The Agency, within the scope of its powers, is part of various programs, consortia and joint programming initiatives, at European and international level, being represented in their governing bodies.

The objective of these initiatives is to promote international collaboration in scientific research and, in the case of European initiatives, their fundamental objective is to strengthen the European Research Area (ERA).

Thanks to its adherence to these initiatives, the Agency annually finances a significant number of Spanish groups that are part of collaborative projects between various countries and in various scientific-technical areas. Some of these initiatives are framed within the ERA-NET COFUND scheme and are co-financed by the European Union through the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Program.

The launch of the new Horizon Europe Framework Program (2021-2027) has been delayed by the pandemic. Horizon Europe brings with it new forms of participation (the so-called partnerships or associations) in which the Agency is actively working together with the Ministry of Science and Innovation, to help achieve the internationalization objectives of the Spanish Science, Technology and Innovation System. (SECTI), reflected in the Spanish Strategies for Science, Technology and Innovation and in the successive State Plans that develop them.