POLICY ENLARGE Open Call: EUR 300,000 for Cross-Border Research and Innovation Cooperation and Mobility

09 September 2026

The Open Call of POLICY ENLARGE (Research and Innovation Policy Support for Enlargement Countries, Grant Agreement No. 101289627), a project funded under Horizon Europe, opened for applications on 9 September 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time. With a total budget of EUR 300,000, the call is expected to support up to 45 projects and mobility grants aimed at strengthening cross-border cooperation between research and innovation (R&I) actors in the enlargement countries. Türkiye is among the eligible countries, and TÜBİTAK participates in the project as a consortium partner.

Implemented through a Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) scheme, the call seeks to help researchers and organisations build cross-border partnerships, support the uptake of research results and strengthen people-to-people cooperation, thereby contributing to the integration of the enlargement countries into the European Research Area (ERA). The small-scale grants are conceived as a first step towards participation in larger Horizon Europe projects and in future Framework Programme actions.

Three Funding Instruments

Funding Instrument #1 – Small Grants for Joint Regional Innovation Actions: up to EUR 8,000 per project. Supported activities include the development of collaborative R&I projects, access to European Union funding opportunities, the strengthening of research management and technology transfer capacities, and contributions to evidence-based policy reform and the green and digital transformation. Up to 15 projects are expected to be funded.
Funding Instrument #2 – Small Grants for Collaborative Uptake of Results: up to EUR 8,000 per project, for joint activities that translate existing research results into R&I, regulatory or societal uptake. Up to 10 projects are expected to be funded.
Funding Instrument #3 – Small Grants for People-to-People Cooperation Projects: up to EUR 5,000 per mobility grant, covering short-term secondments of researchers, artists, creative professionals and entrepreneurs. Reciprocal secondments between two enlargement countries last 15 to 30 days per secondee, while secondments between an enlargement country and an EU Member State are limited to 15 days. Up to 20 mobility grants are expected to be awarded.

Who can apply?

The eligible countries are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.

Funding Instruments #1 and #2 are open to consortia of at least two independent legal entities, each established in a different enlargement country. Organisations based in Türkiye therefore need at least one partner from another enlargement country. Eligible applicants include companies, research organisations and academic research groups, non-profit entities, Digital Innovation Hubs and European Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs/EDIHs), and other relevant R&I actors.

Funding Instrument #3 is open to researchers, artists and entrepreneurs affiliated with independent legal entities; the hosting organisation may also be established in an EU Member State, in its Overseas Countries and Territories, or in a country associated to Horizon Europe. Secondees must be citizens of an eligible enlargement country or hold a permanent residence permit in one.

POLICY ENLARGE consortium partners, their affiliated entities and their employees may not participate in the funded third-party projects.

Conditions for applications

Applications are submitted exclusively through the OnePass platform and must be drafted in English. The funding rate is up to 80% of the budget set out in the application form; the remaining 20% must be covered by the applicants through co-funding. Grants are paid as a lump sum against the delivery of the agreed results rather than against the reporting of individual costs. Selected projects are implemented under the POLICY ENLARGE Support Programme, which is organised in two stages over a maximum period of six months. Each third party may benefit from only one Funding Instrument over the entire duration of the call.

Timeline

The call is continuously open and structured around four cut-off dates:

Cut-off Date 1: 12 November 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
Cut-off Date 2: 5 May 2027, 17:00 Brussels time
Cut-off Date 3: 3 November 2027, 17:00 Brussels time
Cut-off Date 4 and final call deadline: 3 May 2028, 17:00 Brussels time

Information session and webinar

The first information session on the call will be held online on 23 September 2026 at 10:00 CET, followed by a webinar providing step-by-step guidance on the application process on 14 October 2026 at 12:00 CET. Matchmaking support is also available to applicants seeking cross-border partners.

Further information and applications