Transatlantic Perspectives: Strengthening the Partnership with Think Tanks in the US

Transatlantic Perspectives:Strengthening the Partnership with Think Tanks in the US EuropeAid is an open action grant by the European Commission with an indicative budget of €3,000,000 and a submission deadline of 2 December 2026 (23:59 Brussels time / 22:59:42 UTC). The call funds non-partisan partnerships led by US-based non-profit think tanks in consortia with at least two co-applicants, including at least one established in an EU Member State, to support research, policy dialogue, convenings and capacity building at federal and state levels. Grant amounts vary by lot (Lot 1: €650,000–1,000,000; Lot 2: €400,000–500,000), with EU co-financing up to 80% of eligible costs, a maximum duration of 36 months, and the possibility to use financing not linked to costs or simplified cost options. Applications must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (PROSPECT), PADOR/PIC registration is required, and applicants must follow the Guidelines and annex templates published on the call page.

What it funds

Action grants to build and deepen partnerships between EU and US think tanks to strengthen the EU–US relationship, including research, policy dialogues, convenings, trainings, outreach and limited financial support to third parties. Activities may target federal (DMV) and sub‑federal (state) levels.

Who can apply

Lead applicants must be non‑profit think tanks legally established and head‑quartered in the United States. Co‑applicants are required (minimum two co‑applicants) and at least one co‑applicant must be established in an EU Member State. Affiliated entities, associates, contractors and recipients of financial support are allowed under the rules in the guidelines.

Total budget:Overall indicative EU allocation: €3,000,000. Allocation by lot and grant ranges below ¹.

1. 1Lot 1: Activities focused on the DMV and federal level (majority of activities in DC, MD, VA).
2. 2Lot 2: Activities focused at sub‑federal / state level beyond the DMV.

Key rules and timing

Open call with two‑step submission:concept note first, then full application for pre‑selected lead applicants. Online registration in PADOR and submission via PROSPECT are mandatory. Actions must take place in the United States and have a maximum duration of 36 months.

Deadline and submission:Deadline for full submission (Brussels time): 02 December 2026, 23:59. Apply via PROSPECT; PADOR registration required. See the official notice and documents on the F&T portal Opportunity details. ¹

Selection and compliance highlights

Concept notes are first evaluated against relevance and design; only those scoring above the threshold are invited to submit full applications. Full applications are assessed for financial and operational capacity, relevance, design, implementation approach, sustainability and cost‑effectiveness. Eligibility, exclusion and ethics checks apply; visibility and EU values requirements must be respected.

1. 1Maximum EU contribution: 80% of eligible costs; balance must come from other sources (own resources, non‑profit co‑funding).
2. 2Actions and partners must be non‑partisan and avoid electoral interference.
3. 3Financial support to third parties allowed (typical cap €60,000 per third party unless justified).

Footnotes

1. 1Full guidelines, forms and annexes (budget, logical framework, declaration on honour, PADOR offline form) and submission instructions are published on the call page: webgate.ec.europa.eu. Review the Guidelines for Grant Applicants for detailed eligibility, selection, reporting and financial rules.

Basic call information

Title:Transatlantic Perspectives: Strengthening the Partnership with Think Tanks in the US. Reference: EuropeAid. Call type: Action Grants (Calls for proposals). Total budget: €3,000,000. Publication date: 11 September 2026. Deadline for submission: 02 December 2026 (23:59 Brussels time). Geographical zone: United States of America. Online submission mandatory via PROSPECT; PADOR registration required. The contracting authority is the European Commission (Global Europe / NDICI).

URL to call and primary documents:Full call page and documents are published on the EU PROSPECT / Funding & Tenders portal. Key published annexes include: Guidelines for Grant Applicants, Annex A1 (Concept note), Annex A2 (Full application), Annex B (Budget), Annex C (Logical Framework), Annex G (Standard Grant Contract) and multiple administrative templates. See the call page: Call page Guidelines (English) Annex A2 - Full application Annex A1 - Concept note Annex B - Budget Annex C - Logframe Annex G - Contract & contractual annexes.

