Student and family engagement for developing a culture of democratic/civic participation

The HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-DEMOCRACY-03 grant opportunity, titled "Student and Family Engagement for Developing a Culture of Democratic/Civic Participation," is part of the Horizon Europe program aimed at fostering democratic values and active citizenship in schools. This specific initiative is a Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a total budget of €12 million available for funding.

The opening date for proposals is set for May 13, 2027, with a submission deadline of September 23, 2027. The grant will provide financial support in the form of lump sum contributions, ranging from €3.5 million to €4 million per project. It is expected that three projects will be funded under this call.

Eligible applicants include a wide array of organizations such as universities, public research organizations, non-profit organizations, civil society groups, SMEs, educational institutions, and education authorities from EU Member States and Associated Countries. It is encouraged that these proposals involve multinational consortia to ensure diverse expertise and geographic representation.

The focus of the research includes developing innovative ways to engage students and families in citizenship education, particularly within school settings. It aims to explore the effectiveness of student councils, the role of family involvement in education, and the promotion of socio-emotional learning as it relates to civic engagement. The projects should specifically address marginalized communities, including students from various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and provide evidence-based toolkits and recommendations for educators and policymakers.

Applications are submitted through a single-stage electronic portal, with a structured evaluation process involving checks for admissibility, eligibility, and quality assessments by independent experts. While co-funding is not mandatory, demonstrating additional investment can strengthen proposals.

Overall, this grant opportunity seeks to transform schools into active sites of democracy and citizenship participation, equipping young people with the tools and frameworks necessary to navigate and contribute positively to society. The program reflects a commitment to addressing contemporary challenges in democracy and engaging communities to foster inclusive civic education practices.

This EU funding opportunity, under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targets "Student and family engagement for developing a culture of democratic/civic participation." It falls under the "Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society" call for 2027 (HORIZON-CL2-2027-01) and is classified as a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA). The grant type is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS].

The call follows a single-stage submission process with a planned opening date of May 13, 2027, and a deadline of September 23, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of funded projects are:

1. Providing policymakers, education and training institutions, and educators with an evidence base, toolkits, and recommendations on effective collaboration mechanisms with families to support schools' citizenship education efforts.

2. Enhancing the understanding of policymakers, education and training institutions, and educators regarding the effectiveness of student councils and other student participatory mechanisms in influencing school decision-making and fostering student civic engagement.

3. Deepening the understanding of policymakers, education and training institutions, and educators concerning the impact of family involvement in citizenship education in schools.

4. Equipping educators with frameworks, guidance, and tools for evaluating social-emotional learning, including values and attitudes, as part of citizenship education.

The scope of the research should include:

1. Examining schools as a locus for practicing participation and developing innovative participatory practices.

2. Investigating student and family engagement to foster a democratic culture through school activities, considering schools as social places for intergenerational dialogue.

3. Analyzing the role of socio-emotional learning in addressing sensitive topics in the classroom and in fostering civic agency development among learners, including exploring emotions driving civic engagement and strategies for coping with frustrations.

4. Integrating an intersectional approach sensitive to gender and ability, studying how students contribute to and respond to civic engagement efforts differently based on their identity and backgrounds.

5. Examining the active role of families in building children and young people's civic identity, recognizing parents/caregivers and the wider family as key influences in informal learning, values, and world-views.

6. Investigating how citizenship education is reinforced or challenged outside the classroom, especially with growing polarization and diversity, and providing recommendations for effectively engaging families from diverse backgrounds.

7. Examining families’ and students' views on the content of citizenship education and the role of curriculum design in promoting inclusive civic engagement among students from diverse backgrounds, including the relevance of arts and humanities.

8. Investigating the effectiveness of student councils and other participatory mechanisms, exploring incentives and motives behind participation and restrictions on non-participation, and utilizing tools from previous research projects.

9. Addressing the lack of formal monitoring and evaluation of participatory mechanisms, developing frameworks, guidance, and tools for evaluating socio-emotional learning, values, and attitudes in citizenship education.

10. Exploring the influence of engaging families in citizenship education and fostering a democratic culture at school on the civic participation of children, young people, and their families, with emphasis on schools in marginalized areas or with high migrant populations.

11. Including pilots or living labs to develop innovative participation practices in schools, where students learn to recognise and exercise their citizenship rights and obligations, strengthen the value of democracy, and build their identity as active citizens, collaborating with schools and education authorities.

Projects can focus on primary and/or secondary education levels.

Admissibility conditions include adhering to 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 are defined in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other eligible conditions are also described in Annex B.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award processes, criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D and Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is in Annex F.

Legal and financial aspects of the grants include the granting authority's right to object to ownership transfer or exclusive licensing of results for up to 4 years after the action's end, as per Annex 5. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of July 7, 2021, and Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, detailed budget table (HE LS), and guidance on lump sums. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the decision authorising lump sum contributions, rules for legal entity validation, the EU Grants AGA, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.

The budget overview lists various topics under the call, including "Student and family engagement for developing a culture of democratic/civic participation" (HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-DEMOCRACY-03), with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR, an opening date of May 13, 2027, a deadline of September 23, 2027, contributions ranging from 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, and an indicative number of 3 grants.

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.

This funding opportunity aims to promote research and innovation in citizenship education by focusing on the engagement of students and families in schools. It seeks to develop effective strategies, tools, and frameworks that can be used by policymakers, educators, and training institutions to foster a democratic culture and enhance civic participation among young people. The emphasis on social-emotional learning, inclusivity, and addressing structural barriers in marginalized communities highlights the importance of creating equitable and effective citizenship education programs. The call encourages collaborative projects involving schools, education authorities, and research institutions to develop and implement innovative practices that empower students to become active and responsible citizens.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. Collaboration with schools and education authorities is encouraged.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. There are also HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, Horizon Europe RIAs and CSAs often involve consortia to bring together diverse expertise and resources. Partner search announcements are available, suggesting that consortia are common and encouraged. Collaboration with schools and education authorities is specifically mentioned, implying that a consortium including these types of organizations would be beneficial.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The text refers to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes for eligible countries. It also mentions that "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." Therefore, the geographic eligibility includes EU member states, associated countries, and potentially certain non-EU countries with specific provisions.

Target Sector: The program targets the education sector, specifically focusing on citizenship education, democratic culture in schools, socio-emotional learning, and family engagement. It also touches upon arts and humanities in the context of curriculum design.

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions "EU member states" and "non-EU/non-Associated Countries".

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on research and innovation actions (RIA), suggesting projects should be in the research, development, validation, or demonstration phase. The inclusion of pilots and living labs indicates a need for practical implementation and testing of innovative practices.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action (CSA or RIA). The indicative contributions range from €3,000,000 to €5,000,000 for CSA and €2,500,000 to €4,800,000 for RIA. The total budget for each topic is also provided, ranging from €3,500,000 to €20,000,000.

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 stated, but the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided, allowing for an estimation of the potential success rate based on the number of expected applications.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe projects often encourage or require some level of co-funding from the applicants or other sources.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar, focuses on "Student and family engagement for developing a culture of democratic/civic participation." It aims to fund research and innovation projects that explore how schools can foster democratic values and active citizenship through innovative practices, family engagement, and socio-emotional learning. The call encourages projects to examine schools as hubs for participation, promote intergenerational dialogue, and address barriers to civic engagement, particularly in marginalized communities. Projects should develop evidence-based toolkits and recommendations for policymakers, educators, and training institutions. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, and the call is open to a wide range of organizations from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially certain non-EU countries. The application process is a single-stage submission, and collaboration with schools and education authorities is highly encouraged. The call includes both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), each with different funding levels and objectives.