Multilateral Cooperation
NCBR participates in the organization of calls for proposals for international research or R&D projects and finances Polish entities implementing international projects by participating in multilateral initiatives.
EU Framework Programme initiatives (FP 6 and FP 7)
Based on the implementation of the Community goal of creating the European Research Area (ERA), the formula of ERA-NET / ERA-NET + group programmes assumes combining the financial and scientific potential of Member States to increase the competitiveness of the European economy. The participants of these projects are institutions implementing research-funding programs in individual European countries, e.g. ministries, research-funding agencies or science councils. The role of NCBR is to establish cooperation and participate in ERA-NET projects, under which takes place the organisation of international competitions for research and R&D projects financed from national funds. Most of the programmes in question have currently been completed.
Horizon 2020 initiatives
Era-Net CO-FUND
Era-Net CO-FUND is a programme formula under Horizon 2020. The main activity under ERA-NET Cofund is the announcement of an international call for proposals co-financed by the European Commission. In addition, under ERA-NET Cofund, Member States may undertake other joint activities, such as organising international calls for research projects without the support of the European Commission.
European Joint Programs (EJP)
Horizon 2020 Joint European Programmes (EJP Cofund) are actions aimed at supporting coordinated national research and innovation programmes. The main idea is to attract and pool a critical mass of national resources on the goals and challenges of Horizon 2020. EJP Cofund enables the implementation of a joint programme of activities, ranging from research and innovation projects, through training, to coordination and networking. It supports direct activities of consortia and/or (single or multiple) calls for proposals for financial support to third parties.
Joint Programming Initiatives ( JPI)
The purpose of Joint Programming Initiatives (JPI) is cooperation between Member States in the field of R&D, which consists in undertaking joint activities, including research, in areas of key importance for Europe. The subject matter and scope of a given initiative are defined in a document called Strategic Research Agenda - SRA. As part of the initiatives, joint calls for proposals are announced in which projects are financed with funds contributed by the participating countries.
Joint Undertakings (JUs)
A Joint Undertaking (JU) is a public-private partnership between the European Commission, Member States and an industry association. NCBR represents Poland as an executive agency and co-finances the participation of Polish entities in projects selected in calls for proposals organised by JU or - in the case of Joint Programmes - an organisation established for this purpose (e.g. an association).
AAL
Active and Assisted Living Program (AAL) is an R&D programme supporting projects that apply information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve the quality of life of the elderly. The main objective of AAL is to support the creation of ICT-based innovative products, services and systems to ensure the comfortable functioning of older people. This is to be done by: extending the period in which they can live in better conditions by increasing their independence, self-confidence and mobility, helping maintain good health and independent functioning, promoting a better and healthier lifestyle, helping carers, families and care organisations, stimulating the efficiency and productivity of resources used in ageing communities.
BONUS
Co-financed by the European Union and national research funding organizations (50/50 proportion), BONUS-185 international programme is a continuation and development of previous activities on environmental challenges, marine ecosystem protection, fisheries, tourism, transport, spatial planning and management of Baltic Sea resources. The participants of the programme are all of the countries that border the Baltic Sea.
EUROSTARS-2
EUROSTARS-2 is a continuation and successor of EUROSTARS programme, i.e. a joint programme of EUREKA Initiative and the European Union, implemented on the basis of Art. 185 of the European Treaty, which aims to support projects carried out by research-conducting SMEs. The factor that distinguishes EUROSTARS from other programmes is the necessity to implement project results within 2 years after its completion. EUROSTARS-2 programme is implemented in the years 2014-2020.
Teaming for Excellence
Teaming is one of Horizon 2020 instruments which aims to create new (or significantly upgraded existing ones) centres of excellence (CoE) through partnerships of national research units with foreign partners.
Horizon Europe Partnerships
One of the instruments of Horizon Europe will be partnerships of European countries and the European Commission, which, through joint funding of research and innovation in key areas for the European Union, are to contribute to a joint effort to meet global challenges. Horizon Europe introduces a coherent, strategic and results-oriented approach to European partnerships. They are expected to make a significant contribution to the achievement of EU priorities and contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Partnerships are created on the basis of Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas (SRIA) in order to achieve synergy with other EU and Member State programmes.
