ScaleDem Scaling Grounds: Twinning Programme

The ScaleDem Twinning Programme is an initiative under the Horizon Europe program aimed at fostering the scaling of democratic innovations through a peer-to-peer learning framework. It allows organizations to connect, specifically pairing those with successful scaling experiences (mentors) with those facing challenges in similar contexts (mentees). The program emphasizes the replication and adaptation of established scaling actions to generate actionable insights for the ScaleDem Theory of Scaling.

Eligible applicants include public authorities, civil society organizations, non-profit organizations, research institutions, universities, think tanks, SMEs, and other innovation-driven stakeholders based in countries that qualify under the HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-12 call. Applications can be submitted by individual organizations or in consortia, with both mentors and mentees allowed to apply.

The funding structure consists of a lump-sum grant of up to EUR 65,500 for each Twinning Community of Practice, with a total program budget of EUR 500,000, aimed at funding a maximum of eight communities. The application process is a single-stage open call that commences on December 1, 2025, and closes on March 31, 2026. Applications must be submitted online, using specific forms provided on the ScaleDem website. An eligibility check will be conducted post-deadline, followed by evaluation by an independent jury, which will assess applications based on criteria including relevance, impact, team quality, resource allocation, and sustainability. Shortlisted applicants may be invited for online interviews.

The program is designed to run from October 2026 to September 2027, allowing communities to collaborate for up to 12 months. During this time, they are expected to co-create and document their action plans, implement scaling actions addressing multiple dimensions of scaling, and maintain regular interactions. Informative sessions are scheduled for January 2026 to assist potential applicants. The initiative ultimately seeks to bridge the gap between research outcomes and practical implementation in democratic processes, enhancing citizen participation and governance legitimacy across Europe.

The ScaleDem Twinning Programme is a Horizon Europe CSA initiative designed to foster the scaling of democratic innovations through peer-to-peer learning. It connects organizations that have successfully scaled a democratic innovation (mentors) with those facing similar scaling challenges (mentees). The program aims to support the replication and adaptation of "scaling actions" and generate insights for the ScaleDem Theory of Scaling.

The opening date for the call is December 1, 2025, and the deadline for applications is March 31, 2026, at 23:59 Brussels time. This is a single-stage submission model. The total funding available is 500,000 EUR. The project acronym is SCALEDEM, and the full name of the EU-funded project is Scaling Democratic Innovations. The grant agreement number is 101178637. The relevant topic is HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-12, which focuses on testing and implementation of research results fostering democracy and governance.

Applications must be submitted via the online forms available on the ScaleDem website. Applicants are encouraged to use the Decision Helper/Declaration of Interest to clarify eligibility. The ScaleDem team will conduct an eligibility check after the deadline, assessing the country of origin, type of organization, completeness of the form, and required declarations. Eligible applications will be evaluated by an independent jury comprising members of the project’s Scientific Advisory Board, End-User Advisory Board, and consortium partners. Proposals will be scored based on written applications, and the jury will propose Twinning Communities of Practice, matching mentors and mentees facing related scaling challenges. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to online interviews to clarify their proposals and expectations. The jury will use the applications and interviews to create a ranked list of Twinning communities to be funded. Selected applicants will be invited to sign a Sub-Grant Agreement.

Twinning applications will be evaluated based on five criteria: Relevance (clarity of objectives and alignment with ScaleDem’s aims), Impact (potential to address a democratic challenge and generate results), Team Quality (capacity of mentors and mentees to contribute), Justified Resource Allocation (coherence between budget, activities, and results), and Sustainability (prospects for lasting use of scaling actions).

The indicative timeline includes: Call opening on December 1, 2025; Application deadline on March 31, 2026; Notification of results around July 2026; Sub-grant agreements signed by September 2026; and the start of Twinning activities in autumn 2026.

The call is implemented under the Horizon Europe CSA ScaleDem and follows the Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) provisions. Detailed documents, including the Guide for Applicants, Q&A Document, Note on Legal and IP Framework, and online application forms, are available on the ScaleDem website. Two informative sessions will be held in January: January 20, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM CET, and January 29, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM CET. Questions can be directed to opencalls@scaledem.eu.

Mentors and mentees will work together in Twinning Communities of Practice. Mentors will share proven actions that helped them scale their democratic innovation, such as embedding citizen participation processes or expanding to new territories. Mentees will apply and adapt these actions to their own democratic processes. Each Twinning community will run for up to 12 months, between October 2026 and September 2027. Community members are expected to co-design action plans, implement scaling actions addressing ScaleDem’s four scaling dimensions (High, Out, Deep, In), meet regularly, and document their work in a joint community report.

