Horizon Europe: the EU’s €95.5bn research engine.
Horizon Europe funds collaborative research and innovation across Europe, international consortia, up to 100% of costs, on the EU’s largest R&I budget.
Europe’s flagship research & innovation programme
Horizon Europe is the EU’s main R&I programme for 2021–2027, with around €95.5bn. It funds collaborative projects delivered by international consortia against published call topics.
Funding rates depend on the action type, up to 100% for research, 70% for innovation, plus a 25% indirect-cost flat rate. See who qualifies further down.
Three ways Horizon funds a project
The action type sets both your funding rate and what kind of work is expected, we match your project to the right one.
Research & Innovation (RIA)
New knowledge and technology validation, in research-heavy consortia.
Innovation Action (IA)
Prototyping, demonstration and piloting closer to market (100% for non-profits).
Coordination & Support (CSA)
Networking, roadmaps and capacity-building, no R&D content.
What a valid Horizon project needs
Most calls are collaborative, the consortium and the call-topic fit are the first gate.
At least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries.
Your project must answer an open topic in the work programme.
RIA, IA or CSA, matched to your technology’s maturity (TRL).
A clear European impact, exploitation and dissemination plan.
| Action type | Funding rate | Indirect costs |
|---|---|---|
| RIA / CSA | 100% (all participants) | +25% flat |
| IA, for-profit | 70% | +25% flat |
| IA, non-profit | 100% | +25% flat |
The 2026–2027 work programme brings 40-page proposals, more lump-sum grants and fewer, higher-value topics. The exact rate is set in each call.
Three pillars, from frontier science to market
Most collaborative projects sit in Pillar II, but the programme spans the whole journey.
Excellent Science
Frontier research (ERC), researcher mobility (MSCA) and research infrastructures.
Global Challenges
Collaborative R&I across six thematic clusters, where most projects sit.
Innovative Europe
Market-creating innovation via the EIC, innovation ecosystems and the EIT.
Find the cluster your project belongs to
Pillar II holds more than half the budget; each cluster runs its own collaborative calls.
Health
Disease prevention, diagnostics, treatment and health systems.
Culture & society
Democracy, inclusion, cultural heritage and creative industries.
Civil security
Cybersecurity, disaster resilience and border management.
Digital, Industry & Space
Key enabling tech, AI, robotics, advanced manufacturing and space.
Climate, Energy & Mobility
Clean energy, transport and climate solutions.
Food & Bioeconomy
Food systems, bioeconomy, natural resources and environment.
Plus EU Missions (e.g. climate adaptation, cancer, soil) and partnerships sit under Pillar II. Source: European Commission / Horizon Europe.
The rate depends on the action type
Horizon can cover the full cost of the work; the action type sets how much.
up to 100%
Research & Innovation and Coordination actions are funded at 100% of eligible costs.
70%
IAs are funded at 70% for profit-making companies, and at 100% for non-profit bodies.
Your share
Amounts we quote are the company's funded portion of the consortium, on actual cost or a lump sum.
Built around the collaborative consortium
Most Horizon calls are collaborative, and the consortium rule is the first gate.
A collaborative call needs at least three independent entities from three different EU Member or Associated States.
Companies, universities, research organisations, public bodies and NGOs can all take part.
Your project must answer a specific published call topic; Horizon is top-down by topic, not open-ended.
Parts of the EIC sit within Horizon for single applicants, but the core Pillar II work is collaborative.
The three action types, compared
The action type a call uses sets your funding rate, the maturity of the work, and what is expected of the consortium.
| RIA | IA | CSA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding rate | 100% | 70% (100% non-profit) | 100% |
| What it funds | New knowledge and proof of concept | Prototypes, demonstration and piloting, closer to market | Coordination, networking and policy support |
| Typical maturity | TRL 2–5 | TRL 5–8 | n/a |
| Best when | The science is still open | The technology is ready to scale | The goal is to connect or coordinate |
RIA = Research & Innovation Action · IA = Innovation Action · CSA = Coordination & Support Action. Indirect costs are added as a 25% flat rate on eligible direct costs.
