European dimension
For some of our funds, a strong European dimension is an eligibility criterium. This goes for all programmes funded by the European Commission. The European dimension is a requirement for all grant programmes within NGI Zero and Open Internet Stack (OIS). If you are unsure whether the fund you want to apply to has a European dimension criterium, check its Guide for Applicants.
What constitutes a European dimension?
The European dimension refers to the people contributing to the project, not the project itself. The obvious way to fulfil this requirement is having people on the team of the proposed project from Horizon Europe-eligible countries, who receive at least 60% of the funds. The project itself being beneficial to the EU is not enough to constitute a European dimension.
Note that there are many eligible countries, many of which are not European countries. People and organisations of these eligible countries can participate on the same terms as those from EU member states. Having 60% of the funds go to people from any of these countries, meets the European dimension criterium. (We emphasise this because we get a lot of questions about it.)
List of Horizon Europe-eligible countries constituting a European dimension
The European Commission (EC) provides a list of associated and other countries eligible for Horizon Europe funding. There is also a list of eligible Overseas Countries and Territories. We have copied the countries in the list below for convenience, last updated on October 13, 2026. However, in case of discrepancies, the EC lists are leading.
- Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria Azerbaijan
− Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi
− Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic), Congo (Republic), Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czechia
− Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic
− Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia
− Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories,
− Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana
− Haiti, Honduras, Hungary
− Iceland, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic), Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy
− Jamaica, Japan, Jordan
− Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Democratic People's Republic), Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic
− Lao (People’s Democratic Republic), Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg
− Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia (Federated States), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar
− Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway
− Pakistan, Palestine8, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal
− Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda
− Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, St. Pierre et Miquelon, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic
− Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Tuvalu
− Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan
− Vanuatu, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic), Vietnam - Wallis et Futuna Islands
− Yemen Republic
− Zambia, Zimbabwe
Why do all of these countries constitute a European dimension?
NGI, NGI0 and OIS funds are funded from the Horizon Europe research budget, therefore countries associated to Horizon Europe are included. There are different reasons why countries are included in the Horizon Europe budget: somey are EU member states, some have an association with Horizon Europe, others are eligible as third countries, and yet others are overseas countries or territories. But the bottom line is they all are eligible for Horizon Europe funding and therefore for NGI0 and OIS funding.
Frequently Asked Question
We've answered many questions about the European dimension in our monthly Office Hour. The Q&As on the EU dimension are archived, so have a look there if you have questions. If you are still unsure, come to our monthly Office Hour to ask your question.
