Preparing the EU for future enlargement: challenges and opportunities

The grant opportunity described is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically titled "Preparing the EU for future enlargement: challenges and opportunities." It is categorized as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under the "Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society" pillar for 2025. The call is open for submissions with a single-stage deadline of September 16, 2025. The budget allocated for this topic is 10.5 million euros, aiming to fund projects with contributions typically ranging from 3 to 3.5 million euros each, with an expectation of awarding three grants.

Eligible applicants primarily include universities, research institutes, public administrations, and non-governmental organizations engaged in work related to EU enlargement and governance. A consortium is required, which must include at least one beneficiary entity from countries such as Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, or Türkiye.

The targeted sectors for this funding focus on democracy, rule of law, governance, and education policy, addressing themes such as the implications of EU enlargement on political and social structures. The aim is to enhance knowledge on past enlargement experiences, foster societal awareness of the enlargement process, and improve communication strategies involving digital tools and participatory methods.

Projects funded under this grant should contribute to a deeper understanding of the history and political situations of candidate countries, provide insights on previous enlargement lessons, and address the EU's readiness for future expansions. Additionally, they should ensure public engagement through transparent processes and explore innovative approaches to communication with citizens.

The application process is single-stage, meaning that the proposals will be submitted in one go without prior pre-selection stages. Typically, success rates for Horizon Europe calls are between 10 and 39 percent. Co-funding is not a requirement, as the grant covers 100% of eligible costs through a lump sum format.

Overall, this initiative aims to research and create impactful policies to facilitate EU enlargement while ensuring that the process is inclusive, transparent, and beneficial for both existing member states and candidate countries. It encourages synergy with previous related projects and emphasizes the use of emerging technologies for enhanced citizen engagement.

This is a description of the EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-03, titled "Preparing the EU for future enlargement: challenges and opportunities." It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the "Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - 2025 (HORIZON-CL2-2025-01)" call. The action type is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline of 16 September 2025, 17:00:00 Brussels time, and an opening date of 15 May 2025. The budget for this specific topic is 10,500,000 EUR for the year 2025, with contributions ranging from 3,000,000 to 3,500,000 EUR, and an indicative number of 3 grants to be awarded.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this topic are:

1.  Thematic insights on lessons learned from previous enlargement processes provided to policymakers and public administrations in Member States, candidate countries, potential candidate countries, and at the EU institutional level, to inform the development of future policies, particularly concerning democracy, rule of law, and governance.

2.  Increased societal awareness of the enlargement process within the Union and in candidate/potential candidate countries, achieved through a deeper understanding of the political, social, and economic consequences of enlargement versus non-enlargement.

3.  Improved utilization of existing interactive tools by EU and Member State authorities to better inform citizens in the Union and enlargement countries about the enlargement process and promote educational opportunities.

4.  Enhanced public involvement in enlargement through transparent and participatory processes, leveraging digital tools for broader engagement.

The scope of the projects should address the following:

1.  Improve EU Member States' understanding of the history, political, and economic situation of candidate countries and potential candidates through socio-historical research combined with legal and economic approaches, drawing on expertise from relevant Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines.

2.  Support EU citizens and civil society in gaining a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to potential future EU enlargements.

3.  Provide thematic insights on lessons learned from previous enlargements and identify potential similarities with candidate countries, focusing on democracy, rule of law, and governance-related topics.

4.  Adopt a flexible and adaptive approach to enlargement, responsive to geopolitical dynamics and regional challenges, utilizing foresight and scenario planning.

5.  Conduct a comparative analysis of the detailed terms and conditions of membership in accession treaties, including transition periods for the freedom of movement and acquisition of real estate.

6.  Foster a more inclusive process by involving citizens early in enlargement discussions, ensuring transparency, and addressing political, economic, and social concerns.

7.  Address the EU’s readiness to enlarge, considering enlargement fatigue and the rise of euroscepticism within the Union and in candidate countries.

8.  Build concrete knowledge through comparative analysis of the motives of candidate countries to join the EU.

9.  Direct efforts towards effective and inclusive communication on the EU integration process and the benefits of enlargement.

10. Collect evidence on the role of societal dialogues and education in proposing learning approaches to EU integration and enlargement prospects within the Union.

11. Combine mutual, social, and intercultural learning to support the development of local or regional initiatives by civil society.

12. Consider citizens’ engagement and dialogue, seeking wider input and encouraging youth participation.

13. Identify the most effective tools for public administration and policymakers to improve citizens’ understanding of the enlargement process, seizing educational opportunities and societal awareness.

