Closed

Tackling gender-based violence in different social and economic spheres

HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

Basic Information

Identifier
HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-01
Programme
Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - 2025
Programme Period
2021 - 2027
Status
Closed (31094503)
Opening Date
May 15, 2025
Deadline
September 16, 2025
Deadline Model
single-stage
Budget
€10,500,000
Min Grant Amount
€3,000,000
Max Grant Amount
€3,500,000
Expected Number of Grants
3
Keywords
HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-01HORIZON-CL2-2025-01Gender in social sciencesInternational cooperationOrganisation theorySocial NetworksSocial policies, work and welfareWomen and gender studies

Description

Expected Outcome:

Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

  • Collect data and analyse the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence (GBV), including tech-facilitated GBV, in different socio-economic contexts and legislative frameworks, and provide policymakers at regional, national and EU level with recommendations to address it.
  • Support employers, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society organisations in their work on the prevention, protection, prosecution, and provision of services in addressing GBV, including through promoting best practice sharing, mutual learning and education material focused on consent.
Scope:

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a prevalent issue, with 1 in 3 women in the EU having experienced physical and/or sexual violence, 22% of women in the EU having experienced violence by an intimate partner, and 55% having been sexually harassed.[1] GBV has destructive consequences for individuals, organisations, the economy, and society as a whole. Gender-based violence is violence directed against a person because of that person's gender or violence that affects persons of a particular gender disproportionately. It can be sexual, physical, verbal, psychological, or economic and occur in different forms, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty. However, important knowledge gaps remain on the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence across different social and economic areas. For example, in certain sectors, occupations and work arrangements, like night work, healthcare, hospitality, social services, emergency services, transport and education, workers are more exposed to violence and harassment, although comparable, intersectional data is often still lacking in these fields.[2] While the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in domestic violence, still little is known about the impact of the associated rise in teleworking on women’s working conditions, including the safety of their working environment. Moreover, in sports, initial studies on sexual GBV showed that a significant percentage of female athletes in Europe are exposed to sexual harassment[3], but no comprehensive pan-European data is available on this.

Another research field, which requires further attention is the impact of tech-facilitated GBV, including non-consensual sharing of sexually explicit images, manipulated intimate images (e.g., deepfakes and other forms of generative AI), or child sexual abuse online, as well as the potential positive and negative use and effects of AI on GBV.

Therefore, proposals should look at gender-based violence in one or more of the following areas: 1) GBV in the world of work, 2) GBV in sports 3) GBV on online platforms.

Across these areas, proposals should take into account online and offline forms of gender-based violence, and consider intersecting factors, such as age, socio-economic and migrant background, disability, racial or ethnic origin , religion, geography, as well as gender identity and sexual orientation. Proposals should also address the role of bystanders and superiors in addressing gender-based violence and assess the availability and effectiveness of victim support. For data collection, proposals should make use of surveys, as well as administrative data, where available, to assess how public services respond to the needs of GBV survivors and can foster a safe environment. Where appropriate, proposals should seek the involvement of law enforcement, prosecutors and judges, together with academia/SSH research to optimise input and uptake. For proposals addressing the world of work, the involvement of social partners is encouraged.

Where applicable, proposals should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud, as well as data from relevant Data Spaces. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

The outcomes of this research will be particularly important in view of recent policy developments, including the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention, the EU Directive on Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, Commission Recommendation on integrated child protection to protect children from all forms of violence, as wells the ILO Convention no.190 on eliminating violence and harassment in the World of Work.

Synergies with projects under the DAPHNE strand of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme are encouraged. International cooperation is encouraged, in line with the Gender Equality Strategy for External Action (GAPIII).

[1] European Union Fundamental Rights Agency, Violence against women: an EU-wide survey. Results at a glance, 2014.

[2] Violence and harassment in the world of work: A guide on Convention No. 190 and Recommendation No. 206 International Labour Office – Geneva: ILO, 2021.

[3] See Recommendations and Action Plan from the High-level group on gender equality in sport: Towards more gender equality in sport. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/684ab3af-9f57-11ec-83e1-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

Destination & Scope

Draft expected impacts:

Projects funded under this destination should contribute to the following expected impacts in the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027[1]:

  • Strengthening social and economic resilience and sustainability
  • Boosting inclusive growth and reducing vulnerabilities effectively

The expected impacts reflect the two-pronged nature of the destination. On the one hand, research funded by this destination will improve the understanding of how the macro drivers of change (technological change, climate change, new global trade patterns, along with migration, human mobility, and other demographic changes) impact society and inform policy makers on how to mitigate negative consequences and harness newly created opportunities. The results obtained should improve the understanding of the interplay between different drivers of change and their social, ethical, political, and economic implications. The improved understanding of these challenges and their economic, social, and distributional impacts will fill in the research gaps while also inform the design and assessment of policies addressing existing and emerging challenges, including in the areas of education, well-being and mental health.

