ENGAGE.EU INCUBATOR SEED FUNDING SPRING 2026: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS – JOINT TEACHING INITIATIVES
Academic teaching staff are invited to apply for seed funding from the Incubator to develop joint teaching initiatives within the ENGAGE.EU alliance.
The ENGAGE.EU Academic Initiative Incubator (the Incubator) aims to foster new collaborations in teaching and learning across institutions within the ENGAGE.EU alliance. It serves as a platform for partners to develop bottom-up initiatives for innovative educational offerings and to provide learners with high-quality international learning opportunities.
Seed funding of up to €10,000 can be granted for new courses or other teaching initiatives. Funding may cover personnel costs, travel, meetings and events, production of course materials, training, or similar activities.
Application deadline: 27 February 2026.
Grants: up to €10,000
Application deadline: February 27, 2026
Results ready: April 2026
Conditions for Seed Funding
- The course or educational offer involves at least three ENGAGE.EU institutions in both development and delivery.
- The course or educational offer is at bachelor’s or master’s level.
- The course or educational offer is embedded in and/or can be recognised within the study programmes of the participating institutions.
- The course or educational offer provides a minimum of 2 ECTS for participating students.
- The course or educational offer has the potential to attract a large number of students across partner institutions. Priority will be given to initiatives aiming for 50 students or more.
- Projects planned for launch in fall 2026 or spring 2027 will be prioritised.
- The initiative is mission-driven, addressing major societal challenges and aligning with the ENGAGE.EU mission and emerging societal needs.
Collaborative teaching initiatives that meet these conditions will be recognised as ENGAGE.EU courses, regardless of funding. Recognised initiatives will join the ENGAGE.EU community of practice for teaching and learning, gaining access to regular online exchanges, peer learning opportunities, and other resources.
Formats
The format and content of initiatives are flexible. They may include entirely new courses or content, adaptations of existing material for collaborative offers, joint courses, modules, or other teaching units (in-person, blended, or virtual), short/intensive courses, collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) courses, MOOCs or similar formats.
Key Details
- Application deadline: 27 February 2026
- Results announced: April 2026
- Funding period: September 2026 – October 2027
Funded initiatives are expected to be launch ready before the end of the funding period.
How to Apply
Academic teaching staff from all ENGAGE.EU partner institutions (Hanken, Luiss, NHH, TiU, UMA, UNWE, URL, UT Capitole, WU) are invited to submit proposals (ENGAGE.EU associate partner St. Gallen may be included as a partner, but may not receive any funding from the seed funding scheme.)
Proposals must be complete, written in English, and submitted by the deadline.
Steps to prepare your initiative:
- Prepare a pitch and identify colleagues at ENGAGE.EU institutions to collaborate with.
- Appoint a lead applicant at one of the institutions as the main point of contact throughout the process.
- Write your proposal using the call application template.
- Inform your local Incubator contact point that you intend to submit a proposal.
- Send the completed application form to engage.eu@nhh.no by 27 February 2026.
Finding Collaborators
You can:
- Contact colleagues within your existing ENGAGE.EU network.
- Post a collaboration call on the ENGAGE.EU Community Platform: https://www.research-community-engage.eu/
- Reach out to your local ENGAGE.EU Incubator contact point or institutional coordinator.
Selection Process
Proposals will be evaluated by a Review Panel of experienced academic teaching staff from ENGAGE.EU institutions. Criteria include:
- Compliance with the conditions listed above
- Quality and clarity of the proposal, including milestones and a realistic timeline
- Potential impact and sustainability
- Balance within the overall portfolio of initiatives
The Review Panel will produce a prioritised list of proposals, which will be submitted to the Incubator Selection Committee (ENGAGE.EU Area Board for Learning + two Board of Learners representatives) for final decision.
Budget, Payments and Reporting
Eligible expenses include:
- Personnel costs
- Travel and meeting/event costs
- Software/licences
- Production of teaching materials
- Relevant teacher training
Not eligible: Proofreading/translation costs, conference fees, or similar.
Please consult your institution’s Incubator contact point for budget guidance and ensure compliance with national and EU regulations. Co-funding from other sources is encouraged, but double funding (e.g., from Horizon Europe or Erasmus+) must be avoided.
Third parties (e.g., associate partners) may participate, but their costs must be covered by other funds.
Payment of Funds
In line with ENGAGE.EU procedures, funding will not be transferred directly from the Incubator to the selected initiatives. Expenses incurred during the funding period will be covered or reimbursed by each partner according to local procedures. The final balance from the Incubator to the participating partners will be settled after submission of the final report.
The Seed Funding scheme does not cover any overspending beyond the allocated budget. Any remaining funds at the end of an initiative will be collected by the ENGAGE.EU Incubator task team and added to the seed funding pool for future calls.
Reporting Requirements
Initiatives receiving Incubator Seed Funding must submit two short written reports:
- Status report: Within six months of being informed of the allocation decision, the lead applicant must send a brief update to the Incubator task coordinator (engage.eu@nhh.no) outlining if and how the initiative has started.
- Final report: Within 30 days after the funding period ends, the lead applicant must submit a final report to the Incubator task coordinator. This report should include a summary of the initiative and its activities and a financial report.
Templates for both the reports will be provided.
About the ENGAGE.EU Academic Initiative Incubator
The Incubator fosters new collaborations in teaching and learning across ENGAGE.EU institutions by providing a framework that enables academic staff to initiate joint educational offers, develop them through co-creation, and implement them across partner institutions or throughout the alliance. The Incubator consists of three central components: 1) A network of contact points across the alliance; 2) Information resources for academic teaching and administrative staff; 3) A seed funding scheme.
The Seed Funding scheme is designed to mobilise and empower academic staff to create and deliver joint educational offers, enhance the visibility of collaborative efforts both within and beyond the alliance, and support initiatives in becoming sustainable and scalable educational offerings.
The Incubator contact point at your institution will advise you in how to set up a new collaboration in teaching and learning across institutions within the ENGAGE.EU alliance.