Horizon Europe Calls 2026: Key Opportunities and How to Apply
The Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027 was adopted by the European Commission in December 2025, making available approximately €14 billion in research and innovation funding across two years (according to the European Research Executive Agency announcement, 12 December 2025). For 2026 specifically, calls are spread across all three pillars of Horizon Europe — Excellent Science, Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, and Innovative Europe — as well as the five EU Missions. If you are planning a submission in 2026, the work programme documents and open call listings on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal are your primary reference points.
The 2026-2027 work programme carries strong policy emphasis on competitiveness, green transition, and improved researcher career conditions — themes that run through both the call topics and the structural changes embedded in the programme. Understanding the thematic priorities, eligibility requirements, and evaluation procedures for 2026 calls will directly shape the quality and positioning of your proposal.
This article gives you a structured overview of what is available, what the rules are, and how to navigate the 2026 call landscape efficiently.
What Is the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027 and What Does It Fund?
The Horizon Europe Work Programme is a biennial planning document that defines the specific calls for proposals, budgets, eligibility conditions, and evaluation procedures for Horizon Europe funding. The 2026-2027 work programme, adopted on 12 December 2025, sets out the EU's research and innovation investment priorities for a two-year cycle under the programme's overall budget of EUR 95.5 billion for 2021-2027 (according to the European Commission's Horizon Europe programme page).
The 2026-2027 work programme foresees €14 billion in investments, described as designed to support better research careers in a greener and more competitive Europe. All work programme documents — including individual cluster work programmes, mission work programmes, and cross-cutting programmes such as MSCA — are available for download on the Horizon Europe work programmes page on the European Commission's research and innovation portal.
The programme is implemented across several key components:
- Pillar I – Excellent Science: European Research Council (ERC) grants, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), and Research Infrastructures
- Pillar II – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness: Six thematic clusters (Health; Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society; Civil Security; Digital, Industry and Space; Climate, Energy and Mobility; Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment)
- Pillar III – Innovative Europe: European Innovation Council (EIC) and European Innovation Ecosystems
- Five EU Missions with dedicated calls and budgets
- Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area (WIDERA)
Many coordinators underestimate how much strategic reading the work programme requires before a call even opens. Each section defines not only topics but also specific expected outcomes, Types of Action (RIA, IA, CSA, or lump sum), and minimum consortium compositions — all of which shape your proposal structure before you write a single word.
What Are the Key Thematic Priorities in Horizon Europe 2026 Calls?
The 2026-2027 work programme reinforces three overarching policy directions: the green and digital twin transition, European industrial competitiveness (aligned with the Competitiveness Compass), and strengthened researcher career frameworks. These cross-cutting priorities appear across clusters and missions rather than being confined to a single programme part.
EU Missions in 2026
The five EU Missions continue to run dedicated call portfolios in 2026. As a concrete example, the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters launched five topics on 4 February 2026 with a total indicative budget of over EUR 115 million and a submission deadline of 23 September 2026 at 17:00 CEST (according to the European Commission Mission Ocean and Waters portal). Those five topics cover marine habitat mapping, nature-positive solutions for aquatic pollution, fishers' co-management approaches, ocean technology testing sites, and digital twin ocean developments — spanning both large-scale demonstrations and scalable community-driven approaches.
Cluster 4 and Knowledge Valorisation
Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space) in 2026 includes a notable focus on knowledge valorisation — the translation of research results into economic and societal value. The 2026-2027 work programme contains specific topics on knowledge valorisation within Cluster 4 and within the WIDERA programme, as highlighted by the European Commission's Knowledge Valorisation Platform. If your consortium has a strong intellectual property or commercialisation component, these topics deserve close attention.
Researcher Careers and MSCA
The REA's framing of the 2026-2027 work programme explicitly highlights "better research careers" as a headline objective, with Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) remaining a central instrument. For MSCA calls with an opening date from 30 July 2024 onwards, the unit cost daily rate increased to EUR 485.86 (based on EUR 8,745.4 / 18 days), adjusted by country-specific correction coefficients (HE AGA, Article 1.1, p.65). This is a meaningful increase from the previous rate of EUR 282.22 and should be reflected in any MSCA budget calculations for 2026 submissions.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements for Horizon Europe 2026 Calls?
The core eligibility rules for 2026 calls follow the standard Horizon Europe framework, with variations defined in each individual call. For the vast majority of Horizon Europe calls — including those under Pillar II clusters — the minimum participation threshold for multi-beneficiary projects requires at least two independent legal entities established in two different EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries that receive financial support from the grant (HE AGA, Article 44, p.346).