Instead of existing programmes that operated under Horizon 2020 and previous EU Framework Programmes, the following three types of partnerships will be created:
Co-Programmed European Partnerships
Public-private partnerships between the European Commission and associations representing stakeholders in specific fields and operating on the basis of an agreement. The parties to the partnership are most often the European Commission and industry associations (in a given field), associating stakeholders (both private and public entities). Research agendas of such Partnerships are implemented through topics included in the Work Programmes within individual clusters.
Co-funded European Partnerships
Public-public partnerships between the European Commission and a research funding agency in a given Member State or (most often) associated country, operating under a grant/subsidy agreement between the European Commission and a consortium of partners bringing together national and regional funding programmes on a given topic. The parties to the partnership are the European Commission and entities from individual Member States or associated countries co-financing beneficiaries from their respective countries. Research agendas implemented through calls for proposals organised by international consortia implementing grants from the European Commission intended for this purpose. Calls are announced by partners from the consortium - these are joint international calls for the execution of R & D & I works. Joint programmes must define objectives,
key impact indicators and outputs to be achieved, based on the financial commitment of the partners.
Institutionalised European Partnerships
There are two types of Institutional Partnerships, also known as Joint Undertakings (JUs):
- public-private (PP: EC – private entities)
- public-public-private (PPP: EC – MS/AC – private entities).
Such partnerships are based on a decision of the Council and the European Parliament, pursuant to Art. 185 or 187 TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). These partnerships also include EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, in line with the EIT Regulation and the EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda (SIA). Institutional European partnerships are built in the strategic areas of research and innovation. Most often they include public-private research and innovation programmes undertaken by several or more than a dozen Member States. Institutionalised Partnerships require financial involvement: PPP – MS / AC co-finance calls for proposals organised by JUs; PP – private entities co-finance calls organised by JUs.
The role of NCBR will be to coordinate Poland's participation in partnerships, including, in particular, international calls for proposals for research projects and financing of Polish entities applying for funds under these calls.
Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP)
The Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) aims to strengthen the EU’s energy transition process and, through a research and innovation perspective, contribute to the goal of transforming Europe into the first climate‑neutral continent by 2050. To achieve this ambitious objective, Europe must begin transforming both its energy system and the supporting technologies, as well as society as a whole. Such a shift requires clean energy technologies and systemic innovations. The Partnership builds on previous initiatives, including ERA‑Net SmartGridPlus, ERA‑Net SG+ REGSYS, Solar‑ERA.NET1, Solar‑ERA.NET2, DemoWind, DemoWind2, ERA‑Net GEOTHERMICA, BESTF3, ACT, and CSP. The planned NCBR budget for the partnership is 21 million euros for the years 2021–27.
Driving Urban Transition (DUT)
The DUT Partnership will support efforts to address the challenges faced by cities. It will enable local authorities and municipalities, businesses, and citizens to translate global strategies into local action. The partnership will develop the skills and tools needed to implement urgent and necessary changes in urban areas. More than 20 countries have joined the DUT Partnership. The NCBR budget for funding research and development projects selected through calls launched by the partnership amounts to 10 million euros for the years 2021–27.
Chips Joint Undertaking
Chips Joint Undertaking (the successor to KDT JU) is a tri-partite partnership between the EU, the participating states and industry that strengthens Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem and the continent’s technological-industrial position. Its objectives include, among others, reinforcing the EU’s strategic autonomy in Electronic Components and Systems (ECS), establishing scientific and innovation leadership, and ensuring strong SME participation, with the ambition to double the value of ECS design and production in Europe by 2030. The partnership delivers two complementary tracks: ECS research-and-innovation calls and the “Chips for Europe Initiative” (pilot lines, the European design platform, a network of competence centres, and actions in the areas of quantum chips and skills). Financing combines EU funds (Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme) with national contributions from participating states, with some actions funded at 100% from the EU budget. The planned NCBR budget is EUR 15 million for 2021–27.
Innovative SMEs
The Innovative SMEs Partnership is the direct successor to the Eurostars‑1 and Eurostars‑2 programmes. Over the past decade, NCBR has signed 53 funding agreements for projects under Eurostars‑1 (until 2014) and Eurostars‑2 (2015–2021), with a total awarded funding amount of 50,590,639.12 PLN. Like the Eurostars programme, the new partnership is dedicated exclusively to SMEs. It is strongly market‑oriented, as projects may last a maximum of three years, and within two years after their completion, the achieved results should reach the market. For projects in the medical field, clinical trials should begin within two years after project completion. Eurostars‑2 was one of the most popular programmes in NCBR’s international portfolio. The planned NCBR budget amounts to 30 million euros for the years 2021–27.
