Pillar III: Science comes to town 2029

The "Pillar III: Science comes to town 2029" is a Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action grant opportunity under the HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-05 programme. Its aim is to enhance the European Research and Innovation (R&I) system by linking scientific research with societal needs through a coordinated engagement initiative lasting one year. The grant encourages applications from coalition groups consisting of at least three independent legal entities from various EU Member States or Associated Countries. At least two of these entities must be from Member States. The eligible applicants include city governments, universities, research organizations, cultural institutions, and civil society organizations, all of which are expected to represent participating host cities in their proposals.

The total budget for this specific grant is €6 million, with the expectation that one grant will be awarded. The programme will fund related activities through a single-stage submission process, with a call opening on December 8, 2026, and a submission deadline of March 11, 2027. Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment from local authorities and illustrate how their proposed consortium can mobilize additional resources beyond the EU funding. This co-funding is essential for the proposal's viability and includes both cash and in-kind support.

The project must be implemented across three to six cities, emphasizing participatory events that showcase current research and innovation developments while engaging citizens from diverse backgrounds. A notable aspect of the initiative will involve two major science competitions: the European Union Contest for Young Scientists and EU TalentOn, aimed at fostering talent among younger researchers. The project focuses on inclusivity and aims to promote gender equality within science and research careers, addressing specific challenges faced by disadvantaged groups.

The expected outcomes include improved public understanding of science, increased trust in research, and enhanced engagement with science and innovation careers. Proposals will be evaluated on their capacity to align with the European Research Area Policy Agenda, fostering a sustainable culture of science engagement and citizen participation across Europe. The funding will be provided directly as grants, with a special provision for awarding prizes to participants in the outlined competitions, strictly adhering to the budgetary limits specified.

Furthermore, the project encourages collaboration with existing initiatives in the field of science communication and emphasizes innovative formats that stimulate public discourse and participation in science. Overall, the opportunity represents a significant investment in enriching the relationship between scientific communities and society at large, supporting structural transformations within the R&I landscape of Europe.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-05-ERA-03, under the programme Enhancing the European R&I system (HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-05). The topic is Pillar III: Science comes to town 2029. It falls under the HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions) funding scheme with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The call is forthcoming with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 08 December 2026, and the deadline is 11 March 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time. The budget for this specific topic is 6,000,000 EUR, and it is expected that around 1 grant will be awarded.

The expected outcome of the successful proposal is to deliver on the impact of "Increased alignment of research with society’s needs, expectations and values." Project results are expected to contribute to: Strengthened capacity, networks, and involvement of participating cities in science communication and citizen engagement; More informed, evidence-based policymaking and increased public engagement through inclusive discussions on science and R&I policy; Improved attractiveness of diverse careers in R&I for younger generations.

The scope of this topic is to support a small group of cities in organizing and hosting a joint 1-year program called "Science comes to town 2029". The program should have a robust concept and brand that focuses on connecting citizens and science while involving all relevant stakeholders, such as researchers, research funders, policymakers, publishers, citizens, civil society organizations, and the business community.

Various events and activities should be organized to highlight the latest R&I developments and their contribution to society, including projects supported by national, regional, and EU funds. Applicants should experiment with novel formats that are inclusive and participatory and engage diverse age and social groups at local, regional, and European levels. Project activities should pay particular attention to promoting inclusive gender equality and addressing gender-specific challenges. Special emphasis should be placed on exploring and supporting citizen science to promote both science education and multiple forms of public engagement with science.

The program of activities should include two components: EUCYS (European Union Contest for Young Scientists), a science competition for 14- to 20-year-olds who are first prize winners of national science contests for school science projects, awarding prizes and awards. EU TalentOn (European Union Contest for Early Career Researchers), a science competition, awarding prizes and awards, bringing together at least 100 early-career researchers, 21-35 of age, to work on scientific solutions to societal challenges. The 2029 editions of EUCYS and EU TalentOn will take place in the third quarter of 2029, customarily in September.

Applicants are encouraged to establish synergies with the European Researchers’ Night and the Researchers at School initiative, funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Programmed activities should create a link with the preceding and subsequent edition of “Science comes to town”, fostering cohesion and growth of the initiative.

