Horizon Europe programme for innovation development in enterprises
Horizon Europe is the research and innovation framework programme running from 2021 to 2027. It is the most important instrument for supporting research and innovation in Europe and worldwide. Successful projects will be entitled to the reimbursement of all eligible costs.
The programme builds on the EU's policy priorities focusing on the European Green Deal, Europe Fit for the Digital Age, and An Economy that Works for People. The budget of EUR 95.517 billion reflects the importance of research and innovation for the EU and follows its successful predecessor Horizon 2020.
The programme is divided into three pillars:
- Excellent Science
- Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
- Innovative Europe
Most of the budget will go to global challenges in the second pillar to support systemic changes in society and the economy. This pillar is divided into six thematic clusters covering areas such as industry and digitisation, protection of biodiversity, energy and transport, agriculture, and health.
In the area of industry and digitisation, support will be provided in particular for the circular economy, artificial intelligence and robotics, advanced manufacturing technologies, big data and low-carbon technologies. Electrification of production processes will also be included.
Another objective of the programme is to increase the participation and success rate of SMEs in research and innovation projects. The instruments targeting SMEs are mainly contained in the third pillar, offering support to companies not only in the form of grants and financial instruments but also through training and mentoring.
Natural and legal persons or international organisations will be entitled to apply for support. Individual calls may not be open to all types of applicants. If the project is not for a single beneficiary, it must be carried out through an international consortium consisting of at least three entities, each of which must be established in a different EU member state or another country associated with Horizon Europe.
The applicant should first identify a suitable call and a common theme to address and then form a consortium. The next step is to prepare a joint application. Calls are announced on a rolling basis, so we recommend keeping up to date with developments on the programme website.