Objectives, priorities and scope

Overall objective:reinforce the EU–US partnership, deepen mutual trust, enhance understanding, and build the image of the EU as a long-term and reliable partner for the US. Specific objectives: (SO1) promote understanding of the importance and potential of the transatlantic relationship; (SO2) position the EU as a reliable partner to the US on bilateral and global issues. Priority activities: build and diversify partnerships with US think tanks to increase EU voice and visibility in US policy debates, promote bipartisan networks, expand engagement beyond the DMV (Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia) to state-level actors, strengthen EU–US research and policy exchanges across themes such as defense and security, trade and economic security, energy and environment, digital issues including AI and cyber, societal and democratic resilience, migration and protection of shared values. Projects should be non-partisan and avoid direct interference in electoral or legislative processes.

Two application Lots and geographic focus:Lot 1: Strengthening the Partnership with Think Tanks in the DMV Area and Federal Level (majority activities implemented in D.C., Maryland, Virginia and federal engagements). Lot 2: Strengthening the Partnership with Think Tanks at Sub-Federal Level beyond the DMV Area (majority activities at state level across the US). Indicative allocation: Lot €1 2,000,000; Lot €2 1,000,000.

Funding, eligible budgets and financial modalities

Total indicative amount:€3,000,000. Grants will be action grants and may be awarded as reimbursement of eligible costs (actual costs and/or simplified cost options) and/or financing not linked to costs (FNLC) where expressly used. Maximum EU co-financing: up to 80% of total eligible costs. Co-financing must come from other sources (lead applicant and/or co-applicants, non-profit organisations); EU operating grants count as an operating grant and may affect eligibility for indirect cost claims. Contingency reserve in budget may not exceed 5% of direct eligible costs and indirect costs may not exceed 7% of direct eligible costs (except volunteers and project office costs).

Grant sizes per lot:Lot 1: minimum €650,000 — maximum €1,000,000. Lot 2: minimum €400,000 — maximum €500,000. If insufficient quality/number of proposals in a lot, contracting authority may reallocate funds between lots.

Eligibility, applicants and partnership requirements

Lead applicant:must be a legal, non-profit think tank effectively established in the United States of America, directly responsible for design and management of the action (not acting as intermediary), and must sign declarations and provide supporting documents. Definition of think tank provided: independent, non-profit research organisations focused on policy analysis; universities are excluded unless research institutes/centres demonstrate full and proven autonomy. Co-applicant rules: minimum number of co-applicants is two (2), and at least one co-applicant must be effectively established in an EU Member State. Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action and must meet eligibility criteria. Affiliated entities may participate where a structural legal/capital/membership link exists; affiliated entities do not become beneficiaries but their costs may be accepted if eligibility conditions met. Associates, contractors and recipients of financial support play distinct roles and must be documented. PADOR and Participant Register (PIC) registration mandatory for organisations.

Eligible action characteristics and duration:Actions must take place in the United States and, exceptionally, where necessary, in EU Member States. Duration: maximum 36 months. Eligible action types include research and policy analysis, convenings, trainings, capacity building, evidence-based tools, data products, engagement with policymakers at federal and state level, and financial support to third parties under controlled conditions. Ineligible actions include primarily individual sponsorships, scholarships, actions that violate human rights or EU values, or actions that cause significant environmental harm.

Selection, evaluation and award procedure

This is an open two-stage call:submit concept note (Annex A1) and full application (Annex A2). Step 1: administrative checks and concept note evaluation. Concept notes scored out of 50; threshold for pre-selection is at least 30 points; the number of concept notes taken forward will be limited so that requested amounts equal up to 300% of available budget. Step 2: full application evaluation uses selection (financial and operational capacity) and award criteria — total score up to 100 with Section 1 (financial and operational capacity) threshold of 12/20; failing any sub-section score of 1 leads to rejection. Step 3: verification of eligibility of applicants and supporting documents for provisionally selected proposals. Reserve list will be created. Indicative timetable: information session 24 September 2026 (Washington DC and online), opening/admin checks and concept note evaluation results: January 2027, contract signature: end of January 2027. Evaluation grids and scoring rules detailed in guidelines.

