International cooperation with the Western Balkans in Horizon Europe: all useful information and links

International cooperation is a key enabler of world-class research and innovation. The European Union’s Global Approach to Research and Innovation strategy defines how the EU engages with partners worldwide. The EU engages in bilateral cooperation through Science and Technology Agreements with countries around the world, as well as through regional policy dialogues that help align priorities, share expertise and build long-term partnerships. These frameworks create structured channels for cooperation in areas such as green transition, digitalisation, health, and research infrastructures.

Horizon Europe serves as the main instrument to put the EU strategy into practice, while Association to Horizon Europe represents the most advanced form of research and innovation cooperation available to countries outside the European Union. By contributing financially to the programme’s budget through an international agreement, associated countries enable their researchers and organisations to participate under conditions comparable to those of EU Member State entities.

International cooperation with the Western Balkans in research and innovation benefits from the fact that all six Western Balkans economies are associated to Horizon Europe but beyond formal access to funding, cooperation is supported through policy dialogue and regional initiatives under the EU enlargement framework. Association to Horizon Europe gives Western Balkans universities, research institutes, companies and public bodies full access to calls for proposals, collaborative projects and funding schemes across all pillars of the programme. This includes opportunities under Excellent Science, Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, and Innovative Europe.

The European Commission provides dedicated country pages with up-to-date information on participation conditions, policy developments and news for each economy: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. These pages outline legal arrangements, financial contributions, and participation statistics, and they link to relevant national contact points. Horizon Europe Association has so far led to growing participation of Western Balkans entities in collaborative projects, partnerships and research infrastructures. It also encourages mobility, joint publications and long-term institutional partnerships with organisations across Europe. This contributes not only to scientific excellence but also to economic development, digital and green transitions, and the region’s gradual integration into the European Research Area.

Are you interested in research & innovation funding opportunities under Horizon Europe? Find below all useful information and links!

• All research and innovation news published at EC portal
• Horizon Europe strategic plan
• Horizon Europe website – HE Work Programmes
• Who should apply
• Support for applicants
• Guide to why and how to participate as an international researcher in Horizon Europe
• All funding information and procedures on how to apply (Funding and Tenders portal)
• Info Days calendar

Webinars

• Find opportunities and submit a proposal in Horizon Europe (13 March 2025)
• Lump Sum Funding in Horizon Europe: How does it work? How to write a proposal? (2 October 2025)
• Personnel Unit Cost – New cost method in Horizon Europe
• Dissemination and exploitation in Horizon Europe
• Horizon Implementation Day: Grant Management in Horizon Europe (3 April 2025)

More information about projects and results

• Horizon Europe projects already involving the Western Balkans (CORDIS)
• Horizon dashboard (overview on evaluated proposals (incl. success rates) and detailed statistics and data on funded projects and their participants in EU R&I programmes, broken down by countries and regions, research domain/programme part, organisation type, etc.)
• EU Funded projects – Funding & Tenders Portal (EU funded projects from the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunities produce a breadth of results. From projects on biopesticides to infrastructures, dance and music for social inclusion, clinical diagnosis advancements, and applied gamification, this section allows you to explore projects’ results to get a taste of the EU funding’s reach and impact.)
• Success stories
• Horizon magazine
• Horizon results platform

You may also want to visit the FAQ section on the Funding portal and the Q&A section on each topics’ page.Your National contact points can help you in your language for specific questions on the topics and Horizon Europe in general. In addition, you can submit your questions through the Research Enquiry Service (RES).