Forming a Consortia in Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe, the EU’s largest research and innovation program with a €93.5 billion budget, aims to foster innovation by supporting groundbreaking and transformative solutions to pressing societal and technological challenges. The program addresses global issues while contributing to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), driving progress toward a more sustainable future. By funding cutting-edge research, it enhances scientific excellence and promotes international cooperation. This collaboration, spanning both European and non-European countries, strengthens industrial competitiveness and reinforces Europe’s position as a global leader in research and innovation.

A key requirement for most calls for proposals is the formation of a consortium, consisting of at least three partner organizations from three different EU or associated countries, with at least one partner based in the EU. This collaborative approach is crucial for tackling the EU’s most pressing challenges through innovative and internationally coordinated solutions.

Identifying a Topic

The first step in forming a consortium for Horizon Europe is identifying the funding program and topic you wish to apply to. To navigate EU funding programs effectively, especially Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe, it's essential to understand the key terms that shape the program's priorities and funding opportunities.

Each cluster within Horizon Europe includes several destinations, which are broad strategic goals within a specific sector. Under each destination, there are specific funding opportunities, known as Calls, which focus on particular areas of interest and address the broader destination goals in a more targeted way. Finally, topics are detailed subdivisions within a Call, outlining the types of solutions the European Union seeks to fund and provide applicants with more direction.

Published calls can be explored on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Be sure to carefully read the call text to identify relevant keywords to include in your proposal, enhancing its relevance.

Understanding the Key Roles and Structure of a Consortium

A clear understanding of the consortium's structure and roles is crucial for successful project execution.

• The Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the entire project and consortium activities.

• Work Package Leaders manage specific sections of the project, focusing on key objectives and tasks.

• Partners contribute expertise across various aspects of the project, working within Work Packages.

• External Advisors, oftentimes referred to as an Advisory Board provide valuable insights and guidance, though they are not formal consortium members.

While each project adapts its work package structure to meet its objectives, here’s an example of a typical structure:

• WP1: Project Management: Oversees administrative, financial, and contractual responsibilities, ensuring compliance and smooth operations. This is typically handled by the project coordinator.

• WP2: Scientific and Technical Work Packages: Focuses on core technical activities, divided into research, development, and innovation objectives.

• WP3: Testing, Validation, and Evaluation: Validates results through trials, user feedback, and performance analysis.

• WP4: Use Cases: Defines real-world applications, gathering data and analyzing market needs.

• WP5: Pilots: Tests solutions in real-world settings, refines technologies, and gathers performance data.

• WP6: Ethics and Compliance: Ensures adherence to ethical, legal, and environmental standards.

• WP7: Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Alignment: Aligns project goals with EU policy frameworks and engages stakeholders.

• WP8: Dissemination, Communication, and Exploitation: Maximizes impact through outreach, public relations, and intellectual property management.

Searching for Consortium Partners

Finding the right partners is essential for a successful Horizon Europe proposal and effective project execution. If you don’t already have partners in mind, the EU Funding & Tenders Portal offers a helpful partner search feature. By navigating to a specific topic and clicking on the "Partner Search Announcements" tab, you can access profiles of potential collaborators who have expressed their interest in those specific calls. This feature simplifies the consortium-building process, enabling you to explore organizations, review their previous EU project experience, and contact them directly.

There are also many other ways to find potential partners, such as:

• Brokerage and B2match Events organized by the European Commission, which facilitate meeting collaborators in your field.

• Major tech and innovation conferences like VivaTech and Slush, which are excellent for networking with potential partners, funders, and policy influencers.

• EU Innovation Networks such as EIT Global, which organize annual summits, innovation days, and matchmaking events in collaboration with sector-specific KICs.

• National Contact Point Networks and newsletters, which provide updates on upcoming calls, events, and success stories, helping you find like-minded organizations and individuals.

Understanding the Evaluation Process and Criteria

Understanding the evaluation process and ranking criteria is crucial for crafting a successful Horizon Europe application. Each call has its own specific set of criteria and evaluation process, so it’s essential to thoroughly review all the available information.

For example, evaluations for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA) are based on the following criteria:

• Excellence: Clarity and relevance of project objectives, ambition, and potential to go beyond the state of the art. This includes a sound methodology, interdisciplinary approaches, gender balance, and open science practices, with engagement from citizens and end users where applicable.

• Impact: Credibility of the pathways to achieve the expected outcomes and the significance of the project’s contributions. The quality of measures to maximize impact, as outlined in the dissemination and exploitation plan, including communication activities, is also assessed.

• Implementation: Quality of the work plan, risk assessment, and resource allocation. The capacity and roles of participants should ensure complementary expertise within the consortium.

Navigating this process can be complex, so seeking external support from consultants experienced in Horizon Europe programs can significantly increase your chances of success.

Conclusion

Forming a consortium for Horizon Europe is key to securing funding for impactful projects. By identifying the right topic, understanding the consortium structure, and finding the right partners, you can increase your chances of success. Tools like the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and brokerage events are essential for connecting with potential collaborators. Additionally, companies like Futuro Perfecto Innovation can help you identify the right call for your project and build and consolidate the consortium with complementary partners. With the right preparation and collaboration, you can make a significant impact on critical challenges in sectors like health, climate, digital technology, and many more.