Development aid and democratic governance
Horizon Europe · Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society · HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-DEMOCRACY-05
Funding for research on how EU development aid can better support democratic governance and reduce inequality in partner countries.
This call is announced but not open yet. Dates and conditions can still change.
What is this call about?
The topic funds research on how development aid affects democratic governance, equality and security in partner countries, and how EU support can be made more effective. The actions should strive to include development aid civil society organisations, and international cooperation is strongly encouraged.
What does this call fund?
Scope
Research, including by social sciences and humanities, should clarify the relationships between development aid, democratic governance, equality, security and global challenges. It should examine the effects of aid on democratic institutions and processes, identify funding gaps for democratic governance, and explore new approaches to supporting democracy and reducing inequality.
Research areas
- The impact of development aid on democratic institutions and on reducing socio-economic and gender inequalities.
- The role of non-EU donors, including public, private and philanthropic actors and the EU's economic and geopolitical competitors, and the dependencies they create.
- The consequences of declining democratic trends for global development strategies and the sustainable development goals.
- Opportunities to strengthen EU soft power across the humanitarian, development and peace nexus, for example through climate, water or science diplomacy.
Approach
Actions should strive to include development aid civil society organisations, use a gender-sensitive and intersectional approach, and may use participatory research. The geographical scope covers EU Enlargement countries, the EU Neighbourhood and low- and lower middle-income countries, with a focus on their relationship with the EU.
Expected outcomes
EU and national policymakers and development agencies are better equipped to manage relations with low- and middle-income countries, development cooperation organisations have more capacity to support democratic institutions, and multilateral partnerships between the EU and these countries are strengthened.
What are the key facts?
- Topic budget
- €12,000,000
- Minimum amount per project
- €3,500,000
- Maximum amount per project
- €4,000,000
- Call code
- HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-DEMOCRACY-05
- Programme
- Horizon Europe
- Expected number of projects
- 3
Who can apply for this call?
- The research covers EU Enlargement countries, the EU Neighbourhood (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in the East; Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia in the South) and low- and lower middle-income countries.
Check your eligibility and how your project fits
In your free account, we check the eligibility conditions against the call documents for your organisation and assess how well your project fits this call.
When is the deadline?
23 September 2027 (322 days)
23 September 2027 (single-stage). The planned opening date is 13 May 2027.
Interested in this call? Summary written with AI from the official call documents. Details can differ, so check the official call page before you apply. Read the official call documents before you decide. The official text is always binding.
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the official call documents. Official call page Last updated 6 October 2026.