Twinning communities will receive a lump-sum grant of up to EUR 65,500 per community, shared among mentors and mentees. Up to 8 communities will be funded. The call is open to public authorities, civil society organizations, non-profit organizations, research institutions, universities, think tanks, SMEs, and similar innovation-driven stakeholders established in countries eligible under HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-12. Applications may be submitted by single organizations or consortia, applying as either mentors or mentees.

In summary, the ScaleDem Twinning Programme is a funding opportunity under Horizon Europe that supports the scaling of democratic innovations. It provides financial support and a structured peer-to-peer learning environment for organizations to share best practices and adapt successful scaling actions to new contexts. The program aims to foster collaboration between experienced "mentors" and organizations facing scaling challenges "mentees" ultimately contributing to the ScaleDem Theory of Scaling. Eligible entities can apply as either mentors or mentees, forming Twinning Communities of Practice to implement concrete scaling actions and document their experiences. The program offers up to EUR 65,500 per community and aims to fund up to 8 communities.

Eligible Applicant Types: Public authorities, civil society organizations, non-profit organizations, research institutions, universities, think tanks, SMEs, and similar innovation-driven stakeholders are eligible to apply. Applications can be submitted by single organizations or consortia. Applicants can apply as either mentors or mentees.

Funding Type: The funding type is a lump-sum grant. This is provided as Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) under the Horizon Europe program.

Consortium Requirement: Both single applicants and consortia are eligible to apply, either as mentors or mentees. The program encourages the formation of "Twinning Communities of Practice," suggesting a preference for collaborative applications.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Applicants must be established in countries eligible under the call HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-12. The specific eligible countries are not listed in the provided text, but the call is part of the Horizon Europe program, so eligibility will likely align with Horizon Europe's general eligibility criteria.

Target Sector: The program targets the democracy and governance sector, specifically focusing on scaling democratic innovations. This includes embedding citizen participation processes, expanding them to new territories or groups, and improving their quality and legitimacy.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned in the opportunity details. However, the eligibility is tied to the HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-12 call, implying that eligible countries are those defined within the Horizon Europe framework for that specific call.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on the scaling and implementation of existing democratic innovations. Mentors should have already successfully scaled a democratic innovation, while mentees should be facing challenges in scaling their own democratic processes. The program supports the replication and adaptation of "scaling actions" in new contexts.

Funding Amount: The funding is provided as a lump-sum grant of up to EUR 65,500 per Twinning Community of Practice. A total of EUR 500,000 is available, and up to 8 communities will be funded.

Application Type: The application type is an open call. Applications must be submitted via dedicated online forms available on the ScaleDem website.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries receive money in the form of a lump-sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves several stages:
1. Submission of the application via online forms.
2. Eligibility check by the ScaleDem team.
3. Evaluation of eligible applications by an independent jury based on written proposals.
4. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to a brief online interview.
5. The jury agrees on a final ranked list of Twinning communities to be funded.
6. Selected applicants are invited to sign a Sub-Grant Agreement.

Success Rates: The success rate cannot be determined from the provided information, but since up to 8 communities will be funded from a total budget of 500,000 EUR, the success rate is likely to be below 10%, depending on the number of applications received.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, the lump-sum grant is intended to support the activities of the Twinning Community, suggesting that additional resources or in-kind contributions from the participating organizations may be expected or beneficial.

Summary:

The ScaleDem Twinning Programme is a Horizon Europe-funded initiative designed to foster the scaling of democratic innovations through a structured peer-to-peer learning scheme. The program connects organizations that have successfully scaled a democratic innovation (mentors) with organizations facing scaling challenges (mentees). These organizations form "Twinning Communities of Practice" to share knowledge, adapt proven scaling actions, and implement concrete solutions in new contexts. The program provides financial support in the form of a lump-sum grant of up to EUR 65,500 per community, with up to 8 communities being funded. Eligible applicants include public authorities, civil society organizations, non-profit organizations, research institutions, universities, think tanks, SMEs, and similar innovation-driven stakeholders from countries eligible under the HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-12 call. The application process involves submitting an online application, undergoing an eligibility check, evaluation by an independent jury, and potentially participating in an online interview. The program aims to support the replication and adaptation of concrete "scaling actions" in new contexts and to generate practice-based insights for the ScaleDem Theory of Scaling. The call opened on December 1, 2025, and the deadline for applications is March 31, 2026. Informative sessions will be held in January 2026 to provide further information and answer questions from potential applicants. The program is focused on testing and implementing research results that foster democracy and governance.