1. 1Step 1: Concept note administrative checks and scoring out of 50; pass threshold = 30; pre-selection to 300% budget envelope.
2. 2Step 2: Full application evaluation (selection and award) with financial and operational capacity (20 points) and award criteria up to 100 points; minimum Section 1 score 12/20 required.
3. 3Step 3: Eligibility verification against supporting documents; final recommendation and contracting authority award decision.
4. 4Contract signature and start of implementation after successful checks; standard grant contract or contribution agreement depending on pillar assessment of coordinator.

Key compliance, ethics and safeguards

Applicants must respect EU values (human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights). Zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEA-H): successful applicants (except certain categories and where grant ≤ €60,000) must complete a SEA-H self-evaluation questionnaire (Annex L). Anti-corruption and anti-bribery obligations apply; beneficiaries must avoid unusual commercial expenses. The contracting authority may suspend or cancel procedures where fraud, corruption, irregularities or conflicts of interest are detected. Applicants will be checked against EU restrictive measures and the early detection and exclusion system (EDES).

Visibility and communications:Recipients must ensure prominent display of the EU emblem and funding statement in line with the Communication and Visibility Requirements for EU External Actions. Derogations for visibility may be approved in exceptional cases for security reasons; such requests must be included in the full application and agreed in special contract conditions.

Financial controls, reporting and verification

Reporting:narrative and financial reports using Annex VI templates must be submitted for interim and final periods in the currency and language of the contract. Detailed breakdowns and supporting documents are required for cost-based grants. Contractual expenditure verifications (agreed-upon procedures) and third party assessments for FNLC are required for grants above specified thresholds (contractual expenditure verification: for grants ≥ €5,000,000 with interim reports, and final reports for grants > €100,000; third party assessment for FNLC also triggered by these thresholds). Audit, on-the-spot checks and access to accounting and supporting documents by the European Commission, OLAF, EPPO and ECA are included. Records must be kept for at least five years after balance payment (or three years for grants ≤ €60,000) and until all audits/appeals are closed.

Payment and guarantees:Payment modalities depend on whether the grant is cost-based, FNLC, or hybrid. Pre-financing and further instalments rules are detailed in Article 15 of the general conditions and the special conditions; pre-financing guarantees may be required for grants > €60,000 and follow the model in Annex VIII. Interest on late payment rules apply. Maximum co-financing is 80% of eligible costs; beneficiaries must demonstrate other sources for the balance.

Eligible applicant types and roles

The call defines actors and roles precisely. Lead applicant must be a non-profit think tank legally established in the United States. Co-applicants and affiliated entities may participate; at least one co-applicant must be established in an EU Member State. Associates, contractors and recipients of financial support are allowed under specified conditions. The call excludes mere membership organisations that represent interests (interest groups).

1. 1Eligible as lead applicant: non-profit think tanks (independent policy research organisations) established in the United States.
2. 2Eligible co-applicants: think tanks or eligible entities meeting the same criteria; minimum two co-applicants required and one must be established in an EU Member State.
3. 3Affiliated entities: entities with structural links (control or membership) to applicants; their costs may be eligible but they do not sign as beneficiaries.
4. 4Associates: organisations that participate without receiving funds except limited travel/per diem.
5. 5Contractors: parties awarded procurement contracts by beneficiaries; procurement rules apply (Annex IV).
6. 6Recipients of financial support: third parties selected under clearly defined procedures; max €60,000 per third party unless otherwise justified and approved.

