Horizon Europe is the EU's research and innovation programme for 2021 to 2027, with a €93.5 billion budget. A startup can take part in its collaborative calls as a partner or as the coordinator, but most calls need a team of at least three organisations from different countries: 349 of the 377 open calls require a consortium.
Where startups fit
- Six clusters fund research and innovation by theme: health; culture, creativity and inclusive society; civil security; digital, industry and space; climate, energy and mobility; and food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment. The open calls by cluster are on the Horizon Europe page.
- EU Missions fund work on five goals: cancer, climate adaptation, oceans and waters, climate neutral cities, and soil health.
- The EIC is also part of Horizon Europe, and its Accelerator is built for single companies. See the EIC Accelerator.
What changes when you apply as a team
The coordinator submits one proposal for the whole consortium, and the evaluators score the team as well as the idea. Evaluation takes up to five months, and the grant agreement is generally signed within three months after that.
Questions
Can a startup coordinate a Horizon Europe project?
Yes. Any eligible legal entity can coordinate, and the role carries the proposal, the grant agreement and reporting for the whole consortium. It is more work, and it puts you in charge of the project's direction.