For mono-beneficiary projects (typically ERC grants), one legal entity from an EU Member State or associated country implements the project, but to ensure transnational character, at least one entity from a non-associated third country must be involved without receiving EU financial support (HE AGA, Article 44, p.346).
Additional eligibility conditions that vary by call include:
- Minimum number of partners from specific countries or regions
- Mandatory involvement of SMEs, civil society organisations, or end-users
- Requirements for entities from non-associated third countries
- Specific institutional types (e.g., research organisations, public authorities)
Always verify eligibility conditions against the specific call text on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. A common pitfall is assuming that standard eligibility rules apply when a particular call has supplementary conditions buried in its topic description.
Regarding third-country participation: entities from non-associated third countries may participate in Horizon Europe projects but generally do not receive EU financial support unless the call explicitly states otherwise or the entity is from a country covered by specific international cooperation agreements.
How Are Horizon Europe 2026 Proposals Evaluated?
All Horizon Europe 2026 calls use the same three standard award criteria, regardless of pillar or cluster. Proposals are evaluated on:
- Excellence
- Impact
- Quality and efficiency of the implementation
The aspects assessed under each criterion follow General Annex D of the applicable Horizon Europe Work Programme, differentiated by Type of Action (HE AGA, Article 44, p.418). In practice, this means the weighting and sub-criteria are the same whether you are applying to a Research and Innovation Action (RIA), an Innovation Action (IA), or a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) — though the emphasis within criteria shifts based on the action type.
For calls implemented through Co-funded Partnerships — such as European Partnerships involving national funding agencies — the evaluation procedure follows a mandatory two-step process: Step 1 involves national or transnational review including national eligibility checks; Step 2 involves a single international peer review by at least three independent experts, who rank proposals, with the ranking forming the basis of selection (HE AGA, Article 5.1, p.4). Only consortia that are eligible under both Horizon Europe rules and national funding rules may proceed to Step 2.
For standard calls, proposals are evaluated remotely by independent expert evaluators appointed by the granting authority (typically a European Executive Agency such as REA, HADEA, EISMEA, or ERCEA). Proposals are ranked by score, and the granting authority makes selections on the basis of ranking and available budget. If proposals score identically, the ranking list and joint selection list must be submitted by the project coordinator as part of the periodic report (HE AGA, Article 7.1, p.4).
Where and How Do You Find Open Horizon Europe Calls for 2026?
All open and forthcoming Horizon Europe calls for 2026 are listed on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal's Horizon Europe programme page. You can filter by status (open, forthcoming, closed), programme part, Type of Action, and deadline.
The most efficient approach for systematic call monitoring is to:
- Download the relevant work programme documents from the Horizon Europe work programmes page and read the call tables for your target clusters or missions — these provide opening dates, deadlines, budgets, and Types of Action for all topics in advance.
- Use the Funding & Tenders Portal search to filter for open calls and set up alerts for topics relevant to your organisation.
- Monitor executive agency news pages — for example, the HaDEA work programme announcement and the REA's 2026-2027 programme news — for call openings within their remit.
- Check national contact point networks such as Euresearch for filtered national perspectives on open calls.
A practical difficulty worth acknowledging: the volume of 2026 calls across all pillars, missions, and partnerships is very large, and the work programme documents are lengthy. Many experienced coordinators maintain a simple internal tracking spreadsheet that maps call IDs, opening and closing dates, indicative budgets, and responsible granting authorities. This is preferable to relying solely on portal search results, which can change as calls open and close throughout the year.
What Are the Practical Implications for Project Coordinators and Proposal Writers?
Navigating the 2026 call landscape effectively requires a structured preparation approach, not just awareness of open calls. Here are the key actions you should take once you identify a target call.
Read the Call Text and Work Programme Section Together
The call text on the Funding & Tenders Portal and the work programme topic description together define your proposal requirements. Discrepancies between the two are rare but the call text always takes precedence. Pay particular attention to the "Specific conditions" section of each topic, which may impose restrictions not visible in the main topic description — such as requirements to involve specific types of organisations or to address particular geographic scopes.
Verify Cost Category Rules Before Budgeting
For MSCA calls opening from 30 July 2024 onwards — which includes all 2026 MSCA calls — the unit cost daily rate is EUR 485.86 (EUR 8,745.4 / 18 days), multiplied by the country-specific correction coefficient for the country where the beneficiary is established (HE AGA, Article 1.1, p.65). Build this into your budget templates before the kick-off meeting. For ERC actions, an additional "ERC additional funding" budget category may be available for major equipment and fieldwork costs — check the applicable ERC Work Programme for the specific call (HE AGA, Article 1.1, p.65).
