Strengthening of the European Science for Policy Ecosystem
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Funding Description
Overview
The call "Strengthening of the European Science for Policy Ecosystem" (Call ID HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-06) provides up to €26 million for one large Horizon Europe Coordination & Support Action (CSA) of max. 36 months. The action will finance activities that enlarge, inter-connect and professionalise Europe’s Science-for-Policy (S4P) landscape.
What the Grant Funds
• Establishment and facilitation of a pan-European Community of Practice (CoP) on S4P, including digital collaboration infrastructure, governance bodies, training, peer-learning and outreach events.
• Operational secretariat services for the future Network of Science-for-Policy Correspondents (meeting logistics, facilitation, agenda setting, documentation, travel arrangements, etc.).
• Creation and continuous updating of an “Observatory of the European S4P Landscape” (taxonomy, mapping, data collection, analytics, public dashboard, repository of best practices, toolkits).
• Thematic multi-actor dialogues (incl. alignment with EU Council Presidencies) to remove barriers and co-create enabling conditions for evidence-informed policymaking.
• Production and dissemination of public outputs (policy briefs, factsheets, practitioner tools, communication materials) under a comprehensive EU-level communication strategy.
• Project management, quality assurance, monitoring & evaluation, ethics and open science activities.
Budget Rules
• Reimbursement rate: 100 % of eligible direct costs for all participants (typical for CSA).
• Indirect costs: 25 % flat-rate of eligible direct costs (excluding subcontracting & in-kind contributions not used on premises).
• Sub-contracting & purchases allowed if fully justified and value-for-money proven.
• Personnel, travel & subsistence, equipment depreciation, other goods & services, and financial support to third parties (e.g., small cascading grants ≤ €60 000) are eligible when relevant to the action.
Eligibility Snapshot
• Consortium minimum: 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU/Associated Countries, at least 2 in EU Member States.
• Joint Research Centre (JRC) may join as beneficiary.
• All standard Horizon Europe admissibility conditions (page limit 45 pp. Part B, ethics self-assessment, etc.) and general conditions (Annexes A–G) apply.
• Applicants must demonstrate proven experience in S4P and facilitation of participatory, multi-actor processes.
Key Dates
• Call opens: 15 May 2025
• Deadline (single stage): 18 Sept 2025, 17:00 Brussels time
• Project start (indicative): Q2 2026
Complementarity Requirements
Proposals must build on and coordinate with existing Commission initiatives (MLE on Bridging the Gap, JRC competence framework, Knowledge Valorisation Platform, TSI reforms, ESAF, INGSA, EPTA, etc.).
📊 At a Glance
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🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities for the Call “Strengthening of the European Science for Policy Ecosystem” (HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-06)
1. Strategic Alignment With EU Policy Agendas
• Direct delivery on the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda – contributes to the ERA Action 15 (Evidence-informed policymaking) and the Council Conclusions (Dec 2023) calling for stronger S4P structures.
• Reinforces the Pact for R&I in Europe by embedding evidence-based decision-making across Member States and Associated Countries, supporting the twin green & digital transitions.
• Creates synergies with Commission flagships (JRC capacity-building, Technical Support Instrument, Guiding Principles for Knowledge Valorisation) that are only accessible at EU level.
2. Network Effects & Critical Mass
• Pan-European Community of Practice (CoP) – assembling researchers, advisors, civil society and decision-makers from 40+ eligible countries gives critical mass that a national initiative cannot reach.
• Cross-border mutual learning – diverse administrative cultures provide a laboratory for comparing S4P models (e.g. chief scientific advisers vs. in-house knowledge brokers) and rapidly diffusing best practices.
• Shared digital collaboration infrastructure – one EU-funded platform avoids 27+ disconnected national tools, lowering transaction costs and fostering sustained engagement.
3. Economies of Scale & Resource Pooling
• Cost-efficient capacity-building – common training modules, toolkits and a repository of use-cases are produced once and reused EU-wide, saving national budgets.
• Joint mobilisation of top experts – EU grants enable competitive remuneration and travel for leading scientists/policy-makers, which single countries often cannot finance.
• Centralised observatory – a single mapping of the S4P landscape prevents duplication of studies and monitoring exercises.
4. Policy Coherence Across Governance Levels
• Alignment with rotating Council Presidencies – EU coordination allows the project to stage high-profile dialogues every six months, giving visibility and political traction.
• Vertical integration – simultaneous engagement of EU institutions, national ministries, regional authorities and city networks harmonises S4P approaches and minimises policy fragmentation.
5. Enhanced Impact & Visibility
• EU branding increases uptake – outputs endorsed by an EU-funded consortium carry higher legitimacy, boosting adoption by policy services and parliaments.
• Access to EU communication channels – the project can disseminate through EURAXESS, Research & Innovation Days, Knowledge4Policy portal and CORDIS, multiplying reach.
• Stronger link to international fora – with the Commission as convener, the action is automatically connected to OECD, UN, INGSA and ESAF, positioning Europe as a global S4P hub.
6. Inclusiveness & Widening Participation
• Bridges R&I capacity gaps – Widening countries (EU-13) gain structured entry points to S4P expertise, advancing cohesion objectives.
• Targets gender & diversity mainstreaming – obligatory Horizon Europe practices help embed inclusive S4P cultures in public administrations across the continent.
7. Leverage for Additional Funding Streams
• Seal of Excellence multiplier – high-quality but unfunded proposals can access national or regional funds.
• Complementary use of ESF+, ERDF & Interreg – Member States can align structural funds with the project’s training or observatory activities for long-term sustainability.
• Technical Support Instrument (TSI) – project results can feed directly into TSI-funded public administration reforms, creating a pipeline from pilot to systemic change.
8. Market & Career Opportunities for Beneficiaries
• First-mover advantage in a growing advisory market – developing EU-standard toolkits positions consultancies, universities and think tanks as preferred suppliers for future S4P contracts.
• Talent circulation – secondments and peer-learning missions foster EU-wide career paths, retaining researchers within Europe and reducing brain drain.
9. Risk Mitigation Through EU Framework
• Shared legal & ethical standards – Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement provides a tested framework for data governance, IP and ethics, lowering legal risks.
• Distributed workload – consortium design allows task allocation according to strengths, ensuring continuity if one partner faces national constraints.
10. Long-Term Sustainability & Legacy
• Integration into K4P Platform – after project end, the CoP and observatory can be hosted on the Commission’s Knowledge4Policy, guaranteeing persistence.
• Policy feedback loop – regular interaction with the Network of Science for Policy Correspondents institutionalises evidence-informed policymaking beyond the 3-year grant.
Bottom Line: Operating this action at EU scale transforms scattered national efforts into a coherent, well-resourced ecosystem, maximising learning, visibility and policy impact while optimising resource use across the Union. This systemic leverage is unattainable through bilateral or purely national initiatives, making Horizon-funded collaboration the optimal vehicle for strengthening European Science for Policy.
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Ready to Apply?
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