ATHENA Grant & Support Office

NEWS

EIT invests €70 million to boost innovation skills in universities and deepen cooperation with the European Universities

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has selected 35 projects to receive €70 million in funding to help higher education institutions (HEIs) across Europe turn research into innovation, strengthen entrepreneurship education and deepen...

Chips Joint Undertaking (JU) new funding opportunities

The Chips for Europe Initiative: Bridges the gap between research and industrial deployment. It funds strategic actions such as the establishment of Pilot Lines, the development of a cloud-based Design Platform, the creation of Competence Centres to provide...

Joint Declaration for a Bold FP10:Investing in Research, Development and Innovation toBoost European Productivity and Competitiveness

The European University Association has put out a position paper on the upcoming EU Innovation Act, delayed legislation intended to make it easier to create and grow innovative businesses across the bloc.  The EUA wants the act to involve universities,...

EU TalentOn 2026: Meet the 100 Finalists Heading to Brest!

Over five intense days in Brest, they’ll participate in brainstorming sessions lectures, workshops, and networking activities, working in teams to develop cutting-edge solutions. The stakes? A share of €80 000 in prize money, including a €12 000 Grand Jury Prize for...

EU CAP Network brokerage event ‘From practice to impact: building Horizon Europe collaborations for agriculture and rural areas’

The EU CAP Network brokerage event ‘From practice to impact: building Horizon Europe collaborations for agriculture and rural areas’ will take place in Brussels, Belgium, on 5 and 6 November 2026. In recent years, the EU CAP Network brokerage events have successfully...

A European Innovation Act that builds a truly European innovation culture

The European Union’s push for competitiveness is at a critical juncture. Of particular importance is the need for a European innovation culture, which universities, with their fundamental, curiosity-driven science base, are essential to building. As the first major...

117 new EU-funded projects launched under Horizon Europe to support green transition

A total of 117 new projects have secured €742 million in EU funding under Horizon Europe’s Cluster 6, which focuses on food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and the environment. The projects have now signed Grant Agreements with the European Commission....

ATHENA FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES CALENDAR

Erasmus +

Call/TopicOpenDeadline
Erasmus+ Virtual Exchanges in Neighbourhood East
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-VIRT-EXCH-NE
04 Dec 202526 Nov 2026
Erasmus+ Virtual Exchanges in Western Balkans
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-VIRT-EXCH-WB
04 Dec 202526 Nov 2026

Horizon Europe 2021-2027

Call/TopicOpenDeadline
EIC STEP Scale Up
HORIZON-EIC-2026-STEP
06 Nov 202525 Nov 2026

Open for SMEs-Innovators-Students

Call/TopicOpenDeadline
EIC Accelerator 2026 – Short proposal
HORIZON-EIC-2026-ACCELERATOR-01
06 Nov 202517 Dec 2026

EVENTS

International Conference on Research Infrastructures

The International Conference on Research Infrastructures (ICRI) is the flagship global forum for strategic dialogue and international cooperation on research infrastructures (RIs). It brings together scientists, policymakers, RI directors and operators, funding...

Implementation Dialogue on Attracting and Retaining Research Talent in Europe

As part of the Commission’s new approach to better implementation and simplification, Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, is engaging directly with stakeholders through Implementation Dialogues....

4th European Universities Initiative Forum

The 4th Forum of European University Alliances is a high-level European higher education conference taking place on 10 July 2026 in County Kildare, under the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This forum will bring together European and domestic...

Investing in what makes Europe strong: Research and innovation in the next EU budget

Europe is facing multiple crises at once, with competing priorities. It is urgent that the Council, Commission, and European Parliament reach an agreement on the EU budget 2028-2034, to deploy the instruments that will address these crises. Investment in research and...

Shaping the AI frontier: key takeaways from the EDIH Summit 2026

The discussion on Artificial Intelligence in Europe has now clearly moved from policymaking to implementation. With the AI Act now in force, the focus of the EDIH Summit 2026 (Strengthening the AI Innovation Ecosystem, held on 9–10 June at The SQUARE in...

Info session From lab to market Strengthening the role of Technology Transfer Offices , 18/06/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPunYwYPmOU&t=1s

European Innovation Ecosystems Online Info Session – 18 June 2026

https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/b23ff330-be79-e2eb-04a4-a47d8b49f1e8