Working time reduction: barriers, challenges, benefits and policy implications

The grant opportunity titled "HORIZON-CL2" is part of Horizon Europe's Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society pillar. It focuses on researching the implications of reducing working hours in the EU. The primary aim is to analyze barriers, challenges, benefits, and policy implications related to this adjustment in work time. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, NGOs, and public-private partnerships. The grant is structured as a lump sum grant under the Horizon Europe framework, with a total budget of €10.20 million, and individual project funding expected to be around €3.4 million, allowing for three grants in total. The project's geographic eligibility encompasses EU member states, EEA countries, and associated countries. It falls under the Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) category, which generally requires consortia of multiple independent entities from different countries. As part of the application process, a single-stage open call procedure is required, with submissions due by September 16, 2025. The opportunity specifically targets research to enhance understanding of working time reduction's effects on economic productivity, social well-being, and environmental factors. It addresses themes such as labor market inclusion, employee well-being, productivity, and sustainability. Applicants are encouraged to employ diverse research methods, including quantitative and experimental approaches. There is no requirement for co-funding, as the grants cover 100% of eligible costs. Success rates for Horizon Europe calls typically range between 10% and 39%, reflecting the competitive nature of the funding process. Overall, the grant seeks to provide comprehensive insights and policy recommendations on implementing working time reductions, promoting positive macroeconomic outcomes, and improving labor market conditions for underrepresented groups. The application necessitates a detailed proposal and budget plan, utilizing guidelines available through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL2, titled "Working time reduction: barriers, challenges, benefits and policy implications". It falls under the "Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society" call (HORIZON-CL2-2025-01) of the Horizon Europe Programme. 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. The opening date was May 15, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is September 16, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The project aims to deepen the understanding of the impacts and implementation of working time reduction for policymakers, employers, trade unions, and other stakeholders. It also seeks to provide policymakers with recommendations on the feasibility of implementing working time reduction across various economic activities and occupations while promoting positive macroeconomic outcomes. Furthermore, it aims to equip relevant stakeholders with recommendations and data on the enablers and barriers to successful implementation of working time reduction at both employer and employee levels. Finally, it aims to improve the understanding of the potential of working time reduction to increase employment and inclusion in the labor market by activating underrepresented groups.

The scope of the project involves research into the coordinated reduction of weekly working hours, concentrated into an extra free day per week without a corresponding decrease in pay. The research should explore the economic, social, and environmental aspects of this reduction.

The research should assess the impacts of working time reduction along at least two out of the three axes: economic, social, and environmental.

These may include but are not limited to the following channels:Social impacts on workers, including well-being at the workplace, health outcomes (including stress levels), work-life balance, gendered employment outcomes, labour market inclusion; Economic impacts, including effects on productivity, employment, economic growth, hiring and staff retention, absenteeism, firm costs, overall economic demand, innovation; Environmental impacts, including on energy expenditures and savings, energy poverty, emission reduction, consumption patterns, sustainable lifestyles.

Applicants are encouraged to employ a variety of SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities) research methods, including quantitative micro-economic analysis or behavioural and other experimental research methods. Proposers may consider the data offered by European Research Infrastructures in the social sciences domain. Where applicable, proposals should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud, as well as data from relevant Data Spaces. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

The proposal page limit for Part B of the Research and Innovation (RIA) application using lump sum is 50 pages. A detailed budget table must also be submitted using the template available in the Submission System.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025).

The budget for the topic is €10,200,000 for the year 2025. The opening date is May 15, 2025, and the deadline is September 16, 2025. The estimated contribution is around €3,400,000, and the indicative number of grants is 3.

The general conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation, award, and legal/financial setup are as described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. The Model Grant Agreement is the Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions and a detailed budget table template are also available. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, the EU Grants AGA, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the Portal.

This Horizon Europe call focuses on researching the impacts of working time reduction, specifically a coordinated reduction in weekly hours to include an extra free day without a pay decrease. The goal is to understand the economic, social, and environmental effects of this model, providing data and recommendations for policymakers, employers, and trade unions. The call encourages the use of social sciences research methods and leveraging data from European research infrastructures. Successful projects should contribute to a deeper understanding of the implications of working time reduction, offer policy recommendations, provide data on enablers and barriers to implementation, and improve understanding of its potential to enhance employment and inclusion. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process involves submitting a detailed proposal and budget table through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

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. The reference to social partners, SMEs, large companies, and public authorities suggests these are also potential beneficiaries or stakeholders.

Funding Type:The primary funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, used for both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

Consortium Requirement:The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, given the scope and nature of Horizon Europe projects, it is highly likely that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, if not required, to ensure a diverse range of expertise and geographical representation. The partner search announcements also suggest that consortia are expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on EU member states and associated countries, as indicated by the reference to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. However, the mention of "non-EU/non-Associated Countries" with specific provisions suggests that some third-country participation is possible.

Target Sector:The program targets the following sectors: Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society. Specifically, the focus is on the impacts and implementation of working time reduction, including its implications on social, economic, and environmental outcomes. This encompasses areas such as employment, labor market inclusion, well-being, health, productivity, economic growth, energy, and consumption patterns.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned, but the geographic scope includes EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some non-EU/non-associated countries with specific provisions.

Project Stage:The expected maturity of the project for this opportunity ranges from research to innovation. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) support projects aimed at generating new knowledge or exploring the feasibility of new or improved technology, products, processes, services or solutions. Innovation Actions (IA) aim to produce new or improved products and services.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action (RIA or CSA). The budget overview provides the following ranges:

HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA):Contributions range from approximately €2,000,000 to €3,500,000, with total topic budgets between €2,000,000 and €3,500,000.

HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA):Contributions range from approximately €3,000,000 to €5,000,000, with total topic budgets between €7,000,000 and €15,000,000.

HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA):Contributions range from approximately €2,500,000 to €4,000,000, with total topic budgets of €26,000,000.

Application Type:The application type is a single-stage open call, as indicated by "single-stage" and "Open For Submission."

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

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

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

Co-funding Requirement:The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, as Horizon Europe uses lump sum funding, the funding covers 100% of eligible costs.

Summary:This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar, focuses on "Working time reduction: barriers, challenges, benefits and policy implications." It seeks to fund projects that deepen the understanding of the impacts and implementation of working time reduction, provide policy recommendations, and offer data to stakeholders on enablers and barriers. The call includes both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), with funding provided as lump sum grants. Eligible applicants include a range of organizations, such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, and public authorities, primarily from EU member states and associated countries. Projects should contribute to at least three out of four expected outcomes, assessing the impacts of working time reduction along economic, social, and environmental axes. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of September 16, 2025. The goal is to provide insights and recommendations that can inform policy and practice related to working time reduction, promoting positive macroeconomic outcomes, employment, and inclusion in the labor market.