Twinning 2026 marks a major success for Polish research. Polish research institutions achieved their strongest result yet in the European Union’s Twinning programme. In total, 13 funded projects involve Polish organisations, while Polish institutions coordinate nine of them.
This achievement stands out even more because of the intense competition. The 2026 Twinning call attracted 1,905 proposals from across Europe. Only 179 projects secured funding. The overall success rate reached just 9.45%.
Polish institutions took part in 222 submitted proposals. Sixteen Polish participations secured funding worth €7.72 million. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education describes this as Poland’s best result in Twinning competitions under Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020.
Poland in Twinning 2026: Why is the result important?
The 2026 results show how Polish research institutions are strengthening their position in European research. They are winning more funding and taking a growing role in research partnerships across Europe.
Nine Polish organisations will coordinate funded Twinning projects. That number is 33% higher than in 2023. Polish institutions coordinated six funded projects that year. In 2021, they coordinated seven.
Poland is also becoming a stronger scientific partner for institutions in other Widening countries. Polish organisations will act as internationally leading research institutions in seven funded projects in 2026. The number stood at two in 2023 and zero in 2021.
These figures tell an important story. Polish research institutions do more than compete for European funding. They increasingly lead international projects and share their expertise with partners across Europe.
What is the Twinning programme?
Twinning is part of Horizon Europe’s Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence programme.It helps research institutions strengthen their scientific capacity and international connections.
The programme brings together institutions from Widening countries and leading research organisations from across Europe. Partners exchange knowledge, develop new research approaches and build long-term scientific networks.
The European Research Executive Agency explains the Twinning programme here.
Twinning projects involve institutions from at least two different EU Member States or Associated Countries. The partnerships focus on strengthening the research profile of the coordinating institution.
Projects can include many different activities. Researchers can take part in staff exchanges, expert visits, training sessions, workshops, conferences and summer schools. Some projects also include research and innovation activities.
For Poland, Twinning creates valuable opportunities. Polish researchers can work with leading European institutions and develop lasting international partnerships. Polish organisations can also share their own knowledge and expertise with partners in other countries.
Strong Polish participation in a highly competitive call
Polish Twinning 2026 results look even more impressive when we consider the scale of the competition.
Researchers and institutions submitted 1,905 proposals to the 2026 call. Of these, 1,643 proposals reached the required quality threshold. Together, they requested more than €2.41 billion.
Only 179 proposals received a recommendation for funding. This means that fewer than one in ten applications succeeded.
Polish institutions submitted 222 proposals. This figure shows the strong interest of the Polish research community in international cooperation through Twinning.
The quality of Polish applications also stands out. Polish coordinators submitted 116 proposals, and 100 of them exceeded the 10-point threshold. None of the projects involving Polish institutions went onto the reserve list.
The results show that Polish teams can compete successfully in one of Europe’s most demanding research funding programmes.
Polish research institutions are taking the lead
The growing number of Polish coordinators marks one of the most important trends in the Twinning 2026 results.
Nine Polish organisations will coordinate successful projects. They represent four regions: Mazowieckie, Małopolskie, Dolnośląskie and Podlaskie.
The nine successful institutions include the 4th Military Clinical Hospital in Wrocław, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Technology Partners Foundation, Jagiellonian University, University of Warsaw, the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Białystok University of Technology and Warsaw University of Technology.
The range of institutions matters, as it shows that Poland’s growing research strength extends across different types of organisations and scientific fields.
Poland also ranks among the eight countries with the most funded Twinning coordinations in 2026.
Greece leads the ranking with 30 funded coordinations. Serbia follows with 18, while Cyprus has 16. Portugal and Czechia each have 15. Estonia has 12, and Türkiye has 10. Poland follows with nine funded projects.
From participation to scientific leadership
Poland’s Twinning results show clear progress over the past few years.
In 2021, Polish institutions coordinated seven funded Twinning projects. The number fell slightly to six in 2023. In 2026, it has risen to nine.
Another trend deserves attention. Polish organisations are increasingly taking part as internationally leading scientific institutions in projects coordinated by partners from other countries.
In 2021, no funded Twinning projects included Polish organisations in this role. By 2023, the number had reached two. In 2026, it has grown to seven.
Three of these projects have Polish coordinators. Organisations from Ukraine, Serbia, Greece and Latvia coordinate the other four.
This change reflects the growing expertise of Polish research institutions. Polish organisations no longer only benefit from international partnerships. They also contribute knowledge, experience and scientific expertise to projects across Europe.
What does Twinning 2026 mean for Polish science?
The success of Polish institutions goes beyond the numbers. It reflects a wider change in Poland’s participation in European research programmes.
Polish research organisations increasingly act as project coordinators, expert partners and leaders of international collaborations. They build stronger links with research institutions across Europe and increase the international visibility of Polish science.
Twinning also creates new opportunities for researchers. International partnerships can lead to knowledge exchange, joint research activities and new scientific networks.
For international researchers and organisations, Polish results results send a clear message. The national research institutions are becoming more competitive and more internationally connected.
They are also taking on a stronger leadership role in European research.
The 2026 results therefore represent more than a record number of funded projects. They show the growing position of Poland within the European Research Area. They also strengthen the case for Poland as a destination for research, innovation and international scientific collaboration.
Learn more about Twinning and research in Poland
The European Research Executive Agency’s Twinning page provides more information about the programme, its objectives and funding opportunities.
Polish researchers can also find information and support through the Polish Horizon Europe National Contact Point.
For the full Polish Twinning 2026 results, see the Ministry of Science and Higher Education announcement.