On the other hand, research and innovation investment should be geared towards deepening the understanding of how ongoing changes impact society, with a specific emphasis on the key objectives of boosting inclusive and sustainable growth and effectively reducing vulnerabilities, poverty and inequalities. This knowledge should provide valuable insights to policymakers to design and assess policies that effectively address vulnerabilities while capitalizing on emerging opportunities.

Overall, the destination’s activities will help promote the EU’s inclusive growth, resilience, and fair transition towards climate neutrality, by providing solid analytical evidence to implementing actions related to:

  • The European Pillar of Social Rights, and its Action Plan with its three ambitious targets (78% employment rate, 60% of population with yearly training, and reduction of the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030)
  • the European Education Area and its EU-level 2030 targets
  • The Union of Equality policies and strategies, including:
    • the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882), and the European Disability Card.
    • The Gender Equality Strategy 2020 – 2025 and the Directive combating violence against women and domestic violence
    • EU Anti-racism Action Plan 2020-2025
    • The Strategic EU Framework for Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation 2020-2030
    • The LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025
    • The Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-203
  • The Communication on Demographic change in Europe: a toolbox for action
  • The EU’s just transition policy framework, in line with the 2040 Climate Target Plan, including the Just Transition Mechanism, the Social Climate Fund, and the Council Recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality.
  • The Council Recommendation on strengthening social dialogue in the EU.
  • The European Child Guarantee
  • The Council Recommendation on adequate minimum income
  • EC Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health
  • The New Pact on Asylum and Migration and its accompanying actions, initiatives and legislation.

Applicants are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the services offered by the current and future EU-funded European Research Infrastructures, particularly those in the social sciences and humanities domain[2].

Where applicable, proposals should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud, as well as data from relevant Data Spaces. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this research is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

To maximise the impacts of R&I under this Destination in line with EU priorities, international cooperation is encouraged whenever relevant in the proposed topics.

Research on socio and economic transformations funded by topics in the Work Programmes 2025-27 will build upon its predecessors in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe and further push the boundaries of state-of-the-art knowledge. It will do so by further engaging with a vast array of stakeholders. Not only universities and research centers, but also social partners (trade unions and business organizations), civil society organizations, practitioners, VET providers, and SMEs.

The destination will rely on a carefully balanced mix of actions, to bring together the right mix of actors to achieve the highest quality research, while aiming at providing recommendations to policymakers at European, national, regional and local level that could have a beneficial societal and economic impact. In order to achieve this, it will maximise the feedback to policy and the dissemination and exploitation of research and innovation results and practices in the domain of social and economic transformations.

[1] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6abcc8e7-e685-11ee-8b2b-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

[2] https://ri-portfolio.esfri.eu/

for example CESSDA - Consortium of European Social Science Data Archives

Eligibility & Conditions

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

As described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

The page limit for the Part B of the Research and Innovation (RIA) application using lump sum is 50 pages. In addition, it is mandatory to submit a detailed budget table, using the template available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries

As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions

As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion

As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds

As described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes

As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement

As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].

In addition, as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions

described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]

Support & Resources

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Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.

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Latest Updates

Last Changed: September 17, 2025

CALL UPDATE: PROPOSAL NUMBERS

Call HORIZON-CL2-2025-01 has closed on 16/09/2025.

1122 proposals have been submitted.



The breakdown per topic is:

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-01:        16

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-02:        5

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-03:        23

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-04:        18

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-05:        80

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-06:        6

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-07:        45

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-08:        46

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-09:        65

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-10:        91

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-11:        15

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-12:        3



HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-03 :           76

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-04 :           78

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-05 :           34

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-06 :           14

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-07 :           49

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-08 :           24

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-09 :           20



HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-01 :           51

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-02 :           29

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-03 :           16

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-05 :           14

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-06 :           27

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-07 :           71

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-08 :           77

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-09 :           96

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-10 :           21

HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-11 :          12



Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in February 2026.

Last Changed: August 19, 2025

Please read the published frequently asked questions and answers in the `Topic Q&A` section of the topic.

Last Changed: June 10, 2025

Please note that the technical issue has been solved and the details of the Destination of the topic are now displayed on the topic page.

Last Changed: June 2, 2025

Please note that the topic page does not display the description of the destination due to a technical issue, but the full description of the 3 destinations (Democracy, Heritage, Social and Economical Transformations) that are relevant for the call are available in the Work Programme 2025 “Culture, creativity and inclusive society”. Please select from the Work Programme the destination relevant to your topic and consider the description when preparing your proposal.

Last Changed: May 16, 2025
The submission session is now available for: HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-01, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-06, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-09, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-07, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-08, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-05, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-04, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-09, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-07, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-12, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-06, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-10, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-09, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-06, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-05, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-02, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-03, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-04, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-01, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-03, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-11, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-02, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-03, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-11, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-07, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-05, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-08, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-10, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-08
Tackling gender-based violence in different social and economic spheres | Grantalist