Research Management Facility

The Horizon Europe program is offering a grant opportunity titled "Research Management Facility" under the call HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-04-WIDENING-01. This grant, categorized as a Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA), is designed to bolster research management capabilities in Widening countries, which are EU Member States and Associated Countries that lag in research and innovation performance. The initiative aims to establish or enhance capacities within research institutions to optimize their participation in the European Research Area (ERA).

Eligible applicants include legal entities from Widening countries, specifically research-performing organizations and coordinators must be from these countries. The application must be made by a consortium comprising at least three independent legal entities from different Member States or Associated Countries, with a minimum of two based in EU Member States. The budget for this call is approximately €7 million, with a single project expected to be funded.

The funding will support the establishment of a research management facility offering tailored services such as training programs, needs assessments, consulting services, implementation planning, and networking opportunities. The aim is to upgrade research management capacities, promote best practices, and support institutional reforms in research management systems.

The application process is a single-stage submission, with an opening date of April 23, 2026, and a submission deadline of September 24, 2026. Success rates are highly competitive as only one project will be funded, although the selected applicant will receive robust support.

Overall, this grant opportunity seeks to ensure equitable access to research management support across Widening countries, integrate key ERA priorities like research integrity and gender equality, and ultimately strengthen the overall research and innovation landscape within the European Union.

The Horizon Europe program is offering a grant opportunity called the Research Management Facility (HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-04-WIDENING-01). This is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a budget-based action grant. The primary goal is to enhance research excellence in institutions and national Research and Innovation (R&I) systems within Widening countries by providing tailored support to establish or upgrade their research management capacities. The facility will also offer advice on implementing strategies to align with the European Research Area (ERA) priorities, although direct implementation support is not included.

The expected outcomes of this grant are to:

Encourage stronger research management capacities in Widening countries to boost their participation in the ERA.
Support institutional reforms in research institutions and national R&I systems to improve governance, efficiency, and alignment with European research and innovation priorities.
Strengthen human capital by developing entrepreneurial and well-trained research managers.
Promote multidisciplinary and transnational cooperation in research management to facilitate knowledge exchange, capacity building, and the adoption of best practices.
Promote ERA priorities, such as research integrity, responsible research and innovation (ethics, public engagement, gender equality, science education, open access), and knowledge valorisation, to strengthen the institution’s overall research ecosystem.

The scope of this action involves creating a research management facility that offers support services, including training, to research institutions and their staff in Widening countries. This facility will help these institutions assess their needs for excellent research management capacities and develop implementation plans to improve their institutional and human capabilities. It may also assist successful applicants of ERA Research Manager actions in identifying leading research managers internationally.

The expected activities to be covered by proposals include:

Supporting the assessment of institutional needs in research management, administration, and training in collaboration with research performing institutions.
Developing tailor-made implementation plans to establish or upgrade research management capacities at the institutional level.
Facilitating peer exchange and best practice sharing between Widening countries and more experienced institutions for sustainable capacity building.
Delivering training modules for research managers in Widening countries to strengthen their skills and professional competences, aligned with the European Competence Framework for Research Managers.
Facilitating networking opportunities for research managers from Widening countries at European and international levels to enhance peer exchange, promote best practice sharing, and improve their integration into the broader research management ecosystem.

Proposals should estimate the number of institutions and individuals they plan to target, commensurate with the requested Union contribution. They should also detail how they will prioritize support if demand exceeds resources and ensure full geographical coverage of activities for all Widening countries, including Outermost Regions and Associated Countries.

Documentation and reporting on the support provided, its follow-up, and impacts are crucial. Proposals should include a methodology for documenting and providing feedback to the European Commission on the profiles of supported institutions, the support provided (including recommendations), follow-up actions implemented, and impacts achieved. Dissemination and communication activities are also necessary for continuous improvement and the sharing of transferable outcomes.

Proposals must demonstrate the collective competences and capacities, including relevant experience, needed to carry out the activities and achieve the expected outcomes.

