The European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation 2021 - 2027
What is Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe is the European Union's Framework Programme for Research and Innovation for the period 2021-2027.
Horizon Europe follows Horizon 2020 and is the European Union’s main financial instrument supporting research and innovation, with a total budget of 95.5 billion euros.
The programme is implemented directly by the European Commission.
The main objectives of the Programme
The general objective of Horizon Europe is to generate scientific, technological, economic and social impact from EU investments in research and innovation, in order to:
- strengthen the scientific and technological foundations of the Union and promote its competitiveness across all Member States
- implement the Union’s strategic priorities and contribute to achieving European policies, helping to address the global challenges of our time, as set out by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the Paris Climate Agreement
- strengthen the European Research Area
The structure of Horizon Europe
view the structure diagram in PDF format
Horizon Europe is structured into three pillars, which are further divided into specific programmes and themes, and a cross-cutting action.
The first pillar, in close continuity with Horizon 2020, promotes scientific excellence, attracts the best talents to Europe (European Research Council), provides adequate support for early-career researchers (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions), and supports the creation and dissemination of scientific excellence, knowledge, methodologies, skills, technologies, and high-quality solutions.
- European Research Council: frontier research with a bottom-up approach, carried out by the best researchers and their groups
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: intersectoral mobility and training with a bottom-up approach to provide researchers with new knowledge and skills
- Research Infrastructures: closer collaboration between infrastructures to extend the frontiers of knowledge and promote integrated and interconnected world-class research infrastructures
The second pillar, ‘Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness’, which brings together and integrates the second and third pillars of Horizon 2020 (‘Industrial Leadership’ and ‘Societal Challenges’), promotes joint actions to address global challenges and foster inclusive and sustainable growth through industrial and technological competitiveness, with collaborative and interdisciplinary research and innovation projects focused on 6 cross-sectoral areas (clusters).
The 6 Clusters of the second Pillar:
The third Pillar, a new feature of the new Framework Programme built upon previous experiences, promotes all forms of innovation, including non-technological innovation (ethical, responsible, and sustainable innovation), especially within SMEs. It facilitates technological development, demonstration, and the transfer of knowledge, and strengthens the dissemination of innovative solutions, in order to continue bringing prosperity to citizens and to address future challenges, in cooperation with other European policies.
- European Innovation Council (EIC): The Commission established the European Innovation Council under Horizon Europe, which was already launched in pilot form in the final period of Horizon 2020, as a “one-stop shop” to attract and support all types of innovators and innovative companies. Through the EIC, calls are issued to support ideas/innovations with pioneering potential and market-creating capacity.
- European Innovation Ecosystems: Actions to support European innovation ecosystems, aimed at creating a favourable environment for the dissemination and development of innovation at all levels.
- European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT): Measures from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) aimed at bringing together key actors (research, education, and businesses) around a common goal to foster innovation, through Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs).
The fourth part, ‘Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area’, is a new feature of the new Framework Programme, also based on initiatives present in Horizon 2020. The action funds measures aimed at supporting the expansion and reinforcement of the European Research Area, to promote the spread of scientific excellence throughout Europe, with particular attention to countries with low R&I performance (Widening countries) and to supporting reforms of national policies.
The specific objectives of the program
The specific objectives of the program follow the three-pillar structure (plus the fourth transversal action) and are as follows:
- to develop, promote and advance scientific excellence, support the creation and dissemination of new knowledge, skills, technologies and high-quality solutions, the training and mobility of researchers, attract talents at all levels and contribute to their full involvement in program activities
- to generate knowledge, strengthen the impact of research and innovation in the development and implementation of Union policies, support the access to and adoption of innovative solutions in European industry and society to tackle global challenges, above all climate change and the sustainable development goals
- to promote all forms of innovation, facilitate technological development, demonstration and the transfer of knowledge and technology, and to strengthen the dissemination and exploitation of innovative solutions
- to maximize the results of the program to strengthen and increase the impact and attractiveness of the European Research Area, by promoting excellent participation in the program by all Member States, and in particular by countries with low R&I performance
The Missions of Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe plans the launch of research and innovation missions, aimed at increasing the effectiveness of funding by pursuing large, clearly identified objectives and solving some of the greatest challenges of our time.
Each mission will include a portfolio of actions—research projects, policy measures, or even legislative initiatives—aimed at achieving, within a predetermined timeframe, a bold, measurable objective relevant to society, which could not be achieved through individual actions.
The European Commission has identified five mission areas:
- Cancer
- Adaptation to climate change, including societal transformation
- Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters
- Climate-neutral and smart cities
- Soil and food health
Open Science
Horizon Europe encourages the principles of Open Science as an approach to the scientific process based on cooperative work and the dissemination of knowledge. The Open Science approach is substantiated in the following elements:
- Open access to scientific publications resulting from research funded by the Framework Programme
- Open access to research data, including data underpinning scientific publications, according to the principle “as open as possible, as close as necessary”
Funding opportunities
For each area of intervention of Horizon Europe, open and competitive calls for proposals are periodically launched and can be consulted on the Funding and Tenders Portal of the European Commission.
Who can be funded
Legal entities established in a Member State or in an Associated Country can be funded.
Entities based in a non-associated third country must cover the cost of their participation in Horizon Europe themselves.
Entities established in low- and middle-income non-associated third countries, and, exceptionally, in other non-associated third countries, can be funded if:
- the third country is listed in the work program adopted by the Commission
- or the Commission or the funding body deems the participation of the concerned entity essential for the implementation of the project
To learn more
On the EU Funding & Tenders Portal – Horizon Europe you can find information on participation procedures and the program reference documents are published and continuously updated, from legal documents and the Commission’s work programs to grant agreement models and guides for specific actions (e.g. General Model Grant Agreement, Standard Proposal Template for RIA, IA, Proposal Template - CSA etc).