Rethinking sustainable competitiveness beyond traditional perspectives: role and contribution of the Social Economy

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity titled "Rethinking sustainable competitiveness beyond traditional perspectives: role and contribution of the Social Economy" is encapsulated under the call ID HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-TRANSFO-03. This forthcoming call is classified as a Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a budget allocation of €12 million for 2027, aiming to fund approximately three projects, each receiving between €3 million to €4 million.

Eligible applicants for this grant include a range of organizations such as universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, public-private partnerships, non-governmental organizations, and social economy entities including cooperatives and charities. The call encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly focusing on the social economy, which is characterized by organizations prioritizing societal and environmental purposes over profit.

The application process is a single-stage submission, with the planned opening date on May 13, 2027, and a submission deadline of September 23, 2027. Proposals should explore the relationships between the social economy and sustainable competitiveness, aiming to address knowledge gaps and develop frameworks for measuring the social economy's contributions to EU competitiveness and shared prosperity.

Funding will be distributed through lump sum grants, offering financial flexibility to recipients for greater autonomy in project execution. The call emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement, and applicants are encouraged to form consortiums, although single entities may also submit proposals.

The potential outcomes of funded projects include enhancing the understanding of social economy contributions to innovation, quality, social inclusion, and environmental practices, as well as generating actionable recommendations for policymakers. This initiative aligns with the broader objectives of the European Union's plans for sustainable growth and social justice, ultimately promoting competitive practices that extend beyond traditional economic metrics to foster innovation and community wellbeing.

Overall, this grant opportunity is positioned to advance the role of the social economy in contributing to sustainable development, focusing on innovative solutions that integrate economic, social, and environmental dimensions.

This EU grant opportunity, HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-TRANSFO-03, focuses on "Rethinking sustainable competitiveness beyond traditional perspectives: role and contribution of the Social Economy." It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the "Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - 2027 (HORIZON-CL2-2027-01)" call. The type of action is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

The call is forthcoming with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 13 May 2027, and the deadline for submission is 23 September 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this topic are:

1.  Social enterprises, traditional firms, and investors will gain a better understanding of the sustainable competitiveness factors within the social economy in Europe. This will be achieved through knowledge development and know-how related to innovative products and services, improved quality and productivity, increased adaptability, social inclusion, and sustainable, environmentally friendly practices, including those that enhance biodiversity.

2.  Citizens and the traditional private sector will benefit from the increased contribution of the social economy to the EU’s sustainable competitiveness and shared prosperity goals.

3.  The research will inform policymakers and the private sector about best practices, policies, and regulatory reforms aimed at enhancing the social economy's contribution to the EU's competitiveness and prosperity goals.

4.  The social economy's principles for sustainable competitiveness will be promoted through the development of practical and innovative solutions.

The scope of this grant opportunity is as follows:

The European Union aims to foster a social market economy that promotes sustainable growth, social justice, and economic competitiveness. The social economy is recognized as a potential driver of innovation, job creation, and social inclusion. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the multifaceted contributions of social economy actors in shaping and advancing economic competitiveness within the EU, as well as their impact on inclusive wellbeing and the environment, including the prevention of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss.

Sustainable competitiveness and shared prosperity are key political priorities of the new European Commission. Sustainable competitiveness is defined not by relative labor costs but by skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and adaptation, focusing on the ability to increase shared prosperity in relation to the current and future environment and society.

The link between the social economy and sustainable competitiveness relies on innovation, which needs to be broadened to include social and societal innovation, not just technological innovation.

Proposals should explore the potential relationships between the social economy, sustainable competitiveness, and shared prosperity.

Research, including from Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines, should focus on understanding the factors contributing to the sustainable competitiveness of social economy entities and their impact on EU sustainable competitiveness. This includes addressing knowledge gaps, such as the lack of a comprehensive framework to measure the social economy's contribution to sustainable competitiveness in the EU.

Research activities may include:

*  Reviewing existing literature.

*  Analyzing and developing case studies to identify key enabling factors for sustainable competitiveness in social economy entities, considering social, economic, and environmental dimensions.

*  Developing a framework to measure the social economy's contribution, including existing and new indicators and metrics.

*  Identifying best practices.

*  Developing toolkits and policy recommendations on how the social economy in Europe can boost public and private competitiveness linked to EU shared prosperity goals, such as well-being and nature preservation.

The regulatory context and its impact on the social economy's ability to contribute to sustainable competitiveness should be considered.

Activities may involve interdisciplinary research, stakeholder engagement, and policy analysis, drawing on expertise from various fields such as economics, sociology, environmental science, and public administration. This should align with the EU Green Deal and the Kunming Montreal Agreement.

