Horizon Europe is the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation for the period 2021-2027. With a budget of 95,517 million euros for this seven-year period, it is designed with an investment mindset rather than as an exclusively financing instrument.
Horizon Europe has a structure based on three pillars:
- Pillar 1, Excellent Science, which through the European Research Council (ERC) finances research projects at the frontier of knowledge designed and led by researchers. It also supports the professional development and training of research staff through the Marie Sklodowska Curie programme (MSCA), and invests in improving and optimizing transnational access to world-class Research Infrastructures.
- Pillar 2, Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, finances research within social challenges, strengthens industrial technological capabilities and establishes missions with ambitious objectives geared towards major global challenges. In addition, it supports the creation of European Partnerships with Member States and industry to work together in R&I. It also includes the Joint Research Centre (JRC) which assists the EU and national governments in their decision-making.
- Pillar 3, Innovative Europe, aims to make Europe a pioneer power in market creation innovation and the growth of innovative SMEs through the European Innovation Council (EIC).
These three pillars are underpinned by a horizontal programme, Expanding participation and strengthening the European Research Area (ERA), dedicated to helping EU Member States in their efforts to develop their national research and innovation potential, and especially those states with lower R&I performance to improve their participation in Horizon Europe.
The Participation Guide provides general information on the programme, as well as on the entire participation process, from the detection of the opportunity to participate and the preparation and presentation of a proposal, through the implementation, development, monitoring and completion of projects, to the evaluation of proposals and preparation and signing of the project grant agreement with the European Commission.
Any legal entity, be it a company, university, research centre, association, public administration, or any other type of entity, that wishes to develop an R+D+I project whose content is adapted to the conditions, lines and priorities established in the work programme or calls for proposals can participate in the actions of the Horizon Europe programme.