The program should take place in a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 cities located in at least 3 different Member States and/or Associated Countries, with the majority located in Member States. The consortium can include organizations that can represent the host cities and/or join them in designing and implementing the project activities. Local partners that provide a connection to R&I should be included.

Applicants should provide commitment letters from the public authorities of each participating city, signed by the highest authorities (such as the mayor or equivalent city governance representative), demonstrating strong commitment for the activities included in the proposal. The proposal should clearly explain how the city will contribute to the initiative and outline its specific roles, resources, and support.

Proposals should demonstrate the consortium’s ability to mobilize substantial resources beyond the Union contribution, including monetary or in-kind sponsorships, to support and expand the planned activities. Applicants may choose to further increase the impact and added value by incorporating additional events and activities, financed by other resources, by engaging ‘satellite’ cities to reach more communities. The consortium will report on the implementation of the planned activities and events not covered by the grant but will not report or declare the related costs, in order to limit administrative effort.

Proposals should include the overall concept for the programmed activities, detailing the focus and scope of activities, the outreach strategy, and the contribution to the long-term vision for the cities, while specifying clearly: a) events (including EUCYS and EU TalentOn) and activities (e.g., overall coordination and communication activities) that will be funded partially or fully by the Union contribution; b) activities and events that will be financed by the participating cities, ‘satellite’ cities, sponsorship and other resources (i.e., activities not funded by the Union contribution).

Proposals should present a breakdown of all additional resources. Annexes should be used only for commitment letters, not for extra budget related details. The consortium will submit a detailed draft program of activities for approval by the granting authority, no later than three months prior to the official program launch. The financial support to third parties can only be provided in the form of prizes to the total amount of €70 000 for EUCYS and €100 000 for EU TalentOn. The expected duration of the project is between 24 and 30 months.

The destination of this call is Reforming and enhancing the EU research and innovation system (2026-27). The guiding policy framework of this destination is the Communication "A New ERA for Research and Innovation", the Council Recommendation on the Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe (Pact for R&I), and the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda (2025-2027). The funded actions will strengthen the ERA by promoting the freedom of movement of researchers, scientific knowledge, and technology and by providing new evidence for better-informed policymaking. The EU Member States, Associated Countries, R&I stakeholders, and the Commission work together to implement the ERA.

The destination includes two calls with 13 topics in total as well as other actions, targeting a wide range of R&I stakeholders, e.g., universities, research performing and funding organisations, research evaluation agencies, networks of researchers, publishers, industry and start-ups, policymakers, local authorities, and public bodies. The effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines is encouraged under this destination.

All topics in the 2026 and 2027 ERA calls are organised around four pillars: Pillar I: Institutional changes for ERA, Pillar II: Ecosystems for ERA, Pillar III: Citizens and science in ERA, and Pillar IV: New knowledge for ERA.

Proposals under this destination should set out a credible pathway to one or several of the following expected impacts: Effective and sustainable structural institutional changes aligned with the ERA priorities; Sustainable ecosystems established around the ERA priorities through enhanced cooperation, coordination and alignment; Increased trust in science and alignment of R&I with society’s needs; Strengthened evidence base for advancing the implementation of the ERA; Increased reproducibility, trustworthiness and transparency of scientific research; A more open, equitable and inclusive research and innovation ecosystem; A research ethics and integrity ecosystem continually enhanced with robust methodologies that encourage benefit sharing and prevent ethics dumping; Systemic reform of research assessment through the recognition of the diverse outputs, practices, and activities which maximise the quality and impact of research; Improved research careers and mobility, based on the European framework for research careers, fostering knowledge flows and career interoperability across sectors and countries; Stronger translation of R&I results into society and economy; Enhanced gender equality and inclusiveness, leading to research excellence and more innovative, socially relevant, and economically impactful outcomes; Increased uptake, effectiveness and impact of environmentally sustainable research; More resilient and future-proof R&I policies and long-term strategies with effectively integrated strategic intelligence and strengthened foresight communities; A more strategic, coherent, and evidence-based approach towards cooperation with China in the area of science, technology, and innovation.

