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  • Links to Horizon Europe and Other EU Funding Resources

    Links to Horizon Europe and Other EU Funding Resources

    Horizon Europe

    After Brexit, the UK Government decided to associate only to the Horizon Europe and Copernicus programmes. An agreement between the European Commission and the UK Government was reached in late 2023. According to the agreement, the UK is now associated to the Horizon Europe programme, with the exception of the European Innovation Council Fund.

    This means that, starting from 1 January 2024, UK organisations, can participate in Horizon Europe calls for proposals on the same terms as institutions from other EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

    COST

    UK institutions can participate in COST Actions. COST is an intergovernmental framework consisting of more than 40 countries. The UK is a Full Member of COST, so UK-based researchers and innovators are fully eligible to apply to and participate in COST Actions. This is independent of the UK’s status in Horizon Europe, unless the UK’s membership in COST is changed.

    Other EU Funding Programmes

    As of the beginning of 2025, the UK has not associated to almost all other EU funding programmes apart from Horizon Europe. These include the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme, Creative Europe, Digital Europe, the European Defence Fund, Erasmus+, EU4Health, Euratom, the Justice Programme, LIFE, the Single Market Programme, and many others.

    In these programmes, the UK is recognised as a third country. In most cases, organisations from third countries can participate in EU projects as Associated Partners without receiving EU funding, but only if the relevant programme’s legal basis allows for this. This also means that such participants need to cover their own costs.

    Links to Funder Information Sources

    Sometimes, it may take longer to find the appropriate information source than to read the necessary details. Therefore, I have made an effort to compile links to the most common official information sources of the European Commission.

    On the official website of the European Union, everyone can find the main details about the Horizon Europe programme: Horizon Europe – European Commission. 

    There are three main Horizon Europe Pillars: 

    Pillar I: Excellent Science

    Pillar II: Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness

    Pillar III: Innovative Europe

    A major part of Horizon Europe funding is planned to be awarded as collaborative grants under Pillar II to address Global Challenges and improve European Industrial Competitiveness.

    These initiatives are spread across six clusters within the second Horizon Europe pillar: 

    Cluster 1: Health 

    Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society 

    Cluster 3: Civil Security for Society 

    Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space 

    Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility 

    Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment 

    A significant amount of funding is allocated under the first Horizon Europe pillar, specifically for the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).

    You can access and find an appropriate call and topic in your area of interest on the EU Funding and Tender Opportunities portal.

    EU Funding & Tenders Portal Horizon Europe reference documents.

    Horizon Dashboard for checking the average personnel costs.

    Strategy, documents and tools for dissemination and exploitation of research results.

    Some additional information sources for those interested in EU funding

    The network of UK National Contact Points (NCPs) provides guidance, practical information, and assistance on all aspects of participation in European R&I Framework Programmes, including Horizon Europe.

    UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) provides services to support UK applicants participating in Horizon Europe. UKRI aims to ensure that UK researchers and organisations can fully engage with the Horizon Europe programme.

  • The UK becomes fully associated to the Horizon Europe programme from January 2024

    The UK becomes fully associated to the Horizon Europe programme from January 2024

    Due to Brexit, it has taken quite a while for the UK to associate with the Horizon Europe programme, which officially started in January 2024. For the remainder of the programme, ending in 2027, UK organisations can now participate in Horizon Europe on the same terms as institutions from other EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, including leading consortia and receiving EU funding.

    On 1 January, Belgium officially commenced its six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The main priorities in the area of Research and Innovation include reinforcing the role of research and innovation in society to enhance trust and engagement in science, and to better address societal and environmental challenges. UK researchers have always been leading contributors to EU scientific programmes.

    Despite delays in association, according to the Horizon Dashboard (R&I Proposals – Summary | Sheet – Qlik Sense (europa.eu)), the United Kingdom is in 5th position (as of May 2024) on the list of top applying countries for Horizon Europe funding, with over 14,000 submitted applications and an overall success rate of around 19.5%. Of the top five countries, France and Germany have had slightly higher success rates, just over 21% and 20%, respectively. The top four countries on the list for Horizon Europe funding applications are Germany, Spain, Italy, and France

    These were hectic times for professionals supporting UK applications to Horizon Europe, so I decided to reflect on the blogs I posted from early 2021 until the end of 2023. Below is a summary of the records, which gives an insight into how long and bumpy the association process was.