EuroHPC
The objective of the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) is to develop, deploy, expand, and maintain within the EU a world‑class, federated, secure, and hyper‑connected ecosystem of supercomputing, quantum computing, services, and data infrastructure. Under the regulation, activities carried out within the existing EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, established in October 2018, may be continued, combining contributions from the EU, 27 Member States, 6 other participating countries, and two private members: the European Technology Platform for HPC and the Big Data Value Association. High‑performance computing refers to computing systems (“supercomputers”) with extremely high processing power, capable of solving exceptionally complex and demanding problems. They enable key technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cybersecurity-to harness the vast potential of a data‑driven economy. The planned NCBR budget amounts to 5 million euros for the years 2021–27.
Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS)
The goal of the Transforming Health and Care Systems Partnership (THCS) is to maintain and improve the health of citizens in Europe by supporting the transformation of health and social care systems. This will be achieved by covering the entire knowledge and innovation cycle, from basic research to implementation research, experimental development, and innovation, while engaging all relevant stakeholders. The partnership’s objectives are intended to be transformed into coordinated actions and, in due course, implemented within the systems. The THCS vision aligns with the political priorities of the European Union and aims to contribute to achieving the goals set by the European Commission for the coming years. The planned NCBR budget amounts to 10 million euros for the years 2021–27.
ERA4Health
The ERA4HEALTH Partnership is a leading European initiative aimed at the joint development of health‑related research and innovation programmes. ERA4Health brings together 48 entities (plus 13 Affiliated Entities) from 27 countries. Consortium partners are a mix of ministries, national and regional funding agencies, not-for-profit intergovernmental organisations, research institutes and foundations. Through cross-national joint calls for proposals, other cross-cutting activities, and by making optimal use of interregional and international cooperation, ERA4Health aims to provide influential contributions as well as a sustainable funding model for ground-breaking translational research in the health domain across Europe and beyond. The NCBR budget for the years 2021–27 amounts to 30 million euros.
Water4All
Water4All is one of eight European partnerships proposed under Cluster 6 “Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment” of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. European partnerships were defined as part of the first strategic planning of Horizon Europe (2021–2024) to play a key role in addressing complex economic and societal challenges and to contribute to several key Commission priorities, particularly the European Green Deal. Water4All – Water Security for the Planet aims to ensure long‑term water security for all EU citizens. The partnership will launch annual calls for international R&D projects. The NCBR budget for funding research and development projects selected through partnership calls amounts to 8 million euros for the years 2021–27.
The Sustainable Blue Economy
The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership aims to support the transformation of Europe’s ocean economy by advancing sustainable, healthy, and productive European seas and oceans and contributing to climate neutrality by 2050. By aligning national, regional, and EU priorities in research, innovation, and governance, and by bringing science, industry, and society closer together, the partnership seeks to generate essential knowledge and solutions and to support effective implementation of national and EU policies (including the MSFD and the Green Deal). The NCBR budget for funding R&D projects selected through partnership calls amounts to 7 million euros for the years 2021–27.
PIANOFORTE – European Partnership for Radiation Protection and Ionising Radiation Detection
The objective of the PIANOFORTE Partnership is to consolidate the European research community in the field of radiation protection. The partnership will support both EU and national authorities and ensure progress through advancment of knowledge, methods, and technologies to eliminate existing gaps in radiation protection, including in cancer diagnosis and treatment. NCBR will coordinate the implementation of Work Package 7, dedicated to launching and conducting three international calls for R&D projects in the field of radiological protection.
European Partnership on Rare Diseases
The European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJP RD) brings together more than 130 institutions (including all 24 European Reference Networks) from 35 countries - 26 EU Member States and 7 associated countries (Armenia, Georgia, Israel, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey), as well as the United Kingdom and Canada. Its objective is to create a comprehensive, sustainable ecosystem enabling strong links between scientific research, healthcare, and medical innovation. NCBR has allocated a budget of 8 million euros for the seven‑year duration of the partnership.
