Tackling gender-based violence in different social and economic spheres

The grant opportunity HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-01 is part of Horizon Europe, focusing on combating gender-based violence (GBV) in various social and economic contexts, such as online platforms, sports, and workplaces. This initiative seeks to address the significant issue of GBV, recognizing that one in three women in the EU has experienced some form of physical or sexual violence. The goals include collecting data and analyzing the prevalence and impact of GBV, providing policy recommendations, and supporting stakeholders in prevention and advocacy.

Eligible applicants consist of a diverse range of entities, including universities, research institutes, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and NGOs located in EU member states and associated countries. Additionally, international cooperation is encouraged for proposals that also involve participants from non-EU countries under certain conditions.

The funding type is primarily a lump sum grant, categorized as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA). Applicants are required to form consortia of at least three independent entities from different countries, reflecting the nature of collaborative research expected in Horizon Europe projects.

The financial support for each project is estimated between €3.00 million to €5.00 million, with a total budget of €15.00 million aimed at funding approximately 3-5 projects. The application process is an open, single-stage submission, with proposals due by September 16, 2025.

Key themes include addressing GBV in various sectors, especially those most vulnerable to violence such as healthcare, hospitality, and education. Proposals should also take into account intersecting factors like age, socioeconomic background, and gender identity. The research outcomes are intended to influence policy initiatives related to the EU's commitments against GBV, such as its alignment with the Istanbul Convention and relevant directives.

Support for applicants includes access to European research infrastructures, guidance documents, and a detailed budget table to facilitate proposal submission. The call aligns with the EU's broader goals of promoting gender equality and safeguarding democratic values.

The EU Funding Opportunity: Tackling Gender-Based Violence in Different Social and Economic Spheres

This opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically under the Call Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - 2025 (HORIZON-CL2-2025-01). The topic is designated as HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-01, focusing on tackling gender-based violence (GBV) in various social and economic contexts.

The action type is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline.

Key Dates:

Opening Date: 15 May 2025

Deadline Date: 16 September 2025, 17:00:00 Brussels time

Expected Outcomes:

Projects funded under this topic should contribute to the following outcomes:

Collection of data and analysis of the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence (GBV), including technology-facilitated GBV, across different socio-economic contexts and legislative frameworks.

Provision of policy recommendations at regional, national, and EU levels to address GBV.

Support for employers, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society organizations in preventing, protecting against, prosecuting, and providing services related to GBV. This includes promoting best practice sharing, mutual learning, and educational materials focused on consent.

Scope:

The scope of this funding opportunity addresses the pervasive issue of gender-based violence (GBV), noting that 1 in 3 women in the EU have experienced physical and/or sexual violence, 22% have experienced violence by an intimate partner, and 55% have been sexually harassed. GBV is defined as violence directed against a person because of their gender or violence that disproportionately affects persons of a particular gender. It encompasses sexual, physical, verbal, psychological, or economic forms, including threats, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.

The funding aims to address knowledge gaps regarding the prevalence and impact of GBV across different social and economic areas. Specific attention is given to sectors and occupations where workers are more exposed to violence and harassment, such as night work, healthcare, hospitality, social services, emergency services, transport, and education. The call also acknowledges the rise in domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to understand the impact of increased teleworking on women’s working conditions and safety. Furthermore, it highlights the lack of comprehensive pan-European data on sexual GBV in sports, despite initial studies indicating significant exposure of female athletes to sexual harassment.

Another critical research area is the impact of technology-facilitated GBV, including non-consensual sharing of sexually explicit images, manipulated intimate images (e.g., deepfakes and other forms of generative AI), child sexual abuse online, and the potential positive and negative effects of AI on GBV.

Proposals should focus on one or more of the following areas:

GBV in the world of work

GBV in sports

GBV on online platforms

Projects must consider both online and offline forms of GBV and account for intersecting factors such as age, socio-economic and migrant background, disability, racial or ethnic origin, religion, geography, gender identity, and sexual orientation. They should also address the roles of bystanders and superiors in addressing GBV and assess the availability and effectiveness of victim support services.

Data collection should utilize surveys and administrative data to assess how public services respond to the needs of GBV survivors and foster safe environments. Involvement of law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, academia, and SSH research is encouraged to optimize input and uptake. For proposals addressing the world of work, the involvement of social partners is also encouraged.

Projects should leverage data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud and relevant Data Spaces. Efforts should be made to ensure data is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable).

The research outcomes are intended to inform recent policy developments, including the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention, the EU Directive on Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, the Commission Recommendation on integrated child protection, and the ILO Convention no.190 on eliminating violence and harassment in the World of Work.

Synergies with projects under the DAPHNE strand of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme are encouraged, and international cooperation is promoted in line with the Gender Equality Strategy for External Action (GAPIII).

