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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to establish a more robust and interconnected European Science for Policy (S4P) ecosystem, supporting evidence-informed policymaking across various sectors and governance levels. - Target recipient: Consortia of at least three independent legal entities. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Focuses on Science for Policy and evidence-informed policymaking across thematic areas. - Geographic scope: European Union Member States and Associated Countries, with an international dimension. - Key filtering criteria: Organizations involved in science-policy interface, meeting consortium requirements, and operating within the specified European geographic area. - Grant frequency: Part of the HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06 call within the Horizon Europe Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area work programme, structured as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA).

Financial Structure

Total Funding for this Topic: 2,000,000.0 EUR.
Currency: EUR.
Minimum Grant Amount per Application: 2,000,000.0 EUR.
Maximum Grant Amount per Application: 2,000,000.0 EUR.
Eligible/Ineligible Costs: Specifics are described in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial Reporting: Requirements for financial reporting are detailed in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Audit Requirements: Audit requirements are specified in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Indirect Cost Policies: Policies regarding indirect costs are outlined in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type & Structure

Consortium: Must be submitted by a consortium.
Legal Entities: At least three independent legal entities are required as beneficiaries.
Geographic Diversity: Each entity must be established in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
EU Member State Presence: At least two entities within the consortium must be established in an EU Member State.
JRC Participation: The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a consortium member.

Experience & Expertise

Science for Policy Experience: Applicants must have proven experience in the field of science for policy.
Facilitation Experience: Experience in the organization and facilitation of participatory multi-actor processes and events is required.

Application Process

Submission Platform: Applications must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
Submission Format: Use the standard application form (HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions - CSA), which is available in the Submission System. The proposal page limit and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form.
Submission Type: This call operates on a single-stage submission process.

Deadlines & Timeline

Application Deadline: 2025-09-18 00:00:00+0000.
Planned Opening Date: 2025-05-15.
Project Duration: The duration of the action should not exceed 3 years.
Evaluation and Grant Agreement Timeline: An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement procedures is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Required Documentation

Application Form: The standard HORIZON CSA application form.
Part B: The main part of the proposal, detailing the project plan according to specified page limits and layout.

Support & Assistance

Guidance & Information: Comprehensive guidance is available through the Online Manual, the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ section.
Enquiry Services: For general European research queries, contact the Research Enquiry Service. For technical submission issues, use the IT Helpdesk.
National Support: Applicants can receive guidance and practical information from National Contact Points (NCPs) and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).
Specialized Help: Assistance on intellectual property issues is available from the European IPR Helpdesk. Advice on standardization in projects can be obtained from the CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk.
Partner Search: A dedicated partner search functionality is available on the Funding & Tenders Portal to help find suitable consortium members.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds will be described in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Project Quality and Impact Expectations

Expected Outcomes: Proposals will be evaluated on their contribution to achieving increased connectivity among S4P actors, mainstreaming S4P approaches in national Research and Innovation (R&I) policy institutions, and the further development and wide adoption of the Science for Policy concept.
Activities: Evaluation will specifically consider how effectively the proposal addresses the required activities: nurturing a Science for Policy Community of Practice, providing operational support to the Network of Science for Policy Correspondents, establishing an observatory of the European S4P landscape, regularly convening stakeholders, and developing publicly available outputs.
Multi-actor Approach: Proposals must demonstrate a strong commitment to implementing a multi-actor approach.
Diversity: A clear commitment to disciplinary and geographical diversity is expected.
Gender-Sensitive Approaches: Integration of gender-sensitive approaches across all project activities is required.
Complementarity: Proposals should build upon and ensure complementarity with relevant existing Commission Science for Policy initiatives, such as the JRC's work on S4P competencies and capacity building, the Mutual Learning Exercise 'Bridging the Gap between Science and Policy', and the Guiding Principles for Knowledge Valorisation.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory & Ethical Compliance

General Conditions: Admissibility conditions, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, and exclusion criteria are described in the relevant Annexes (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal Framework: Adherence to the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the Horizon Europe Framework Programme 2021/695, and the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 is mandatory.
Data Protection & IP: Policies on data protection and intellectual property are covered by the General Annexes and further elaborated in the Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA).
Ethical Standards: Compliance with the general principles and requirements for researchers, employers, and funders, as outlined in the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment, is expected.

Project Specifics

Community of Practice: A mandatory activity involves nurturing and animating a Science for Policy Community of Practice. This community must engage diverse S4P actors, utilize appropriate digital collaboration tools, maintain an active online presence, and establish a dedicated governance body to coordinate with the Commission.
Network Support: The project must provide operational support to the Network of Science for Policy Correspondents, including logistical assistance, agenda development, and facilitation of events using participatory and inclusive methods.
Observatory: Creating an observatory of the European S4P landscape and its practices is required. This includes mapping the institutional landscape with an appropriate taxonomy and establishing a repository of good S4P practices and use cases within the first half of the project, to be continuously updated.
Stakeholder Convening: Regular convening of the network, the community of practice, and other interested stakeholders is essential to discuss effective engagement between research and policy.
Public Outputs: Development of publicly available outputs such as policy briefs, factsheets, and resources for practitioners is required, along with a comprehensive communication strategy for dissemination.
JRC Collaboration: The consortium is encouraged to collaborate closely with the Joint Research Centre (JRC), which can offer support based on its expertise in institutional, individual, and community capacity building for S4P.

Grant Details