TARKI TARSADALOMKUTATASI INTEZET ZRT

Their core work

TARKI is a Budapest-based private social research institute specializing in quantitative and qualitative survey research on inequality, social policy, and welfare systems across Europe. They conduct large-scale household surveys, lifecycle interviews, and multi-layer analyses to understand poverty, social mobility, educational access, and urban inequality. Their work feeds directly into EU policy recommendations — from asylum system evaluation to social citizenship frameworks aligned with the European Pillar of Social Rights and Agenda 2030. They bring strong empirical research capacity to international consortia studying how policy interventions affect vulnerable populations.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

TARKI's early H2020 work (2017-2019) centered on research infrastructure for inclusive growth data (InGRID-2) and asylum policy evaluation (CEASEVAL) — foundational, data-heavy projects. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward applied social policy: urban inequality and youth vulnerability (UPLIFT), social citizenship gaps and intersectionality (EUROSHIP), and educational inequalities affecting marginalized groups (PIONEERED, KIDS4ALLL). The evolution shows a clear move from building research capacity to using it for targeted policy-relevant analysis on inequality, gender, and social protection.

TARKI is moving toward applied policy research on social rights, educational inclusion, and intersectional inequality — making them increasingly relevant for Horizon Europe missions on social resilience and inclusion.

How they like to work

TARKI operates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, which positions them as a reliable research contributor rather than a project driver. With 74 unique partners across 26 countries in just 6 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia — averaging over 12 partners per project. This broad network and consistent participant role suggest they are valued for their empirical research skills and Hungarian/Central European perspective, making them easy to integrate into new consortia without competitive tensions.

Extensive European network spanning 74 unique partners across 26 countries, built through participation in large social science consortia. Their reach across most EU member states makes them a well-connected node in European social policy research.

What sets them apart

TARKI occupies a rare niche as a private-sector social research institute with deep quantitative survey expertise — most comparable organizations are either university departments or public agencies. Their Central European base gives them firsthand insight into post-transition welfare systems and inequality dynamics that Western European partners often lack. For consortium builders, they bring both methodological rigor (lifecycle interviews, capability approach, multi-layer research) and geographic balance from Hungary, a country frequently underrepresented in social science consortia.

Highlights from their portfolio

• InGRID-2
  Their largest single project (EUR 468K) — built pan-European research infrastructure for inclusive growth, showing TARKI's capacity for large-scale data integration work.
• EUROSHIP
  Directly tied to the European Pillar of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, combining social citizenship theory with practical policy tools — their most policy-relevant project.
• UPLIFT
  Demonstrates TARKI's shift toward participatory methods and urban-focused inequality research, with direct engagement of vulnerable youth in policy co-creation.