VALLEYS – OC1 Strand B: Cross-border Mobility and Secondments

TYPE OF PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED: Six-month pilot projects supporting structured cross-border staff exchanges and secondments between knowledge valorisation intermediaries. Funded activities include the design and implementation of structured learning plans, physical staff secondments at host organisations, practical training on real cases, joint working sessions, knowledge transfer workshops, internal training and the institutional adoption of acquired practices. Projects must produce a mobility report documenting individual skills development and evidence of at least one organisational outcome, such as a new guideline, standard operating procedure, service or institutional framework.

SECTORS / DOMAIN: Knowledge valorisation, technology transfer, research and innovation management, intellectual asset management, standardisation, industry–academia collaboration and citizen engagement. The call focuses on strengthening the professional capabilities of intermediaries connecting research organisations, industry and society.

INDIVIDUAL OR CONSORTIUM: Consortium applications only. Each proposal must involve exactly two independent legal entities established in two different eligible countries. One organisation must act as the host and the other as the guest. Organisations belonging to the same corporate group or otherwise lacking legal independence cannot form an eligible partnership. Applicants must identify their own partners, as VALLEYS does not arrange host–guest matches for this call.

SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Both partners must be legally established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country by the application deadline and qualify as knowledge valorisation intermediaries. Eligible legal entity types include SMEs and start-ups, NGOs, foundations, associations, universities, research organisations and public bodies. Natural persons and VALLEYS consortium members or their affiliated entities are not eligible. The secondment must include at least one month of physical presence of guest staff at the host organisation, which may be completed in separate periods within the six-month pilot. Remote-only exchanges are not eligible. Proposals must include a justified host–guest match, structured learning objectives, supervision arrangements, appropriate intellectual property and confidentiality provisions, and a credible plan for integrating transferred practices into the guest organisation. Both partners are responsible for the legal and practical arrangements associated with the secondment. Applications and supporting documents must be submitted in English. Selected organisations must join the VALLEYS Network, participate in the relevant thematic Working Group and ensure designated staff complete at least three VALLEYS online training modules.

SPECIFIC TOPICS OR CHALLENGES: Projects must address at least one of the four EU Codes of Practice for Knowledge Valorisation: intellectual asset management, standardisation, industry–academia co-creation or citizen engagement. Supported exchanges should transfer established practices and expertise from the host organisation to the guest organisation, addressing an identified knowledge gap and resulting in measurable individual skills development and organisational improvements. Proposals must demonstrate how the transferred knowledge will be adapted and embedded within the guest organisation and sustained beyond the funded pilot.

PROJECTS DURATION: Six months, including a minimum of one month of physical secondment at the host organisation. Project start and onboarding are indicatively scheduled for the beginning of April 2027.

BUDGET, FUNDING RATES AND PAYMENT CONDITIONS:
Funding rate: 100%.
Budget conditions / limitations: Up to €30,000 per project, allocated as €10,000 for the host organisation and €20,000 for the guest organisation. The total Strand B budget is €60,000, supporting up to two projects. The maximum cumulative funding awarded to a single organisation across all VALLEYS open calls is €60,000.
Payments: Lump-sum, milestone-based funding. An initial payment of 10% is released following approval of the agreed KPIs and milestones. An interim payment of up to 45% is made following the mid-term review, depending on KPI achievement. The remaining amount is paid following the final review, subject to completion of agreed KPIs and mandatory training. Payments may be reduced or withheld if milestones are not sufficiently achieved. The Sub-Grant Agreement is signed by one coordinating organisation, typically the host, which is responsible for transferring the corresponding funding share to the other partner. The milestone payment structure applies to each organisation's allocated share.