RICH Europe is a 84 month Coordination and Support Action built on the past experience and achievements of the Research Infrastructures Networks funded under H2020 (RICH and RICH-2). The overall aim of the project is to improve and support the professionalisation and harmonisation of Research Infrastructures National Contact Points (NCPs) services across Europe and to contribute to the consolidation of the European research infrastructure ecosystem. RICH Europe activities have been designed to (1) raise the general standard of support to programme applicants by enhancing NCPs knowledge and capacities and building a more professionalised and collaborative NCPs community, (2) enhance the quality of knowledge of RIs stakeholders about EU RIs calls & programme and raise their awareness about the trans-national and virtual access opportunities to research infrastructures, (3) lower the entry barriers for newcomers, with a focus on widening countries, (4) mainstream RIs in HE with a special focus on Clusters and the EIC programmes, (5) foster the cooperation among RIs at European and international level, and between RIs and the local/regional socio-economic ecosystem. RICH Europe will be implemented by a consortium of 11 officially nominated NCP organizations from 10 EU Member States and 1 candidate Associated Country. The Consortium has an excellent representation of Widening countries (more than half of the partners are from Widening countries) as well as experienced and less experienced NCPs. The project, in its 7 years duration, will address four major target groups: (i) NCPs for Research Infrastructures, (ii) applicants in Horizon Europe RIs calls, (iii) Research Infrastructures and Academia, (iv) Industries and SMEs.

The Mission Restore our Oceans and Waters by 2030 provides a holistic and coherent framework for developing a systemic approach to the depollution and regeneration of the basin hydrosphere, which is a striking need in the Mediterranean Sea (MED). In the BlueMissionMed proposal, a multi-actor, trans-sectorial and multidisciplinary consortium, consisting of 6 R&I public institutions, 5 NGOs, 3 industrial associations and 2 SMEs from 5 MS and 2 AC of the MED, proposes to set up, structure and empower a MED Lighthouse supporting the development and deployment of transformative innovative technological, social, business and governance solutions for ensuring a 30-50% reduction of pollution of the basin hydrosphere by 2030. It will be an interactive multi-actors digital platform able to offer to all MED Countries/Regions and stakeholders to access the necessary knowledge and tools. It will build on, connect and structure existing initiatives and activities, including the 9 Pilot BLUEMED on plastics free healthy MED and will exploit the R&I and policy knowledge generated by the funded projects/initiatives on the MED decontamination and restoration, ultimately promoting basin-wide cooperation, commitment and deployment of solutions addressing the Mission objectives. The Lighthouse will also ensure i) coherence, alignment and monitoring of EU, national and local policies, initiatives and actions ongoing the MED basin; ii) an effective provision of technical services, governance and business models to support and guarantee a sustainable socio-economic development of the basin; iii) a well-functioning basin scale innovation ecosystem attractive towards investors and businesses, iv) the required engagement of the society at large, thanks to a robust awareness raising and citizen science approach in its implementation in the sea basin and beyond, and, thus, v) the effective deployment of Mission Implementation Charter and piloting of the Mission objectives for the MED by 2025.

The main aim of SEREN5 is to improve and professionalise the skills of the Cluster 3 (CL3) National Contact Points (NCPs) across Europe, simplifying applicants’ access to Horizon Europe (HE) calls and raising the average quality of submitted proposals. Starting from the assumption that the NCP role is crucial in order to raise the participation in HE in terms of both quality and quantity, SEREN5 overall concept is that the CL3 NCP community requires knowledge, skills, competences and a proven comprehensive suite of tools to convey a message in a multicultural and multi-disciplinary environment such the one that characterises Cluster 3 and to effectively support its broad based constituency. Therefore, the project is based on three pillars: (i) NCPs capacity building and competence development, (ii) development of targeted and high quality services (events and tools) for CL3 applicants and stakeholders , (iii) CL3 community building and general mainstreaming of CL3 NCPs in Horizon Europe.

Building upon the priorities set by Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020, the widerAdvance Facility emerges as our strategic solution to the European Commission’s emphasis on optimizing research outputs, particularly within the Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence (WIDERA) sector. This area, marked by significant disparities in innovation across Europe, especially in Widening countries and Outermost Regions, is the focal point of our initiative. Drawing upon our extensive experience garnered through previous Horizon projects, specifically Horizon Results Booster, this initiative is meticulously crafted to support and emphasize the research outcomes from these identified regions, while seamlessly aligning with the existing frameworks and tools laid out by the European Commission. The Facility is not merely a supportive platform but a comprehensive learning environment for researchers, research management entities, and tech transfer specialists. Our tailored approach includes the deployment of 50 individual academies focusing on 750 Key Exploitable Results, complementary webinars, extensive training modules, insightful study visits to renowned research centres, follow-up synergies and fostering collaborative environments through networking events. By enhancing the visibility of these regions and making impactful contributions to policy-making at local/ national and EU level, we aspire to reinforce and enrich the European research and innovation ecosystem, ensuring the equitable dissemination and utilisation of research breakthroughs across Europe. The service part is underpinned by active outreach performed by NCPs and local partners to organisations having direct/ indirect research results from Widening actions, which maximes the pathways towards objectives and ensure the sustainability of the actions.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the EU’s flagship funding programme for researcher training, are complex and highly competitive within Horizon Europe. MSCA National Contact Points (NCPs) face numerous calls and applicants, which is particularly challenging for newcomers, widening, and third-country NCPs. RADIANCE aims to enhance transnational cooperation among MSCA NCPs and professionalize their services across Europe, with a focus on widening and third countries. The project will improve MSCA support services through targeted tools, training, and resources, ensuring consistency across Europe and beyond. RADIANCE aligns with the call's scope by boosting researcher coaching quality, equipping over 160 MSCA NCPs with tailored tools to better advise the scientific community. The project combines innovative tools like AI with traditional methods, offering activities such as benchmarking, workshops, brokerage events, training, twinning, mentoring, and self-guided learning, supported by a personal skills development plan, documents, videos, and e-learning material. It strengthens research capacity by supporting MSCA NCPs, facilitators, the scientific community (especially in widening and third countries), and stakeholders like the European Commission (EC), the Research Executive Agency (REA) and the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) through mutual knowledge transfer and collaboration. We also foster synergies with various initiatives, such as Euraxess or the Horizon Academy with a focus on long-term sustainability of the project’s impact. RADIANCE will achieve its goals through five Work Packages (WPs): WP1 (Coordination and Communication), WP2 (Capacity Building), WP3 (Project Life Cycle), WP4 (Digital Tools), and WP5 (Synergies and Support to widening and third countries). Governed by a Steering Committee, the project has a budget of €1'998'132.50 and will last 36 months. It unites a consortium of 20 beneficiaries and 6 associated partners.