Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is EU’s ambitious research and innovation programme covering 2021-2027.

What is Horizon Europe?

Horizon Europe replaces the programme Horizon 2020 and is European Commission’s flagship instrument for research, development and innovation in Europe to boost EU’s competitiveness and growth.

Horizon Europe mission

Horizon Europe is mission-oriented: it clearly sets specific objectives connected with the key societal challenges in every project portfolio. There are five mission areas aimed to address some of the world’s biggest challenges:

• Conquering cancer – the Mission’s target is “By 2030, more than 3 million lives saved, living longer and better”
• A climate resilient Europe – Prepare Europe for climate disruptions and accelerate the transformation to a climate resilient and just Europe by 2030 – “By 2030, the Mission will prepare Europe to deal with climate disruptions”
• Mission Starfish 2030: Restore our ocean and waters – By 2030, the Mission’s target is “to clean marine and fresh waters, restore degraded ecosystems and habitats, decarbonise the blue economy in order to sustainably harness the essential goods and services they provide”
• 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030 – by and for the citizens – the Mission’s target is to “support, promote and showcase 100 European cities in their systemic transformation towards climate neutrality by 2030”
• Caring for soil is caring life – the Mission’s target is to “ensure that 75% of all soils in the EU are healthy for food, people, nature and climate by 2030”

Horizon Europe Budget

The budget will be approx. €95.5 billion for 2021-2027.

The Horizon Europe budget is increased by 30% compared to Horizon 2020 and is the most ambitious research and innovation program ever created in the world.

Deadline

Horizon Europe is an umbrella programme that includes numerous calls. To have an overview of all the calls available, go to the Horizon Funding and Tender Portal.

Structure of the Programme

Horizon Europe is a very complex programme with numerous calls throughout the year. Overall, the programme is divided into three pillars:

3 pillars of Horizon Europe

1. Excellent Science

This pillar supports researchers through fellowships, exchanges, and funding of the projects defined and driven by researchers themselves. The pillar operates within the European Research Council, Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and Research Infrastructures.

2. Global Challenges & European Industrial Competitiveness

This pillar fosters direct research related to societal challenges around issues that worry us daily, such as health, climate change, clean energy, mobility, security, digital, materials, etc. For that, the Joint Research Centre provides the EU with independent scientific evidence and technical support. Within this pillar and throughout the program as a whole the industrial leadership is supposed to get prominent.

3. Innovative Europe

Innovative Europe is a new pillar that aims to stimulate market-creating breakthroughs and ecosystems conducive to innovation. A new funding body, the European Innovation Council (EIC) offers a one-stop shop for high potential and breakthrough technologies and innovative companies. The pillar also includes the activities European Innovation Ecosystems, and European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).  

To read more about Horizon Europe calls, please click here.

1st Mile and Horizon Europe

Given the hundreds of calls, large size and complexity of this program, please contact us, if you are interested in any of the many other programmes within the Horizon Europe umbrella.