What Actually Works for Success in Excellence Hubs
HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-04 · Place-based ecosystems that evaluators believe
Tuesday, 1 December 2026 · 11:00–12:00 Brussels time
Open questions until 12:30 Brussels time · Live on Zoom · Free
Up to 30 projects will be funded to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems in Widening countries, with EUR 1.5–4.5 million per project. The call opened on 2 September 2026 and closes on 4 March 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time.
The first question is not about your science. It is: which regional innovation ecosystem are you part of, and who else is in it?
An Excellence Hub is not a Twinning, not a Teaming and not a research project. It funds two or more regional innovation ecosystems in Widening countries, each bringing together academia, business, public authorities and society, with a joint innovation agenda linked to their smart specialisation strategy.
In this 60-minute webinar, you will see what funded Hubs wrote that unfunded ones did not, how an evaluator reads your regional strategy alongside your proposal, and the Widening-specific eligibility traps you need to avoid. Stay for up to 30 additional minutes of open questions if you want.
Reserve My Free Seat
Webinar Details
Date: Tuesday, 1 December 2026
Time: 11:00–12:00 Brussels time
Athens time: 12:00–13:00
Open questions: Until 12:30 Brussels time
Format: Live on Zoom
Price: Free
Important: This session is live only. No recording is sent to registrants.
Why Attend
In this webinar, you will learn:
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What an Excellence Hub is — and is not — including the quadruple-helix composition of academia, business, public authorities and society across at least two ecosystems
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What “place-based” means to an evaluator who reads your regional smart specialisation strategy alongside your proposal
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The three things funded Hubs wrote that unfunded ones did not:
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A joint investment agenda with numbers behind it
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A governance model that survives the end of the grant
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A business-driven innovation agenda instead of an academic work plan
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How to address impact and sustainability, including the plan for year six after EU funding has stopped
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How to demonstrate ERDF and regional fund complementarity
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How to define measurable KPIs for ecosystem performance
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The evaluation criteria and Widening-specific eligibility traps, including coordinator location, minimum Widening participation and the role of non-Widening partners
What You Walk Away With
01 — A Four-Corner Map of Your Own Ecosystem
Academia, business, public authorities and society. You fill it in the chat; two are commented live. One corner is usually empty.
02 — The “Is It a Hub?” Test
Ten questions that tell you whether your idea is genuinely an Excellence Hub — or a research project in disguise.
03 — A Governance and Investment Agenda Outline
A one-page structure covering the two sections that separated funded proposals from unfunded ones.
04 — A 13-Week Plan to 4 March 2027
A practical preparation sequence covering consortium → joint agenda → letters of commitment from regional authorities → Part B, in that order.
Who Runs It
Dr. Nikolaos Floratos
EU funding consultant since 1997 and European Commission expert evaluator since 2003, with experience across FP4, FP5, FP6, FP7, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe and EIC programmes.
He has trained more than 50,000 researchers and innovation actors in 45+ countries, is the creator of the OpenCosmos platform, and is the trainer of the ERC, MSCA, Erasmus+ and AI grant-writing courses of the Funding Expert Academy.
Who Should Attend
This webinar is particularly relevant for:
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Universities and research organisations in Widening countries with a regional role
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Regional and national authorities, development agencies and cluster organisations
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Business associations, technology parks and larger companies active in a regional strategy
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Partners from non-Widening countries invited into an Excellence Hub consortium
Included With Your Free Registration
Your free registration includes:
After the Webinar: OpenCosmos Proposal Lab and 30-Minute Call
There is no bootcamp for this call.
OpenCosmos members can access a dedicated proposal lab for Excellence Hubs applicants working towards the 4 March 2027 deadline.
Consortia that want a review of their concept note or an in-house session can also book a free 30-minute call with Nikolaos at the end of the webinar.
Frequently Asked Questions
I cannot attend live. Will I get the recording?
No. This webinar is live only. No recording is sent to registrants.
My organisation is not in a Widening country. Is this for me?
Yes, as a partner. The session explains what a non-Widening partner can and cannot do in an Excellence Hub and what the coordinator rule means for you.
We have an idea but no consortium yet. Is it too early?
No. Thirteen weeks is enough for a Hub if the ecosystems already exist. The webinar and proposal lab are designed for applicants at this stage.
Questions?
Email info@keyinnovations.eu
Reserve Your Free Seat
