Horizon Europe to allocate €650 million to cascade funding in 2025

The cascade funding mechanism continues to consolidate its role as a key tool within the European strategy to support innovation and entrepreneurship. Under the Horizon Europe programme, over €650 million will be allocated in 2025 to projects that implement this instrument, which has been designed by the European Commission to facilitate access to public funding through calls managed by intermediary entities. These entities, after receiving European funding, launch their own competitive calls aimed at third parties—typically small companies or consortia—that receive grants usually ranging from €50,000 to €200,000.

Its main objective is to boost the adoption of innovative technologies, accelerate the growth of new enterprises, and support solutions with high potential impact. Furthermore, it significantly simplifies administrative procedures compared to traditional European calls.

In recent years, the number of initiatives using this funding distribution model has grown significantly, enhancing the participation of SMEs and startups in strategic innovation projects.

The recent pre-publication of the Horizon Europe work programmes for 2025 confirms this trend, with numerous calls prioritising financial support to third parties as a method to implement sectoral policies with greater agility and territorial outreach. This year, Clusters 3, 4 and 6, as well as the EU Missions, play a particularly prominent role.

“One of the entities with the most experience in this field is Zabala Innovation, which in recent years has managed more than 20 projects under this mechanism, channelling €47 million to over 1,300 beneficiaries,” says Sara Mateo, head of the Entrepreneurship knowledge area in European projects at this consultancy. Its role covers the entire process: from defining the calls and evaluating proposals to signing contracts and monitoring the disbursement of aid, ensuring traceability and compliance with the objectives set by the European Commission.

Mateo also highlights that Kaila, Zabala Innovation’s intelligent platform, publishes a constantly updated calendar of cascade funding calls.

Priority areas in 2025

Civil security

Within Horizon Europe’s Cluster 3, a significant boost to innovation in security is expected, with a special focus on crime prevention, the resilience of critical infrastructures and responses to cross-border threats. The actions will also strengthen coordination through national networks and foster the adoption of technological solutions in cybersecurity.

Topics:

• HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-02: Open topic on prevention, detection and deterrence of various forms of crime and terrorism through an enhanced understanding of the related societal issues
• HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-03: Open topic on better customs and supply chain security
• HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-01: Open topic for improved preparedness for, response to and recovery from large-scale disruptions of critical infrastructures
• HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-03: Open topic on Testing / validating tools, technologies and data used in cross-border prevention, preparedness and responses to climate extreme and geological events and chemical, biological or radiological emergency threats
• HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-01: National Contact Points (NCPs) in the field of security and cybersecurity fostering the links with National Community building for Safe, Secure and Resilient Societies
• HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-02: Uptake Acceleration Services

Digital technologies and industry

Cluster 4 will concentrate its efforts on areas such as generative artificial intelligence, the evolution towards Web 4.0, technological standardisation and robotic automation. These lines of action aim to consolidate a more autonomous, resilient and innovative European industrial ecosystem.

Topics:

• HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-MATERIALS-31: Digitally enabled local-for-local textile and apparel production (Textiles for the Future Partnership) (IA)
• HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-11: Open Internet Stack: development of technological commons/open-source 3C building blocks (RIA)
• HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-07: Robust and trustworthy GenerativeAI for Robotics and industrial automation (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics & Made in Europe Partnerships)
• HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-09: Challenge-Driven GenAI4EU Booster (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)
• HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-16: Drive the evolution of the internet towards open and interoperable Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds: building blocks in priority areas (RIA) (Virtual Worlds Partnership)
• HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-HUMAN-60: Horizon Standardisation Booster (CSA)
• HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-HUMAN-65: Network of Industry 5.0 system innovation hubs in connected Regional Innovation Valleys (IA)

Food, natural resources, agriculture, climate and environment

Cluster 6 and the Missions will address challenges such as biodiversity, agricultural resilience, emergency nutrition and sustainable resource management. Strategies will be supported by digital tools, agroecological approaches and innovative models of rural governance.

Topics:

• HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-03: Strengthening taxonomic approaches for biodiversity
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-04: Large-scale in situ biodiversity observations for better understanding of biodiversity state, drivers of its decline and impacts of policies
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-02-two-stage: Breeding for resilience: enhancing multi-stress tolerance in crops
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-05: Developing innovative phytosanitary measures for plant health – focus on systems approach for pest risk management
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage: Emerging and future risks to plant health
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage: Open topic: Innovating for on-farm post-harvest operations, storage and transformation of crops into food and nonfood products
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-08: Exploring the potential of controlled environment agriculture (CEA)
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-05-two-stage: Developing agroecology living labs and lighthouses for climate action under the Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) partnership
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-17: Nutrition in emergency situations – Ready-to-use Supplementary Food (RUSF) and Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food (RUTF)
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-06: Provide digital solutions tailored to small and medium-sized farms to monitor and sustainably manage agricultural inputs and natural resources
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-COMMUNITIES-01: Adapting to and mitigating demographic trends in rural areas through evidence-based planning and innovative solutions
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-02: Upscaling innovative payments to support farmers in the delivery of agri-environment-climate public goods
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-11: Enhancing sustainability and resilience of agriculture, forestry and rural development through digital twins
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-13: Strengthening knowledge and skills of advisors via an European EU advisory network for competitive, sustainable and resilient agriculture
• HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-01: Supporting regions and local authorities in assessing climate risks
• HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-02: Supporting regional and local authorities in developing their Action Plans towards climate resilience
• HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-02: A toolbox for public authorities to address marine plastics and litter from river-to-ocean
• HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01-two-stage: Living labs to enhance soil health in Continental, Boreal and Alpine biogeographical regions
• HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01: Living Labs for soil remediation and green redevelopment of brownfields
• HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02-two-stage: Broadening the living labs approach for soil health in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
• HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-09: Citizen engagement for sustainable land management through local and regional authorities