Eligibility and submission practicalities

Applications must be prepared in English and submitted online via PROSPECT. PADOR registration is obligatory; if impossible, offline PADOR forms (Annex F) must be submitted with the application. An information session is planned for 24 September 2026 in Washington DC and online (registration by 22 September 2026 to Delegation-USA-FPI-Americas-Calls@eeas.europa.eu). IT support for PROSPECT available Monday–Friday 08:30–18:30 Brussels time. All required annexes (statutes, declaration on honour, accounts, audit reports if applicable, PADOR forms) must be uploaded or provided by the application deadline. Incomplete or late applications will be rejected.

Templates and application structure

Applicants must use Annex A.1 for the concept note and Annex A.2 (Full application) for the full proposal. Mandatory annexes include Annex B (Budget worksheets 1a/€1B/1c), Annex C (Logical Framework), Annex H (Declaration on Honour), Annex L (SEA-H self-evaluation), Annex F (PADOR offline), Annex G (Standard contract templates). Budget templates include cost-based, hybrid and FNLC worksheets; FNLC indicators must be expressed as units, targets and unit value leading to a maximum EU contribution per result heading. Logical Framework and Activities Matrix are mandatory and must include indicators that are RACER and have baselines and targets. Applicants must provide a detailed budget justification and, where applicable, an auditor's report for lead applicants requesting more than €750,000 or operating grants exceeding €100,000.

Categorisation answers (structured extraction)

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Primary: think tanks (non-profit research organisations) established in the United States (lead applicant). Required co-applicants: think tanks or eligible organisations (minimum two co-applicants total, one must be established in an EU Member State). Allowed participants include research institutes with proven autonomy, EU think tanks (encouraged), affiliated entities (legal/capital/membership link), non-profit organisations, NGOs, contractors, associates, and recipients of financial support (third parties). Public authorities may participate only as beneficiaries when appropriate and where consistent with eligibility rules.
2. 2Funding Type: Action grants (reimbursement of eligible costs and/or financing not linked to costs; simplified cost options may be used where authorised).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Consortium required (minimum lead applicant plus at least two co-applicants in total). The call requires multi-actor applications: lead applicant plus minimum two co-applicants, with at least one co-applicant established in an EU Member State.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Geographic eligibility is the United States of America for actions; co-applicants may include entities from EU Member States (one co-applicant must be established in a Member State). The contracting authority is the European Commission under NDICI / Global Europe; applicants must be established in eligible countries as defined in the call (primarily US for lead applicants).
5. 5Target Sector: Thematic sectors targeted: foreign policy / transatlantic relations / public policy / security and defense / trade and economic security / energy and environment / digital governance and AI / cyber / space / innovation / democratic resilience / migration / human rights / think-tank ecosystem strengthening / capacity building and public diplomacy. Sector classification: policy research, international relations, governance and public affairs.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: United States of America (explicit). EU Member States (as location requirement for at least one co-applicant) referenced as region. Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia (DMV) mentioned specifically. No individual EU Member State names are singled out in the call text, but EU Member States are referenced as eligible locations for co-applicants.
7. 7Project Stage: Expected maturity: development through demonstration and policy engagement — projects should be implementation-ready at concept note stage (able to present intervention logic, activities and partners). Emphasis on convenings, research, policy analysis, capacity building, dissemination and engagement — suitable for organisations with established operational capacity and networks.
8. 8Funding Amount: Overall envelope €3,000,000. Lot 1 envelope €2,000,000; Lot 2 envelope €1,000,000. Grant size per award: Lot 1 min €650,000 — max €1,000,000. Lot 2 min €400,000 — max €500,000. EU co-financing up to 80% of eligible costs. FNLC and simplified cost options may be used as specified.
9. 9Application Type: Open call. Two-stage submission where concept note and full application submitted together; initial evaluation of concept notes; shortlisted lead applicants invited to submit or continue with full application evaluation. Online submission via PROSPECT mandatory.
10. 10Nature of Support: Monetary (grant funding) and non-monetary support through partnerships, visibility and convening. Grants can be cost-reimbursement (monetary) and/or financing not linked to costs (results-based FNLC) components. Contractual support and EU visibility obligations are non-monetary deliverables.
11. 11Application Stages: Three main stages: 1) Administrative checks and concept note evaluation (Step 1). 2) Evaluation of full application (Step 2) including selection and award criteria. 3) Verification of eligibility and supporting documents (Step 3). After selection, award decision, notification and contract signature.
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified numerically in call documents. The process limits pre-selection to concept notes scoring ≥ 30/50 and to an envelope equal to 300% of the available funds; therefore expected competitive success rate is low—only the highest-ranked proposals up to the budget will be funded. Exact success rates will vary by lot and number of applicants.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: Co-financing required — the EU will fund up to 80% of eligible costs; the remainder must be financed from sources other than the EU general budget, typically own resources of applicant/co-applicants or other donors. For FNLC-only components, co-financing rules are set out in Annex III and call guidelines.
14. 14Templates: Application templates are extensive and provided as Annexes A1 (concept note) and A2 (full application) plus Annex B (budget worksheets 1a,€1B,1c), Annex C (logframe), Annex F (PADOR), Annex H (Declaration on Honour), Annex L (SEA-H questionnaire), Annex G (contract templates and annexes). The full application includes: section 1 general info, section 2 description of action (max pages guidance in Annex A2), methodology, action plan (six-month clusters), sustainability plan, logical framework (Annex C), detailed budget (Annex B) with cost justification (worksheet 2). For FNLC, Annex B worksheets include FNLC-specific columns: Unit, Target, Value per unit, Total amount and a requirement to indicate the link between performance indicators and payment schedule. Applicants must follow the provided templates exactly and provide originals of certain documents where requested (originals or QES).

