EXCELLENCE HUBS BROKERAGE EVENT

NCP_WIDERA.NET, the network of National Contact Points for Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area (WIDERA), cordially invites you to the Excellence Hubs Brokerage Event.

The Excellence Hubs Brokerage Event will be held online on 28 October 2026.

The Brokerage Event will bring together organisations and stakeholders interested in the Excellence Hubs call, offering an opportunity to meet potential partners through pre-arranged bilateral meetings. Participants will be able to exchange project ideas, explore collaboration opportunities, and lay the foundations for strong project consortia.
Participants will create profiles, including search terms reflecting the type of organisation they represent, such as academia, business, government, civil society, or umbrella organisations.

More about the call you can find here Excellence Hubs call and in the Work Programme

The Excellence Hubs Week Brokerage Event is part of the International Excellence Hubs Week.

Participation in this event is free of charge, and registration is mandatory.

Excellence Hubs are networks of innovation ecosystems in Widening countries, involving larger communities based on the quadruple helix principle. Proposals must involve at least 2 R&I ecosystems from 2 different Widening countries.

A few steps to find partners and build your Excellence Hubs consortium (for entities from Widening countries*)

During the registration process:

1. Identify your role within the quadruple helix: academia, business, government, or civil society. Alternatively, indicate whether you represent an umbrella organisation whose members include actors from all four categories of the research and innovation ecosystem.

2. If you represent the business sector, specify if you are:

   • Established business entity with turnover (at the proposal submission deadline, 4 March 2027, the company must have been established and operational for at least two consecutive years and demonstrate turnover); which is a mandatory member of the consortium;

   • SME or Start-up.

3. Select the role your organisation would like to play in an Excellence Hubs proposal:

   • Coordinator;

   • Partner;

   • Associated Partner.

     Following the registration process:

     1. Consider what types of partners or coordinators you are looking for, taking into account the expertise, sectoral representation, and regional coverage needed for your consortium.

     2. Start networking and finding your partners or coordinators! 😉

*Legal entities from non-Widening countries may participate in the consortium if their involvement is duly justified as necessary to achieve the expected project impacts. While they cannot serve as consortium coordinators, they are warmly encouraged to take part in the matchmaking process and connect with potential consortium partners.

All participants are by default registered for the 1:1 networking (signing-off possible). To request 1:1 meetings with one of the participants you simply browse the participants list and identify good matches. Afterwards you send your meetings requests and add a line why a meeting would make sense. Once the recipient(s) accepts your request the meeting will be scheduled as 1:1 Video Call.

The networking is open during and 3 months after the event.

• During Event | 28 Oct. 2026 | 8 am - 10 pm | Pre-scheduled 1:1 Video Calls 20 min

• Post Event | 29 Oct. 2026 - 31 January 2026 | 9 am - 8 pm | Post Event 1:1 Meetings

How can you benefit from the matchmaking? 

• Publish and showcase your projects to event participants.
  - Consortia's can specific offers for new partner
  - Partners can present their expertise to Consortia's

• Initiate and arrange promising pre-scheduled 1:1 meetings at the event.

• Generate fresh leads and meet new contacts in a time and cost-efficient way