Brussels: The European Excellence Initiative will channel €80 million into 16 projects that aim to strengthen research and innovation capacity at universities in widening countries, the European Research Executive Agency announced on 20 October 2026. The money comes through Horizon Europe, and the projects were chosen from 284 applications submitted to the 2025 call, which ran from May to November 2025.
The European Excellence Initiative sits inside Horizon Europe’s “Widening participation and spreading excellence” part. Its purpose is to empower higher education institutions in widening countries by improving scientific excellence, knowledge valorisation and links with partners. Projects start between September 2026 and January 2027, and the countries involved include Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Greece.
VALORWIDE, coordinated by the Technical University of Sofia in Bulgaria, receives about €5 million of EU funding. It focuses on industry collaboration, artificial intelligence and intellectual property in support of Industry 5.0. WARIE, led by the Institute for Informatics and Automation of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, supports universities in Armenia, Georgia and Moldova in AI research and skills. Under the European Excellence Initiative, both projects focus on skills and research capacity at the partner institutions.
HydraLink, coordinated by the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, also receives about €5 million. It modernises institutions in Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Greece in controlled environment agriculture, a field that grows food in managed indoor conditions. CIRC4FOOD, coordinated by the National Technical University of Athens, aims to build excellence in sustainable food systems across widening countries.
The selection rate tells its own story. Only 16 of 284 proposals won funding, or roughly one in eighteen, so the European Excellence Initiative remains a competitive route even for institutions that start from a lower base. The mix of members, candidates and eastern partners also shows how research cooperation tracks the wider enlargement agenda, as universities in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine join projects with Bulgarian, Baltic and Greek partners.
What matters next is delivery. Projects start across the autumn and winter, since start dates run from September 2026 to January 2027. Universities in widening countries will need to turn grants into lasting partnerships, industry links and research careers that keep talent at home. Success will show in publications, patents and participation in later Horizon Europe calls. For now, the European Excellence Initiative gives 16 consortia the money and the mandate to try.
