Apply for Horizon Europe Clusters
and Partnerships
Horizon Europe is the EU’s largest research and innovation programme designed to drive economic growth, sustainability, and global competitiveness. With a budget of €95.5 billion for the 2021-2027 period, it supports groundbreaking projects that tackle pressing global challenges.
Beyond climate and energy, Horizon Europe collaborative projects are also dedicated to
fund ambitious projects within areas such as health and life sciences, digital and AI technologies, cybersecurity etc.
Type of Projects and Activities
European grants are typically allocated to collaborative projects spanning from 2 to 5 years duration, which are available to legal entities of all sizes and sectors. Horizon Europe includes three main types of projects on this regard:
Innovation Actions (IAs) focus on prototyping, demonstrating and validating new products or services at TRL 5-8, with 70% funding (100% for non-profits).
Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) support R&D for new technologies in a broad TRL range (TRL1-7, depending on specific call requirements), with 100% funding.
Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs) facilitate collaboration and capacity-building, also funded at 100%, with no specific TRL target.
Below, you can get an overview of the main differences between the Collaborative Projects.
Key drivers for collaborative tech projects in Horizon Europe
Sectors Covered - 6 Clusters
Within Horizon Europe, RIA’s and IA’s are most prominent in Pillar II, focused on addressing global challenges and enhancing European industrial competitiveness. Pillar 2 is divided into 6 clusters:
Cluster 1: Health
Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society
Cluster 3: Civil Security for Society
Cluster 4: Digital, Industry, and Space
Cluster 5: Climate, Energy, and Mobility
Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment.
EU Missions
EU Missions are large-scale initiatives under Horizon Europe setting clear, time-bound goals that drive focused efforts towards some of our greatest challenges such as:
Cancer, Adaptation to climate change, Climate-neutral & smart cities, A soil deal for europe and Restore our ocean & waters.
By bringing together researchers, policymakers, citizens, and stakeholders, EU Missions pool the necessary resources to drive innovation and deliver concrete solutions for societal benefit.
EU Partnerships
European Partnerships bring the European Commission and private and/or public partners together to address some of Europe’s most pressing challenges through research and innovation initiatives. All clusters have their own targeted partnerships. There are 3 different implementation modes for European Partnerships:
Who can apply?
These types of projects are collaborative and require the establishment of a consortium. The consortium must be cross-border, involving a minimum of 3 independent partners from 3 different EU or associated countries, with at least one being a full member of the EU. This includes public bodies, private organizations, non-profit entities, and research institutions.
Additional criteria depend on the specific topic (i.e. minimum consortium composition, type of participant, geographic location of the project activities, coordinator from an EU country, etc.).You can find the list of eligible non-EU countries here.
Expected deadlines
Horizon Europe offers a wide range of funding opportunities across various programmes and thematic areas. Deadlines for calls vary throughout the year, depending on the specific cluster and topic. For more details on deadlines for specific topics, please consult the information below on the clusters.
Additional information on Horizon Europe clusters and partnerships
Cluster 1
Has the intent to improve and protect the health and well-being of citizens generating new knowledge and developing innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, monitor, treat and cure diseases.
Cluster 2
Aims to strengthen European democratic values, including rule of law and fundamental rights, safeguarding our cultural heritage, andpromoting socio-economic transformations that contribute to inclusion and growth.
Cluster 3
Responds to the challenges arising from persistent security threats, including cybercrime, as well as natural and man-made disasters.
Cluster 4
Focuses on advancing digital technologies, enhancing industrial competitiveness, and fostering sustainable development through innovations in AI, robotics, cybersecurity, and space technologies.
Cluster 5 & 6
Se more for Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy, and Mobility) and Cluster 6 (Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Economy) including Missions and Partnerships here.
Digital Partnerships
Chips JU bolsters Europe's semiconductor industry.
Smart Networks & Services JU supports Europe’s 5G deployment and technology sovereignty in 6G.
High Performance Computing JU coordinates Europe‘s research and resources in supercomputing.
European Partnership on Metrology brings together the measurement science community to support global challenges, incl. health and climate.
Institutionalised Partnerships in Health
The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) funds thematic calls in a wide range of topics (e.g. Pharma, MedTech, big data). It aims to connect research centres and emerging SMEs with established industrial partners in the healthcare value chain.
Co-funded Partnerships in Health
PerMed aims to accelerate the integration of personalized medicine into healthcare.
ERDERA advances research in rare diseases.
BrainHealth bolsters research and innovation in mental and neurological disorders.
OH AMR funds innovations addressing the current antimicrobial resistence crisis.
BE READY stimulates R&D for pandemic preparedness.
Cancer Mission
Focuses on thematic research and innovation aimed at improving cancer understanding, prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life.