The technology-readiness ladder
Horizon measures projects on TRL, from basic principles to a proven system. Pillar II collaborative work mostly sits in the middle and upper rungs.
TRL 1 is basic principles, TRL 9 is a system proven in operation. Research actions cluster around TRL 3–5; innovation actions push TRL 5–8. Knowing your TRL is the fastest way to pick the right action type.
The five EU Missions
Alongside the clusters, Horizon runs five Missions, goal-driven programmes that fund the projects able to move a concrete target.
Beating cancer
Better prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Climate adaptation
Resilience to climate change across regions.
Ocean & waters
Restore our seas, rivers and lakes by 2030.
Climate-neutral cities
100 cities to climate neutrality by 2030.
A soil deal
Healthy soils for food, nature and climate.
Three criteria decide it
Independent experts score every proposal on three axes. Strong science is not enough on its own, impact usually decides the ranking.
Excellence
The ambition, novelty and soundness of the methodology against the state of the art.
Impact
The scale and significance of the outcomes, and a credible plan to exploit and disseminate them.
Implementation
The work plan, the consortium's capacity, and the allocation of resources and risk.
Each axis is scored from 0 to 5 (half-points allowed), with a threshold of 3 per criterion and 10 overall. Above the threshold, proposals are ranked, and the budget funds down the list until it runs out, which is why a high impact score is so often decisive.
See if Horizon Europe fits your project
Tell us about your project. A funding advisor reviews your case by hand, then either comes back with feedback or a few follow-up questions. No obligation.
- Whether Horizon Europe is the right fit
- A first read on the funding amount
- What to prepare before you apply
From first call to funding
Four steps. You stay focused on the work; we handle the funding end to end, on a success-based fee.
Eligibility check
We review your project against the programme's criteria, confirm it qualifies and give you a realistic figure before you commit any time.
Application
You tell us what you are working on; we build the application, write the technical case and manage the entire submission for you.
Submission & review
We file with the responsible authority in your name and handle every query through to the funding decision.
Funding
Once approved, we prepare the required reporting so the funding is released to you, accurately documented and on time.
Horizon Europe in practice
Real projects we have taken through Horizon Europe, from first scoping to the funding decision. Anonymised, figures as orders of magnitude.
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Read the storyIndustries we fund
We've secured German and EU funding across the innovation economy. If you're doing genuine development, your field almost certainly fits.
Horizon Europe guides
Long-form explainers from our knowledge hub, for teams who want the detail before they talk to us.
RIA vs IA vs CSA
Choosing the action type that matches your maturity and budget.
Read more →GuideBuilding a Horizon consortium
Partners, roles and the three-country minimum.
Read more →GuideThe 2026–2027 work programme
What changed: shorter proposals, lump sums, broader topics.
Read more →GuideLump-sum vs actual-cost grants
How the two budgeting models affect your project.
Read more →GuideRIA vs IA vs CSA
Choosing the action type that matches your maturity and budget.
Read more →GuideBuilding a Horizon consortium
Partners, roles and the three-country minimum.
Read more →GuideThe 2026–2027 work programme
What changed: shorter proposals, lump sums, broader topics.
Read more →GuideLump-sum vs actual-cost grants
How the two budgeting models affect your project.
Read more →Horizon Europe questions, answered
The essentials on who qualifies, what is covered and how much.
Consortia of at least three independent organisations from three different EU or associated countries.
RIA and CSA at 100%, IA at 70% (100% for non-profits), plus a 25% indirect-cost flat rate.
Through the EU Funding & Tenders portal, against an open call topic.
Yes, most calls require an international consortium of three or more.
Shorter 40-page proposals, more lump-sum grants and fewer, higher-value topics.
Ask us anything
Tell us about your project and we'll assess your case by hand. No prep, no obligation. Prefer to talk?