The scope of the call topic is not limited to any specific sector, value chain, or enabling factors, but proposals may emphasize a specific area. Collaboration with stakeholders from the social economy, private sector, and public sector is encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of the relationships between the social economy and sustainable competitiveness.

The social economy is defined as entities that prioritize people and social/environmental purpose over profit, reinvest profits and surpluses for collective or general interest, and have democratic/participatory governance. Traditionally, this includes cooperatives, mutual benefit societies, associations (including charities), and foundations, which are private entities independent of public authorities with specific legal forms. Social enterprises are also considered part of the social economy.

General conditions for participation include:

1.  Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limits and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

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.

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

6.  Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

7.  Evaluation and award: The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

8.  Legal and financial set-up of the grants: The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results for up to 4 years after the action's end, as set out in Annex 5. Eligible costs will be in 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):

*  Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA).

*  Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).

Guidance documents include:

*  HE Programme Guide

*  Lump Sum MGA

*  Detailed budget table (HE LS)

*  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

*  Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview for the call in 2027 includes various topics related to Democracy, Heritage, and Transformation. Specifically, for the topic HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-TRANSFO-03, the budget is 12,000,000 EUR, and it is expected to fund 3 projects with contributions ranging from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR per project.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the portal.

The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

Support and guidance are available through:

*  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

*  Partner Search

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to address the knowledge gap regarding the social economy's contribution to sustainable competitiveness and shared prosperity in the EU. It encourages research projects that explore the relationships between the social economy, innovation, and competitiveness, with a focus on developing frameworks, best practices, and policy recommendations. The call is open to interdisciplinary research and collaboration with stakeholders from various sectors. Funding will be provided as a lump sum, and the submission deadline is 23 September 2027. Applicants are encouraged to consult the provided guidance and support resources.

In simpler terms, this grant is about figuring out how the "social economy" (organizations that prioritize people and the environment over profit) can help Europe be more competitive and prosperous in a sustainable way. The EU wants researchers to study these organizations, understand what makes them successful, and come up with ideas for policies and tools that can help them grow and contribute even more to society. It's a call for research that goes beyond just looking at traditional businesses and explores the potential of organizations that have a social mission at their core.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of the call, eligible applicants likely include universities, research institutes, social economy entities (cooperatives, mutual benefit societies, associations including charities, foundations, and social enterprises), traditional firms, investors, public sector organizations, and private sector organizations. The call encourages collaboration between stakeholders from the social economy, private sector, and public sector.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA). The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The call encourages collaboration with stakeholders from the social economy, private sector, and public sector, implying that a consortium is preferred, although not explicitly required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on the EU, as the call aims to enhance the social economy's contribution to the EU's competitiveness and prosperity goals. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have made specific provisions for funding in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the social economy, culture, creativity, and inclusive society sectors. It also touches upon areas like sustainable growth, social justice, economic competitiveness, innovation, job creation, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and biodiversity.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on the European Union (EU). Non-EU and non-associated countries are mentioned as potentially eligible under specific conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Project Stage: The project stage is geared towards research and innovation actions, suggesting projects should be in the research, development, validation, or demonstration phases. The call also includes innovation actions, which suggests projects can also be in the demonstration, commercialization, or scale-up phases.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call:
HORIZON-CSA: EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 5,000,000
HORIZON-RIA: EUR 2,500,000 to EUR 4,800,000
HORIZON-IA: EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 3,750,000

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 provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar, focuses on "Rethinking sustainable competitiveness beyond traditional perspectives: role and contribution of the Social Economy." The call aims to address the knowledge gap regarding the social economy's multifaceted contributions to economic competitiveness, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability within the EU. Projects should explore the relationships between the social economy, sustainable competitiveness, and shared prosperity, with a focus on innovation. Research should aim to understand the factors contributing to the sustainable competitiveness of social economy entities and their impact on EU competitiveness. The call encourages the development of frameworks to measure the social economy's contribution, identification of best practices, and policy recommendations. Interdisciplinary research, stakeholder engagement, and policy analysis are encouraged. The call is open to a range of entities, including universities, research institutes, social enterprises, traditional firms, investors, and public sector organizations, with a preference for collaborative projects. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with varying amounts depending on the specific action type (Coordination and Support Actions, Research and Innovation Actions, and Innovation Actions). The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of September 23, 2027. The overall goal is to promote the social economy's principles for sustainable competitiveness through practical and innovative solutions, ultimately contributing to the EU's sustainable growth, social justice, and economic competitiveness.