Science comes to town 2027

The grant opportunity titled "Science comes to town 2027" (HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-07) is part of the Horizon Europe program and focuses on enhancing citizen engagement and trust in science and innovation. It targets cities in EU Member States and Associated Countries, inviting them to create a year-long program of activities aimed at connecting citizens with scientists and promoting public understanding of research and innovation.

Eligible applicants include a consortium of at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different Member State or Associated Country, with at least two entities located in a Member State. The proposal requires commitment letters from public authorities of each participating city, signed by senior officials like mayors.

The funding type is classified as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) and as a Horizon Action Grant Budget-Based, providing monetary grants to support program implementation. The total budget for this call is approximately €6 million, with each project potentially receiving up to €6 million. The grant emphasizes the importance of co-funding, urging applicants to show capacity to mobilize additional resources beyond the EU contribution.

The call opens on May 15, 2025, and closes on September 18, 2025. It supports projects at the demonstration and implementation stages that seek to increase responsibility and trust in scientific processes through activities such as lectures, workshops, and competitions. Notably, the program must incorporate events like the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) 2027 and EU TalentOn 2027.

The expected outcomes aim to strengthen the role of participating cities in science communication, encourage discussions on future research policies, and enhance the appeal of research careers to younger generations. Successful proposals will demonstrate innovative engagement strategies, support science communication, and align with existing initiatives like European Researchers’ Night.

Additional resources, including submission guidelines and evaluation criteria, are available in the program’s documentation and the Funding & Tenders Portal, which also facilitates partner searches and application processes.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-07, titled "Science comes to town 2027". It falls under the HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) funding scheme with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model grant agreement. The call aims to increase societal responsibility and trust in science and innovation by engaging citizens in the design and implementation of R&I policies. It provides an opportunity for cities in Member States and Associated Countries to jointly design and implement a year-long program of activities under the "Science comes to town 2027" label.

The expected outcomes include strengthened capacity and involvement of participating cities in science communication, enhanced discussion on the future of science and R&I policy, and improved attractiveness of careers in R&I for younger generations.

The scope involves co-organizing and hosting a joint 1-year program connecting citizens and scientists. Activities should include lectures, workshops, exhibitions, competitions, and prizes. The program must include the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) 2027 and the European Union Contest for Early Career Researchers (EU TalentOn) 2027, which will take place in the third quarter of 2027. Synergies with the European Researchers’ Night and the Researchers at School initiative are encouraged.

The program should involve a small group of cities (3-6) from at least 3 different Member States and/or Associated Countries. Applicants must provide commitment letters from the public authorities of each participating city. The proposal should demonstrate the ability to mobilize substantial resources beyond the Union contribution.

Proposals should include the overall concept for the programmed activities, specifying events and activities funded by the Union contribution and those financed by other resources. Annexes should be used for commitment letters only. A detailed draft program of activities is a priority deliverable, due 3 months before the formal launch.

Financial support to third parties is limited to prizes totaling EUR 70,000 for EUCYS and EUR 100,000 for EU TalentOn. The expected project duration is 24-30 months.

The call opens on 15 May 2025, and the deadline for submission is 18 September 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this specific topic, HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-07, is EUR 6,000,000, with an indicative number of one grant to be awarded. The estimated contribution per project is around EUR 6,000,000.

General conditions for participation include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, and other eligibility conditions. Specifically, the city hosting EUCYS 2027 must provide a commitment from its National EUCYS Organiser. Applications must be submitted by a consortium of at least three independent legal entities, each from a different Member State or Associated Country, with at least two established in a Member State.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and the indicative timeline are described in Annexes D and F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties in the form of prizes, with a maximum of EUR 60,000 per third party. Subcontracting is not restricted. Legal and financial aspects are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement, are available in the Submission System. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 and guidance documents.

There are 22 partner search announcements available. The Funding & Tenders Portal provides access to the Electronic Submission Service and other support resources.

In summary, this call invites cities within the EU and associated countries to collaborate on a year-long science engagement program, "Science comes to town 2027". The program aims to boost citizen involvement in science, align research with societal values, and promote science careers. The grant supports activities like lectures, workshops, and science competitions, including EUCYS and EU TalentOn. A consortium of cities must apply, demonstrating a commitment to science communication and the ability to secure additional funding. The call encourages innovative engagement methods and synergy with existing science outreach initiatives. The selected project will receive approximately EUR 6,000,000 to implement its proposed activities.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity are cities in Member States and Associated Countries, different types of legal entities that can represent the host cities and/or join them in designing and implementing the activities, and local partners that provide the link to science, research and innovation. Commitment letters from the public authorities of each participating city, signed by the highest authorities (mayor or equivalent city governance representative), are required.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) and a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. Financial support to third parties is provided in the form of prizes.

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 includes cities located in Member States and Associated Countries. The programme should take place in a small group of cities (minimum 3 and maximum 6) located in at least 3 different Members States and/or Associated Countries, with the majority being in Member States.

Target Sector: The target sectors are science communication, citizen engagement, research and innovation, education, and culture. The program aims to increase societal responsibility and trust in science and innovation by engaging stakeholders, local communities, and citizens in the design and implementation of R&I policies and by enhancing communication of science to the public.

Mentioned Countries: Member States, Associated Countries, non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is demonstration and implementation, as the grant aims to support the design and implementation of a year-long program of activities.

Funding Amount: The funding amount varies depending on the specific topic within the call. For HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-01, the contributions range from 1500000 to 2000000 EUR, with a total budget of 26000000 EUR and an indicative number of 13 grants. For other topics (HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-02 to ERA-07), the contributions are around 2000000 EUR or 6000000 EUR, with total budgets ranging from 2000000 EUR to 6000000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 to 2 grants per topic.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage open call. The submission session is now available, with an opening date of 15 May 2025 and a deadline of 18 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support the implementation of the "Science comes to town 2027" program. Financial support to third parties will be provided in the form of prizes, with a maximum amount of EUR 60 000 per third party.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants per topic is provided, which can be used to estimate the success rate based on the number of applications received.

Co-funding Requirement: The proposal should demonstrate the ability of the consortium to mobilize substantial resources beyond the Union contribution, including monetary or in-kind sponsorships, to support and broaden the programmed activities.

This opportunity, "Science comes to town 2027," is a Horizon Europe grant that aims to increase societal responsibility and trust in science and innovation by engaging citizens in research and innovation. It invites a consortium of cities from EU Member States and Associated Countries to co-organize and host a year-long program of science-related activities. The goal is to connect citizens and scientists, showcase the benefits of science, and make research careers more attractive. The program should include events like lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and competitions, and must feature the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) and the European Union Contest for Early Career Researchers (EU TalentOn). Applicants need to demonstrate their ability to mobilize additional resources and provide commitment letters from city authorities. The funding is provided as a grant, with additional financial support available for third parties in the form of prizes. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline in September 2025.