Preparing the EU for future enlargement: challenges and opportunities

The main goal of this opportunity is to help the EU prepare for future enlargement by learning from past experiences and addressing both challenges and opportunities. The program aims to support policymakers and public administrations with insights to shape future policies, raise public awareness about the impacts of EU enlargement, and encourage transparent and participatory engagement using digital tools. Focus areas include democracy, rule of law, good governance, societal dialogue, education, and the use of digital technologies to foster understanding and engagement. The geographic scope covers EU candidate and potential candidate countries, such as Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, and Türkiye.

• Must be submitted by a consortium that includes at least one beneficiary established in Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, or Türkiye.
• Project proposals must not exceed 50 pages for Part B of the application and must include a detailed budget table using the required template.
• Costs must be presented as a lump sum, following Horizon Europe guidelines.
• All proposals must comply with the layout and page limit requirements specified in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Example Projects:

• A research project led by a university in Georgia, in partnership with organizations from Serbia and France, studying the impact of digital tools on public participation in enlargement discussions.
• A collaborative initiative between a public administration in Albania and NGOs from North Macedonia and Germany to analyze lessons learned from previous EU enlargement rounds.
• An education-focused project involving a consortium from Türkiye, Ukraine, and Italy, developing digital resources to increase societal awareness of EU enlargement consequences.

• Personnel costs for research and project management
• Travel and subsistence for project meetings and fieldwork
• Costs for digital tools and software development
• Dissemination and communication activities
• Workshops, conferences, and stakeholder engagement events
• Subcontracting of specific tasks or services
• Equipment and materials necessary for project implementation
• Training and capacity-building activities
• Administrative and overhead costs linked to project delivery

Restrictions: All costs must be included in the lump sum budget and comply with Horizon Europe rules. No separate reimbursement outside the lump sum is allowed.

• Budget for this Call: 10.500.000€
• Number of Grants attributed: 3
• Budget per project: 3.500.000€
• Minimum value per project: 3.000.000€

• The application must be submitted by a consortium, not a single organization.
• At least one consortium member must be established in Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, or Türkiye.
• Applicants from certain non-EU/non-Associated Countries may participate if their country has made funding provisions for Horizon Europe projects.
• All consortium members must comply with Horizon Europe participation requirements.
• Minimum three independent legal entities from three different eligible countries, with at least one established in an EU Member State
• Only Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) are allowed under this topic
• Project must address the EU enlargement process, focusing on public understanding, participatory approaches, and democratic engagement
• Eligibility depends on including the required countries in the consortium.