competitiveness, with a significant portion of the global GDP dependent on nature and ecosystem services.

The general conditions include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout, as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. 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 in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Some non-EU/non-Associated Countries have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion, as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds, as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes, as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: 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 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the end of the action, as set out in Annex 5. Also, as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are as described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information includes: Application form templates (available in the Submission System), Standard application form (HE RIA, IA), Evaluation form templates (will be used with adaptations), Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA), Guidance (HE Programme Guide), Model Grant Agreements (MGA) (Lump Sum MGA), Call-specific instructions (Detailed budget table (HE LS)), and Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?".

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 5. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview indicates that for the HORIZON-CL2-2026-01 call, there are multiple topics related to Democracy, Heritage, and Transformation. For the HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-02 topic, the budget is 12,000,000 EUR, the opening date is 2026-05-12, the deadline is 2026-09-23, the contributions range from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 3.

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

Support resources include: Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment, and Partner Search.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks research and innovation actions to strengthen Europe's social model and sustainable competitiveness through increased productivity. Projects should analyze sustainable competitiveness, provide recommendations for policymakers, and address tensions between competitiveness, social models, and environmental standards. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the submission deadline is September 23, 2026. Collaboration and clustering with other projects are encouraged. This opportunity aims to equip Europe with the tools and strategies needed to maintain its position as a world power while upholding its social and environmental values.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include entities eligible for Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). This typically includes 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 a wide range of legal entities can apply, provided they meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and related annexes.

Funding Type: The primary funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, which is used for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) under the Horizon Europe Programme.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the encouragement of clustering and cooperation among selected projects and collaboration with the Social Transformations and Resilience partnership suggests that consortia are preferred, although single applicants might be eligible depending on the specific topic requirements within the Work Programme. The presence of a partner search function also indicates that consortia are common.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. The text also mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society sectors. Specifically, it focuses on strengthening Europe's social model and sustainable competitiveness through productivity, addressing areas such as geopolitics, global trade patterns, climate change, environmental issues (including biodiversity loss), technology, and demography. It also involves Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for funding their participants, indicating a broader international scope.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) typically target projects in the research, development, and demonstration phases. Innovation Actions (IA) focus on projects closer to validation and demonstration, potentially including commercialization aspects. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) support networking, coordination, and dissemination activities.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action. For the listed topics, the contributions range from approximately €3,000,000 to €6,000,000, with total topic budgets ranging from €3,500,000 to €16,000,000.

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 consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, Horizon Europe grants typically fund a significant portion of the project costs, implying that co-funding may not be mandatory but could strengthen the proposal.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society pillar, aims to fund projects that strengthen Europe's social model and sustainable competitiveness through enhanced productivity. The call encompasses Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), each with specific objectives and funding ranges. Eligible applicants include a wide array of organizations from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and potentially non-EU/non-Associated Countries with specific funding arrangements. The call emphasizes addressing challenges and opportunities arising from shifts in geopolitics, global trade, climate change, environmental concerns, technology, and demography. Projects should provide policymakers with recommendations and innovative solutions to boost productivity while maintaining high social and environmental standards. The application process is a single-stage open call, with funding provided as lump sum grants. Collaboration and clustering among projects are strongly encouraged.