Call window open PEO "Open Universities" — university programmes on request from companies and internationalisation (7.e.5 and 7.e.6)
The competitive PEO "Open Universities" calls have €40 million from the ESF+. Accredited universities, public or private, can apply with programmes developed at the request of companies and internationalisation projects. Applications are submitted in MySMIS2021 by 27 November 2026, 16:00.
- Who can apply
- Accredited higher education institutions, public or private, can apply
- Total budget
- 40,000,000 euro (ESF+)
- Funding amount
- The announcement does not specify the minimum or maximum value of a project, nor how the 40 million is divided
- Submission period
- 30 September 2026, 12:00 – 27 November 2026, 16:00
Checked against official sources on · funder: Managing Authority for the Education and Employment Programme · official source
The call window is open. The time left until the deadline decides whether we can still build your application in time, so call today.
Who can apply
Accredited higher education institutions, public or private, can apply. Companies cannot be applicants, but the programmes under action 7.e.5 are developed at the request of economic operators and research, development and innovation organisations. The target group comprises students, pupils, postdoctoral researchers, higher education teaching staff and auxiliary teaching staff. There is one call for the less developed regions and one for the developed region of Bucharest-Ilfov.
What it covers
- University programmes developed at the request of economic operators and RDI organisations, including for the green and digital transition (action 7.e.5)
- Bachelor's, master's and teaching master's programmes (activity 1, mandatory)
- Professional doctorates in collaboration with economic operators and interdisciplinary doctoral schools linked to the socio-economic environment
- Internationalisation of higher education (action 7.e.6)
- Student mobility within European university networks, complementary to the Erasmus+ programme
- Mandatory sub-activity on equal opportunities, inclusion and diversity, for example cultural competence courses adapted to Roma communities
Apply in the current call window
- We analyse whether you qualify and under which programme exactly.
- We build the application: business plan, budget, supporting documents.
- We submit during the call window and follow the evaluation.
- We stay with you through the reimbursement file and final payment.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply to the PEO “Open Universities” calls?
Accredited higher education institutions, public or private, can apply. Companies are not eligible applicants. The total budget of the calls is 40 million euro from ESF+.
What is the deadline for submitting projects to “Open Universities”?
Funding applications are submitted in MySMIS2021 from 30 September 2026, 12:00, until 27 November 2026, 16:00. The call is competitive, so projects are evaluated after the call window closes.
How many projects can a university submit?
A university can submit and implement a maximum of 5 projects in each call, as applicant or as partner. There is one call for the less developed regions and one for Bucharest-Ilfov, so 5 + 5 projects in total. Projects for the two types of region are separated according to the students' place of residence.
What activities does “Open Universities” fund?
The calls fund university programmes developed at the request of economic operators and RDI organisations, including for the green and digital transition (action 7.e.5), and the internationalisation of higher education (action 7.e.6). The mandatory activity covers bachelor's, master's and teaching master's programmes, professional doctorates carried out with economic operators, and interdisciplinary doctoral schools. Student mobility within European university networks is also eligible.
What role can companies play in “Open Universities” projects?
Companies cannot be applicants, but the programmes under action 7.e.5 start from their demand, and professional doctorates are carried out in collaboration with them. For scoring purposes, companies do not need to be formal partners and can collaborate with the university without a budget in the project. Letters or agreements with companies show the evaluator that the need exists.
Who belongs to the target group and how is status proven?
The target group comprises students, pupils, postdoctoral researchers, higher education teaching staff and auxiliary teaching staff. Student status is proven with the student record book, an extract from RMUR or a certificate from the university. Postdoctoral researchers provide a postdoctoral researcher certificate, the research contract or an extract from the university's records. Teaching staff are eligible if they are employed by the university in the project, regardless of place of residence.
How long does it take to prepare the application?
It depends on the complexity of the project and the documents you already have. The first step is the eligibility analysis, which tells you what needs to be prepared.
What happens if I do not qualify?
We tell you before any contract is signed, and if another suitable programme exists, we point you to it.
Next step
Apply in the current call window — PEO “Open Universities” — university programmes at the request of companies and internationalisation (7.e.5 and 7.e.6)
Fill in the form and we will tell you whether you qualify. If you do not qualify under this programme, we will tell you which other one you could apply for — or that there is none, if that is the case.
or call us directly on 0755 167 167
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