ERANet-LAC is a Network of the European Union (EU), Latin America and the Caribbean Countries (LAC) on Joint Innovation and Research Activities. It will support the political process of implementing the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation (JIRI), which was endorsed by the “Madrid Action Plan 2010-2012 - Towards a new stage in the bi-regional partnership: innovation and technology for sustainable development and social inclusion adopted by the EU-LAC Summit“ in Madrid in 2010.ERANet-LAC will strengthen the bi-regional partnership in Science, Technology and Innovation by planning and implementing concrete joint activities and by creating a sustainable framework for future bi-regional joint activities. Research and innovation funding agencies, programme owners and programme managers as well as other relevant stakeholders from both regions will be actively involved in the process in order to promote and enhance the opening of programmes and infrastructures efficiently and to foster long-term partnerships.Focusing on the priorities defined in the JIRI process, ERANet-LAC will implement two joint calls and organize concrete joint activities seeking to coordinate and cluster research programmes, mutually open research infrastructures and coordinate and open innovation programmes. The joint activities carried out will be evaluated and function as a basis for formulating a road map and establishing an EU-CELAC Platform for Funding Agencies. This funding platform will serve as information and communication platform and offer substantial guidelines as well as online working spaces to facilitate and enhance the development of future concrete joint initiatives.The project activities will be closely linked to the INCO-Net ALCUE NET, the BILAT-projects with Latin America and relevant thematic initiatives and thus increase the effectiveness and impact of existing programmes, infrastructures and networks by developing complementarities and mutual reinforcement.