14. Utilize emerging digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and social media for digital communication.

15. Carry out pilots in at least four EU Member States to assess the effectiveness of these tools, potentially synergizing with programs like Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps, Interreg, or the Civil Society Facility.

16. Develop policy recommendations to promote inclusive strategic communication and citizen engagement on EU integration and values within the Union and in Member States.

17. Explore how to support the reform process of candidate countries and/or learn from their existing reforms regarding Chapters of the Acquis, such as Chapter 10 (Information Society and Media), Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights), Chapter 24 (Justice Freedom and Security), and Chapter 34 (Institutions).

Proposals are encouraged to network with and build on previously funded projects under Horizon Europe calls, Horizon 2020, or other EU programs like Global Europe or the Instrument for Pre-accession. Clustering and cooperation with other selected projects under this topic and other relevant projects are strongly encouraged. Applicants are also encouraged to consider data offered by European Research Infrastructures in the social sciences and humanities domain and leverage data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud, as well as data from relevant Data Spaces. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

The general conditions for this funding opportunity 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.

2.  Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Certain non-EU/non-Associated Countries have specific provisions for funding.

3.  Other Eligible Conditions: The consortium must include at least one entity, as a beneficiary, established in Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, or Türkiye.

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

5.  Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. 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.

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

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information is available in the Submission System.

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 5. Culture, creativity and inclusive society, HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. 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 submission session is now available for this topic.

This Horizon Europe call aims to fund research and innovation actions that will help the EU better understand and manage the challenges and opportunities of future enlargement. It focuses on improving Member States' understanding of candidate countries, increasing public awareness and engagement, and developing effective tools and policies to support the enlargement process. The call encourages projects that leverage digital technologies, promote inclusive communication, and build on previous research efforts. Ultimately, it seeks to ensure that EU enlargement is a transparent, participatory, and mutually beneficial process for both the Union and the candidate countries.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities or coordination and support activities. The text also mentions public administrations and policymakers as potential beneficiaries, suggesting that governmental bodies could also be eligible applicants or partners.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The opportunity includes both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), each with distinct objectives and funding levels. Innovation Actions (IA) are also mentioned.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium. The text states, "The consortium must include at least one entity, as a beneficiary, established in one of the following countries: Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, or Türkiye." This indicates that multiple applicants are needed to form a consortium, and at least one must be from the specified countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, candidate countries, and potential candidate countries. Specifically, the consortium must include at least one entity from Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, or Türkiye. The text also mentions that non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific provisions for funding their participants, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: Democracy, Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society. The specific topic focuses on EU enlargement, democracy, rule of law, governance, societal awareness, education, and strategic communication. It also touches upon the use of digital technologies like artificial intelligence and social media for communication.

Mentioned Countries: Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, Türkiye, EU Member States.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project varies depending on the type of action:
Research and Innovation Actions (RIA): These projects typically involve activities ranging from research to technology development and validation.
Coordination and Support Actions (CSA): These projects focus on networking, coordination, and dissemination of knowledge, implying a need for projects that can build upon existing research or initiatives.
Innovation Actions (IA): These projects focus on piloting, demonstration or validation of new or improved products, processes or services.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action:
HORIZON-CSA: Generally between €2,000,000 and €3,500,000.
HORIZON-RIA: Generally between €3,000,000 and €4,000,000, but can range up to €5,000,000 in some cases.
HORIZON-IA: Can reach up to €26,000,000 with contributions between €2,500,000 and €4,000,000.

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 lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe grants often require or encourage applicants to leverage other sources of funding or in-kind contributions.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar, focuses on "Preparing the EU for future enlargement: challenges and opportunities." It aims to fund projects that enhance understanding and awareness of EU enlargement processes, both within EU Member States and in candidate/potential candidate countries. The call encompasses Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), with funding ranging from €2,000,000 to €5,000,000 for RIAs and €2,000,000 to €3,500,000 for CSAs, and up to 26,000,000 for IAs.

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other organizations capable of conducting relevant research, innovation, or coordination activities. Consortia must include at least one entity from Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, or Türkiye.

Projects should contribute to thematic insights on lessons learned from previous enlargements, increased societal awareness of the enlargement process, better use of interactive tools for educational opportunities, and enhanced public involvement through transparent and participatory processes. The call encourages networking with previous projects and leveraging data from European Research Infrastructures. The application process is a single-stage submission, and eligible costs will be reimbursed as a lump sum.