Grants8 | The most comprehensive grants search on the web

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant supports cities in European Union Member States and Associated Countries to collaboratively design and implement a year-long program of activities called 'Science comes to town 2027'. Its core objective is to increase societal responsibility and trust in science and innovation by engaging citizens and local communities. - Target recipient type and size: Consortia of at least three independent legal entities representing minimum 3 to maximum 6 cities. - MUST state if grant is 'SECTOR-SPECIFIC' or 'SECTOR-AGNOSTIC': SECTOR-SPECIFIC - Geographic scope and any location requirements: European Union Member States and Associated Countries. The participating cities must be located in at least 3 different Member States and/or Associated Countries, with the majority being in Member States. - Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Requirement for a consortium of specific composition (min. 3 entities from different MS/AC, 2 from MS); commitment from participating cities and National EUCYS Organiser; focus on implementing a large-scale science communication program including EUCYS and EU TalentOn. - Grant frequency and program context: This is a recurring initiative, part of the Horizon Europe 'Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area' program, building on previous editions like 'Science comes to town 2026'.

Financial Structure

Funding is provided as a grant, under the Type of Action 'HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions'.
The total EU contribution for this topic (HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-07) is EUR 6,000,000.
The expected EU contribution per project is EUR 6,000,000.
Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties, but only in the form of prizes.
The maximum amount to be awarded to each third-party recipient (prize winner) is EUR 60,000.
Specific prize amounts are allocated as follows: EUCYS prizes: €70,000 (total); EU TalentOn prizes: €100,000 (total).
Applicants must mobilize substantial resources beyond the Union contribution, including monetary or in-kind sponsorships, to support and broaden the programmed activities.
Activities and events financed by participating cities, 'satellite' cities, sponsorships, and other resources (not funded by the Union contribution) will be reported on for their implementation, but their related costs will not be declared to limit administrative effort.
Financial reporting requirements and the legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Subcontracting is not restricted to a limited part of the action.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type and Structure

Must be a consortium of at least three independent legal entities.
Each legal entity must be established in a different Member State or Associated Country.
At least two of the legal entities must be established in a Member State.
The participating city designated to host EUCYS 2027 must provide a commitment from its respective National EUCYS Organiser to run the 2027 competition. The organiser must either participate as a beneficiary, associated partner, or provide a commitment letter.
The consortium can comprise different types of legal entities that can represent the host cities and/or join them in designing and implementing the activities.
Local partners that provide a link to science, research, and innovation should be included.

Geographic Requirements

All legal entities must be established in European Union Member States or Associated Countries.
The program must take place in a small group of cities (minimum 3 and maximum 6) located in at least 3 different Member States and/or Associated Countries, with the majority being in Member States.

Financial and Operational Capacity

Financial and operational capacity requirements are described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Applicants must provide commitment letters from the public authorities of each participating city, signed by the highest authorities (e.g., mayor or equivalent city governance representative), demonstrating strong commitment.
The consortium must demonstrate the ability to mobilize substantial resources beyond the Union contribution, including monetary or in-kind sponsorships.

Exclusion Criteria

Exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service, accessible through the submission-button on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
The application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System.
Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout described in Part B of the Application Form.
The submission process is single-stage.

Deadlines and Timeline

The submission session became available on: 2025-05-15.
The application deadline is: 2025-09-18 00:00:00+0000.
The expected duration of the project is between 24 and 30 months.
EUCYS and EU TalentOn 2027 are customarily scheduled to take place in the third quarter of 2027, usually in September.
A detailed draft program of activities is a deliverable, due not later than 3 months before the formal launch of 'Science comes to town 2027', subject to the approval of the Granting Authority.
An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Required Documentation and Materials

Proposal (Part B of the Application Form).
Commitment from the respective National EUCYS Organiser to run the 2027 competition (either participating as a beneficiary or associated partner, or providing a commitment letter).
Commitment letters from the public authorities of each participating city, signed by the highest authorities (mayor or equivalent city governance representative).
A breakdown of all additional resources (activities not funded by the Union contribution).
Annexes should only be used for commitment letters, not for extra budget-related details.

Support and Guidance

Various support resources are available, including 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, European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct, and Partner Search.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria

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

Project Quality and Impact

The proposal must deliver on the following expected impacts: 'Increased engagement of citizens with research and innovation', 'Increased alignment of research with society’s needs, expectations and values', and 'More people are aware of diverse career opportunities in R&I'.
Must present an overall concept for the programmed activities, including a clear focus, scope, outreach strategy, and contribution to a long-term vision for the cities.
Must specify events (including EUCYS and EU TalentOn) and activities that will be fully or partially funded by the Union contribution.
Must specify activities and events to be financed by participating cities, 'satellite' cities, sponsorship, and other resources (those not funded by the Union contribution).
Proposals should experiment with novel and engaging formats across the programmed activities.
Special emphasis should be placed on exploring and supporting citizen science to promote science education and public engagement.
Programmed activities should create a link with preceding and subsequent editions of 'Science comes to town'.

Consortium Strength and Mobilization

The proposal should provide a clear explanation of how each participating city will contribute to the initiative, outlining its specific roles, resources, and support.
The proposal must demonstrate the ability of the consortium to mobilize substantial resources beyond the Union contribution, including monetary or in-kind sponsorships.
A breakdown of all additional resources must be presented. (Annexes should only be used for commitment letters, not for extra budget-related details).

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Other Eligible Conditions: The participating city hosting EUCYS 2027 must provide a commitment from its National EUCYS Organiser to run the competition as part of the project.
Financial and Operational Capacity and Exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and Financial Set-up of the Grants: Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties (only in the form of prizes), with a maximum of EUR 60,000 per recipient, as described in Annex G.
Subcontracting is not restricted to a limited part of the action, as described in Annex G.

Project-Specific Requirements

The action supports a small group of cities (minimum 3 and maximum 6) to co-organize and host a joint 1-year program 'Science comes to town 2027'.
The program must include the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) 2027 and the European Union Contest for Early Career Researchers (EU TalentOn) 2027.
Proposals should experiment with novel and engaging formats and place special emphasis on citizen science.
Applicants are encouraged to establish synergies with the European Researchers’ Night and Researchers at School initiative.
The programmed activities should create a link with preceding and subsequent editions of 'Science comes to town', fostering cohesion and growth of the concept and brand.
The consortium must mobilize substantial resources (monetary or in-kind sponsorships) beyond the Union contribution.

Other Considerations

Data Protection and Privacy: General EU data protection regulations and Horizon Europe grant agreement rules apply, though not explicitly detailed in the topic conditions.
Ethical Standards: General ethical standards for research and innovation in the EU apply.
Intellectual Property Policies: General intellectual property rules for Horizon Europe grants apply, as described in Annex G.

Grant Details