Contribution of basic skills to productivity, innovation, competitiveness and economic growth

• July 10, 2026
• admin

This Horizon Europe call supports research projects that examine how basic skills contribute to productivity, innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth across the European Union. In line with the Union of Skills initiative and the European Commission’s Action Plan on Basic Skills, the call aims to strengthen the evidence base on the economic and social value of literacy, mathematics, science, digital, and citizenship skills. Projects are expected to generate actionable policy recommendations that improve education and training systems, promote lifelong learning, and reduce inequalities in basic skill acquisition and labour market outcomes.

Areas

• The relationship between basic skills and productivity, innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth at both microeconomic and macroeconomic levels.

• Longitudinal research on the development of basic skills and their interaction with other competences, including socio-emotional skills.

• Evaluation of education and training policies and practices that improve basic skill acquisition across school, vocational, higher, and adult education.

• Research on reducing gender, disability, and socioeconomic disparities in basic skills and labour market outcomes.

• Studies on effective learning with AI-based tools, increasing female participation in STEM, addressing teacher shortages, and improving educational inclusion for persons with disabilities.

• Evidence-based policy recommendations, including cost-effectiveness analysis, developed in cooperation with education and training stakeholders.

Eligibility Criteria

• Legal entities established in EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and eligible low- and middle-income countries.

• Consortium composed of at least three independent legal entities established in three different eligible countries.

• At least one member of the consortium must be established in an EU Member State

Funding

• Total Budget: up to 12.000.000 EUR

• Amount per project: 3.000.000 to 4.000.000 EUR 

• The funding is in the form of lump sum

Timeline

The deadline to submit applications is set to 23 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time.