This grant opportunity falls under the "Widening participation and spreading excellence (2026-27)" destination. This destination aims to improve access to excellence in research and innovation across the European Union by addressing disparities between R&I leading and lagging countries. It seeks to build stronger R&I systems, promote inclusive approaches, and foster institutional cooperation to produce high-quality knowledge. The expected impact includes increased science and innovation capacities in Widening countries, structural changes leading to more competitive R&I systems, mobilization of resources for strategic investments, higher participation in Horizon Europe, stronger linkages between academia and business, greater involvement of regional actors, attraction of excellent talents, balanced circulation of R&I talents, and free circulation of knowledge and expertise.

General conditions for admissibility include:

Proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Coordination limited to legal entities established in Widening countries.
Consortium must include at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different Member State or Associated Country, with two of them established in a Member State.
Organizations hosting WIDERA NCPs in Widening countries are exceptionally eligible to participate.
Other conditions as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
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.
Legal and financial setup of the grants as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The Commission estimates an EU contribution of around EUR 7.00 million to address the expected outcomes, although proposals requesting different amounts will also be considered. The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 7.00 million.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement, are available in the Submission System. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, call-specific instructions, and information on financial support to third parties and clinical studies. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and various guidelines and regulations related to legal entity validation, financial capacity assessment, grant agreements, and the Funding & Tenders Portal.

The budget overview indicates that the HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-04-WIDENING-01 topic has a budget of EUR 7,000,000 for the year 2026. It is a single-stage application process with a planned opening date of April 23, 2026, and a deadline of September 24, 2026. The indicative number of grants is 1.

Partner search announcements are available for those seeking collaborators. The submission system will open on the date stated in the topic header. Various support resources are available, including the 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, ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers, and a Partner Search tool.

In summary, this Horizon Europe grant opportunity aims to strengthen research management capacities in Widening countries by establishing a research management facility that provides tailored support, training, and networking opportunities. The goal is to enhance their participation in the European Research Area and promote excellence in research and innovation across the EU. The total budget is EUR 7 million, and the application deadline is September 24, 2026.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are legal entities established in Widening countries, research performing organisations from Widening countries, and organizations hosting WIDERA NCPs in Widening countries are exceptionally eligible to participate. The call specifies that participation as coordinators is limited to legal entities established in Widening countries.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) under the Horizon Europe program. The Type of MGA is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

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 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 focuses on "Widening countries," including their Outermost Regions and relevant Associated Countries. 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 sector is research and innovation (R&I), specifically focusing on strengthening research management capacities, administration, and training within research institutions. It also touches upon education, governance, and policy reforms within the R&I systems.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on "Widening countries," Member States, and Associated Countries. No specific countries are explicitly named, but the focus is on a defined group of countries considered as "Widening countries" within the EU framework, as well as Member States and Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on capacity building and support, rather than direct research or development. It aims to establish or upgrade research management capacities, develop implementation plans, and facilitate training and networking. The stage is best described as development and support.

Funding Amount: The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 7.00 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 7.00 million.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call, meaning applicants submit a full proposal at once.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive non-monetary services in the form of support services, training, expertise, and networking opportunities aimed at improving research management capacities.

Application Stages: There is one application stage, as this is a single-stage call.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is 1, with a budget of around 7,000,000 EUR.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, titled "Research Management Facility," aims to bolster research management capacities in Widening countries. The goal is to enhance their participation in the European Research Area (ERA) by providing tailored support, training, and networking opportunities to research institutions and their staff. The call seeks to establish a facility that assesses institutional needs, develops implementation plans, facilitates peer exchange, delivers training modules, and fosters networking at European and international levels.

The funding, totaling approximately EUR 7 million, will be awarded to a single consortium that demonstrates the collective competences and capacities necessary to carry out the activities and achieve the expected outcomes. Eligible applicants must form a consortium of at least three independent legal entities from different Member States or Associated Countries, with coordinators being limited to entities from Widening countries.

The project's scope includes supporting the assessment of institutional needs, developing tailor-made implementation plans, facilitating peer exchange, delivering training modules for research managers, and facilitating networking opportunities. Proposals should estimate the number of institutions and individuals they plan to target and describe how they will prioritize support and ensure geographical coverage across all Widening countries.

The expected outcomes include stronger research management capacities, institutional reforms, strengthened human capital, multidisciplinary cooperation, and the promotion of ERA priorities. The call aligns with the broader goal of widening participation and spreading excellence across the European Union's research and innovation landscape.