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Grant Details

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to bring research and researchers closer to the general public, increasing awareness of research and innovation (R&I) activities and boosting public recognition of science and research education. It particularly seeks to raise the interest of young people in scientific and research careers. This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant focused on science communication, education, and public engagement. The target recipients are organizations capable of organizing large-scale public engagement and educational outreach events. The grant covers activities specifically for both 2026 and 2027, supporting annual 'European Researchers' Night' events and ongoing 'Researchers at Schools' initiatives. Geographically, the grant targets organizations established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, with a strong emphasis on achieving the widest possible geographical coverage across these regions.

Financial Structure

Funding Amounts
  • The total budget allocated for this specific topic in 2025 is EUR 16,253,880.
  • The minimum grant amount per application is EUR 100,000.
  • The maximum EU contribution requested per proposal should not exceed EUR 350,000.
  • Proposals that request funding above this maximum might face penalties during evaluation unless a very strong justification is provided within the application.
Funding Type
  • Eligible costs will take the form of lump sum contributions, as stipulated in the Decision of 11 March 2021 regarding Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under Horizon Europe.
Co-financing
  • Applicants are encouraged to bring additional sources of funding beyond the EU contribution. While not a strict requirement with a specific percentage, demonstrating other financial support can strengthen your application.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Types and Capacity While specific organization types are not exclusively defined, applicants should be entities with the capacity to organize large-scale public engagement and educational outreach events. This typically includes: - Universities - Research Institutions - Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) - Public bodies - Science centers, museums, and other educational organizations Geographic Eligibility
  • Applicants must be established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
  • Activities carried out in non-associated third countries are not eligible for funding.
  • To ensure a balanced portfolio and wide geographical coverage, grants will be awarded not only by ranking but also to the highest-ranked application per eligible country (based on the coordinator's establishment), provided all thresholds are met.
Financial and Operational Capacity
  • Applicants must meet the financial and operational capacity requirements as described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Partnerships
  • Partnerships and coordination at regional, national, or cross-border levels are strongly encouraged to achieve good geographical spread and avoid overlaps, though a formal consortium is not a strict requirement for application.
Technical Expertise
  • Applicants should possess or demonstrate the ability to acquire expertise in science communication, public engagement, and event organization, particularly for diverse audiences including young people. Training for researchers on science communication for young audiences is encouraged.

Application Process

Application Submission Deadlines and Process
  • The call for proposals opened on 2025-06-17.
  • The final submission deadline for proposals is 2025-10-22 at 00:00:00 UTC+0.
  • The application process is a single-stage submission managed through the European Commission's Electronic Submission Service.
Required Documentation
  • Applicants must use the official application form (Part B), which is available for download within the submission system once the call is open.
  • A detailed budget table is provided for information purposes; the actual table will be accessible during the application process.
Project Implementation Timeline
  • Proposals should cover activities for both 2026 and 2027.
  • The 'European Researchers' Night' is an annual event held on the last Friday of September (with cultural exceptions allowed for some countries).
  • 'Researchers at Schools' activities can take place at any time during the project duration.
Support for Applicants Various resources are available to assist applicants, including: - A comprehensive Guide for Applicants. - The Online Manual and Horizon Europe Programme Guide. - A dedicated FAQ section and the Research Enquiry Service. - Support from National Contact Points (NCPs). - Assistance for businesses, especially SMEs, through the Enterprise Europe Network. - Technical help via the IT Helpdesk. - Guidance on intellectual property from the European IPR Helpdesk. - Partner Search Services to help find suitable collaborators.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on criteria outlined in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific considerations for: Quality and Efficiency of Implementation
  • The budget proposed will be evaluated under this criterion. Proposals that exceed the maximum EU contribution of EUR 350,000 without a strong, justified reason may be penalized during evaluation.
  • High-quality planning and execution of the proposed 'European Researchers' Night' and 'Researchers at Schools' activities are essential.
Impact Proposals are expected to contribute significantly to the following outcomes: - Enhancing engagement between citizens and R&I. - Increasing public awareness of the importance and benefits of R&I, particularly EU-funded research, and its daily life impact. - Promoting excellent research projects across Europe by reaching a wide audience in many participating countries. - Raising interest among young people in science and research careers. - Supporting school teachers and educators in developing scientific approaches and creating learning opportunities through direct interaction with researchers. Cross-Cutting Themes and Strategic Alignment
  • Proposals should actively promote gender balance, diversity, and inclusiveness in science, along with the principles of Open Science and Responsible Research and Innovation.
  • Involvement of researchers funded by Horizon Europe or previous Framework Programmes (especially Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions) is highly encouraged.
  • Seeking synergies with other initiatives, such as 'Science Comes To Town', can be beneficial.
Selection Priority
  • Beyond overall ranking, preference will be given to applications that are highest ranked per country (based on the coordinator's location) to ensure a balanced portfolio with the widest geographical coverage, provided all thresholds are met.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Legal Compliance Applicants must adhere to various Horizon Europe regulations and EU laws, including: - General conditions outlined in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. - Eligibility conditions from Annex B, and financial/operational capacity requirements from Annex C. - Rules for award criteria (Annex D), submission and evaluation processes (Annex F), and the legal and financial setup of grants (Annex G). - Compliance with the EU Financial Regulation and Rules for Legal Entity Validation. Ethical and Societal Considerations
  • Projects must promote gender balance, diversity, and inclusiveness in science.
  • Adherence to principles of Open Science and Responsible Research and Innovation is expected.
Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities
  • This grant specifically funds the organization of two distinct, large-scale public engagement initiatives: the annual 'European Researchers' Night' and the ongoing 'Researchers at Schools'.
  • A key focus is on achieving wide geographical coverage across Europe and actively promoting EU-funded research and its societal impact.
  • High-quality applications that cannot be funded due to budget limitations may still be granted the status of 'associated events'.
  • Applicants are encouraged to involve researchers funded by Horizon Europe or previous Framework Programmes, particularly Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
  • Opportunities to seek synergies with the 'Science Comes To Town' initiative are encouraged.

Grant Details

horizon europe marie sklodowska-curie actions msca msca and citizens european researchers' night researchers at schools science communication public engagement education steam youth engagement students pupils teachers r&i awareness science popularization research outreach gender balance inclusivity diversity open science responsible research and innovation europe eu member states associated countries lump sum funding science education european union funding
European Researchers' Night and Researchers at Schools 2026-2027
HORIZON-MSCA-2025-CITIZENS-01-01
Horizon Europe
UNIVERSITY NGO PUBLIC OTHER
AT BE BG HR CY CZ DK EE FI FR DE GR HU IE IT LV LT LU MT NL PL PT RO SK SI ES SE
EDUCATION OTHER
OTHER
OTHER
SDG4 SDG9 SDG17
FUNDING CAPACITY_BUILDING TRAINING_EDUCATION NETWORKING OPERATIONAL_SUPPORT
16253880.00
100000.00
350000.00
EUR
100.00
Oct. 22, 2025, midnight
March-May 2025