Horizon Europe Programme Guide

Innovation Actions bridge the critical gap between research and market deployment in Horizon Europe, targeting TRL 4-7 projects with higher funding for technology demonstration. Success requires understanding specific evaluation criteria and consortium requirements.

Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) represent Horizon Europe's largest funding stream, supporting collaborative research projects at Technology Readiness Levels 2-6 with budgets typically ranging from EUR 3-6 million. Understanding RIA requirements and success factors helps you secure 100% funding for research organizations while building lasting European research networks.

Horizon Europe enforces mandatory cross-cutting requirements across all projects: ethics compliance, open science practices, and gender equality plans. These eligibility criteria fundamentally reshape how you design, implement, and report research activities in the €95.5 billion programme.

The European Research Council (ERC), Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), and European Innovation Council (EIC) deliver €10.1 billion annually across the complete innovation pipeline. Understanding their distinct yet complementary roles is essential for maximising your research organisation's EU funding success.

Horizon Europe provides €95.5 billion through three distinct pillars, six thematic clusters, and diverse funding instruments. Navigate the programme structure and identify the right funding opportunities for your research and innovation projects.

Gender Equality Plans are mandatory for public bodies, research organisations, and universities applying to Horizon Europe. Learn which organisations need GEPs, access proven templates, and understand the four building blocks for compliance.

The 2026 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships will offer €399.05 million for international research mobility. Learn how to navigate eligibility requirements, choose between European and Global fellowships, and prepare competitive applications before the September deadline.

Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs) offer 100% EU funding for networking, training, and stakeholder coordination activities. Unlike research-focused RIAs, CSAs strengthen European innovation ecosystems through strategic partnerships and knowledge exchange.

Lump sum funding will cover 50% of Horizon Europe projects by 2027, fundamentally changing how you structure work packages and manage consortium finances. Master the shift from cost reimbursement to completion-based payments with practical strategies for proposal writing and project implementation.

EU Login is your gateway to all European Commission funding platforms, from proposal submission to project reporting. Master the authentication system that connects you to Horizon Europe opportunities and consortium management tools.

Master the three-stage EIC Accelerator application process with this comprehensive guide covering short proposals, full applications, and face-to-face interviews. Learn the requirements, timelines, and best practices to navigate Europe's most competitive deep tech funding programme.

The European Commission has released the Horizon Europe 2026-2027 work programmes, offering €14 billion in research and innovation funding with simplified application processes, broader call topics, and expanded lump sum funding across 13 work programmes.

Calculate personnel costs for your Horizon Europe project using our comprehensive calculator. This guide covers all personnel cost categories (A.1-A.6), eligibility requirements, and provides a free interactive tool to determine your exact funding allocation.

Freelance EU grant consultant Marie Prouteau lifts the curtain on the emotional rollercoaster of proposal writing — and the traps even seasoned professionals still fall into.

Horizon Europe partners hold legal, financial, and administrative responsibilities that go far beyond "just doing the science." Missteps can lead to rejected costs, audit risks, and reputational damage. That’s where EMDESK comes in.

Generative AI is reshaping proposal writing, but using it carelessly can jeopardize your Horizon Europe application. This guide explains the key risks—eligibility, privacy, IP, and compliance—and provides concrete steps and real-world examples to help you use AI safely and effectively.

Discover the EU’s new Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025–2027, focusing on green, digital, and resilient innovation across Europe.

Explore the Horizon Europe 2025 Workplan for Cluster 4, highlighting key research priorities and strategic goals in digital, industry, and space sectors.

Unlock the true potential of your Horizon Europe projects by strategically planning how to exploit results for maximum impact

Horizon Europe provides funding opportunities for groundbreaking research and innovation projects. Financial management can, however, be challenging in view of the complex set of rules, and errors can potentially lead to significant deductions from the expected grant payments. In this article, let’s look at common financial mistakes in Horizon Europe projects and how to avoid these pitfalls.

Forming a consortium is essential for Horizon Europe funding. Learn how to identify opportunities, structure your team, and find the right partners to address global challenges. Explore how collaboration can drive impactful innovation.

Get to know the Horizon Europe Report Template with our in-depth guide. Learn how to navigate and complete the technical and financial sections effectively to ensure compliance and success in your EU-funded project.

Starting a new project, especially one funded by the European Union, is an exciting moment for any team. It’s an opportunity to kickstart collaboration, set expectations, and align everyone on the journey ahead. One of the first and most important steps in this process is the kick-off meeting.

This article delves into the principles, implementation, and implications of Open Science within Horizon Europe, illustrating how it is reshaping the research ecosystem.

How can third country participation in Horizon Europe enhance research outcomes and tackle global challenges? Discover the benefits, eligibility criteria, and tips for successful partnerships.

A comprehensive guide on how to manage EU-funded research and innovation projects

Discover the complexities and strategic methods of crafting a lump sum budget for Horizon Europe. Learn the essentials of navigating both pre-award and post-award phases effectively.

In this article, we delve into the essentials of Horizon Europe project cost management and how EMDESK emerges as the quintessential tool for seamless financial coordination and reporting.

This article explores the significance of the agreement on UK participation in Horizon Europe, its implications for UK scientists and researchers, and the rocky road that led to this crucial decision.

This article delves into the intricacies of project time tracking within the Horizon Europe framework, highlighting its significance, challenges, and best practices. All of which are essential for the successful completion of a Horizon Europe project.

This article offers expert insights and strategies for navigating the challenges of financial reporting in Horizon Europe, ensuring clarity and consistency in your financial statements.