General conditions include: Admissibility Conditions regarding proposal page limit and layout, Eligible Countries, Other Eligible Conditions, Financial and operational capacity and exclusion, Evaluation and award criteria, scoring and thresholds, Submission and evaluation processes, Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, and Legal and financial set-up of the grants. Subcontracting is not restricted to a limited part of the action. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of prizes, with a maximum amount of EUR 60 000 to be granted to each third party.

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The budget overview provides information on various HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-05-ERA calls, including the type of action, budget, stages, opening date, deadline, contributions, and indicative number of grants.

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This funding opportunity is about supporting a consortium of cities to organize and host a year-long program called "Science comes to town 2029". The goal is to connect citizens with science by organizing events and activities that showcase the latest research and innovation. The program should involve various stakeholders, including researchers, policymakers, and the public. It also includes two science competitions for young scientists and early career researchers. The funding aims to increase public trust in science, improve science communication, and attract young people to careers in research and innovation. The project requires commitment from participating cities and the ability to mobilize additional resources beyond the EU contribution.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include a wide range of R&I stakeholders such as universities, research performing and funding organisations, research evaluation agencies, networks of researchers, publishers, industry and start-ups, policymakers, local authorities, and public bodies. Specifically, the call targets cities and organisations that can represent host cities or join them in designing and implementing project activities. Local partners that provide a connection to R&I are also eligible.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) under the Horizon Europe programme. The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. Applications must be submitted by a consortium including participation, as beneficiaries, of at least three independent legal entities. Each must be established in a different Member State or Associated Country, and two of which are established in a Member State.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. The programme should take place in a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 cities located in at least 3 different Member States and/or Associated Countries, with the majority located in Member States. 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 target sectors are science communication, citizen engagement, research and innovation (R&I) policy, education, and public engagement with science. The program also targets inclusive gender equality and addressing gender-specific challenges.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity is open to EU Member States and Associated Countries. No specific countries are mentioned, but the requirement for a consortium with entities from different Member States and/or Associated Countries implies a focus on these regions.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on the implementation and promotion of participatory approaches, such as citizen engagement and citizen science, as well as the organisation and hosting of a joint programme. This suggests a stage of development, validation, and demonstration rather than basic research or early-stage idea development.

Funding Amount: The budget overview provides the following information for the different topics:
HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-05-ERA-01: EUR 2,000,000
HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-05-ERA-02: EUR 29,000,000 (Contributions range from EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 4,000,000)
HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-05-ERA-03: EUR 6,000,000
HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-05-ERA-04: EUR 2,000,000
HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-05-ERA-05: EUR 3,000,000

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 grant to support the organisation and hosting of the "Science comes to town 2029" programme. Financial support to third parties is also available in the form of prizes, with a total amount of €70,000 for EUCYS and €100,000 for EU TalentOn.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is provided for each topic, suggesting a limited number of projects will be funded. For example, HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-05-ERA-03 indicates "around 1" grant will be awarded. This suggests a competitive process with a low success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: Proposals should demonstrate the consortium’s ability to mobilise substantial resources beyond the Union contribution, including monetary or in-kind sponsorships, to support and expand the planned activities. This indicates a co-funding requirement.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the WIDERA programme, aims to enhance the European Research and Innovation (R&I) system by increasing the alignment of research with society’s needs and expectations. The call supports the "Science comes to town 2029" programme, which involves a consortium of cities organizing a year-long series of events and activities to connect citizens with science. The program should highlight the latest R&I developments, promote inclusive gender equality, and support citizen science. The call requires a consortium of at least three independent legal entities from different Member States or Associated Countries, with a focus on cities and organizations involved in research and innovation. The funding is provided through Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), with varying budget allocations for different topics. The application process is a single-stage submission, and successful proposals must demonstrate the ability to mobilize additional resources beyond the EU contribution. The call targets a wide range of R&I stakeholders, including universities, research organizations, policymakers, and the public, with the goal of increasing trust in science and improving the attractiveness of R&I careers. The financial support to third parties can only be provided in the form of prizes to the total amount of €70 000 for EUCYS and €100 000 for EU TalentOn. The expected duration of the project is between 24 and 30 months.