Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the European Union framework programme for research and innovation and the successor to Horizon 2020. It aims to strengthen European competitiveness, support the shift to climate neutrality and digitalisation, and bring research results into application faster.

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Facts up front

Budget

€93.5bn

Deadline

Per call

Location

European

Details on the Horizon Europe

Programme period: 2021 to 2027. This is the duration of the framework programme, not an application deadline. After 2027 a successor programme follows under a new name, as Horizon Europe followed Horizon 2020.
Programme budget: EUR 93.5 billion across the full period
Structure: Three pillars with different objectives, funded activities and target applicants
Application format: Depending on the call, an international consortium or a single applicant
Deadlines: Set per call in the relevant work programme

Horizon Europe is structured into three pillars. They differ above all in their objectives, the activities they fund and the applicants they address. The pillars provide a first orientation but are not delimited solely by how far a project has developed or how many organisations are involved.

Excellent science. Fundamental and frontier research, driven by researchers and institutions.
Global challenges and European industrial competitiveness. Applied collaborative research along societal themes, usually in consortia.
Innovative Europe. Market-facing innovation and scaling, including through the European Innovation Council.

These three terms are frequently confused although they sit at different levels.

Horizon Europe is the central European Union funding programme for research and innovation. It runs from 2021 to 2027 and supports research, technological development, innovation and the scaling of innovative companies.

The European Innovation Council, or EIC, is part of Horizon Europe. It brings together instruments for particularly high-risk, market-changing innovation.

The EIC Accelerator is one of those EIC instruments. It targets start-ups and SMEs bringing a technologically advanced innovation to market readiness and scale, combining a grant with optional equity.

Companies, universities, research institutes and other organisations from EU member states and associated countries can apply. Which organisations qualify in a given case follows from the specific call.

For many collaborative calls, particularly in the second pillar, a consortium spanning several countries is mandatory. There are also calls and instruments where single applications are possible, such as the EIC Accelerator.

The route into Horizon Europe always runs through the call, not the programme. The process follows a recurring pattern.

Find the call. Match the project against the open and planned calls in the current work programme.
Build the consortium. Identify partners, define roles and work packages, split the budget. Not required for single-applicant calls.
Write the proposal. Structured around excellence, impact and implementation.
Submit and await evaluation. Submission through the European Commission funding portal, then independent expert review.
Grant agreement and delivery. Contract negotiation, project start and ongoing reporting.

Horizon Europe covers different instruments, calls and application procedures. Which support makes sense depends on the funding objective, how far the project has developed and the requirements of the specific call. Ignite Group supports you from the first eligibility check through to delivery of the awarded project.

Funding strategy and call search

We assess your project, identify suitable instruments and match it against open and planned calls. Where no suitable call exists, we tell you that too.

Eligibility check and positioning

We assess eligibility, innovation potential, development stage, market potential and fit with the evaluation criteria of the relevant instrument.

Project and proposal design

We structure the project, define objectives, work packages, milestones and budget, and build a convincing proposal strategy. Where the call requires a consortium, we also support the selection and coordination of suitable partners.

Proposal writing and submission

We draft and edit the required documents, coordinate the contributions of the participating organisations and support you through to timely submission.

Support after approval

Depending on the agreement, we support the preparation of the grant agreement, project management, reporting, financial administration and documentation. The specific support depends on the requirements of the instrument.

What does a funding advisor do?

A funding advisor is an expert who guides companies through the complex process of applying for public funding and secures the best funding for their projects – from selecting the right programmes through the application to the final report.

At Ignite we work success-driven: we only make you an offer when we are convinced your project is eligible. You are supported comprehensively throughout the process while you concentrate on your core business – we take on the time-consuming part.

Our services as funding advisors

Analysis and identification

Assess company & project
Find the right programmes
Aimed at maximum grants

Strategy development

Tailor-made strategy
Aligned with your goals
Combine programmes

Application and documentation

Complete application drafting
Documents complete & correct
Higher approval chances

Communication with funding bodies

Contact with authorities
Coordination with funding bodies
Representing your interests

Project support and aftercare

Support across the project term
Meeting funding conditions
Disbursement & final report

The advantages of our funding advisory

Time saved

Focus on your core business
The workload sits with us
A faster application

Access to hidden funding opportunities

Lesser-known programmes
Clever combinations
Full funding potential

A higher success rate

Expertise from many applications
Better approval chances
Fewer rejections

Maximising the funding amount

The highest possible funding
Every lever used
More from every project

Legal certainty

All requirements met
Audit-proof evidence
No clawback risk

Numbers you can hold us to

15,000⁺

Funding applications in the last five years

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A team of specialists at your service

Dr. RichardNelz

Manager

Frequently asked questions about Horizon Europe

For many collaborative Horizon Europe calls yes. Several organisations from different countries often have to form an international consortium. There are also calls and instruments where single applications are possible, for example the EIC Accelerator. Which applies to you, and whether particular countries or minimum numbers are required, depends on the specific call.

That depends on the call and the instrument. For many classic Horizon Europe calls, evaluation can take up to five months after the submission deadline. Once the evaluation result is communicated, the grant agreement is usually prepared and signed within up to three months. The first pre-financing is then generally paid within 30 days of the grant agreement entering into force, provided the conditions are met.

The amount and exact form of pre-financing follow from the grant agreement and the specific call. Applicants should therefore plan for several months between the submission deadline and the first payment.

In principle yes. Double funding of the same costs or activities is not permitted. What matters is that the funding sources are clearly separated and that the conditions of both the Horizon Europe call and the national programmes are met. Whether a combination works in a given case depends on where the company is based, what is being funded and the relevant national and regional rules.

Horizon Europe runs until the end of 2027. A successor programme under a new name will follow, as Horizon Europe followed Horizon 2020. For running projects, the rules of the grant agreement continue to apply.