Global collaboration action for strengthening the Regional Networks of Excellence and Epidemic Preparedness Consortia

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions

The conditions are described in General Annex B except for the specific conditions for the Global Health EDCTP3 JU funding as regards entities eligible for funding and consortium composition, the specific rule for countries where the coordinator may be established and the obligation to designate a scientific project leader as below.

Specific conditions replacing the relevant sections in General Annex B to the Horizon Europe Work Programmes.

A. Entities eligible for funding

This section applies to both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding. 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: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden;
• The Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States: Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR);
• Countries associated to Horizon Europe[1]: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo[2], Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand (associated to Pillar II 'Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness' as from the Work Programmes 2023 onwards, including for the institutionalised European partnerships), North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom;
• Until association agreements start producing legal effects either through provisional application or their entry into force, transitional arrangements apply. The transitional arrangements apply, at the time of the adoption of this Work Programme, with regard to the following countries and legal entities established in these countries, with which association negotiations are being processed or where association is imminent):Morocco, South Korea, Switzerland
• The following countries which are constituent states of the EDCTP Association [3]: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Legal entities which are established in countries not listed above will be eligible for funding if provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.

Entities established in low- and middle-income countries that are not members of the EDCTP Association and listed in the Horizon Europe List of Participating Countries on the Funding & Tenders Portal [4] are not eligible for funding unless the specific country in which the entity is established, is associated to Horizon Europe or if the participation of the entity is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.

B. Consortium composition

Unless otherwise provided for in the specific call conditions, for all actions, due to the policy objectives of the Global Health EDCTP3 JU, legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions under the programme provided that the consortium includes as beneficiaries:

• At least three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country, where legal entities are eligible to receive funding;
• At least one independent legal entity established in a Member State, or in an associated country to Horizon Europe that is a member of the EDCTP Association; and
• At least one independent legal entity established in a sub-Saharan African country that is a member of the EDCTP Association.

This condition applies to both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and SupportActions (CSA).

For the two CSA topics, i.e. topic HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2025-02-FELLOW-01-two-stage and topic HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2025-03-NETWORKS-01-two-stage - according to which the EDCTP Association is obligatorily part of the consortium as coordinator, the EDCTP Association must not be counted as one of the three independent legal entities necessary to ensure the eligibility of the consortium composition.

Specific cases:

Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities are eligible for funding if they are established in one of the countries listed above, or in a country identified in the specific call/topic conditions.

Associated partners — Entities not eligible for funding and therefore not able to participate as beneficiaries or affiliated entities (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.

International organisations – International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. Other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding unless their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or associated country are eligible to receive funding when provided for in the specific call conditions.

Specific rules regarding legal entities that may be the coordinator of an indirect action

In accordance with Article 110(2) of the Council Regulation 2021/2085 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe[5], where entities established in a third country without an agreement to protect the financial interests of the Union participate with funding in an indirect action, the coordinator of the indirectaction must be established in a Member State or associated country, or South Africa.

Scientific project leader

If the coordinator is not established in a country in SSA (please see previous paragraph), the designation of a scientific project leader established in a SSA country member of the EDCTP Association with the roles as described below is mandatory. A work package on ‘scientific project leadership’ must be included in the proposals and budget needs to be provided for this activity. The scientific project leader oversees the project scientific governance and leadership. For this purpose, proposals must include a work package where the details of scientific project leadership are laid down. The scientific project leader should indicatively perform the following tasks:

• During the call for proposals and selection process, coordinate meetings on and drafting of the full project proposal;
• Work with the coordinator and other beneficiaries on the drafting and negotiation of the consortium agreement and other legal agreements among the beneficiaries;
• Act as the key contact point for the Global Health EDCTP3 JU regarding all scientific action governance issues, steer and provide oversight in the development of the scientific actions, without prejudice to the tasks entrusted directly to the coordinator as per the Model Grant Agreement;
• Support and collaborate with the coordinator on its monitoring activities and the adoption of appropriate internal measures, to ensure that beneficiaries are fulfilling their obligations regarding budget, timeline, deliverables, and scientific quality;
• Review the action’s deliverables and reports before their submission by the coordinator;
• Lead the work packages(s) related to the tasks of scientific project leadership.

Annex 1 to the grant agreement and the consortium agreement should address the relationship of the scientific project leader with the coordinator regarding their respective tasks, for example sharing of the information received from or sent to the Global Health EDCTP3 JU on all issues of interest for the proper scientific management of the action.

[1] The list is correct at the time of adoption of this work programme. Please see the Horizon Europe List of Participating Countries on the Funding & Tenders Portal for up-to-date information on the current list and on the position for Associated Countries: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf

[2] This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

[3] The list is correct at the time of adoption of this work programme. For an update, please check the EDCTP Association website www.edctp.org

[4] Horizon Europe List of Participating Countries on the Funding & Tenders Portal https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf

[5] Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe and repealing Regulations (EC) No 219/2007, (EU) No 557/2014, (EU) No 558/2014, (EU) No 559/2014, (EU) No 560/2014, (EU) No 561/2014 and (EU) No 642/2014. OJ L 427, 30.11.2021, p. 17–119; Regulation - 2021/2085 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu).