Key risks, opportunities and practical notes for applicants

Risks:high competition and strict eligibility (lead applicant must be a US-based think tank); strong requirement for partnership with an EU-based co-applicant; requirement to register in PADOR and Participant Register (PIC) and upload statutory documents; possible requirement for contractual expenditure verifications or financial guarantees depending on grant size; strict visibility and ethics obligations including SEA-H self-evaluation. Opportunities: well-funded call with targeted lots; priority for balanced, bipartisan, geographically diverse think tank partnerships; scope for state-level impact in Lot 2; EU encourages participation of EU-based think tanks and cross-Atlantic consortia which can strengthen the proposal. Applicants should prepare robust monitoring frameworks (logframe with RACER indicators), clear stakeholder engagement strategies and dissemination plans demonstrating qualitative impact on public debate.

• Prepare PADOR and Participant Register (PIC) registration well before deadline.
• Follow the exact templates: Annex A1/A2, Annex B and Annex C — incomplete templates can cause rejection.
• If proposing financial support to third parties, define selection criteria, types of activities eligible, amounts and maximum per third party in Annex A2 Section 2.1.1.
• Budget realism is important — corrections are possible but the contracting authority cannot increase grant amount after award.
• If using FNLC, prepare measurement protocols, data sources, and third-party assessment plans in advance as these will be used to validate results and payments.

Evaluation and scoring emphasis:Concept notes are evaluated primarily on relevance and design (50-point scale). Full applications are evaluated on financial and operational capacity (20), relevance (20), design (15), implementation approach (15), sustainability (15) and budget/cost-effectiveness (15) with certain subsections multiplied (e.g. intervention logic). Applicants should address all criteria with evidence of operational capacity, prior experience, staffing, financial stability and monitoring systems. Applicants scoring below thresholds in Section 1 will be rejected (financial/operational capacity minimum 12/20).

