At a glance
- Calls:
- Calls open from December 2025 onwards, with various closing dates from March 2026 to November 2027.
- Opportunity type:
- Collaboration, funding
- Award:
- The WIDERA Work Programme 2026–2027 has a total budget of €798.5 million. Individual funding levels vary by action and topic.
- Sectors:
- Sectors
Overview
Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area, known as WIDERA, is a cross-cutting part of Horizon Europe.
It aims to reduce differences in research and innovation performance across Europe, increase participation in Horizon Europe and strengthen the European Research Area.
Funding supports stronger research organisations, international partnerships, research careers, innovation ecosystems and improvements to research and innovation systems.
Projects can involve universities, research organisations, businesses, public authorities, research funders and organisations involved in research policy and management.
What WIDERA funds
WIDERA supports organisations and countries to strengthen research and innovation capacity, build international partnerships and improve research systems.
The Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence strand includes 12 actions.
Current opportunities and deadlines vary, and not every action has an open call in each Work Programme.
Reforming and enhancing the European research and innovation system — this strand supports improvements to research careers, assessment, Open Science, research management, knowledge sharing and the way research and innovation policies are developed and delivered. Explore funding to reform and enhance the European research and innovation system on European Commission website.
Who this is for
WIDERA funding is mainly for organisations working through international partnerships or consortia.
It may be relevant for:
- universities and research organisations
- businesses and SMEs
- research funders
- local, regional and national public authorities
- research and innovation policymakers
- research management and support organisations
- higher education institutions
- academies and professional associations
- innovation and knowledge-exchange organisations
- civil society and public engagement organisations
The organisations required will depend on the individual action.
Many Widening actions must be coordinated by an organisation established in a Widening country. UK organisations can participate as international partners and contribute research expertise, mentoring, training, institutional development or innovation support.
Calls under the European Research Area strand may be open more widely to organisations involved in research policy, funding, careers, assessment and system reform.
Most calls are not intended for individuals applying alone.
Eligibility
Eligibility varies between WIDERA actions.
For many Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence actions:
- the coordinator must be established in a Widening country
- the consortium must include organisations from several eligible countries
- organisations may need to fulfil specific roles, such as a leading research partner or capacity-building institution.
The UK is associated to Horizon Europe, so eligible UK organisations can participate and receive funding. However, the UK is not classed as a Widening country and cannot take a role that the call reserves for an organisation based in a Widening country.
Individual topics may include additional requirements relating to:
- where the coordinator must be established
- the number and types of participating organisations
- the research or innovation performance of the participating country
- institutional development plans
- regional or national authority involvement
- complementary national or regional funding
- research management or policy expertise
- the type of action and funding rate.
Always check the eligibility and admissibility conditions for the individual topic before applying.
Check your eligibility for Horizon Europe funding
Next steps
- Read the WIDERA Work Programme 2026–2027 (PDF) and the relevant call topic for the latest priorities, eligibility rules, budgets and deadlines.
- Explore the Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence actions on the European Commissions website for more information on the available funding and how to prepare your proposal.
- Check whether the action requires the coordinator or another participant to be established in a Widening country.
- Build or join an eligible international consortium — find partners and build a consortium — and agree partner roles, activities, responsibilities and costs.
- Contact the WIDERA National Contact Point for further guidance and support.
Registering for EU Login and a PIC
To apply for funding through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, you need an EU Login account. If you do not already have one, register for an EU Login account on the EU Funding and Tenders portal.
Your organisation also needs a Participant Identification Code (PIC) to be included as a participant in a funding application and to manage the grant if the application is successful. If your organisation does not yet have one, find out how to register your organisation and get a PIC on the EU Funding and Tenders portal.