COST (European Co-operation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research) – Open Call for new COST Action 2026
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
COST aims to enable breakthrough scientific developments leading to new concepts and products. It thereby contributes to strengthening Europe’s research and innovation capacities.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The European Co-operation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) Programme has issued its next collection date for its open call for new COST Action 2026 proposals.
COST is a pan-European intergovernmental framework dedicated to supporting European-based Science and Technology (S&T) networking activities, enabling collaboration between researchers, innovators, and other relevant stakeholders. COST participants can jointly develop ideas and new initiatives across all scientific disciplines through trans-European coordination of nationally or otherwise funded research activities.
COST Actions are Pan-European, Bottom-up, Open throughout their lifetime to new members and are adaptable in terms of internal organisation and strategy; well-suited to promote Multi-, Inter- and Transdisciplinary collaborations, Output and Impact-Oriented.
Detailed Call Description
Funding provided by COST supports networking activities, in particular:
- Meetings (i.e. Management Committee meetings, Working Group meetings);
- Training Schools;
- Mobility of Researchers and Innovators (Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) and Virtual Mobility (VM));
- Presentations at conferences organised by third parties (ITC Conference Grants, YRI Conference Grants, and Dissemination Conference Grants).
Further, COST Actions can receive funding for other expenses supporting the Action:
- Dissemination and Communication Products;
- Expenses incurred for the benefit of the network.
More information is available at the following link: COST Action website (the website containing all the relevant documents and guidelines). All relevant documents are available in Documents and Guidelines section.
Proposers are invited to read the set of COST Implementation Rules, namely:
- COST Action Proposal Submission, Evaluation, Selection and Approval (COST 101/21)
- Annotated Rules for COST Actions (COST 094/21)
All enquiries concerning the Open Call can be addressed directly from the “contact us” link in e-COST or by sending an e-mail to opencall@cost.eu.
If you would like further information on the COST Open Call you can join online the Info Day on 16 June, 10h00 – 12h00 (Brussels time). The aim of the event is to inform the research community on how to participate in COST Actions or submit a COST Action proposal, as well as the role and impact of the COST programme. Register your attendance here.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
No budget forecast is requested when submitting a proposal. The average funding received during the 4-year duration of a COST Action amounts to approximately €600.000. The amounts are variable from a grant period to another and depends, among others, on the size of the network and overall budget available.
Up to 80 new COST Actions are to be approved, subject to available budget.
The duration of a COST Action shall be 4 years.
Thematic Categories
- Education and training
- Justice - Security
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Businesses
- Educational Institutions
- Large Enterprises
- Legal Entities
- NGOs
- Other Beneficiaries
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
COST Actions are open to anyone with a legal affiliation located in a COST Member or in any NNC (Near Neighbour Countries) or Third State International Partner Countries (IPC). A legal entity can be (non-exhaustive list): a public entity (national, regional, local public authority or any other kind of public entity), universities, research centres, SMEs, large companies, NGOs, as well as Specific Organisation or any other form of legal entity recognised under a national or international framework.
The eligibility for reimbursement and the rules for participation depend on the status of Country or Specific Organisation the participant is affiliated to according to COST rules (see Annotated Rules for COST Actions and Annex I – Level A: Country and Organisations table). The rules to participate in a COST Action may be found in the Annotated Rules for COST Actions.
The Network of Proposers shall be composed of:
- At least 7 COST Full or Cooperating Members amongst which at least fifty per cent (≥50%) shall be from COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (Cyprus, Czechia and Greece are included in this category).
- At least forty per cent (≥40%) of individuals who are Young Researchers and Innovators during the calendar year of the collection date.