Rolling out the ERA Policy Agenda results

The grant opportunity titled HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06 focuses on enhancing the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda, specifically aimed at advancing structural reforms within research and innovation systems. This initiative is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting widening countries that typically exhibit lower research and development performance. Eligible applicants include a broad spectrum of organizations such as governments, research institutions, universities, and public-private partnerships. The funding type is primarily a grant, categorized as Coordination and Support Actions, with a total budget of €3 million for this particular call. The requirement for applications to be made by a consortium is mandatory, necessitating collaboration among at least three independent legal entities established in different EU member states or associated countries. The geographic eligibility spans across EU widening countries, as well as EU member states and Horizon Europe-associated nations. The targeted sectors of this grant encompass key areas of research and innovation policy, with thematic focuses on open science, research assessment, career development, knowledge valorization, and research management. Proposals can center around six distinct action areas that include subjects like enhancing the reproducibility of scientific results, reforming research assessments, establishing strong career support communities, and building networks for knowledge valorization. The funding amounts for specific topics vary, with grants ranging from €1.5 million to €6 million and totaling €26 million across all topics. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a submission deadline of September 18, 2025. It is noted that the financial support covers 100% of eligible costs and co-funding is generally not required. Success rates for grants in this program can be competitive, typically ranging between 10% to 39%, and the applications must adhere to specific conditions regarding proposal formatting and eligibility as outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme. In summary, this grant opportunity invites collaborative projects aimed at implementing reforms and enhancing practices within the EU’s research and innovation systems. It offers a structured approach to funding, emphasizing the cultivation of effective practices across research disciplines while adhering to the broader objectives of the ERA Policy Agenda.

The European Commission is offering funding opportunities under the Horizon Europe program, specifically the call Enhancing the European R&I system (HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06). This call aims to increase the adoption of results from various ERA (European Research Area) policy areas by a broad range of Research and Innovation stakeholders. The policy areas include open science, research assessment, research careers, knowledge valorisation, and research management.

The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget, action type, and expected number of grants. The opening date for submissions is May 15, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is September 18, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. All topics follow a single-stage submission model.

Here's a breakdown of the topics and their respective details:

HORIZON-WIDERA:Rolling out the ERA Policy Agenda results

Action Type:HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions)

Budget:€26,000,000

Contribution per project:€1,500,000 to €2,000,000

Indicative Number of Grants:13

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-02:Rolling out the ERA Policy Agenda results

Action Type:HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions)

Budget:€2,000,000

Contribution per project:around €2,000,000

Indicative Number of Grants:1

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-03:Rolling out the ERA Policy Agenda results

Action Type:HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions)

Budget:€2,000,000

Contribution per project:around €2,000,000

Indicative Number of Grants:1

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-04:Rolling out the ERA Policy Agenda results

Action Type:HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions)

Budget:€2,000,000

Contribution per project:around €2,000,000

Indicative Number of Grants:1

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-05:Rolling out the ERA Policy Agenda results

Action Type:HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions)

Budget:€4,000,000

Contribution per project:around €2,000,000

Indicative Number of Grants:2

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-06:Rolling out the ERA Policy Agenda results

Action Type:HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions)

Budget:€2,000,000

Contribution per project:around €2,000,000

Indicative Number of Grants:1

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-07:Rolling out the ERA Policy Agenda results

Action Type:HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions)

Budget:€6,000,000

Contribution per project:around €6,000,000

Indicative Number of Grants:1

The call encourages applicants to select one of the following areas:

Area 1:Strengthen uptake of solutions for the reproducibility of scientific results. This aims to support open sharing, seamless access, and reliable re-use of research data, centered on the FAIR principles. Practices that increase the reproducibility of scientific results contribute to higher reuse of these results and to increased efficiency, trustworthiness, and overall quality of research. Activities should include deploying interventions to increase reproducibility, monitoring their effects, and supporting mutual learning.

Area 2:Advance reforms to research assessment. This aims to support reform of research assessment toward recognising the diversity of research practices, activities and outputs, moving away from relying mainly on the quantity of publications or the prestige of their publishing venues, to achieve higher quality and impact of research. Activities should include identifying barriers and enablers to reform, supporting change management strategies, and raising awareness about good practices.

Area 3:Establish communities of practice to strengthen research careers. This aims to strengthen research careers in all sectors, tackling aspects such as precarity and working conditions, skills, inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary mobility, career development and progression. Activities should include establishing an intersectoral consortium, mapping challenges, exchanging good practices, and developing recommendations for peers and policymakers.

