Support to Retirement Savings Vehicle for European Research Institutions and research performing individuals (RESAVER) – 2025

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As asserted in Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to the realisation, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organisation and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. Nevertheless, social security in most member states is under pressure and mobile employees, researchers in particular, experience additional obstacles in accumulating an adequate amount of pension provisions. Most prominent issues experienced by mobile researchers in relation to the accumulation of occupational pensions (second pillar) are the vesting period, transferability of assets and administrative burden during the accumulation phase and at retirement.

The RESAVER Pension Fund has been created with the ambition to tackle the issues listed above by facilitating free circulation of researchers and removing pension as an obstacle to mobility, which corresponds to the strategic objectives of the Union policy as stipulated in Article 179 TFEU on the establishment of a European Research Area.

The RESAVER Occupational fund became operational in May 2017. Since then the fund has welcomed research organisations from Hungary, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Cyprus, Spain and France, making it already the occupational pension fund in the EU with the widest geographical coverage. In parallel with geographical expansion, RESAVER should engage in mutually beneficial collaborations with local occupational pension funds for the benefit of mobile employees. In order to answer to the needs of mobile researchers who do not receive occupational pension employee benefits, or receive an insufficient level of contributions, RESAVER should investigate providing a personal pension solution to mobile researchers. In addition, the investment strategy should be fine-tuned continuously in order to correspond to the specific needs of researchers and research performing organisations and should be aligned with the objectives of the European Research Area and the sustainable finance policy of the European Union. This action contributes to the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda (2022-2024) action 4 – Promoting attractive and sustainable research careers, balanced talent circulation and international, transdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility across the ERA.

In this context, the pension fund is expected to perform the following tasks: pension fund management, implementation of additional countries and organisations into the pension fund, communication and promotion activities, improve financial literacy, investigate the development and/or distribution of a third pillar solution, support the project in ad hoc tasks, contribute to the establishment of partnerships with local pension funds and coordination of investment strategy adjustments, actively engage with relevant stakeholders to create wide support to promote pan-European solutions that benefit researchers in general, and mobile researchers in particular.

Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties such as the RESAVER Consortium. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60.000.

Subcontracting is not restricted to a limited part of the action.

This grant will be awarded without a call for proposals according to Article 195(e) of the Financial Regulation and Article 24(3)(b) of the Horizon Europe Regulation. The RESAVER Pension Fund OFP has a proven record of working in a partnership mode with the European Commission.

Procedure: The evaluation committee will be composed fully by representatives of EU institutions.