European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (PerMed)
The PerMed European Partnership is one of the research and innovation partnerships under Horizon Europe, aiming to maximise the benefits of personalised medicine approaches. The partnership’s vision, as outlined in the proposal, is to improve health outcomes within sustainable healthcare systems through research, development, and implementation of personalised medical approaches for the benefit of patients, citizens, and society. The partnership builds on the experience and results of ERA PerMed and ICPerMed. The NCBR budget amounts to 8 million euros for the seven‑year duration of the partnership.
European Partnership on Brain Health (EP BrainHealth)
The vision of the European Partnership for Brain Health is improved brain health for all, developing scientific knowledge as a ground to promote brain health throughout lifetime, to prevent and to cure brain diseases as well as to improve wellbeing of people living with neurological and mental disorders in Europe and beyond. To fulfil this vision, the EP BrainHealth will act as a highly efficient coordination platform for driving innovation and progress in the field of brain health. The initiative involves 54 partners from Europe and beyond, and the network will continue to expand in the coming years. The EP BrainHealth is planned for 10 years, starting in January 2026. Within this framework, 14 co-funded calls are to be launched, as well as additional calls. NCBR has declared a total budget of EUR 18 million for the co-funded calls.
Raw Materials Partnership for the Green and Digital Transition (RAMP)
The RAMP partnership will support the objectives set out in the EU Critical Raw Materials Act related to ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials for European industry, as well as their proper processing, recycling, and efficient use by 2030. The program is designed as an ambitious, long-term partnership that significantly expands previous initiatives on similar topics in terms of scope, scale, and funding. The partnership aims to create an international, multi-stakeholder research and innovation ecosystem covering the entire raw materials value chain. Seven calls for international R&D projects will be launched under the partnership. In parallel, activities will be carried out to support policy development, knowledge uptake, and stakeholder engagement worldwide. The NCBR budget for funding R&D projects selected in 7 announced calls is €10 million for the period 2026-2032.
FOrests, forestry, and the forest-based sector: REsearch and innovation for a Sustainable Transition (FOREST)
The European Partnership FOREST (“FOrests, forestry, and the forest-based sector: REsearch and innovation for a Sustainable Transition”) aims to mobilize research and innovation to accelerate the transition to a sustainable circular economy based on forestry. The implementation of the initiative's priorities aims to increase the resilience of ecosystems, including promoting biodiversity, soil fertility, and strengthening adaptation to the effects of climate change. The Partnership for Forests and Forestry for a Sustainable Future is a co-funded European partnership involving EU Member States and associated countries (28 countries in total), with research funding bodies and other public authorities forming the core of the consortium (100 organisations). The NCBR budget for financing research and development projects selected in seven calls announced by the partnership is EUR 9 million for the years 2026-36.
Other multilateral initiatives
CORNET
CORNET (COllective Research NETworking) initiative is an industry research support programme that takes particular account of the role of SMEs. CORNET is based on international cooperation of institutions managing and financing industry research. The aim of the project is to promote close cooperation between entities involved (national/regional ministries and agencies) and create opportunities for financing research from public (national/regional) sources for the needs of specific industries.
EIG CONCERT-Japan
On 4 April 2018 NCBR signed a Memorandum of Cooperation between institutions participating in the EIG CONCERT-Japan initiative. EIG CONCERT-Japan is an international joint initiative supporting and developing science, technology and innovation (STI) cooperation between European countries and Japan.
KONNECT
KONNECT (Strengthening STI Cooperation between the EU and Korea, Promoting Innovation and the Enhancement of Communication for Technology-related Policy Dialogue) initiative aims to strengthen cooperation in the field of science, technology and innovation (STI) between the Republic of Korea and Europe. KONNECT is a continuation of previous activities aimed at cooperation with Korea, including KORANET initiatives.
V4 – Japan Cooperation
September 2014 saw the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between research funding institutions from the Visegrad Group countries (V4: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) and Japan. The purpose of the agreement is to strengthen and promote cooperation in the field of research and development and innovation by financing joint projects.
V4 – Korea Cooperation
In December 2015, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between research funding institutions from the Visegrad Group countries (V4: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) and the Republic of Korea. The aim of this initiative is to develop cooperation in the field of science and technology and innovation by financing joint projects.
EUREKA
The aim of the EUREKA initiative is to increase the modernity, productivity and competitiveness of the European industry. It funds projects carried out by at least two partners from two different Member States, aimed at developing and implementing or significantly improving an existing production technology, implementing a new product or service.