Info Session on EFSA’s 2027/2028 Funding opportunities

Background

Scientific cooperation with external partners plays an important role in EFSA’s scientific work. A substantial part of this cooperation is carried out through grants and procurement procedures supporting the outsourcing of scientific tasks.

Partnerships and external scientific cooperation contribute to EFSA’s capacity to deliver timely, high-quality scientific advice and to prepare for future and emerging risk assessment needs. EFSA’s outsourced activities cover a broad range of scientific work, including data collection and generation, scientific studies and assessments, and the development of risk assessment methodologies and tools.

This 2.5-hour online Info Session, now in its 4th edition, will present EFSA’s framework for scientific cooperation and partnership and provide an early overview of the funding opportunities expected for 2027/2028.

Objectives of the meeting

The Info Session aims to provide participants with an understanding of how EFSA works with external partners and how organisations can engage with upcoming funding opportunities.

Specifically, the session will provide:

• Insights into EFSA’s Partnership Strategy and its implementation

  Learn more about EFSA's scientific cooperation with Competent Organisations across EU Member States, Norway and Iceland, EFSA's grant and procurement mechanism, and the EFSA’s network of Focal Points.

• Funding opportunities plan

  Get an early look at EFSA’s draft work plan for 2027/28 and the calls for proposals (grants) and tender (procurement) that it includes.

Structure of the meeting

The event will be divided into two parts:

Part A: EFSA’s framework for scientific cooperation and partnership

• Scientific cooperation and partnership at EFSA
• EFSA’s funding instruments: procurement and grant funding, including key administrative and financial aspects
• An overview of the EFSA Focal Point Network and its role in fostering collaboration

Part B: Overview of upcoming funding opportunities

Part B will provide a high-level overview of EFSA’s upcoming calls for grants and tenders expected to be launched in 2027/2028, as well as relevant ongoing opportunities.

The planned calls will be presented under the following thematic areas:

• Exposure & Food Data
• NAMs & Innovative Risk Assessment
• Plant Health
• Pesticides & Environmental Risk
• Capacity Building

The information on future calls will reflect the current planning at the time of the event and may therefore be subject to change, including in terms of timing, budget and scope.

Who should attend?

The Info Session is open to all organisations interested in supporting EFSA’s scientific work and in applying to EFSA calls (grants and procurement).

The main target audience is scientists and administrative staff of Competent Organisations, i.e., organisations in EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland currently listed under Article 36 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002, which are the ones eligible to receive EFSA grants.

The Info Session is also relevant to scientific and administrative staff in organisations and regulatory bodies that are in the process of becoming designated as Competent Organisations.

On-line registration

The registration form can be found at: Registration link

Registration deadline is 02 December 2026 at 12.00 CET.

After registration submission, your participation will be automatically confirmed.

You will receive the link to attend the info session after closure of registration, few days before the event.

Organisational details

The event will be held online on 04 December 2026 from 10:00 to 12:30 CET. Further details will be communicated to selected participants. English will be the language of the event, and no translation will be provided.

Unauthorised recording, transmission or transcription of the event/meeting, including through the use of Artificial Intelligence tools, is not permitted. Participants are also expected to refrain from any conduct that may disrupt the proper running of the event/meeting, including the use of AI-generated or other content in a manner that interferes with the proceedings. Where such situations arise, the chairperson or organisers may take appropriate measures, such as restricting access to certain functionalities, or removing the participant from the event/meeting.

 Contact

Do not hesitate to contact the organising committee at webinars [at] efsa.europa.eu (webinars[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu) for more information.

Agenda