Start early, predict wisely, make impact – shape the future of the EU research! Unlock the 5 critical practices to secure the Horizon Europe grant.

In this article we dive into the dynamic role of a Horizon Europe project coordinator. Whether you're an aspiring coordinator or looking to collaborate, this guide sheds light on the responsibilities, challenges, skills, and attributes of driving collaborative research in Horizon Europe.

In this article, we've compiled expert advice on Horizon Europe project tracking, including monitoring progress, ensuring team member accountability, and handling external stakeholders.

This article provides a step-by-step guide on creating a financial statement in Horizon Europe and covers various cost categories eligible for the funding programme.

In this guide, we will delve into the details of time tracking in Horizon Europe projects, including the use of timesheets, the requirements for time records, and the process of filling them out.

In this article, you'll find expert advice on how to read the components of Horizon Europe calls for proposal, which phrases to pay attention to, and how to proceed.

If you read any document on any EU funding programme, the words exploitation and innovation will probably appear many times. This article takes a closer look at both of these issues in the Horizon Europe programme.

This article provides a detailed step-by-step overview and expert tips on how to write an Implementation Section for a Horizon Europe proposal.

This article gives you an overview of all Horizon Europe Work Programmes for 2023-24, that will provide some €13.5 billion in funding to foster excellence in European research and innovation.

In this article, you'll find an overview of the financial regulation applicable to the general budget of the EU, highlighting Horizon Europe financial guidelines and participation rules, as well as the legal framework for individual projects.

This article provides expert advice on how to present your organisation effectively, maintain a complete public profile, communicate your ideas successfully to become a partner of choice in Horizon Europe and other EU-funded programmes.

This article provides a detailed step-by-step overview and expert tips on how to write an outstanding Excellence Section for a Horizon Europe proposal.

During the proposal writing process, the gender topic raises numerous questions. This article provides you with expert tips on how to manage gender aspects in Horizon Europe proposals on three different levels: the Gender Equality Plan, gender dimension, and gender balance.

How one can get ready for the Horizon Europe programme? What are the keys for creating a competitive consortium? When is it better to start developing your Horizon Europe project? Take a look at the three steps to get the programme off to a good start.

This article will help you understand the Horizon Europe budget sections and show you how to create an effective and compelling budget for your Horizon Europe project proposal.

What is impact in Horizon Europe projects? In this article you'll find key tips and tools that will make your Horizon Europe project results heard by those who matter.

Writing a Horizon Europe proposal is a significant commitment in terms of preparation, project estimation, and collaboration with all partners. This article provides expert advice on how to avoid common mistakes in Horizon Europe proposal writing.

This article explores the benefits of finding the best project partners, presents a couple of Horizon Europe partner search tools that can help you in your search and describes the necessary steps to create a solid partner profile.

Learn more about the key must-have features a project management software needs in order to fully support multi-partner Horizon Europe projects.

In this article, we will make a brief but substantial introduction about the new Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement that was officially announced by the European Commission in June 2021.

In this article, we outline the main steps one should follow to develop a successful Horizon Europe proposal work plan, as well as provide expert tips on creating and organising project activities and deliverables.

This article focuses on the key pillars which ensure the sustainability of a Horizon Europe project and provides expert tips on developing and maintaining an effective strategy to perform a sustainable project.

This article provides an overview of the Horizon Europe work programmes to help you choose the most relevant Horizon Europe call for your research project. Here, you'll also find a quick checklist on how to apply to the Programme.

What do you and your teams need to know about managing a Horizon Europe project with numerous partners? Find out the 4 criteria for successful project management, as well as a list of must-haves a project management tool needs to fully support your projects.

In this article, we outline the top communication skills and habits for project managers and discuss the four steps to take to improve Horizon Europe project communication.

This article is an expert guidance on how to build a winning consortium for a Horizon Europe project – from tips on devising the proper strategy and using the right tools for finding Horizon Europe partnerships to recommendations on considering different types of partners.

There are some changes with regards to cost calculation in Horizon Europe, as well as cost documentation. This article is for experienced Horizon 2020 project administrators who need to get a brief overview on what is different in the new funding Programme.

In this article, we answer the question of what kind of costs can be covered by the Horizon EU grant and give some tips on calculating budget for Horizon Europe projects.

Do not underestimate the need to include a preliminary business plan into your Horizon Europe proposal. In this article we’ve collected the key points of such a business plan, as well as put together tips on how to present a solid and attractive profit and loss statement (P&L).

What do the evaluators expect to see in the Impact Section of a Horizon Europe proposal? What is the impact newness in the Horizon Europe programme? Check this article to get practical tips on how to maximise the impact of your Horizon Europe project.

Read on this article to know what evaluators expect to see in the dissemination and exploitation plan of your Horizon Europe proposal, as well as why is the promotion of project’s results so important and what is the difference between communication, dissemination, and exploitation activities.

Here we’ve collected our expert tips on how to turn budget calculation in Horizon Europe into a straightforward process and give you an example for a collaborative project budget.

How can one apply to the Horizon EU Programme? What’s the ideal time to start developing a Horizon Europe proposal? What are the main steps to make and the core evaluation criteria to keep in mind while creating your proposal? Read this article for expert guidance on the proposal development process.

Within the long-term budget the Horizon Europe Programme will receive €95.5 billion to support Research & Innovation projects. Here, we’ve collected the latest proposal templates, strategic plans, webinars, and news on the programme.