Summary — what is this opportunity about and how to explain it

This European Commission call funds transatlantic engagement by strengthening partnerships with US think tanks to deepen EU–US strategic cooperation. It supports non-partisan policy research, dialogue, convenings and outreach at federal and state levels to shape US policy debates and build bipartisan networks that incorporate EU perspectives. The opportunity is targeted at US-based non-profit think tanks acting as lead applicants in consortia that include at least one EU Member State co-applicant. Projects should deliver measurable qualitative impact on public debate, policymaking and expert networks across policy areas such as trade, defense, energy, climate, digital/AI governance, and democratic resilience. Grants range from several hundred thousand euros to up to €1,000,000 per project, with co-financing required and the possibility to use cost reimbursement, simplified cost options and/or results-based financing not linked to costs. Applicants must register in PADOR and PROSPECT, follow the provided templates and annexes, meet strict eligibility and ethics rules, and be prepared for contractual reporting, verification and visibility obligations. The call is competitive and designed to scale EU engagement with the US think tank ecosystem both in Washington and across US states to promote deeper transatlantic understanding and cooperation.

This description is based entirely on the published call documentation, annexes and templates. Applicants must consult the official documentation and use the provided templates and annexes when preparing submissions; any discrepancy is resolved in favour of the official call documents and portal information. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full guidelines, annexes and templates are available on the call page and in the attached documents on the EU PROSPECT portal. See Guidelines for Grant Applicants and Annexes A1, A2, B, C, G, H, L for all detailed requirements and templates: Guidelines for Grant Applicants Annex A2 - Full application.

Transatlantic Perspectives:Strengthening the Partnership with Think Tanks in the US is an open action grant under call EuropeAid. The portal shows a total budget of €3,000,000, a geographical zone of the United States, and a submission deadline of 3 December 2026 at 22:59:42 UTC.

Official call page:The opportunity is published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Applications are submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, which is the European Commission's single electronic platform for funding opportunities.[4][5]

What the Call Is About

The call is focused on strengthening the partnership with think tanks in the United States, which points to a transatlantic policy dialogue and cooperation objective. The title and grant classification indicate a cooperation funding instrument rather than a procurement contract.

Who Can Apply

The public portal extract does not display the full eligibility section, so the definitive admissibility rules should be checked in the Guidelines for grant applicant. The document set includes identification forms for a public law body, a private or public law body with legal personality, and a natural person, plus a separate appendix for international organisations, which indicates that several legal forms may be able to participate subject to the call rules.

Funding and Main Conditions

The portal extract does not show the funding rate, cofinancing percentage, or project duration. Applicants should rely on the guidelines and standard grant contract to confirm the exact reimbursement rules, eligible cost categories, reporting obligations, implementation period, and any use of financing not linked to costs.

Application Documents

1. 1Guidelines for grant applicant open
2. 2Annex A1 Grant application form Concept note
3. 3Annex A2 Grant application form Full application
4. 4Annex B Budget
5. 5Annex C Logical framework
6. 6Annex D Identification Form public law body
7. 7Annex D Identification Form private or public law body with legal form
8. 8Annex D Identification Form natural person
9. 9Annex F PADOR offline registration form
10. 10Annex G Standard Grant Contract
11. 11Annex J Information on the tax regime applicable to grant contracts
12. 12Appendix Derogations international organisation
13. 13Annex H Declaration of honour on exclusion and selection criteria
14. 14Annex K Clarifications on financing not linked to costs
15. 15Annex L Self evaluation questionnaire on SEA H
16. 16e Calls PADOR privacy statement

Practical Takeaways for Applicants

Applicants should prepare a concept note and full application, build a compliant budget and logical framework, and verify whether PADOR registration or offline PADOR submission is required. They should also review the declaration of honour, tax regime guidance, SEA H self evaluation, and any provisions on financing not linked to costs before submission.

An information session was announced for 24 September 2026 at the EU Delegation, with registration requested by 22 September by email.[8]

Given the transatlantic focus, the most competitive proposals are likely to show strong policy relevance, a credible implementation plan, and clear added value for EU United States dialogue, but the final award and eligibility conditions must be confirmed from the official guidance documents.