Hop-On Facility

The Hop-On Facility enables legal entities from Widening countries to join already funded Horizon Europe Pillar II 'main' work programmes and EIC Pathfinder collaborative R&I actions, with the aim of enhancing inclusiveness in Horizon Europe. The scheme facilitates the integration of one beneficiary from a Widening country into ongoing projects, improving knowledge circulation, research excellence and partnerships across the European Research Area. Expected outcomes include greater research excellence and skills in Widening countries, expanded networks and outreach of R&I actions, and access to new talent pools.

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Agency	HORIZON (EU)
Region	EU
Country	N/A
Legal form	Company, NGO, Government organization, Other
Start date	13 Jan 2026
End date	24 Sep 2026
Max funding	Up to 600,000 EUR per grant
Budget	30,000,000 EUR for 2026
Coverage	No more than 10% of the maximum grant amount can be allocated to the coordinator as a coordination fee for integration of the new widening beneficiary. At least 90% must be allocated to the widening beneficiary.

Grant application conditions

Applicant Type	Single legal entity established in a Widening country joining an ongoing Horizon Europe project
Coordinator Requirement	Proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the existing eligible already funded Horizon Europe action
Project Eligibility	Ongoing grant agreement awarded under Horizon Europe Pillar II 'main' Work Programme or EIC Pathfinder collaborative R&I actions No legal entity from a Widening country is already a beneficiary, affiliated entity or associated partner in the project The granting authority is the European Commission or an Executive Agency The ongoing grant agreement is between 1 to 12 months from its starting date at the submission deadline
Consortium Agreement	The addition of the new beneficiary is subject to the agreement of the project consortium
Funding Distribution	No more than 10% of the maximum grant amount can be allocated to the coordinator as a coordination fee; at least 90% must be allocated to the Widening beneficiary
Proposal format	Must use Application Form template with detailed description of the action and an annex containing the Description of the Action (DOA) of the ongoing project
Documentation	https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-03-WIDENING-01

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

Business exclusions

Reporting

Application process

Application requirements