Area 4:Establish a European network of knowledge valorisation intermediaries. This aims to enhance knowledge sharing and valorisation in Europe. Intermediaries are crucial for valorisation as they help connect researchers with actors who can drive economic and societal value from research results, data and knowledge. Activities should include setting up a European network of intermediaries, developing trainings and a knowledge valorisation toolbox, and supporting mobility and outreach.

Area 5:Upgrade capacities of knowledge and technology transfer professionals in universities and research performing organisations. This aims to enhance knowledge sharing and valorisation in the ERA, reaching large communities of stakeholders. Activities should include developing actions for expanding skills of KTO/TTOs, developing new services, and engaging societal and industrial actors.

Area 6:Strengthen capacities and recognition for research management. This aims to enhance capacities and professional recognition of research managers in the ERA and address their challenges. Activities should include creating a centralised online hub, providing tailored training programs, and executing a strategic communication plan.

General conditions for admissibility include adhering to proposal page limits and layouts 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 are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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, with at least two established in a Member State.

Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties, with a maximum amount of €60,000 per third party in the form of grants.

Applicants are encouraged to consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements, and other call-specific instructions and documents available on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Partner search announcements and a helpdesk are also available to assist applicants.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on enhancing the European Research and Innovation system by promoting the wider adoption of best practices and tools in key policy areas. It provides funding for projects that aim to improve research reproducibility, reform research assessment, strengthen research careers, enhance knowledge valorisation, and build capacities in research management. Applicants must form a consortium of at least three independent legal entities from different Member States or Associated Countries and select one of the six specific areas to address in their proposal. The call offers a range of funding options, with varying budgets and project types, to support the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda.

Eligible Applicant Types:Research Performing Organisations (RPO), Research Funding Organisations (RFO), universities, researchers, innovators, policymakers, academies and learned societies, researchers’ organisations, support staff, governmental organisations, other employers of researchers in the public and private sector, societal and industrial actors, Knowledge Transfer Offices/Technology Transfer Offices (KTO/TTO), human resource departments, career advisors, educational institutions, and entities that typically act as intermediaries (e.g., incubators, science parks, European, national and regional innovation hubs or clusters, IP experts, consultants and innovation support professionals, science communication and policy engagement teams, and knowledge for policy and citizen engagement professionals).

Funding Type:Grant, specifically HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA). Financial support to third parties is also possible in the form of grants, with a maximum of €60,000 per third party.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium, requiring participation of at least three independent legal entities. Each must be established in a different Member State or Associated Country, and two of which must be established in a Member State.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States and 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:Open science, research assessment, research careers, knowledge valorisation, and research management. The program targets the broader Research and Innovation (R&I) ecosystem.

Mentioned Countries:EU Member States and Associated Countries are eligible. 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.

Project Stage:The projects should focus on broader roll-out of existing results, tools, practices, recommendations, and guidelines to diverse ERA communities. Therefore, the project stage is expected to be at the validation, demonstration, or implementation phase, rather than early-stage research.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic:

HORIZON-WIDERA:€1,500,000 to €2,000,000 (13 grants)

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-02:Around €2,000,000 (1 grant)

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-03:Around €2,000,000 (1 grant)

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-04:Around €2,000,000 (1 grant)

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-05:Around €2,000,000 (2 grants)

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-06:Around €2,000,000 (1 grant)

HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-07:Around €6,000,000 (1 grant)

Application Type:Open call, single-stage.

Nature of Support:Money, with the possibility of providing financial support to third parties in the form of grants (up to €60,000 per third party).

Application Stages:1

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the expected competition level.

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

This opportunity is a Horizon Europe call under the WIDERA program, aimed at enhancing the European Research and Innovation (R&I) system by rolling out the results of the ERA Policy Agenda. It invites a broad range of R&I stakeholders, including research organizations, universities, policymakers, and industry actors, to participate in projects that increase the uptake of policies and practices related to open science, research assessment, research careers, knowledge valorisation, and research management. Applicants must form a consortium of at least three independent legal entities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries. The call offers grants ranging from €1.5 million to €6 million, depending on the specific topic, and projects are expected to last up to 3 years. The call is structured around six key areas, each addressing a specific ERA Action, and applicants must select one area to focus their proposal on. The goal is to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the implementation of best practices across the European Research Area, ultimately leading to a more efficient, inclusive, and impactful R&I ecosystem. The call opens on May 15, 2025, and closes on September 18, 2025.