Pactical Guidence for applicants

Seven essential questions to help your organisation assess its eligibility, project idea, partnerships and resources before applying for EU research and innovation funding.

Horizon Europe offers funding opportunities for organisations seeking to advance research, develop innovative solutions and address some Europe’s most pressing challenges. From digital transformation and sustainable industry to health, climate action and the bioeconomy, the programme supports collaborative projects that bring together expertise from different sectors and countries.

However, identifying an interesting funding opportunity is only the beginning. Is your organisation actually ready to participate in a Horizon Europe project?

From businesses, SMEs, startups, universities, research centres and other organisations, preparing a successful application involves more than having an innovative idea. IT requires understanding the programme’s eligibility conditions, identifying the right funding opportunity, building suitable partnerships and ensuring that the organisation has the resources to fulfil its commitments.

Before beginning the application process, it is worth assessing seven essential areas.

1. Is your organisation eligible to participate?

One of the first questions prospective applicants should ask is whether their organisations meet the eligibility requirements of Horizon Europe.

The programme is open to a wide range of entities, including companies, SMEs, universities, research organisations, public authorities, non-government organisations and other legal entities.

However, being eligible to participate does not automatically mean being eligible to receive EU funding. Funding eligibility depends on factors such as the country where an organisation is established, its legal status and the specific conditions of the call.

For most collaborative Horizon Europe calls, proposals must involve at least three independent legal entities stablished in three different countries.

• At least one organisation must be stablished in an EU Member State.
• At least two additional organisations must be stablished in different EU Member States or countries associated with horizon Europe

Exceptions apply certain types of actions and specific calls, even some opportunities allow applications from a single organisation.

Organisations stablished outside the EU and its associated countries may be able to participate, although their eligibility for funding must be verified separately.

What should you check?

Confirm your organisation’s legal status, country of establishment and potential role in the project. Then review the specific eligibility conditions published in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Consulting the Horizon Europe country profiles the organisation can check is the country where is stablished it is part of the eligible countries.

For further guidance, consult the European Research Executive Agency’s Horizon Europe eligibility information.

2. Do you have a clear and relevant project idea?

Horizon Europe supports projects that respond to identifiable research and innovation needs. An interesting idea is a starting point but must be sufficient developed to become a credible project proposal.

Before searching for funding, your organisation should be able to explain:

• The challenge: What problem, knowledge gap or unmet need are you addressing?
• The proposal solution: What research, innovation or collaborative activity could address that challenge?
• The added value: What makes your approach relevant, innovative or different from existing solutions?
• The expected results: what could the project produce, improve or demonstrate?
• The European dimensions: Why would collaboration at European level be beneficial?

For technical-oriented projects, understanding the maturity of the proposed solution can be particularly important.

The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale describes technological maturity, ranging from early scientific principles (TRL1) to technologies demonstrated in a operation environment (TRL 9).

Not all Horizon Europe projects require technological development or use TRL as an assessment tool. Their relevance depends on the nature of the proposal activities and the particular funding opportunity. 

What should you check?

Try summarising your project idea in a short concept note. It should describe the problem, proposed approach, objectives, expected results and the expertise your organisation can contribute.
If these elements remain unclear, developing the concept further before preparing a proposal may be the most useful next step.

3. Does your idea match a Horizon Europe call?

Even a promising project idea may not be suitable for every Horizon Europe call.

The programme is implemented through Work Programme that define research and innovation priorities, funding opportunities and specific topics.

Each topic stablishes the activities and results expected from the projects it will support.

When reviewing a funding opportunity, pay particular attention to four elements.

One particularly important distinction concerns the Type of Action.

Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) generally support activities aimed to establishing new knowledge or exploring the feasibility of new improved technologies, products, process or services.

Innovation Actions (IA) focus more strongly on activities such as prototyping, testing, demonstrating, piloting and validating new or improved solutions

Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) support activities that contribute to programme objectives through coordination, networking, studies, policy dialogue, communication or other support measures.

Selecting an appropriate type of action matters because the objectives, activities and funding conditions differ.

For example, an organisation developing a sustainable technology should not assume that every topic related to sustainability is suitable for its project. It must also consider whether the topic expects exploratory research, technology demonstration, industrial validation or another specific contribution.

What should you check?

Before investing significant time drafting a proposal, compare your project objectives with the topic’s scope and expected outcomes. The Horizon Europe Work Programme provide the detailed framework for this assessment.

Turning an innovative idea into a competitive Horizon Europe proposal requires both strategic planning and specialised expertise. At Contactica, our dedicated proposal development and writing team supports organisations throughout the application process, from identifying suitable funding opportunities and assessing project alignment to structuring and preparing proposals that address the programme’s evaluation criteria.

Whether you are exploring your first European funding opportunity or preparing a new collaborative project, our team can help you take the next step towards your research and innovation objectives.

For organisations exploring the opportunities planned for 2027, Contactica has also prepared an overview of the Horizon Europe 2027 Calls, alongside more detailed information on individual Clusters.

4. Do you have the right partners and expertise?

For most collaborative Horizon Europe projects, success depends on bringing together organisations with complementary knowledge, capabilities and resources.

A consortium may include universities, research centres, companies, SMEs, public authorities, civil society organisations and end-users, depending on the project’s objectives.

However, forming a consortium is not simply a matter of meeting the minimum number of participating organisations.

Each partner should contribute to the successful delivery of the project through a clearly defined role.

