Final Event of the Horizon Europe BUDGET-IT Project Successfully Held 

On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the final online event of the Horizon Europe BUDGET-IT project was held, marking the conclusion of a three-year effort dedicated to advancing gender equality across partner institutions. 

Throughout its implementation, BUDGET-IT focused on strengthening gender+ equality by supporting partners in the development and transformation of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) and gender+ budgeting practices. The final event showcased the project’s key achievements, the challenges encountered, and the valuable lessons learned.  

The opening address was delivered by Oriana Gilloz, Policy Officer for Gender Equality in Research & Innovation and Intersectional Research at the European Commission. 

Over the course of three years, a consortium of municipalities and universities from Türkiye, Italy, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia worked together to develop and enhance their gender equality plans. Efforts centred on two core components: integrating gender budgeting elements into GEPs and embedding intersectionality as a guiding framework. This intersectional approach enabled the design of new activities and created space for institutional strengthening and further research. 

Universities played an important role as mentors and role models for municipalities, demonstrating how the transformation of gender equality plans contributes to institutional development and benefits staff across all levels. A series of capacity-building trainings were produced and recorded, now available on the project’s YouTube channel, ensuring that partners and a wider network can continue sharing knowledge and supporting the creation and transformation of GEPs beyond the project’s lifetime. 

The project was coordinated by Kadir Has University (Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye), with additional partners: 

The BUDGET-IT project has contributed significantly to advancing gender equality policies and practices within partner institutions, leaving a sustainable legacy of tools, knowledge, and institutional capacities for future progress.