The MSCA Staff Exchanges 2026 call under Horizon Europe closes on 16 April 2026. This article provides a clear and structured overview of the call objectives, eligibility conditions, funding rates and proposal requirements, highlighting key updates relevant for applicants to the 2026 call.
The European Commission has published the call on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
Overview of MSCA Staff Exchanges
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Staff Exchanges foster collaboration in research and innovation by enabling the international and intersectoral exchange of staff. In practice, the scheme encourages partnerships between universities, research infrastructures, businesses, and other socio-economic actors across Europe and beyond.
Importantly, MSCA Staff Exchanges fall under Pillar I – Excellent Science of Horizon Europe and are built around the principle of mobility. Physical mobility between organisations in different countries is a core eligibility requirement.
Projects must establish interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and international partnerships. Participating staff are expected not only to acquire new knowledge, skills, and competences but also to contribute to knowledge transfer, innovation, and open science practices.
Each proposal should be grounded in an original and ambitious idea that demonstrates clear added value beyond the current state of the art. For the 2026 call, projects are expected to start in early 2027, depending on evaluation outcomes and grant agreement preparation.
Funding Rates for 2026
In financial terms, the EU contribution is provided in the form of unit costs per person-month of secondment. The following budget categories apply:
- Top-up allowance (EUR 2,870 per month) – contributes to travel, accommodation and subsistence costs of the seconded staff member.
- Research, training and networking contribution (EUR 1,300 per month) – covers training activities, knowledge transfer, networking and non-staff research expenses.
- Management and indirect contribution (EUR 1,000 per month) – supports management, coordination and indirect costs.
It is common practice for consortia to pool part of the management contribution at coordinator level, although this is not a formal requirement.
The maximum number of funded person-months per project is 360.
Consortium Eligibility Requirements
To meet eligibility conditions, the consortium must include:
- At least three independent legal entities
- Each established in a different country
- At least two established in different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries
- Both academic and non-academic organisations (minimum one from each sector)
Only legal entities established in EU Member States or Associated Countries may act as beneficiaries. Organisations from other countries may participate as Associated Partners.
Associated Partners (except those from low- and middle-income countries) must cover their own costs.
Secondment Rules and Conditions
- Minimum secondment duration: 1 month
- Maximum secondment duration: 12 months
- Secondments must involve physical mobility between organisations in different countries
- Maximum project duration: typically 48 months
Seconded staff may include researchers as well as administrative, managerial and technical personnel contributing to research and innovation activities.
Secondments between two non-associated third countries are not eligible. Associated Partners cannot claim EU unit costs. Secondments between an Associated Partner and its linked beneficiary are not permitted.
Beneficiaries not requesting EU funding (zero-budget beneficiaries) are not allowed; such organisations may participate only as Associated Partners.
Interdisciplinarity and Intersectorality
Notably, the previous one-third cap on same-sector secondments has been removed. However, such same-sector secondments must demonstrate a clear interdisciplinary dimension.
Interdisciplinarity is assessed by expert evaluators and should be reflected in the proposal narrative and in the selected MSCA keywords. Proposals integrating knowledge, tools, methods or perspectives from multiple scientific domains are more likely to demonstrate strong interdisciplinary credibility.
Although same-sector secondments are eligible, meaningful intersectoral collaboration remains essential for achieving high evaluation scores.
Evaluation Criteria
In line with Horizon Europe rules, proposals are evaluated against three main criteria:
- Excellence (50%)
- Impact (30%)
- Quality and Efficiency of Implementation (20%)
Scientific excellence remains the primary determinant of success. Clear objectives, a credible methodology and a strong consortium structure are fundamental.
Proposal Structure and Formatting Requirements
From a procedural perspective, for the 2026 call, Part B must be submitted as two separate PDF documents.
Part B1 (maximum 32 pages)
Includes:
- Start Page (1 page)
- Table of Contents (1 page)
- Sections 1–3 (maximum 30 pages combined)
Section 1 must begin on page 3. Pages exceeding the limit are automatically removed upon submission. Maximum file size: 10 MB.
Formatting requirements:
- Minimum font size 11 (main text)
- Minimum 8 for footnotes and captions
- Times New Roman
- A4 page size
- Minimum 15 mm margins
- Standard spacing
References must be included as footnotes (font size 8) and count towards the page limit.
Part B2
Includes Sections 4–6. No overall page limit applies, but section-specific instructions must be followed.
Additional technical requirements:
- Consecutive page numbering
- PDF format only
- File naming according to required format
- Call identifier in header
- Declaration of AI tools used during proposal preparation
Strict compliance with formatting rules is essential, as the system automatically removes any pages exceeding the limit upon submission.
Typical Consortium Characteristics and Planning Considerations
Applicants frequently ask about typical project size, number of partners and person-month distribution.
Although there is no “ideal” configuration, experience suggests:
- Typical consortium size: 6–10 organisations
- Typical duration: 48 months
- Typical person-month range: 80–200+ PM
Indicative distribution:
- Coordinator: 30+ PM
- Medium beneficiary: 15+ PM
- Smaller beneficiary: 10+ PM
- Associated Partner: 5+ PM
Secondments are often 1–3 months per mobility, with 30+ staff members participating across the project lifecycle.
These figures are indicative and depend entirely on scientific objectives and ambition.
In preparing this statistical overview, we used AI tools (including ChatGPT) to assist in aggregating and structuring indicative trends. These figures are illustrative only and should not be interpreted as benchmarks or success predictors.
Indicative Project Phases
- M1–M6: Set-up and pilot secondments
- M7–M36: Core implementation and majority of exchanges
- M37–M48: Consolidation, exploitation and sustainability
Secondments are typically embedded within research work packages rather than treated as standalone activities.
UK Information Webinar
In the UK, applicants may register for the MSCA Staff Exchanges 2026 Call Information Webinar organised by UKRO, taking place on 24 February 2026 at 10am. The webinar provides an overview of eligibility conditions, budget structure and novelties of the 2026 call.
Final Remarks
MSCA Staff Exchanges 2026 offers significant opportunities to build long-term international and intersectoral partnerships. Successful proposals combine scientific excellence with credible implementation planning and clear impact pathways.
Organisations preparing proposals should ensure early consortium alignment, realistic secondment planning and strong interdisciplinary integration.
Organisations preparing an MSCA Staff Exchanges 2026 proposal may benefit from expert support in consortium development, proposal structuring and independent proposal review. EU Project AB provides specialised consultancy services across the EU and the UK.
About EU Project AB
Since 2014, EU Project AB has helped research-driven organisations secure Horizon Europe and other EU research grant funding, and successfully deliver EU-funded projects.