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Call key data
Testing and implementation of research results fostering democracy and governance
Funding Program
Horizon Europe - Cluster 2 - Destination 1: Innovative research on democracy and governance
Call number
HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-12
deadlines
Opening
04.10.2023
Deadline
07.02.2024 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 4,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
between € 3,000,000.00 and € 4,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
Proposals have to credibly identify a targeted democracy and/or governance related issue that can be addressed by implementing existing research and innovation results. In addition, proposals should take those research and innovation results further through testing and experimenting in the relevant operational environment, and enhancing the potential take-up of innovative solutions by civil society, public institutions, including educational institutions, and policymakers at all governance levels, including in third countries.
Call objectives
The aim is to bring to society the benefits from previously EU-funded research in the field of democracy and governance be it in Horizon 2020 or other relevant programmes (such as Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme or the Global Europe Programme). The proposals have to build on the rich stock of actionable recommendations, knowledge, toolkits, educational material, and scientific methods etc. developed in particular by the over 300 Horizon 2020 projects on democracy and governance related issues. For proposals building on Global Europe research in particular, cooperation with third countries is encouraged.
Proposals have to credibly identify a targeted democracy and/or governance related issue that can be addressed by implementing existing research and innovation results. In addition, proposals should take those research and innovation results further through testing and experimenting in the relevant operational environment, and enhancing the potential take-up of innovative solutions by civil society, public institutions, including educational institutions, and policymakers at all governance levels, including in third countries. Potential instruments for this testing, such as twinning or the launch of open calls for pilots, are possible through financial support to third parties. Proposals suggesting financial support to third parties should lay out the selection criteria that will be used. In addition, proposals should demonstrate the need or interest for the solution they propose by involving end-users in the project design. Proposals should also provide a clear pathway to impact as well as a comprehensive risk assessment plan with different mitigation strategies.
Proposals should address issues in line with the European Democracy Action Plan or EU policy initiatives that emanated from this Action Plan.
Possibilities of coordination with related activities funded through in particular the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme or the Global Europe Programme should be analysed. Cooperation should be sought with the Network for innovative solutions for the future of democracy funded under HORIZON-CL2-2022-DEMOCRACY-02-01.
Proposals should involve end-users (including civil society organisations) and/or strategic partners who can foster the societal impact of the research and innovation results. Possible end-users and strategic partners could include for instance local or regional authorities, schools/universities, cultural institutions, civil society, foundations, political parties, trade unions, or youth organisations. Proposals should also involve practitioners and experts in science communication.
Besides fostering the societal impact of previous democracy and governance related research and innovation actions, proposals should explore and draw lessons on how the translation between research results in this field and policy actions takes place and what kinds of expertise is needed for achieving this. Proposals could also develop strategies to promote citizens activism and community engagement to build inclusive societies.
Proposals are also encouraged to collaborate with the JRC Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, particularly with respect to actions and initiatives directly contributing to the provisions of the European Democracy Action Plan for the promotion of democratic engagement and active participation beyond elections.
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Expected results
Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Policymakers, practitioners and researchers have increased understanding of the validity of theoretical models, the possibilities to implement recommendations, toolkits, narratives and methodologies and other solutions for issues for democracy and governance stemming [in particular] from Horizon 2020 projects.
- Testing and uptake of research results on democracy and governance relevant for the future of democracy in the EU, involving stakeholders (non-science actors, including public bodies, NGOs, civil society organisations, policymakers, educational bodies, other potential end-users of the research results, etc.) to explore their readiness to implement the solutions developed in the previous research and innovation project, possibly adapting the solutions to the respective societal / administrative / political context based on the tests.
- Better informed decision-making on changes in democratic processes and governance, based on scientific, policy, legal, etc. conclusions from experiments with the results of such earlier projects in a practical / real life context, that allow to replicate the methods, recommendations for legislative changes, or translate the research results into innovations.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan), Belarus (Беларусь), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.
other eligibility criteria
- The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding.
- Legal entities established in Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Syria may exceptionally participate in this Coordination and Support Action as a beneficiary (or affiliated entity).
- The topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least two non-academic [end-user] organisations (for instance: local or regional or national government authorities, or any other relevant organisations) from at least two different EU Member States or Associated Countries. The proposals must draw on the results of research and innovation projects that were publicly funded (at EU or national level), and whose end date must be after 1 st January 2023.
- The proposed actions must not duplicate or replace dissemination and exploitation activities that are part of the initial R&I projects. Proposed actions should go beyond such actions aiming at knowledge transfer and exchange.
- The granting authority can fund a maximum of one project.
- Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.
- Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 100,000 in order for selected projects to be of a scale ambitious enough to achieve the objectives of the action as outlined in the expected outcomes. The respective options of the Model Grant Agreement will be applied. Beneficiaries should refer to General Annex B of the Work Programme for further information and guidance.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 33 pages.
Call documents
HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 2, Destination 1HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 2, Destination 1(376kB)
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