MSCA Staff Exchanges 2027: €95.04 million for staff exchanges, deadline 15 April 2027

The European Commission is preparing the MSCA Staff Exchanges 2027 call (HORIZON-MSCA-2027-SE-01-01), with an indicative budget of EUR 95.04 million. The funding covers secondments of 1–12 months for researchers and for technical, administrative or management staff between universities, institutes and companies in different countries. The announced timetable, which is not yet confirmed, provides for the call to open on 15 December 2026 and for a submission deadline of 15 April 2027.

In brief

• Programme: Horizon Europe, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), Staff Exchanges 2027
• Authority: European Commission, through the European Research Executive Agency (REA)
• Beneficiaries: consortia of at least three independent organisations from three different countries, from both academic and non-academic sectors (including SMEs)
• Total budget: €95.04 million (indicative, to be confirmed)
• What is funded: staff secondments from 1 month to 1 year, in projects lasting up to four years
• Submission period: estimated opening on 15 December 2026, estimated deadline on 15 April 2027
• Status: call announced (forthcoming), not yet launched; the dates and budget are marked "TBC" (to be confirmed)

What does MSCA Staff Exchanges fund?

The programme pays for staff exchanges between organisations that work together on a research and innovation project. The exchanges must be international, cross-sector (for example, from a university to a company) or interdisciplinary. The Commission aims to promote knowledge transfer between partners and the turning of ideas into products, processes and services.

For the seconded person, the funding covers a top-up allowance for travel, accommodation and subsistence, plus an allowance for special needs where applicable. At organisation level, it also covers costs for research, training and networking, management, and indirect costs. The exact amounts per person-month are set out in the MSCA 2026–2027 work programme and in the call documents on the Funding & Tenders portal.

Who can apply and who can be seconded?

The project is submitted by a consortium that must meet the following conditions:

• at least three legal entities that are independent of one another;
• each from a different country, with at least two of them from an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe;
• partners from both academic and non-academic sectors (companies, SMEs, NGOs, public institutions).

Researchers at any career stage can be seconded, from doctoral candidates to postdoctoral researchers, as can administrative, technical or management staff involved in research and innovation activities. The mobility must be physical: virtual secondments are not allowed. Secondments are only possible between entities that are independent of one another, and those between two non-associated third countries are not eligible. The participation of organisations from outside Europe is explicitly encouraged.

How and by when do you apply?

The application is submitted electronically, on the European Commission's Funding & Tenders portal. The timetable published on the MSCA website is:

• 15 December 2026: call launch (to be confirmed);
• 15 April 2027: submission deadline (to be confirmed);
• September 2027: results communicated;
• November 2027: grant agreements signed.

The number of projects that will be funded and the maximum amount per project have not been announced in the call sheet. They are calculated according to the number of person-months of secondment proposed.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: for a Romanian SME with research and development activity, Staff Exchanges is one of the most accessible entry routes into Horizon Europe. You do not need a multi-million-euro research project, but rather partners and a coherent exchange plan. Consortia need non-academic partners, so companies with real technical expertise are sought after by universities abroad.

What you can prepare right now, before the call opens:

• identify 2–4 partners in other countries (universities, institutes, companies) with whom you already collaborate or share an interest;
• decide who on your team can go away for 1–12 months and what they will bring back: skills, methods, access to equipment;
• check the legal independence of the partners: secondments between companies in the same group are not eligible;
• think about exploitable results from the outset, because evaluators look for real knowledge transfer to the non-academic sector.

Common pitfalls: consortia made up only of universities, vague secondment plans (who goes, where, for how many months, for what purpose) and underestimating the coordination work. If you do not yet know which programme suits you, you can start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can a company from Romania take part in MSCA Staff Exchanges 2027?

Yes. The consortium must include non-academic organisations, and SMEs are explicitly named among the eligible participants. Romania is an EU Member State, so a Romanian organisation can be one of the two required partners from the EU or associated countries.

How long can a secondment last?

A secondment lasts between one month and one year. The whole project can last up to four years.

Can people who are not researchers also be seconded?

Yes. Besides researchers at any career stage, administrative, technical or management staff involved in the project's research and innovation activities can also be seconded.

Is the call open now?

No. As of 3 October 2026, the call has "forthcoming" status. The opening is estimated for 15 December 2026 and the submission deadline for 15 April 2027, both still to be confirmed by the Commission.

Are online secondments accepted?

No. The programme requires physical mobility, and virtual mobility is not permitted for secondments.

Official sources

• Funding & Tenders Portal: HORIZON-MSCA-2027-SE-01-01, MSCA Staff Exchanges 2027
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: MSCA Staff Exchanges 2027 (timetable and budget)
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: Staff Exchanges (general rules)
• Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027, MSCA part

Information checked on 3 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.