The launch of the new Horizon Europe funding programme worth 95.5 billion EUR and its first round of calls have being sparking enthusiasm and interest among the multiple actors that were long awaiting for initiating and testing their innovative actions for the green and digital transition, as well as an inclusive economy. Yet, while the scope of the funding programme meets widespread societal demands, it may not be that easy to navigate within one of the world’s largest research and innovation programmes. What do you need to know? The article provides an overview of the main opportunities under this programme as well as the links to the recordings from the informative sessions held by the European Commission.

The new HORIZON EUROPE: Priorities and structure

As part of the new Multiannual Financial Framework, the European Union has established the Horizon Europe programme as successor of the well-known Horizon 2020. As its predecessor, #HorizonEU deploys a large-envelop of financial incentives to support research and innovation that will contribute to achieving the EU priorities across and beyond Europe.  

As defined in the First Strategic Plan 2021-24, in the first four years, the programme will focus its investments towards actions aimed at:

• Promoting an open strategic autonomy by leading the development of key digital, enabling and emerging technologies, sectors and value chains
• Restoring Europe’s ecosystems and biodiversity, and managing sustainably natural resources
• Making Europe the first digitally enabled circular, climate-neutral and sustainable economy
• Creating a more resilient, inclusive and democratic European society  

PILLAR II: Clusters, ‘EU missions’, and calls

It is especially under the second pillar ‘Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness’ that the European Commission is providing the ground and support to different kind of stakeholders (universities, research institutions, public authorities, associations, NGOs, SMEs and large companies) for research addressing key societal, economic, and environmental challenges, and to reinforce and innovative the technological and industrial capacities in line with the EU policies and the Sustainable Development Goals.

A key novelty introduced with the Horizon Europe programme are the EU-Missions. Missions are commitments to address the most serious challenges that our world is facing and contribute to the goals of the European Green Deal, the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, and the Sustainable goals through a wide portfolio of actions – research projects, policy measures, or even legislative proposals.

Cluster 1 – Health

Actions supported under this cluster will be aimed at:

• Improving and protecting the health and well-being of citizens through new knowledge, innovative solutions and the integration of a gender perspective to the preventions, monitoring, and curing of diseases
• developing health technologies, mitigating health risks, protecting populations and promoting good health and well-being
• making public health systems more cost-effective, equitable and sustainable

The Cluster is divided in 6 destinations under which the first calls are already open for submission:

• 4 Calls under Destination 01 – Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 01)
• 4 Calls under Destination 02 – Living and working in a health-promoting environment (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 02)
• 7 Calls under Destination 03 – Tacking diseases and reducing diseases burden (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 03)
• 3 Calls under Destination 04 – Ensuring access to innovative, sustainable, and high quality health care (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 04)
• 3 Calls under Destination 05 – Unlocking the full potential of new tools, technologies and digital solutions for a healthy society (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 05)
• 3 Calls under Destination 06 – Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health industry (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 06)

The deadline for all the open calls under the Health Cluster is 21st September 2021. Forthcoming calls under the same destinations will open on 6th October and will close on 21st April 2022 (1st February for 2-stages submissions).

EU-Mission: Preparing UNCAN.eu, a European initiative to understand cancer (deadline 20th October 2021)

Detailed information concerning the Cluster and its calls can be found in the Cluster 1 Working Programme.

Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society

Actions within this cluster will contribute to strengthening the EU democratic values, safeguarding our cultural heritage, and foster inclusion and growth through socio-economic transformations.

The Cluster is divided in 3 destinations under which the first calls are already open for submission:

• 5 Calls under Destination 01 – Innovative research on democracy and governance (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 01)
  • Activities launched within this destination will contribute to reinvigorating and modernising democratic governance through the development of evidence-based innovations, policies, policy recommendations, and institutional frameworks that expand political participation, social dialogue, civic engagement, gender equality and inclusiveness. Additionally, they will support enhancing transparency, effectiveness, accountability and legitimacy of public policy-making.
• 6 Calls under Destination 02 – Innovative research on the European cultural heritage and the cultural and creative industries ((link to the recording of the info session on Destination 02)
  • Activities launched under this destination will aim at protecting and promoting historical sites and monuments, artefacts, heritage sites, landscapes, museums and other cultural institutions, languages, customs, traditions, and values through new or existing conservation and restoration technologies and methods employing green and digital paths. Innovative management actions and models for cultural institutions will seek to expend the industry triggering inclusive growth, jobs, social cohesion and diversity,
• 7 Calls under Destination 03 – Innovative research on social and economic transformations ((link to the recording of the info session on Destination 03)
  • Actions launched under this destination will contribute to foster social and economic resilience and sustainability through an improved knowledge of the social, ethical, political and economic impacts of drivers of change – as digitalisation, demographic trends, globalisation, and migration. The implementation of research activities in the field will strengthen inclusive growth ensuring that no one is left behind especially in light of old and new societal and economic challenges.

The deadline for all the open calls under the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society Cluster is 07th October 2021. Forthcoming calls under the same destinations will open on 20th January 2022 and will close on 20th April 2022.

Detailed information concerning the Cluster and its calls can be found in the Cluster 2 Working Programme.

Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry and Space

Activities under this cluster will support digital, space, and key enabling technologies that are strategically important for Europe’s industrial future and especially for achieving a global industrial leadership in clean and climate-neutral industries, as well as autonomy in digital technologies and a secure data-agile economy.

The Cluster is divided in 6 destinations under which the first calls are already open for submission:

• 17 Calls under Destination 01 – Climate neutral, circular and digitalised production (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 01)
• 21 Calls under Destination 02 – Increased autonomy in key strategic value chains for resilient industry (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 02)
• 5 Calls under Destination 03 – World leading data and computing technologies (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 03)
• 17 Calls under Destination 04 – Digital and emerging technologies for competitiveness and fit for the Green Deal (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 04)
• 24 Calls under Destination 06 – A human-centred and ethical development of digital and industrial technologies (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 06)
• Calls under Destination 05 – Open Strategic autonomy in developing, deploying and using global space-based infrastructures, services, applications, and data will be launched as of October 2021

The deadline for all the open calls under the Digital, Industry and Space Cluster is 21st October 2021. Forthcoming calls under the same destinations will open on 23rd November 2022 and will close on 05th April 2022.

EU-Mission: Better prepared regional and local authorities to adapt to climate change (deadline 14th September 2021)

Detailed information concerning the Cluster and its calls can be found in the Cluster 4 Working Programme.

Cluster 5 – Climate, Energy and Mobility

Actions under this cluster will contribute to the fight against climate change by increasing the understanding of its causes, evolution, risks, impacts and opportunities, as well as by facilitating the development and implementation of more climate and environment-friendly solutions to the transport and energy sectors.

The Cluster is divided in 6 destinations under which the first calls are already open for submission:

• 9 Calls under Destination 01 – Climate sciences and responses for the transformation towards climate neutrality (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 01)
• 16 Calls under Destination 02 – Cross-sectoral solutions for the climate transition (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 02)
• 19 Calls under Destination 03 – Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 03)
• 5 Calls under Destination 04 – Efficient sustainable and inclusive energy use (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 04)
• 17 Calls under Destination 05 – Clean and competitive solutions for all transport modes (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 05)
• 13 Calls under Destination 06 – Safe, Resilient Transport and Smart Mobility services for passengers and goods (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 06)

The deadline for all the open calls under the Climate, Energy and Mobility Cluster is 19th October 2021. Forthcoming calls under the same destinations will open on 14th October 2021 and will close on 12th January 2022.

EU-Missions (deadline 14th September 2021):

• Supporting national, regional, and local authorities across Europe to prepare for the transition towards climate neutrality within cities
• Collaborative local governance models to accelerate the emblematic transformation of urban environment and contribute to the New European Bauhaus initiative and the objectives of the European Green deal
• Better prepared regional and local authorities to adapt to climate change (both Cluster 5 and Cluster 6)
• Preparation for deployment of lighthouse demonstrators and solution scale ups and cross-cutting citizens and stakeholders involvement (both Cluster 5 and Cluster 6)

Detailed information concerning the Cluster and its calls can be found in the Cluster 5 Working Programme.

Cluster 6 – Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Actions financed through this cluster will support the reduction of environmental degradation, reversing the decline of biodiversity and better managing natural resources through transformative changes of the economy and society. They will contribute to the objectives of the EU Green Deal in relation to the Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, the Farm to Fork strategy, the European Climate Pact, initiatives under sustainable industry and eliminating pollution, the long-term vision for rural areas, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Cluster is divided in 7 destinations under which the first calls are already open for submission:

• 22 Calls under Destination 01 – Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 01)
• 19 Calls under Destination 02 – Fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 02)
• 9 Calls under Destination 03 – Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 03)
• 10 Calls under Destination 04 – Clean environment and zero pollution (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 04)
• 10 Calls under Destination 05 – Land, ocean and water for climate action (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 05)
• 6 Calls under Destination 06 – Resilient, inclusive, healthy and green rural, coastal and urban communities (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 06)
• 28 Calls under Destination 07 – Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 07)

The deadline for all the open calls under the Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Cluster is 6th October 2021. Forthcoming calls under the same destinations will open on 28th October 2021 and will close on 15th February 2022.

EU-Mission: Preparing the ground for healthy soils: building capacities for engagement outreach and knowledge(deadline 14th September 2021)

Detailed information concerning the Cluster and its calls can be found in the Cluster 6 Working Programme.

Are you seeking to develop or join a proposal under the calls above?

All the above topics are key priorities for the AER and its members, hence we are looking forward to support members and their stakeholders in the development of a proposal, as well as in the establishment or search of a consortium. To know more about how we can support you, have a look at this article on the services of the project unit and get in touch with our European Projects Manager! Additionally, the AER is glad to assess the possibility to join consortium working on the calls in light of the strong relevance of the topics for the AER.

SAVE THE DATE! the AER will offer the possibility to further explore the novelties and opportunities introduced by the Horizon Europe programme during the next MFF info session that will be held on September 24th! The session will look at several funding programmes: Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and Creative Europe, Digital Europe, and Life.

Picture from Unsplash by Christian Lue