Horizon Europe is the European Union’s main research and innovation programme for 2021 to 2027, managed by the European Commission. It funds collaborative research across almost every field, usually through international consortia. Malawi counts as a low-income partner country, so University of Malawi teams can join Horizon Europe consortia as funded partners.
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-01 The call supports the understanding and identification of insect diversity, including through genomic approaches, to inform the knowledge of the drivers of the dramatic decline of insects. Projects will assess the status and trends of insects and analyse multiple drivers affecting them, as well as the ecosystem services that insects provide, at different spatial scales. A comprehensive integrative taxonomy approach should be adopted, incorporating a multidisciplinary framework, including ecology and ecotoxicology, and integrating methods that address the diverse needs of insects across their entire lifecycle, ensuring the identification of essential habitat resources at each stage of development.
Deadline
17 September 2026 17:00:00 Brussels time20 days left
Value
€6.5 million per project | Up to 2 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-02 This call supports comparative and empirical research on how local democratic institutions and processes function in low-income and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Projects should examine formal and informal governance structures, citizen participation, decentralisation, accountability mechanisms, and the conditions under which local democracy contributes to development outcomes. Cross-country and interdisciplinary methodologies are encouraged.
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-05: This call promotes research on international partnerships and policy frameworks in the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI), including music, visual arts, literature, film, and crafts. Projects should examine how global CCI collaboration can support cultural diversity, access, and economic development, including in the Global South. The call explicitly encourages Africa–EU creative partnerships.
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
Funds research on the impact of digital tool use on educational outcomes and mental health in children and young people. There is limited evidence on the interrelation between the use of digital tools for leisure in-school or out-of-school and educational performance, in both primary and secondary education, because most of the existing literature is purely correlational, or only focuses on effects on well-being.
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-16: This call funds R&D into novel processing technologies for raw and secondary materials, targeting improved efficiency, reduced environmental footprint, and lower dependency on scarce input materials. Topics include novel smelting, refining, separation, and beneficiation technologies applicable to African mineral resource contexts.
Deadline
Opens: 22 September 2026 | Closes: 2 February 2027158 days left
Value
€5–6 million per project | Up to 4 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-17: This coordination action funds the establishment of a global expert network on critical raw materials, bringing together research institutions, geological surveys, industry, and policymakers across Europe and partner countries, including Africa, to share knowledge, build common methodologies, and provide scientific advice to policy processes.
Deadline
Opens: 22 September 2026 | Closes: 2 February 2027158 days left
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-10: This call supports the development of integrated Renewable Energy Valley (REV) models in Africa - geographic zones where multiple renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydropower, green hydrogen) are co-located with industrial, agricultural, or community users to maximise energy access and security. Projects should demonstrate scalable and replicable models.
Deadline
Opens: 3 December 2026 | Closes: 31 March 2027215 days left
Value
€4.5 million per project | Up to 2 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02: This two-stage call supports integrated research on the water–nutrient–energy nexus in African smallholder and commercial agriculture, examining how trade-offs and synergies between water use, fertiliser application, and energy consumption can be optimised for climate-smart, productive, and sustainable outcomes. The two-stage process means a short Stage 1 concept note is submitted first, with full proposals submitted only by invited applicants.
Deadline
Opens: 3 December 2026 | Closes: 31 March 2027223 days left
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-DEMOCRACY-08: This call funds comparative and interdisciplinary research on global human rights frameworks, their effectiveness, and how EU values interact with diverse human rights traditions globally. Topics may include enforcement mechanisms, cultural legitimacy of rights frameworks, economic and social rights, and the role of regional human rights bodies.
Deadline
Opens: May 2027 | Closes: 21 September 2027389 days left
Value
€3.5–4 million per project | Up to 3 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-06: This call supports research on approaches to make cultural tourism more sustainable in environmental, economic, and social terms. Projects should examine overtourism impacts, community benefit-sharing, climate resilience of heritage sites, digital innovation in tourism, and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage under tourist pressure.
Deadline
Opens: May 2027 | Closes: 21 September 2027389 days left
Value
€4–4.8 million per project | Up to 3 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-DEMOCRACY-05: This call examines the relationship between development aid flows and democratic governance outcomes in recipient countries. Projects should investigate conditionality, aid modalities, donor coordination, absorption capacity, and the effects of aid on governance institutions, public accountability, and citizens' political behaviour.
Deadline
Opens: May 2027 | Closes: 21 September 2027389 days left
Value
€3.5–4 million per project | Up to 3 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-06: This call supports collaborative research on AI between the EU and partner countries, including those in Africa, addressing AI safety, trustworthiness, bias mitigation, and the development of AI systems adapted to diverse cultural and linguistic contexts. Projects should demonstrate tangible benefits for both the EU and the partner country communities.
Deadline
Opens: September 2027 | Closes: December 2027460 days left
Value
€5–7 million per project | Up to 3 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
The European Commission launched Africa Initiative IV under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027, allocating approximately €605 million to support EU–Africa cooperation in research and innovation. The calls are published by the European External Action Service (EEAS). The full list of calls is available at the official call page.
