Pillar I: Facilitating development of institutional open access policies through the retention of intellectual property rights

Overview

Supports research-performing organisations (RPOs) across the EU and Associated Countries in developing and implementing institutional open access policies, particularly through rights retention strategies to increase open access publication and reuse of scientific information.

Who Can Apply

Consortia of at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Associated Country, with at least two based in a Member State. Eligible applicants include RPOs, libraries, policy-makers, funders, and other relevant organisations.

Funding Details

Maximum funding per grant: 6,000,000 EUR. Funding is provided as a lump sum.

What Is Funded

Development of institutional open access policies incorporating rights retention strategies. Activities include:

• Establishing networks of RPOs to align policies.
• Producing guidance, tools, and training materials for policy adoption.
• Designing strategies to maximise researcher and institutional approval of rights retention and open access policies.
• Addressing related issues such as research assessment reform, open access costs, and disciplinary practices.

Key Dates

• Open date: 2026-12-07
• Deadline: 2027-03-10

Application Process (High-Level)

Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Proposals must adhere to page limits and formats specified in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Geographic Scope & Language

Open to applicants from EU Member States and Associated Countries. Applications must be submitted in English.

Notes

Proposals must contribute to the European Research Area (ERA) Structural Policy on open science and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). Rights retention refers to authors or institutions retaining copyright and sufficient rights to make scholarly works immediately available under an open license (e.g., CC BY).