Plan for a Two-Step Process if Applying to Co-funded Partnership Calls
If your target call is implemented through a Co-funded Partnership (such as a European Partnership involving national funding agencies), budget planning is more complex. Consortia should plan to adjust their budget between Steps 1 and 2 to balance requested funding against available funding per participating Member State or associated country (HE AGA, Article 5, p.1). Identify which national funding rules apply to each of your partners early — before Step 1 submission — because eligibility under both Horizon Europe rules and national rules is a prerequisite for reaching Step 2 (HE AGA, Article 5.1, p.4).
Scenario: Checking Consortium Eligibility for a Mission Ocean 2026 Call
Suppose your consortium for one of the five Mission Ocean 2026 topics (deadline: 23 September 2026) includes partners from Germany, Poland, and Norway (an HE associated country), plus a research institute in Canada (a non-associated third country). Your consortium satisfies the standard multi-beneficiary eligibility rule: you have at least two independent entities from two different EU Member States or associated countries receiving financial support (HE AGA, Article 44, p.346). The Canadian institute can participate but would not receive EU financial support. Before submission, you must also verify whether the specific topic imposes additional partner type or minimum number requirements — check the topic page on the Funding & Tenders Portal under the HORIZON-MISS-2026-03 call identifier.
Project Summary and Call ID Formatting
When completing your grant application, the project summary (Annex 1, Part A) must include the call ID in the format PROG-(SUBPROG-)YEAR-CALLABREV and the topic ID in the format PROG-(SUBPROG-)YEAR-CALLABREV-NN/TOPICABBREV (HE AGA, Article 3, p.21). Errors in these fields can create administrative complications at the grant agreement preparation stage — verify them against the official call page, not from memory or third-party sources.
What Is the Outlook for Horizon Europe Calls Beyond 2026?
The 2026-2027 work programme is the final biennial cycle of Horizon Europe (2021-2027). The European Commission is already consulting on the architecture of the next framework programme — currently referred to as FP10 — with discussions informed by the results of the Lamy Report review and the Strategic Plan processes. For coordinators, this means 2026 is one of the last opportunities to start a project under Horizon Europe rules, with projects typically running for 36-60 months potentially extending well into the FP10 period.
For the remainder of 2026, your focus should be on monitoring call openings through the European Commission's Horizon Europe funding page, downloading cluster and mission work programmes to plan submissions months ahead of deadlines, and ensuring your consortium's cost models and eligibility documentation are aligned with the 2026-2027 work programme rules before you submit. The €14 billion available across 2026-2027 represents a substantial final opportunity under the current framework — and the competition for it will be intense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much funding is available in Horizon Europe calls for 2026?
The Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, adopted on 12 December 2025, foresees €14 billion in total investments across the two-year cycle, according to the European Research Executive Agency. Individual call budgets range from a few million euros for smaller Coordination and Support Actions to over EUR 115 million for the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters call package alone.
Where can I find all open Horizon Europe calls for 2026?
All open and forthcoming Horizon Europe 2026 calls are listed on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities. You can filter by programme (Horizon Europe), status (open or forthcoming), and Type of Action. The full work programme documents with all call topics, opening dates, and indicative budgets are downloadable from the European Commission's Horizon Europe work programmes page.
What are the minimum consortium requirements for Horizon Europe 2026 calls?
For standard multi-beneficiary calls, a minimum of two independent legal entities from two different EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries that receive financial support is required, per Article 44 of the Horizon Europe Annotated Grant Agreement. Some calls impose additional conditions — such as mandatory SME involvement or a higher minimum partner count — which are specified in the individual call topic text.
What evaluation criteria are used for Horizon Europe 2026 proposals?
All Horizon Europe 2026 proposals are evaluated on three criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of the implementation, as set out in General Annex D of the applicable work programme. The specific sub-criteria and aspects assessed under each criterion vary by Type of Action (RIA, IA, CSA, etc.), so you should consult the work programme section for your target call to understand exactly what evaluators will score.
Have any MSCA unit cost rates changed for 2026 calls?
Yes. For MSCA calls with an opening date from 30 July 2024 onwards — which includes all 2026 MSCA calls — the daily rate increased to EUR 485.86 (EUR 8,745.4 divided by 18 days), multiplied by a country-specific correction coefficient, per Article 1.1 of the Horizon Europe Annotated Grant Agreement. This replaces the previous rate of EUR 282.22 applicable to calls opening before 30 July 2024.