General Conditions:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposals must adhere to the page limits and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. The page limit for Part B of the Research and Innovation Action (RIA) application using lump sum funding is 50 pages. A detailed budget table, using the template in the Submission System, is mandatory.

Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may apply to non-EU/non-Associated Countries, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other Eligible Conditions: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Financial and Operational Capacity and Exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and Award:

Award Criteria, Scoring, and Thresholds: As described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission and Evaluation Processes: As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Indicative Timeline for Evaluation and Grant Agreement: As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and Financial Set-Up: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal. Additional details are in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific Conditions:

These are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and Evaluation Forms and Model Grant Agreement (MGA):

Application Form Templates: Available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE RIA, IA).

Evaluation Form Templates: Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) will be used with necessary adaptations.

Guidance: HE Programme Guide.

Model Grant Agreements (MGA): Lump Sum MGA.

Call-Specific Instructions: Detailed budget table (HE LS) version 3.3. Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"

Additional Documents:

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 5. Culture, creativity and inclusive society

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. 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

Budget Overview:

The total budget allocated to the HORIZON-CL2-2025-01 call for proposals is specified for each topic, with varying contributions and indicative numbers of grants.

Partner Search:

LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Submission Process:

To access the Electronic Submission Service, click the submission button next to the action type and model grant agreement. Confirm your choice, as it cannot be changed. Access existing draft proposals via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Support and Guidance:

Online Manual: Guide on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.

Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on structure, budget, and political priorities.

Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions.

Research Enquiry Service: Questions about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes.

National Contact Points (NCPs): Guidance, practical information, and assistance on participation.

Enterprise Europe Network: Advice to businesses, especially SMEs, including guidance on EU research funding.

IT Helpdesk: Questions about passwords, access rights, and technical aspects of proposal submission.

European IPR Helpdesk: Assistance on intellectual property issues.

CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Advice on tackling standardisation in project proposals.

European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment: Consult general principles and requirements for researchers.

Partner Search: Help finding partner organizations for proposals.

In summary, this Horizon Europe funding opportunity aims to address gender-based violence by supporting research and innovation actions that collect data, analyse impacts, and provide policy recommendations. Projects should focus on GBV in the world of work, sports, or online platforms, considering intersecting factors and leveraging European research infrastructures. The goal is to inform policy developments and support organizations working on prevention, protection, and prosecution of GBV, ultimately fostering safer environments and promoting gender equality across the EU. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and proposals must adhere to specific guidelines and utilize the resources available through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on 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, non-profit organizations, and other legal entities that can contribute to the research, development, and innovation activities. The involvement of social partners, law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges is encouraged where appropriate.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily grant-based, utilizing Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum contribution.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the scope and nature of the research and innovation actions, it is highly likely that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, especially considering the encouragement of international cooperation and the involvement of various stakeholders like law enforcement, social partners, and academia. Partner search tools are available, suggesting that consortia are common.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility is for EU member states and associated countries, as indicated by the Horizon Europe program. However, the text 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. International cooperation is encouraged, in line with the Gender Equality Strategy for External Action (GAPIII).

Target Sector: The primary target sector is culture, creativity, and inclusive society, with a specific focus on tackling gender-based violence (GBV) in different social and economic spheres. This includes the world of work, sports, and online platforms. The program also touches on areas such as technology (AI, deepfakes), law enforcement, social services, healthcare, hospitality, transport, and education.

Mentioned Countries: The text does not explicitly mention specific countries but refers to EU member states, associated countries, and non-EU/non-associated countries that have made provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects. The European Union is the main regional focus.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project for this opportunity includes research, development, and innovation. The call encompasses both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), suggesting a range from development to demonstration and validation stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action (RIA or CSA). The indicative contributions range from around €2,000,000 for some Coordination and Support Actions to €2,500,000 to €5,000,000 for Research and Innovation Actions, and up to €2,500,000 to €4,000,000 for Innovation Actions.

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 lump sum grants to cover eligible costs.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe grants typically fund a percentage of the total eligible costs, implying that applicants may need to secure additional funding from other sources.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society program, aims to tackle gender-based violence (GBV) in various social and economic spheres. The call invites proposals for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) to collect data, analyze the prevalence and impact of GBV (including tech-facilitated GBV), and provide policymakers with recommendations. Projects should also support employers, policymakers, and civil society organizations in preventing and addressing GBV. The scope includes GBV in the world of work, sports, and online platforms, considering intersecting factors like age, socio-economic background, disability, and sexual orientation. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and international cooperation is encouraged. Applicants should form consortia and submit their proposals through the Funding & Tenders Portal by the deadline of September 16, 2025. The call seeks to contribute to policy developments such as the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention and the EU Directive on Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.