MINISTERE DE L'ENSEIGNEMENT SUPERIEUR, DE LA RECHERCHE ET DE L'ESPACE

Their core work

The French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space is the national government body responsible for coordinating France's participation in EU framework programmes. Within H2020, their role focused on strengthening National Contact Points (NCPs) — the front-line advisors who help researchers and companies access EU funding. They contributed to pan-European training programmes and quality standards for NCPs, ensuring consistent support across member states. Their work is fundamentally about improving the infrastructure that connects researchers to funding opportunities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2014-2018), the Ministry focused on establishing foundational NCP training programmes and cross-cutting quality standards through the NCP ACADEMY project. By 2019-2022, the focus shifted toward sector-specific NCP support (ICT via Idealist2020) and preparing the NCP ecosystem for the transition to Horizon Europe (Bridge2HE). This evolution reflects a move from building basic NCP capacity to ensuring continuity and specialization as the EU funding landscape changed.

Their trajectory points toward supporting the Horizon Europe NCP infrastructure, making them a relevant partner for any coordination action involving programme-level advisory structures.

How they like to work

The Ministry participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with its role as a national authority contributing policy perspective rather than leading project execution. With 43 unique partners across 35 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in very large, pan-European consortia typical of NCP coordination actions. This broad network reflects their governmental mandate to engage across all member states rather than selective partnership.

Remarkably broad network for a small portfolio: 43 unique partners across 35 countries from only 4 projects, reflecting participation in Europe-wide NCP coordination consortia that typically include one representative per member state.

What sets them apart

As a national ministry rather than an agency or research performer, they bring governmental authority and policy perspective to NCP coordination projects — a role few other participants can fill. They represent France's official voice in shaping how EU programme support is delivered. For consortium builders planning CSA projects on programme governance or NCP capacity, having a ministry-level partner adds institutional weight and policy credibility.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Bridge2HE
  Their largest funded project (EUR 55,500) and strategically significant as it addressed the critical H2020-to-Horizon Europe transition for NCP support structures.
• NCP ACADEMY
  The original NCP training initiative (2014-2018) that established cross-cutting quality standards, later continued in a second edition — demonstrating sustained commitment to this mission.