Horizon Europe
Research & development
Horizon Europe is the European Union’s framework programme for research and innovation for the period 2021–2027. With a budget of approximately €95.5 billion. it represents the EU’s main instrument to strengthen scientific excellence, industrial competitiveness and the green and digital transitions.
Participating in Horizon Europe requires more than identifying an open call. It demands strategic alignment with European priorities, a strong consortium and a robust impact approach.
Zabala Innovation supports organisations throughout this process — from early positioning to project implementation.
Do not wait until the deadline: prepare your Horizon Europe project in advance and maximise your funding options. At Zabala Innovation, we can help you ensure you do not miss out.
Horizon Europe is structured around three main pillars and several cross-cutting instruments. Understanding this architecture is essential for identifying the appropriate funding pathway for each project.
Pillar I aims to reinforce and extend the excellence of the EU’s scientific base. It supports frontier research and researcher mobility through:
Pillar II finances collaborative projects addressing societal challenges and strengthening European industrial leadership. It is organised into thematic clusters:
Most collaborative innovation projects are funded under Pillar II.
Pillar III focuses on scaling up breakthrough innovations and supporting high-potential companies through the European Innovation Council (EIC), including:
Horizon Europe is open to a broad range of entities established in EU Member States and associated countries. Participation is generally organised through international consortia, although some schemes allow individual applications.
In most collaborative calls, the minimum requirement is a consortium composed of at least three independent entities from three different EU Member States or associated countries. Additional partners from third countries may participate under specific conditions.
You should consider Horizon Europe if:
Eligible applicants include:
If your organisation develops innovative solutions aligned with EU priorities — such as climate neutrality, digital transformation, health, mobility or industrial resilience — Horizon Europe may offer suitable funding opportunities.
Horizon Europe finances different types of actions depending on the stage of development.
Research and Innovation Actions (RIA)
Focus on generating new knowledge and validating technologies. They generally fund up to 100% of eligible costs.
Funding rate: Up to 100% of eligible costs for all participants.
Innovation Actions (IA)
Support demonstration and market-oriented activities. Funding typically covers up to 70% of eligible costs for for-profit entities and up to 100% for non-profit organisations.
Coordination and Support Actions (CSA)
Finance networking, coordination and policy-related activities.
Some instruments, such as the EIC Accelerator, may combine grants and equity components.
Calls are published through multiannual Work Programmes and define:
Careful interpretation of the call text is essential to ensure alignment.
For collaborative projects, partners must be selected based on complementary expertise, geographical balance and implementation capacity.
The proposal must clearly articulate:
Proposals are submitted through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and are evaluated against three core criteria:
Given typical success rates, early preparation and robust impact positioning are decisive factors.
+600
Proposals submitted to Horizon Europe since 2021
40%
Zabala Innovation's success rate in the programme
+800 M€
Return for our clients in Horizon Europe
+170
Experts in EU projects
1. Identification and analysis of suitable calls
We analyse Horizon Europe Work Programmes to identify the calls that best align with your technology, objectives and maturity level.
2. Strategic positioning within EU priorities
We position your project within European policy priorities, ensuring clear alignment with expected outcomes and EU added value.
3. Consortium building and partner search
We support the identification of complementary partners and the structuring of balanced, competitive international consortia.
4. Technical drafting and proposal structuring
We coordinate and structure the proposal narrative, ensuring coherence across excellence, impact and implementation sections.
5. Budget modelling and financial optimisation
We design a robust financial structure aligned with Horizon Europe rules, optimising resources and funding rates.
6. Impact, dissemination and exploitation planning
We develop credible impact pathways, exploitation strategies and dissemination plans in line with evaluation criteria.
7. Grant Agreement preparation and negotiation
We support the preparation and negotiation of the Grant Agreement with the European Commission, ensuring regulatory compliance.
8. Administrative, legal and financial project management
Once the project is approved, we assist coordinators and partners in the administrative, legal and financial management of the action.
What is the success rate of Horizon Europe calls?
Success rates vary significantly depending on the cluster, topic and type of action. In many cases, they range between 10% and 20%.
Projects that demonstrate strong European added value, credible impact pathways and a well-balanced consortium tend to perform better in evaluation.
How much funding can be obtained under Horizon Europe?
Funding levels depend on the type of action and the structure of the project. Research-oriented actions may cover up to 100% of eligible costs, while innovation-focused actions usually apply different co-financing rates for for-profit entities.
The specific funding conditions are defined in each call topic.
How do I know if my project is ready for Horizon Europe?
A project is typically ready when it addresses a clearly defined European priority, demonstrates technological maturity consistent with the call requirements, and is supported by a structured international consortium.
Early strategic assessment significantly increases the chances of success.
What is the difference between Horizon Europe and other EU funding programmes?
Horizon Europe is the EU’s main framework programme for research and innovation. Unlike programmes such as LIFE, Interreg or Digital Europe, it primarily funds R&D activities, collaborative research and the development of innovative technologies across multiple sectors.
Each programme has a specific scope, eligibility framework and funding logic, and selecting the appropriate instrument is a key strategic decision.
What are TRL levels and why are they important in Horizon Europe?
TRL (Technology Readiness Level) measures the maturity of a technology, from early-stage research (TRL 1) to market-ready solutions (TRL 9).
Horizon Europe calls often specify the expected TRL range, and proposals must clearly demonstrate that the project activities correspond to the required technological maturity level.
What are EU Missions within Horizon Europe?
EU Missions are policy-driven initiatives under Horizon Europe designed to address concrete societal challenges by 2030, such as climate adaptation, cancer, climate-neutral cities, soil health and ocean restoration.
They combine research, innovation, regulatory action and stakeholder engagement to deliver measurable impact at European scale.
Can a single company apply to Horizon Europe?
Most Horizon Europe calls require international consortia. However, specific instruments — particularly under the European Innovation Council — allow single applicants.
The eligibility conditions are always defined in the call documentation.
Which countries can participate in Horizon Europe?
Horizon Europe is open to organisations established in EU Member States and associated countries.
Associated countries participate under similar conditions to EU Member States, although eligibility conditions may vary depending on the legal status and the specific call.
What is a Lump Sum project in Horizon Europe?
Some Horizon Europe calls use a lump sum funding model, where the grant amount is fixed and not based on actual costs incurred.
Under this model, payment is linked to the completion of work packages rather than to detailed cost reporting, requiring precise planning and structured proposal design.
What is a PIC number and why is it required?
A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is a unique identifier assigned to organisations registered in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
It is required to submit proposals and to receive EU funding. Organisations must ensure that their legal and financial information is validated before grant signature.
How early should a Horizon Europe proposal be prepared?
Given the complexity of Horizon Europe calls, preparation should ideally begin at least three to six months before the submission deadline.
Early preparation allows time for consortium building, strategic alignment with EU priorities and the development of a robust impact narrative.
What are the main reasons Horizon Europe proposals are rejected?
Common weaknesses include insufficient alignment with the expected impact, lack of European added value, unclear exploitation strategy, or inconsistencies between technical ambition and implementation capacity.
Evaluation feedback should be carefully analysed to improve future submissions.
Can a rejected Horizon Europe proposal be resubmitted?
Yes. If a proposal is not selected, it can often be revised and resubmitted to a future call, provided that the topic is reopened.
A detailed analysis of the Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) is essential to address weaknesses and improve competitiveness.
How important is the impact section in Horizon Europe proposals?
The impact section is one of the three core evaluation criteria and plays a decisive role in proposal ranking.
It must demonstrate clear European added value, credible pathways to exploitation, and measurable contribution to EU policy objectives.
In this document, our colleague Blanca Rodriguez shows us the keys to successfully writing a good Impact section.