When considering potential partners, it is useful to assess:

• Complementary expertise: Which scientific, technological or operational capabilities are required?
• Responsibilities: What activities and deliverables could each organisation undertake?
• Resources: Can potential partners provide the personnel, infrastructure and experience needed?
• Stakeholder involvement: Are end-users, industry representatives, policymakers or other relevant actors needed?
• Collaboration: Can the organisations work effectively together throughout the project?

An organisation does not necessarily need to coordinate a project to participate in Horizon Europe.

Joining as a partner can be a suitable route for organisations looking to contribute specialist expertise, participate in international research or gain experience in European collaborative projects.

The coordinator takes on additional responsibilities related to consortium coordination and communication with the granting authority.

What should you check?

Identify the capabilities your organisation can offer and those it would need from other partners.

The European Commission provides partnership tools through the Funding & Tenders Portal. National Contact Points, information days and brokerage events can also help organisations establish contacts and identify opportunities for collaboration.

5. Can your organisation commit the necessary resources?

Participating in Horizon Europe requires more than developing a proposal and securing a grant.

Organisations must be able to carry out their assigned activities, manage their resources and fulfil the commitments established in the Grant Agreement.

Before joining a consortium, it is important to assess the organisation’s operational and financial capacity.

This includes considering whether:

• Qualified personnel will be available to implement the planned activities.
• The organisation has access to the necessary facilities, equipment or technical resources.
• The proposed tasks are compatible with existing workloads and commitments.
• Administrative and financial staff can support project management, monitoring and reporting.
• Any required financial contribution can be accommodated within the organisation’s budget.

Another important consideration is the funding model.

Under the general rules of Horizon Europe, the maximum EU funding rates normally include:

These rates are subject to the specific conditions of each funding opportunity and apply according to the relevant eligible-cost or grant-calculation rules.

Some Horizon Europe calls use lump sum funding, in which a fixed grant amount is established through the approved budget and paid according to the applicable rules for the completion of work.

Understanding how the relevant grant will be financed and managed is therefore an essential part of preparation.

What should you check?

Estimate the staff time, expertise, infrastructure and budget your organisation would need to deliver its proposed activities.

Consider involving both technical and administrative colleagues in this initial assessment. A proposal may be scientifically sound but difficult to implement if the necessary resources have not been properly anticipated.

6. Can you demonstrate the expected impact?

Horizon Europe projects are expected to contribute to meaningful research, innovation and societal outcomes.

For Research and Innovation Actions and Innovation Actions, proposals are evaluated against three main criteria:

• Excellence: The quality and relevance of the project’s objectives, concept and methodology.
• Impact: The credibility of the pathways towards the expected outcomes and impacts.
• Quality and efficiency of the implementation: The appropriateness of the work plan, resources and consortium capacity.

These criteria help explain why identifying a good research idea is not enough.

Applicants also need to demonstrate how the proposed activities could produce useful results, who may benefit from them and what the project could contribute beyond its immediate consortium.

For example, an innovation project may aim to develop a more sustainable industrial process. Its potential impact could include reduced resource consumption, improved production efficiency or wider adoption of sustainable practices.

The proposal should establish a credible connection between the planned activities, their expected results and the changes they could enable.

This is also where communication, dissemination and exploitation become relevant.

Although closely connected, these activities serve different purposes:

• Communication raises awareness of the project, its activities and its relevance among relevant audiences, including the wider public.
• Dissemination makes project results available to audiences that may benefit from or use them.
• Exploitation focuses on the effective use of results, whether through further research, industrial applications, policy development, commercialisation or other forms of uptake.

Considering these activities from the proposal stage helps applicants identify relevant audiences and plan how their results could generate value.

What should you check?

Ask yourself who will benefit from the project, what results could be achieved and how those results might be used.

Be realistic about the expected changes and explain how the project intends to contribute to them.

Further information is available in the European Commission’s guidance on dissemination and exploitation of research results.

7. Is your organisation administratively ready to apply?

Once the project idea, partners and resources have been considered, applicants should also verify that the organisation is prepared to complete the formal application process.

Horizon Europe proposals are submitted electronically through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Organisations need to register in the Participant Register and obtain a nine-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC).

The PIC identifies the organisation in the European Commission’s systems and is used during the application process. If the organisation is already registered, the existing PIC should be used rather than creating a duplicate registration.

The registration and validation processes are distinct. The organisation receives its PIC when registering, while the verification of its legal and administrative information takes place at the relevant stage of the grant award process.

Before applying, consider the following:

• Confirm whether your organisation already has a PIC.
• Verify that the organisation’s registration details are accurate and up to date.
• Identify who will be responsible for preparing and submitting the required information.
• Review the proposal template, mandatory documents and submission deadline.
• Check whether the organisation is subject to additional requirements.

For instance, certain public bodies, higher education institutions and research organisations established in EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe must have a compliant Gender Equality Plan in place by the time of grant signature and throughout the project.

Other conditions may concern ethics, security, research practices or specific restrictions set out in the call.

What should you check?

Make sure you understand the documentation and administrative responsibilities associated with your intended participation. The Participant Register provides instructions for registration and access to the organisation’s information.

Take the Horizon Europe Readiness Checklist

Having reviewed these seven areas, you can now make an initial assessment of your organisation’s preparation.

Our interactive Horizon Europe Readiness Checklist brings together ten practical questions covering eligibility, project definition, funding alignment, partnerships, available resources, expected impact and administrative requirements.

For each question, select Yes, Not sure or Not yet. Once completed, the checklist will highlight areas that may require additional preparation and suggest practical next steps.