Pillar I: Accelerating open access and research assessment reforms in ERA

This grant supports effective and sustainable structural changes within research and innovation (R&I) organisations aligned with the priorities of the European Research Area (ERA). Through cascading grants, it enables capacity-building activities, development of open access publishing models, research assessment reforms, inclusive practices, and the recognition of diverse research outputs. Proposals must choose between supporting non-profit open access publishing (Area 1) or institutional reforms for research assessment (Area 2), with broad geographical and disciplinary inclusivity and gender equality promoted throughout.

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Agency	HORIZON (EU)
Region	EU
Country	N/A
Legal form	Company, NGO, Government organization, Other
Start date	10 Dec 2025
End date	12 Mar 2026
Max funding	2,000,000 EUR - 3,000,000 EUR per grant; Maximum 60,000 EUR per third-party project (cascading grant).
Budget	6,000,000 EUR
Coverage	At least two-thirds of the funding must be allocated as cascading grants to calls for pilot actions for non-profit open access publishing; at least one-third must be distributed to scholarly societies in the Humanities/Arts and Social Sciences.

Grant application conditions

Consortium Composition	Applications must be submitted by a consortium including at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Associated Country, and at least two of which are in a Member State.
Eligibility of third parties	Third parties may receive up to 60,000 EUR each through cascading grants.
Eligible Participants	Scholarly societies, research performing and funding organisations, libraries, non-profit scholarly publishers, higher education institutions, research evaluation and accreditation agencies, and other research-relevant organisations.
Project Duration	Up to 3 years, longer duration possible if justified.
Eligible Countries	Applicants must be from EU Member States or Associated Countries. Additional provisions may apply for non-EU/Associated Countries; refer to the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Minimum Pilot Actions	20-30 pilot actions for non-profit open access publishing (Area 1). 40-50 institutions targeted for research assessment reforms (Area 2).
Financial Support to Third Parties	Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties. The support can only be given as grants, with a maximum of 60,000 EUR per third party.
Documentation	https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-06-ERA-01

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

Business exclusions

Reporting

Application process

Application requirements