All proposals submitted under this topic must include the EDCTP Association as a coordinator already at the first stage of the proposals' submission. This requirement is justified by the financial and administrative expertise of the EDCTP Association on project management and its technical expertise in SSA, which are relevant in the context of this lump sum Model Grant Agreement pilot. This is relevant namely regarding distribution of payments and quality of the reporting and deliverables. Most importantly, the EDCTP Association has a unique expertise in terms of African and European collaboration and wide knowledge of the research context in sub-Saharan Africa, which are crucial for the coordination of large collaborative schemes that are expected to work in the successful projects of this topic, as well as presence in Africa, ensuring proximity to the field and the activities implemented by the projects.

The eligible costs of the EDCTP Association in the actions funded under this topic may not be reimbursed by the JU and may be used as a basis for in-kind contributions to operational activities (IKOP). This in-kind contribution of the EDCTP Association will cover the coordination activities of the project. On the basis of the outcome of the first stage evaluation, the applicant consortia of the highest ranked short proposals (first stage) will be invited to contact the EDCTP Association in order to include it as coordinator in their full proposal (second stage) and obtain the estimated amount of the Association’s contribution as well as any other relevant information. First stage applicants should nevertheless include an entity acting as coordinator to submit the proposal. The EDCTP Association must not be counted as one of the three independent legal entities necessary to ensure the eligibility of the consortium composition, as requested in the Call conditions, "Specific conditions to Global Health EDCTP3 JU - B. Consortium composition".

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion

described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds

are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes

Specific conditions related to Scores and weighting

Replacing the scores and weighting section in General Annex D to the Horizon Europe Work Programmes as regards second stage of two-stage evaluations, for both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA)

Evaluation scores will be awarded for the criteria, and not for the different aspects listed in the table. For full applications, each criterion will be scored out of 5. The threshold for individual criteria 1 (Excellence) and 2 (Impact) will be 4 and for criterion 3 (Quality and Efficiency of the implementation) will be 3. The overall threshold, applying to the sum of the three individual scores, will be 12.

Proposals that pass the individual threshold and the overall threshold will be considered for funding, within the limits of the available call budget. Other proposals will be rejected.

Nota bene, for the first stage of the two-stage evaluation of both RIAs and CSAs, the scores and weightingas indicated in Annex D of the General Annexes of the Horizon Europe work programme 2023/2025 apply.

In addition to the aspects of award criteria included in General Annex D, the following aspects are taken into consideration during the evaluation of second-stage proposals:

• For the ‘impact’ criterion: Production of meaningful and significant effects enhancing the impact of the relevant support and coordination activities via the inclusion of effective in-kind and/or financial contribution of contributing partners.
• For the ‘quality and efficiency of the implementation’ criterion: Leveraging of financial and/or in-kind contributions from contributing partners that are equal or greater than the requested JU contribution, in order to ensure the necessary resources and effort for the action.

are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement

described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].

described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions

JU right to object to transfer/exclusive licensing

The Global Health EDCTP3 JU may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5 of the Model Grant Agreement. In addition, in accordance with Article 24(3) of Council Regulation 2021/2085 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe [1] and the Model Grant Agreement, the right toobject applies also to participants that have not received funding from the JU.

[1] Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe and repealing Regulations (EC) No 219/2007, (EU) No 557/2014, (EU) No 558/2014, (EU) No 559/2014, (EU) No 560/2014, (EU) No 561/2014 and (EU) No 642/2014; OJ L 427, 30.11.2021, p. 17.

Access to information and involvement of contributing partners.

Evaluation

Global Health EDCTP3 may invite any contributing partners providing financial contributions under a certain topic to propose one representative as observer to participate in the evaluation process under confidentiality safeguards. This possibility does not apply to contributing partners that are part of a consortium submitting a proposal under the relevant topic.

Reports and deliverables

By applying under any topic, participants consent that the JU reserves the right to share their project reports and deliverables with contributing partners providing financial contributions under the relevant topic. Global Health EDCTP3 may consult the relevant contributing partners for the purpose of assessing the reports and deliverables. The reports and deliverables will be shared under confidentiality safeguards.

Other requirements

As the funding in these actions will also be provided by contributing partners introduced by Global Health EDCTP3, by applying under this topic, participants consent that the JU will share their project technical reports and deliverables with the contributing partners participating in the action, who may provide input to the JU for the assessment of the reports and deliverables.

For all projects under this topic, the designation of a scientific project leader with the roles as described in the introduction is mandatory. A work package on ‘scientific project leadership’ must be included in the proposals and budget needs to be provided for this activity.

Annual Work Programme 2025

Global Health EDCTP3 Calls for proposals

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):

Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System

Note: despite blind evaluation being mentioned in the standard application form for stage 1 proposals, available in the Funding and Tenders Portal (at the stage of adoption of this Work Programme), please note that this call is not part of the ‘blind evaluation pilot’, therefore no anonymisation is required for stage 1proposals of the two-stage calls.

Standard application form (HE CSA Stage 1)

Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations

Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1) 

Guidance

HE Programme Guide 

Model Grant Agreements (MGA)

HE MGA 

Lump Sum MGA 

Operating Grants MGA 

Framework Partnership Agreement FPA 

Call-specific instructions 

Detailed budget table (HE LS) 

Information on financial support to third parties (HE) 

Information on clinical studies (HE) 

Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"

Additional documents:

HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 4. Health

HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 13. General Annexes 

HE Programme Guide 

HE Framework Programme 2021/695 

HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment 

EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement 

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual 

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions 

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement