European UnionResearch Institution, Public Institution
European Excellence Initiative (EEI)
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-01-ACCESS-01
Funding Amount
€2.0M - €5.0M
Deadline
20/11/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the European Excellence Initiative (EEI) Call?
Grant Description
This coordination and support action aims to reduce disparities among European higher education institutions by raising excellence through geographically inclusive strategic cooperation in alliances of universities. It addresses limited presence of EU universities among world-leading research institutions by fostering institutional modernisation, knowledge valorisation, digital transformation, research career development and outreach. Expected outputs include upgraded research and innovation cap...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
• Modernisation and upgrade of higher education institutions’ R&I dimension via integrated collaboration with local and international actors.
• Mainstreamed culture of excellence in science and knowledge valorisation, especially in less research-intensive institutions and Widening countries.
• Accelerated institutional reforms and strengthened R&I capacities in higher education entities, leading to improved research career prospects inside and outside academia.
• Enhanced digital skills and capacities, including AI adoption, within the higher education R&I sector.
• Increased global competitiveness and critical mass of Europe’s higher education research system.
• Contribution to implementing ERA Policy Agenda 2022-24 actions in the higher education sector (Action 13 and relevant Actions 1-9 under “Deepening a truly functioning internal market for knowledge”).
• Mainstreamed culture of excellence in science and knowledge valorisation, especially in less research-intensive institutions and Widening countries.
• Accelerated institutional reforms and strengthened R&I capacities in higher education entities, leading to improved research career prospects inside and outside academia.
• Enhanced digital skills and capacities, including AI adoption, within the higher education R&I sector.
• Increased global competitiveness and critical mass of Europe’s higher education research system.
• Contribution to implementing ERA Policy Agenda 2022-24 actions in the higher education sector (Action 13 and relevant Actions 1-9 under “Deepening a truly functioning internal market for knowledge”).
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
• Geographical focus: alliances of higher education institutions with a centre of gravity in Widening countries; applicants must allocate at least 51% of the total budget to participants from Widening countries and demonstrate this focus conceptually and financially.
• Eligible networks: any higher education network or alliance (e.g. Erasmus+ European Universities alliances), which may include a subset of members and external entities for industrial cooperation or regional outreach.
• Research and innovation only: all activities must focus on R&I within the higher education sector; purely educational activities (e.g. Master’s or doctoral programmes) are out of scope.
• Module requirement: proposals must cover at least four of the five specified modules (institutional reforms, upskilling, research excellence development, digital transformation, outreach).
• Budget cap: expenditures for research and innovation activities (seed funding) are capped at 20% of the total budget and must be in a dedicated work package.
• Duration: projects may last up to five years, appropriate to the complexity and ambition of the alliance.
• Eligible networks: any higher education network or alliance (e.g. Erasmus+ European Universities alliances), which may include a subset of members and external entities for industrial cooperation or regional outreach.
• Research and innovation only: all activities must focus on R&I within the higher education sector; purely educational activities (e.g. Master’s or doctoral programmes) are out of scope.
• Module requirement: proposals must cover at least four of the five specified modules (institutional reforms, upskilling, research excellence development, digital transformation, outreach).
• Budget cap: expenditures for research and innovation activities (seed funding) are capped at 20% of the total budget and must be in a dedicated work package.
• Duration: projects may last up to five years, appropriate to the complexity and ambition of the alliance.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
• Coordination and consortium: the coordinator must be a legal entity established in a Widening country; the consortium must include at least three independent legal entities from three different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
• Admissibility: proposals must respect page limits and layouts described in Annex A and E of the Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the online application form.
• Eligibility: participants must come from countries listed in Annex B of the General Annexes; financial and operational capacity assessed per Annex C.
• Evaluation and ranking: award criteria, scoring and thresholds per Annex D; ex-aequo proposals prioritised by geographical diversity (coordinators in under-represented Widening countries), then by standard ranking rules in Annex F.
• Grant conditions: single-stage submission, HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (CSA), budget-based Action Grant (MGA HORIZON-AG), model grant agreement and application/evaluation forms specific to HE CSA.
• Submission deadline: 20 November 2025, 17:00 Brussels time; opening date 8 May 2025.
• Reference documents: HE Main Work Programme 2025 (Chapters 1, 11, 14), HE Programme Guide, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, annotated MGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual and related guidelines.
• Admissibility: proposals must respect page limits and layouts described in Annex A and E of the Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the online application form.
• Eligibility: participants must come from countries listed in Annex B of the General Annexes; financial and operational capacity assessed per Annex C.
• Evaluation and ranking: award criteria, scoring and thresholds per Annex D; ex-aequo proposals prioritised by geographical diversity (coordinators in under-represented Widening countries), then by standard ranking rules in Annex F.
• Grant conditions: single-stage submission, HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (CSA), budget-based Action Grant (MGA HORIZON-AG), model grant agreement and application/evaluation forms specific to HE CSA.
• Submission deadline: 20 November 2025, 17:00 Brussels time; opening date 8 May 2025.
• Reference documents: HE Main Work Programme 2025 (Chapters 1, 11, 14), HE Programme Guide, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, annotated MGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual and related guidelines.
Important dates
Open from: 08/05/2025
Deadline:20/11/2025
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