Horizon Europe
For 2021-27, Horizon Europe is the main financial instrument of the European Union for Research and Innovation with a financial availability of 95,5 billion euros.
The programme overall objective is to create a scientific, economic and social impact through EU investment in research and innovation. It aims to strengthen the Union's scientific and technological bases and promote its competitiveness, also in its industrial sector, to achieve the Union's strategic priorities and address global challenges, including UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Its specific goals are:
- to create and disseminate new knowledge, skills, and high-quality technologies and solutions to tackle global challenges;
- to strengthen the impact of research and innovation in elaborating, supporting and implementing EU policies while adopting innovative solutions in society and industry in order to face global challenges.
- to promote any form of innovations, including pioneering proposals, and reinforce the market diffusion of original solutions
- to optimise the programme implementation to achieve a greater impact within a strengthened European Research Area.
The programme is divided into the following parts:
Pillar I "Excellent Science"
Pillar "Excellent Science" will support scientific excellence by following a "bottom-up" approach, aimed at strengthening the Union's scientific leadership and developing high-quality knowledge and expertise.
Pillar I comprises the following components:
Pillar II "Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness"
Pillar II will enhance the impact of research and innovation in the development, support and implementation of EU policies and support the adoption of innovative solutions in industry and society to address global challenges.
Pillar II comprises the following clusters:
- Health
- Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
- Civil Security for Society
- Digital, Industry and Space
- Climate, Energy and Mobility
- Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
In addition to the six thematic clusters, Pillar II also includes the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the Commission's internal scientific service, which supports EU decision-making by providing independent, evidence-based scientific advice.
Within Pillar II, special attention will be given to "EU Missions", a limited series of high visibility missions, defined in the context of a strategic planning process, which will pursue ambitious but achievable and limited in time objectives.
The 5 Missions are
- Adaptation to climate change, including social transformation;
- Cancer;
- Oceans, seas and coastal and inland waters health;
- Smart and climate-neutral cities;
- Food and soil health.
The Missions are programmed under the Global Challenges and Industrial Competitiveness pillar, but may also benefit from actions carried out under other parts of the programme.
Pillar III "Innovative Europe"
Pillar III will promote innovation, focusing on pioneering innovations in particular, and strengthen the market uptake of innovative solutions, including through the establishment of the European Innovation Council (EIC).
Pillar III includes the following components:
Part "Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area"
This part of the European Horizon Programme will optimise the programme results for greater impact within a strengthened European Research Area and support activities contributing to a more innovative and knowledge-based Europe.
Pillar III comprises the following components:
The specific areas of intervention and the related calls for proposals for research and innovation projects are defined by the Work Programmes (WP), i.e. the multi-year Work Plans that identify for each call: the overall budget; the indicative average contribution per proposal; the requirements for participation; the funding scheme; the opening date and deadline; the possible objectives that the proposals submitted should set themselves; the expected results of the funded projects.
The 2025 Work Programmes are available on the Funding and Tender Portal
Please contact Grant Office - International Collaborative Programmes Unit, for information on international funding opportunities and support in presenting and managing collaborative research projects in Horizon Europe. A Google Drive folder specifically for Horizon Europe is available, containing documents and fact sheets with further information and guidance on submitting project proposals.
Please contact Grant Office - International Individual Programmes Unit for projects relating to ERC funding schemes and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Grant Office - International Collaborative Programmes
Tumminelli Building - CU007 - 2nd Floor, Room 212
Grant Office - International Individual Programmes
Tumminelli Building - CU007 - 2nd Floor, Room 211
