Tunisia has secured €15.5 million in EU research funding under Horizon Europe, after a joint EU – Tunisia committee meeting in Tunis on 12 February 2026.
The meeting — the 4th EU – Tunisia Joint Research and Innovation Committee Meeting — was held under the Horizon Europe Association Agreement and hosted by Tunisia’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the European Commission announced on Monday.
Tunisian organisations and researchers have so far signed 64 Horizon Europe grants, with 86 participations.
Tunisia ranks 12th among associated countries in Horizon Europe participations, and has 198 participations in PRIMA — an EU-backed research partnership focused on the Mediterranean, including food systems and water management.
Focus on start-ups, researcher mobility and joint programmes
Talks included ways to increase Tunisia’s involvement in the European Innovation Council, an EU programme that supports start-ups and small firms developing new technologies, with participation rates for Tunisian start-ups and “deep-tech” small and medium-sized enterprises below the EU average.
The meeting also discussed the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions — EU-funded schemes that support researcher training and mobility — with Tunisia described as improving in both the quality and quantity of its participation.
Cooperation with the EU’s Joint Research Centre was on the agenda, including 2026 calls for access to research infrastructures and the Collaborative Doctoral Partnership scheme, with interest noted in health, energy and climate-related work.
Mobility and “talent circulation” were also discussed, with the EU Visa Strategy and a Recommendation on Attracting Talent for Innovation presented as measures intended to make long-stay procedures faster, clearer and more predictable for researchers and innovators.
The committee concluded with plans to move towards a sector-based action plan covering areas including the European Innovation Council, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, the Joint Research Centre and small business participation.
