Good practices for increased autonomy of persons with disabilities, including physical, mental, intellectual and sensory disabilities

The main goal of this opportunity is to improve the autonomy and quality of life for people with disabilities, including those with physical, mental, intellectual, and sensory impairments. It encourages the development of innovative, evidence-based approaches to policy and practice, with a strong emphasis on person-centered solutions. The focus is on promoting full inclusion and participation in areas such as education, employment, leisure, arts, and culture. Projects should also explore the seamless use of accessible and assistive technologies, including digital and artificial intelligence tools. The geographic scope includes eligible countries as defined in the Horizon Europe guidelines, with some special provisions for certain non-EU countries.

• Projects must comply with page limits (50 pages for Part B) and use the required layout and budget template.
• Proposals must meet the eligibility criteria for participating countries as specified in the Horizon Europe guidelines.
• Applicants need to demonstrate both financial and operational capacity to carry out the project.
• Proposals will be evaluated based on clear criteria, scoring, and thresholds set by Horizon Europe.
• Eligible costs must be presented as a lump sum, following the simplified cost rules of the programme.
• Projects should involve civil society, use FAIR data practices, and align with expected outcomes and impacts.

Example projects:

• A research initiative developing new AI-powered assistive devices for people with sensory disabilities, ensuring full community inclusion.
• An innovative policy pilot that integrates accessible digital tools in mainstream education, co-designed with civil society organizations.
• A cross-sector project mapping and improving connections between social and support services for people with intellectual disabilities.

• Personnel costs directly involved in the project
• Purchase of equipment and materials essential for project activities
• Costs for subcontracting specific tasks or expertise
• Travel and accommodation expenses for project-related activities
• Dissemination and communication activities
• Costs for organizing workshops, events, or training sessions
• Development and implementation of digital and assistive technologies
• Data management and FAIR data practices implementation
• Collaboration and stakeholder engagement costs

All expenses must be included in the lump sum budget and follow the simplified cost rules of the Horizon Europe Programme.

• Budget for this Call: 10.200.000€
• Number of Grants attributed: 3
• Budget per project: 3.400.000€

• Must be submitted by a consortium of at least three independent legal entities from three different eligible countries (EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries), with at least one partner based in an EU Member State.
• All participants must demonstrate adequate financial and operational capacity in line with Horizon Europe Annex B and C requirements.
• Project must be a Research & Innovation Action (RIA) focused on developing and testing evidence-based policy approaches and inclusive practices to enhance autonomy and quality of life for persons with disabilities across domains such as education, employment, independent living, leisure, culture, transport, housing, and family life.
• Consortium must engage relevant actors (public authorities, civil society, disability organisations, social economy actors, etc.) and use a participatory, person-centred approach that respects the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Proposals are expected to address impacts such as loneliness, well-being, access to education and labour market, and family carer burden, through interdisciplinary Social Sciences and Humanities research with stakeholders’ involvement.
• Standard Horizon Europe rules on ethics, integrity, exclusion, conflict of interest, data protection, and legal compliance apply under General Annexes A–G.