Horizon Europe and Kosovo: research funding access in practice

Horizon Europe is the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme for 2021-2027, with a total budget of around €95.5 billion. Kosovo is an associated country to Horizon Europe, meaning Kosovar institutions and researchers participate on essentially equal terms with EU member states in calls for proposals, evaluation and funding. The association has been in place since the start of the programme and unlocks a route that, while administratively involved, is genuinely accessible to Kosovar universities, research institutes, SMEs and public bodies.

What Horizon Europe covers

The programme is structured into three pillars plus a horizontal section:

Pillar 1 — Excellent Science: European Research Council (ERC) grants for frontier research; Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) for individual researcher mobility and training; Research Infrastructures.
Pillar 2 — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness: Six clusters covering Health; Culture, Creativity & Inclusive Society; Civil Security for Society; Digital, Industry & Space; Climate, Energy & Mobility; Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment. The bulk of the programme’s funding.
Pillar 3 — Innovative Europe: European Innovation Council (EIC) for breakthrough innovation and SME support; European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT); European Innovation Ecosystems.
Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area: Specific actions designed to bring widening countries (which includes Kosovo) into the wider European research landscape.

For Kosovo, the most accessible parts of the programme are Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, the Widening Participation programme, and collaborative project participation in Pillar 2 clusters.

What “associated country” means in practice

Kosovo’s association to Horizon Europe means:

Kosovar legal entities can lead or participate in projects on the same terms as EU entities.
Kosovar researchers can apply for individual grants (ERC, MSCA) on the same terms.
Funding flows directly from the European Commission (via the granting agencies) to Kosovar beneficiaries.
Kosovar contributions to programme management and oversight are part of the association agreement.

Association is a contractual relationship — it does not depend on EU membership status or candidate-country status, and it can in principle be modified or paused. As of 2026 it is fully in force.

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA): the entry point for individual researchers

MSCA is the most accessible Horizon Europe route for individual Kosovar researchers. Sub-actions include:

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships: 1-3 year fellowships for researchers within 8 years of their PhD. Funded mobility from one country to another. A Kosovar postdoc can apply for a fellowship to go to an EU country, or a foreign postdoc can apply to come to a Kosovo institution.
MSCA Doctoral Networks: PhD training networks across multiple institutions in different countries. Kosovo universities can be partners.
MSCA Staff Exchanges: Short-term researcher exchanges between academia and industry, or between sectors.
MSCA COFUND: Co-funded doctoral and postdoctoral programmes; less commonly used in Kosovo.

A Kosovar postdoc applying for an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship would write a 1-3 year research proposal with a host institution in an EU country (or vice versa), the proposal is evaluated by peer reviewers, and funded fellowships receive a salary (typically €4,500-5,500 per month depending on country), mobility allowance, family allowance if applicable, and research and training costs. The deadlines are annual.

Widening Participation actions

Recognising that not all EU countries have equally developed research systems, Horizon Europe sets aside a portion of funding for actions designed to lift “widening countries”. Kosovo qualifies as a widening country. Relevant sub-actions:

Teaming: Builds new or upgraded centres of excellence in widening countries, pairing them with established EU partners. Multi-million-euro multi-year projects.
Twinning: Smaller-scale (€0.5-1.5M, 3 years) institutional partnerships between a widening-country research institution and 2+ EU partners.
ERA Chairs: Funds outstanding researchers to lead the research strategy of a widening-country institution.
Hop On Facility: Allows widening-country entities to join already-funded Horizon Europe projects.

For Kosovar universities and research institutes, Twinning is the most accessible single instrument — well-scaled, replicable, and with a track record of successful Kosovo participation. The University of Pristina, the Innovation Centre Kosovo, and several research-active faculties have used Twinning to build international research networks.

Pillar 2 collaborative projects

The largest pot of Horizon Europe funding sits in Pillar 2 collaborative projects — typically consortia of 5-20 institutions across multiple countries, working on a specific research challenge over 2-5 years, with project budgets of €2-20 million. Kosovar participation is by:

Joining a consortium led by an EU institution (most common — find a consortium that needs your specific expertise)
Leading a consortium yourself (rare for Kosovo institutions but increasing)
Subcontracting to a consortium member

Calls are published annually on the EU’s Funding & Tenders Portal, organised by cluster and topic. The work programme defines specific challenges and expected impacts. The application is technical — proposals run 30-70 pages and require a coordinated consortium effort.

How to find Horizon Europe opportunities

The single most useful resource is the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. It hosts:

All open and upcoming Horizon Europe calls
Search by topic, deadline, programme
Partner-search functionality (find consortia looking for partners)

Beyond the portal:

Kosovo’s National Contact Points (NCPs): Designated experts in each cluster who provide free advice on applying, identifying calls, finding partners. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology hosts the NCP network.
Horizon Europe info days: Held annually for each cluster. Open virtual sessions.
The University of Pristina Research Office and the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts maintain Horizon Europe support functions.

Industry and SME participation

Kosovar SMEs can participate in Horizon Europe through several routes:

EIC Accelerator: Funding (and equity) for breakthrough innovations, typically €0.5-2.5M grant plus optional equity. Highly competitive; targeted at scale-up-ready innovations.
EIC Pathfinder: Earlier-stage research grants.
EIE Programme: Support for innovation ecosystems, including in widening countries.
Collaborative Pillar 2 projects: SMEs can be consortium members alongside research institutions.

Several Kosovo tech and innovation companies have participated as consortium members in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects. The Innovation Centre Kosovo runs occasional matchmaking events.

Visas, mobility and ETIAS

Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowships and other long-stay research mobility require a national long-stay visa from the destination country (or a Kosovo visa for inbound fellows). The fellowship grants typically cover visa fees. For short-stay project meetings, visa-free Schengen and the forthcoming ETIAS authorisation suffice. See our working rights guide for the long-stay routes.

Practical tips for first-time applicants

Start with a partner search rather than a topic search. Most successful Kosovar participation begins by joining an EU-led consortium, not by writing a proposal from scratch.
Contact the National Contact Point before drafting anything. NCPs have seen hundreds of proposals and know what evaluators look for.
Budget realistically. Horizon Europe funds 100% of direct costs and a 25% flat rate for indirect costs (overheads) for non-profit research institutions; 70% for SMEs in innovation actions.
Watch the deadlines. Single-stage submissions, two-stage submissions and continuously open calls all coexist.
Allow 6-8 months from concept to submission for a serious proposal.

In summary

Horizon Europe is the deepest pool of EU research funding accessible to Kosovo. Association status means Kosovar researchers and institutions are not excluded from anywhere in the programme. The most accessible routes are MSCA fellowships for individuals and Widening Participation actions for institutions. Calls are competitive but consistent, and the funding is generous by Kosovo standards.

For the parallel education-and-training programme, see our Erasmus+ guide. For Kosovo institutions interested in EU-funded capacity-building beyond research, see our IPA III funding for businesses page.

Updated 26 May 2026