Twinning

The Horizon Europe Twinning program, under call HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-02-WIDENING-01, is designed to enhance research excellence and innovation capacities in Widening countries by facilitating collaborations between their research institutions and internationally leading counterparts from various EU Member States or Associated Countries. The initiative aims to elevate the research profile of institutions in Widening countries, strengthen their research management capabilities, and ultimately help close the research and innovation gap across the European Union.

Eligible applicants include research institutions established in Widening countries that must act as coordinators, along with at least two partner institutions from different Member States or Associated Countries. The program seeks a consortium of at least three entities with a legal entity in a Widening country leading the project. The Joint Research Centre can join as a member without funding or as an associated partner.

Funding is through lump sum grants ranging from €800,000 to €1,500,000, supporting various activities such as staff exchanges, expert visits, training workshops, and joint research projects. The overall budget for this call is €41,500,000 for 2027 and €223,000,000 for 2026, with an anticipated 210 grants to be awarded. The application is a single-stage process, with proposals due by April 9, 2026.

Potential outcomes of the Twinning actions include improved research excellence, enhanced strategic collaboration, increased research profiles, strengthened research management capacities, and the development of innovative research and innovation approaches. The program encourages gender equality, mobility, and knowledge transfer among researchers.

The specific requirements for proposals emphasize the need to demonstrate strategic plans for scientific excellence and may involve joint research activities capped at 30% of the total grant. Although there's no explicit co-funding requirement, institutional commitment through in-kind support is necessary.

Evaluation criteria focus on scientific quality, feasibility of the proposed collaboration, alignment with European research priorities, and geographical diversity to ensure the program's impact across multiple Widening countries. The call opens on January 8, 2026, giving potential applicants a clear timeline and framework to submit their full proposals for consideration.

In summary, this call targets innovation and research capacity strengthening within Widening countries by promoting structured interactions with established European research institutions, ultimately fostering long-term improvements to their research ecosystems.

The Horizon Europe Twinning program, under call HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-02-WIDENING-01, aims to enhance research excellence and innovation capacities in Widening countries by fostering collaborations between their research institutions/infrastructures and internationally leading counterparts from different Member States or Associated Countries. The program seeks to elevate the research profile of institutions in Widening countries, strengthen their research management capabilities, and ultimately contribute to closing the research and innovation gap within the European Union.

The expected outcomes of the Twinning actions are: Improved research excellence and capacities in Widening countries, enhanced strategic collaboration between research institutions/higher education establishments in Widening countries and at least two internationally leading research institutions/higher education establishments at the European Union level, raised reputation, research profile, and attractiveness of the coordinating institution, strengthened research management capacities of the coordinating institution, and development of novel approaches in R&I collaboration with increased mobility of researchers.

The scope of the Twinning program involves outlining a clear strategy for stimulating scientific excellence and innovation capacity in a defined research area. This includes arrangements for joint research and innovation activities, supported by activities such as staff exchanges, expert visits, training, workshops, conference attendance, and summer schools. Gender equality plans of participants should be considered. Proposals should focus on strengthening research management capacities, potentially through a dedicated work package, utilizing the experience of leading partners. A research and innovation component, capped at 30% of the total grant, may be included, with at least 50% of its budget allocated to the coordinator. Proposals should illustrate the expected impact of the twinning exercise, considering indicators like scientific production, peer recognition, collaboration agreements, investments, intellectual property, and the roles of female scientists. Leading scientific institutions should contribute to new research avenues, creativity, and increased gender equality and mobility. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate with specific expertise. The duration of Twinning projects can be up to 3 years.

Regarding admissibility conditions, proposal page limits and layout are 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 described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Some non-EU/non-Associated Countries have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other eligibility conditions include that coordinators must be legal entities established in Widening countries. The JRC can participate as a member of the consortium with zero funding or as an associated partner, but cannot participate in proposal preparation and submission.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds follow the rules for ex-aequo applications, prioritizing geographical diversity (coordinators from Widening countries not otherwise represented). The method in Points 1), 2), 3), and 5) of General Annexes Part F will be applied. These are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. This is further described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE CSA). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include HE MGA and Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions and a detailed budget table (HE LS) are also available, along with guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 11. Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. 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, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview indicates that for the topic HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-02-WIDENING-01 (HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions), the budget is EUR 41,500,000 for 2027 and EUR 223,000,000 for 2026. The action is single-stage, with a planned opening date of 08 January 2026 and a deadline of 09 April 2026. The contributions range from EUR 800,000 to EUR 1,500,000, with an indicative number of 210 grants.

LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

Support resources include the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers, and a Partner Search tool.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on "Twinning" actions designed to bridge the research and innovation gap within the EU by pairing institutions in Widening countries with leading international research entities. It provides funding and a framework for collaborative projects aimed at enhancing research excellence, strengthening research management, and fostering innovation. The call specifies eligibility criteria, proposal requirements, evaluation processes, and budget allocations, offering a comprehensive guide for potential applicants.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are research institutions and research infrastructures from Widening countries acting as coordinators, and internationally leading research institutions from different Member States or Associated Countries. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate as a member of the consortium with zero funding or as an associated partner. Legal entities established in Widening countries are specifically mentioned as eligible coordinators.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA): HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The action type is HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. The coordinating institution from a Widening country must link with at least two internationally leading research institutions from two different Member States or Associated Countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes Widening countries, EU Member States, and Associated Countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also have specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is research and innovation (R&I), with a focus on enhancing scientific excellence and innovation capacity, strengthening research management capacities, and developing novel approaches in R&I collaboration. The program targets all areas of research and innovation.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, Associated Countries, and Widening Countries are mentioned. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries are also referenced as potentially having specific funding provisions.

Project Stage: The project stage is aimed at enhancing existing research institutions and infrastructures, strengthening research management, and developing new R&I collaborations, suggesting a stage of development and enhancement rather than basic research or pure idea generation.

Funding Amount: The funding range is €800,000 to €1,500,000 per grant. The total budget for the topic is €41,500,000 for 2027 and €223,000,000 for 2026.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call, meaning applicants submit a full proposal at once.

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

Application Stages: There is one application stage, as it is a single-stage call.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is 210. Success rates cannot be determined exactly without knowing the expected number of applications.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under the Twinning program (HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-02-WIDENING-01), aims to enhance research and innovation capacities in Widening countries by fostering collaborations between research institutions and infrastructures in those countries and internationally leading institutions from other EU Member States or Associated Countries. The program provides lump sum grants ranging from €800,000 to €1,500,000 to support activities such as staff exchanges, expert visits, training, workshops, and joint research projects. The coordinating institution must be a legal entity established in a Widening country, and the consortium must include at least two internationally leading research institutions. The call seeks to improve research excellence, strengthen research management capacities, raise the profile of the coordinating institution, and promote the development of novel approaches in R&I collaboration. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate in the consortium. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of April 9, 2026. The total budget allocated for this call is €41,500,000 for 2027 and €223,000,000 for 2026, with an indicative number of 210 grants to be awarded.