    January 5, 2021 (BU Research Blog | UK participation in EU programmes for research, innovation, and higher education | Bournemouth University)

    As part of the agreement reached between the UK and the EU, the UK announced that it will associate with Horizon Europe (2021-27). The association will provide UK scientists, researchers, and businesses with access to funding under the programme on equivalent terms as organisations in EU countries.

    January 13, 2021 (BU Research Blog | UK’s participation in Horizon Europe | Bournemouth University).

    Certain steps must be completed before the UK formally associates with the Horizon Europe Programme – the EU must ratify the Horizon Europe Regulation (expected in January/February) and finalise the Protocol between the UK and the EU, which sets out all terms of UK participation.

    February 2, 2021 (BU Research Blog | Horizon Europe – Clusters for Collaborative Research Projects | Bournemouth University)

    Similarly to the previous EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020, research activities in Horizon Europe are structured under three pillars. However, there are some differences. As they say – ‘no revolution, but evolution.’

    March 1, 2021 (BU Research Blog | Horizon Europe: Early Information on the Proposal Template | Bournemouth University)

    The Horizon Europe (HEU) proposal templates are currently under development and have not yet been published. The first version of the draft application form for Innovation Actions (IA) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) demonstrates strong continuity with Horizon 2020 proposals.

    May 4, 2021 (BU Research Blog | Update on Horizon Europe | Bournemouth University)

    The European Parliament has adopted the legal basis for Horizon Europe. MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of both the Horizon Europe Regulation and the Specific Programme last Tuesday night. This paves the way for the final adoption and publication of the legislation, followed by the publication of the first Horizon Europe Work Programme with calls for proposals, budgets, and deadlines.

    June 8, 2021 (BU Research Blog | Update on Horizon Europe | Bournemouth University)

    The Horizon Europe Regulation was published on 12 May, and we were expecting to see the first Work Programme published by the European Commission in the same week. However, since then, the publication has been delayed several times. While some calls have already opened and closed (ERC, emergency COVID-19, EIC), most of the main calls have not yet been published.

    July 30, 2021 (BU Research Blog | Horizon Europe – July Update | Bournemouth University)

    As of 30 July 2021, Switzerland is treated as a non-associated third country in Horizon Europe. Consequently, researchers based in Switzerland are currently only able to participate in Horizon Europe, the Euratom programme, and the Digital Europe Programme as associated partners from a third country.

    March 15, 2022 (BU Research Blog | Good UK – Horizon Europe News | Bournemouth University)

    On 15 March 2022, Science Minister George Freeman extended the guarantee to awards expected to be signed by the end of December 2022, while efforts continued to associate with the programme.

    July 28, 2022 (BU Research Blog | July update on Horizon Europe | Bournemouth University)

    According to the UK Research Office (UKRO), the UK Government has announced a new package of measures to support applicants to Horizon Europe affected by the delays in association. The measures aim to ensure stability for UK researchers and businesses, and their European partners.

    September 5, 2022 (BU Research Blog | September update on Horizon Europe | Bournemouth University)

    The UK Government has announced an extension of the financial support provided to successful UK Horizon Europe applicants, which will now cover all Horizon Europe calls that close by the end of this year.

    According to the UK Research Office in Brussels (UKRO), this new announcement reiterates that association with EU programmes remains the UK’s preferred outcome and extends the scope of the guarantee to cover additional Horizon Europe calls for proposals while the delay to association continues.

    September 29, 2022 (BU Research Blog | Horizon Europe Update – October 2022 | Bournemouth University)

    There is no significant news, and the message from officials remains the same – UK researchers should continue to apply for Horizon Europe grants despite the uncertainty over association.

    December 7, 2022 (BU Research Blog | Horizon Europe Update – December 2022 | Bournemouth University)

    There is some good news this time; yesterday, on 6 December 2022, the European Commission adopted and published the final versions of Horizon Europe’s individual Work Programmes for 2023 and 2024. Some of the 2023 calls for proposals have already been launched.

