The European Commission has opened the Horizon Europe “Twinning” call 2026 (HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-02-WIDENING-01), a major opportunity for research-performing organisations in Widening countries to boost scientific excellence, international visibility, and research management capacity through structured collaboration with leading European partners.
What the Twinning call supports
Twinning actions are designed to enhance networking and capacity-building for a coordinating institution based in a Widening country by linking it with at least two internationally leading research organisations from two different EU Member States or Associated Countries. The action aims to raise the research profile and reputation of the coordinator and its staff, while also strengthening research management capabilities.
Proposals are expected to build around an ambitious development strategy in a chosen R&I field and to implement a coherent package of activities such as staff exchanges, expert visits, (on-site or virtual) trainings, workshops, conference participation, summer schools, dissemination, and outreach.
A research and innovation component may be included (as a dedicated work package), provided it does not exceed 30% of the total grant (including indirect costs) and at least 50% of that component’s budget is allocated to the coordinator. The expected project duration is up to 3 years.
Key figures and dates
Opening date: 8 January 2026
Deadline: 9 April 2026 (17:00 Brussels time)
Type of action: Coordination and Support Action (CSA), lump sum funding model
Indicative budget (topic):EUR 264.50 million
Expected EU contribution per project:EUR 0.80–1.50 million
Info Day: 22 January 2026 (recordings available)
Why this matters for HELIOS and the wider community
HELIOS is a Horizon Europe Twinning project coordinated by Lviv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine) together with its Twinning partners, combining scientific advancement with knowledge transfer, training, secondments, and strengthened project management capacity over a three-year programme.
As the 2026 Twinning call opens, HELIOS welcomes renewed attention to this instrument – one that can meaningfully help institutions in Widening countries build sustainable international partnerships, develop talent, and accelerate institutional R&I performance through focused collaboration and structured learning.
The European Commission has opened the Horizon Europe “Twinning” call 2026 (HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-02-WIDENING-01), a major opportunity for research-performing organisations in Widening countries to boost scientific excellence, international visibility, and research management capacity through structured collaboration with leading European partners.
What the Twinning call supports
Twinning actions are designed to enhance networking and capacity-building for a coordinating institution based in a Widening country by linking it with at least two internationally leading research organisations from two different EU Member States or Associated Countries. The action aims to raise the research profile and reputation of the coordinator and its staff, while also strengthening research management capabilities.
Proposals are expected to build around an ambitious development strategy in a chosen R&I field and to implement a coherent package of activities such as staff exchanges, expert visits, (on-site or virtual) trainings, workshops, conference participation, summer schools, dissemination, and outreach.
A research and innovation component may be included (as a dedicated work package), provided it does not exceed 30% of the total grant (including indirect costs) and at least 50% of that component’s budget is allocated to the coordinator. The expected project duration is up to 3 years.
Key figures and dates
Why this matters for HELIOS and the wider community
HELIOS is a Horizon Europe Twinning project coordinated by Lviv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine) together with its Twinning partners, combining scientific advancement with knowledge transfer, training, secondments, and strengthened project management capacity over a three-year programme.
As the 2026 Twinning call opens, HELIOS welcomes renewed attention to this instrument – one that can meaningfully help institutions in Widening countries build sustainable international partnerships, develop talent, and accelerate institutional R&I performance through focused collaboration and structured learning.
Official call page (Funding & Tenders Portal)
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