The European Research Council (ERC) is funding the £1.8 million mERCury initiative to improve the quality of support that national contact points (NCPs) throughout Europe provide to individuals applying for ERC grants.

NCPs provide guidance, practical information and assistance on all aspects of participation in Horizon Europe, including the ERC. The mERCury initiative will bring together 23 NCPs from EU Members States and associated countries over 2025 to 2028. The overarching goal is to enhance, professionalise and harmonise the quality of services provided by ERC NCPs. It will also improve consistency in service standards and widen access to underrepresented countries.

The initiative has the following three objectives:

1. Improve and harmonise NCP services by providing tailored training, identifying and sharing good practices, and creating an AI-powered knowledge-sharing platform.
2. Build capacity among newcomer and Widening country NCPs through mentoring, twinning schemes, and tailored onboarding support.
3. Strengthen national and local support to applicants, notably by offering practical tools, workshops, and a ‘train the trainer’ approach to enhance institutional guidance for ERC hopefuls.

A key focus will be on widening activities to level the playing field for applicants throughout Europe. At least 60% of participants in capacity-building events will be drawn from widening countries or less experienced NCPs. The project will also run stakeholder workshops, publish guidelines, and deliver at least seven open-access training events for applicants, with a target of 70% participation from widening countries.

Further details are available at the ERC website.