    December 21, 2022 (BU Research Blog | Horizon Europe Update – End of 2022 | Bournemouth University)

    According to Research Professional, the government has once again extended its “safety net” for UK-based winners of funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe R&D programme, amid continuing uncertainty over long-term UK participation.

    January 16, 2023 (BU Research Blog | Horizon Europe Update – January 2023 | Bournemouth University)

    According to Research Professional, the UK Science Minister has stated that the UK’s alternative plan for spending money ringfenced for European R&D programmes, the so-called ‘Plan B’, is being signed off by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

    The Science Minister added that the government was “still pushing, and I’m still hopeful” for UK association, but that access to EU R&D programmes was “caught up in the high politics of the post-Brexit negotiation”.

    June 13, 2023 (BU Research Blog | Update on Horizon Europe Guarantee | Bournemouth University)

    The UK government remains in discussion on the UK’s involvement in EU research programmes and hopes that negotiations on Horizon Europe will be successful.

    The UK government has announced an extension to the support provided to UK Horizon Europe applicants until the end of September 2023.

    September 7, 2023 (BU Research Blog | Association to Horizon Europe – Agreement in Principle Reached | Bournemouth University)

    The European Commission and the UK Government have reached an agreement in principle on the association of the UK to Horizon Europe.

    This morning (7 September 2023), a Joint Statement by the European Commission and the UK Government on the UK’s association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus was published on the UK Government’s webpage.

    October 3, 2023 (BU Research Blog | More Information on Horizon Europe Association | Bournemouth University)

    UK researchers will be able to fully participate in Horizon Europe on the same terms as researchers from other associated countries from the 2024 Work Programmes and onwards – including any 2024 calls opening this year.

    November 24, 2023 (BU Research Blog | Horizon Europe News – November 2023 | Bournemouth University)

    From 1 January 2024, the UK will be fully associated with almost all parts of the Horizon Europe programme. In the meantime, Research Professional (RP) has published news regarding Switzerland’s association with Horizon Europe. According to the latest information, after blocking the country from joining for almost three years, the European Commission has announced that it is ready to start talks on Switzerland’s association with the EU’s research and innovation programme.

  • Horizon Europe Grant Funding for Research

    Horizon Europe Grant Funding for Research

    About Horizon Europe

    The total budget for the current EU key science funding programme, Horizon Europe, running from 2021 to 2027, is approximately EUR 95.5 billion. By facilitating collaboration between different countries, the programme tackles climate change, helps achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and boosts the competitiveness and economic growth of the European Union.

    There are several new elements in Horizon Europe compared to previous programmes. For example, the European Innovation Council, which provides support for innovations, and a set of five measures known as Missions, which aim to achieve specific goals within a defined timeframe. More information on the Missions can be found here: EU Missions in Horizon Europe – European Commission.

    It may also be interesting to explore how the Horizon Europe programme was developed. Further details are available on the European Commission’s webpage: How Horizon Europe was developed – European Commission.

    Research policy and practice

    Taking a broader view, public policy refers to proposals designed to solve complex societal problems by applying a conceptual approach, as approved by legislation. Research policy is one of the specific areas of public policy.

    Research policy encompasses a set of governance measures aimed at investing in research and innovation to improve the lives of citizens, preserve existing democratic social models, address the most pressing societal challenges, and ensure global competitiveness.

    Among other objectives, research policy deals with the allocation of resources for research funding to support both basic and applied research. Investment in basic research aims to support the acquisition of more comprehensive knowledge or understanding of a subject. In contrast, allocating public funding for applied research seeks to meet specific needs—such as fostering innovation, addressing issues like inequality, facilitating regional development, and generating jobs and income for society.

    A common approach across economically developed countries for supporting research is the allocation of grants to larger consortia, based on competitive calls for proposals. These grants are known as multi-beneficiary collaborative research grants. In this way, the most promising proposals—evaluated according to pre-set criteria such as scientific excellence, expected impact, and quality of project implementation—receive funding for the implementation of proposed research projects.

    In addition to policymakers, various administrative bodies are involved in the delivery of specific policies and ensuring the positive impact of allocated funding.