Programme-level collaboration

The grant opportunity described falls under the Horizon Europe initiative, specifically titled HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06, which is focused on enhancing the European research and innovation (R&I) landscape. The primary goal of this initiative is to foster programme-level collaboration among entities in EU Member States, Associated Countries, and non-associated third countries to streamline national and regional R&I funding programmes, thereby addressing global challenges and contributing to Sustainable Development Goals.

Eligible applicants must form a consortium that includes at least three independent legal entities, with each entity established in a different Member State, Associated Country, or a non-associated third country. Notably, two of the entities must be located in a Member State. The call does not specify individual countries but focuses on geographical eligibility for widening and enlargement countries.

The main type of funding offered is monetary grants classified as Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The estimated budget for various topics under this call ranges broadly, with specific allocations highlighted, such as €1.5 million to €6 million depending on the topic. For instance, one specific topic, HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-05, has an indicative budget of €4 million.

Proposals will undergo a single-stage open application process, which opens on 15 May 2025 and closes on 18 September 2025. The expectations include delivering joint activities and funding programmes among national and regional R&I initiatives to enhance the overall European Research Area.

Success rates remain competitive but are estimated between 10% to 39%, following the usual trend for Horizon Europe calls. While co-funding is generally encouraged, it is not explicitly required for this CSA.

The overarching aim of this call is to empower stakeholders to define new collaborations, synchronize research funding, and pool resources effectively, fostering a more integrated R&I system across Europe. This initiative is positioned to not just financially support projects but also drive impactful research outcomes that can address complex societal challenges through coordinated actions.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically part of the Enhancing the European R&I system (HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06). The call is for Programme-level collaboration and aims to coordinate national and regional research and innovation (R&I) funding programmes. The goal is to pool national and regional resources and align R&I policies to enhance collaborative R&I efforts addressing global challenges.

The expected outcome is to achieve common priority setting and sustainable joint activities and funding programmes among national and regional research and innovation programmes. Projects should contribute to identifying common R&I priorities, implementing multiannual joint calls, supporting technology and regulatory policy, and contributing to participating states meeting global challenges, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

The scope of the call involves supporting bottom-up initiatives that allow stakeholders to define new collaborations, align research funding, pool resources, and ensure complementarity with Framework Programme activities, European Partnerships, and EU Missions. International cooperation is encouraged, with a focus on strengthening collaboration with third countries and promoting shared European values for research and innovation.

Successful proposals should align national and regional research funding programmes on agreed priorities and implement joint calls for transnational R&I projects. Applicants must demonstrate clear commitments to pool resources, potentially leveraging funds from foundations, charities, and transnational initiatives. Proposals should also demonstrate potential impact at national, regional, and transnational levels and avoid overlaps with ongoing EU-funded actions. The expected project duration is up to 3 years.

Eligibility conditions include that applications must be submitted by a consortium including participation, as beneficiaries, of at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different Member State, Associated Country or non-associated third country, and two of which are established in a Member State. Legal entities established in non-associated third countries are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.

The call is a single-stage submission process. The opening date is 15 May 2025, and the deadline is 18 September 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The available budget and indicative number of grants for each topic are as follows:

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-01 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions: Budget 26,000,000 EUR, Contributions of 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 13.
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-02 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions: Budget 2,000,000 EUR, Contributions around 2,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 2,000,000 EUR, Contributions around 2,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 2,000,000 EUR, Contributions around 2,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-05 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions: Budget 4,000,000 EUR, Contributions around 2,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-06 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions: Budget 2,000,000 EUR, Contributions around 2,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-07 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions: Budget 6,000,000 EUR, Contributions around 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

The type of action for HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-01, HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-02, HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-05, HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-06, HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-07 is HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA). The type of action for HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-03, HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-04 is HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA). The type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Applicants can find partners through the Partner Search tool on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

This Horizon Europe call aims to bolster collaboration in research and innovation across Europe by encouraging national and regional funding bodies to work together. It seeks to align research priorities, pool resources, and implement joint initiatives to tackle global challenges more effectively. By supporting bottom-up projects, the call allows stakeholders to define their own collaborative agendas, ensuring that research efforts are complementary to broader EU initiatives. Ultimately, this call aims to create a more integrated and impactful European Research Area, driving innovation and addressing key societal challenges through coordinated research efforts.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include legal entities from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and non-associated third countries. Specifically, the call targets national and regional research and innovation (R&I) funding programmes, regional authorities and agencies, and civil society organisations. Applications must be submitted by a consortium including participation, as beneficiaries, of at least three independent legal entities.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. The call includes both HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. Applications must be submitted by a consortium including participation, as beneficiaries, of at least three independent legal entities. Each entity must be established in a different Member State, Associated Country or non-associated third country, and two of the entities must be established in a Member State.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, Associated Countries, and non-associated third countries. Legal entities from non-associated third countries are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.

Target Sector: The program targets the research and innovation (R&I) sector, specifically focusing on enhancing the European R&I system through programme-level collaboration. It aims to align national and regional research funding, pool resources, and ensure complementarity with other EU initiatives.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, Associated Countries, and non-associated third countries are mentioned.

Project Stage: The project stage is geared towards coordination and support actions, as well as research and innovation actions. This suggests a focus on development and implementation of collaborative R&I programs, rather than basic research or early-stage ideas.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call:
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-01: EUR 1,500,000 to EUR 2,000,000 (total budget EUR 26,000,000, indicative number of grants: 13)
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-02: Around EUR 2,000,000 (total budget EUR 2,000,000, indicative number of grants: 1)
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-03: Around EUR 2,000,000 (total budget EUR 2,000,000, indicative number of grants: 1)
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-04: Around EUR 2,000,000 (total budget EUR 2,000,000, indicative number of grants: 1)
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-05: Around EUR 2,000,000 (total budget EUR 4,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2)
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-06: Around EUR 2,000,000 (total budget EUR 2,000,000, indicative number of grants: 1)
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-07: Around EUR 6,000,000 (total budget EUR 6,000,000, indicative number of grants: 1)

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their coordination and research activities.

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

Success Rates: The success rates can be estimated based on the indicative number of grants and the total budget for each topic, but the exact success rate is not explicitly provided.

Co-funding Requirement: The EU co-funding is not explicitly mentioned, but applicants should demonstrate clear commitments from participating programmes to pool resources. The necessary resources should be pooled from the participating national or regional research programmes as well as, where appropriate, leveraged from pertinent foundations, charities and transnational initiatives, with a view to implementing calls for proposals, either within the context of this action or in possible follow-up actions, resulting in grants to third parties without EU co-funding in this area.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the Enhancing the European R&I system (HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06) initiative, aims to foster programme-level collaboration in research and innovation across EU Member States, Associated Countries, and beyond. It supports bottom-up initiatives that encourage stakeholders to define new collaborations, align research funding, and pool resources to address global challenges and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. The call is structured around Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), with funding ranging from EUR 1.5 million to EUR 6 million per project. Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and non-associated third countries, with a requirement for consortia of at least three independent legal entities. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of 18 September 2025. Successful proposals are expected to deliver a common priority setting and sustainable joint activities and funding programmes among national and regional research and innovation programmes, ultimately enhancing the European Research Area (ERA).