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Horizon Europe

Europe

Horizon Europe promotes scientific research, innovation and technology transfer in Europe. This generates new ideas, innovations and knowledge that make our daily lives better.   

Opportunities

  • The programme provides funding for research cooperation at European level. Funding supports the entire spectrum from basic research to market readiness.
  • German and European companies, higher education institutions and research establishments are the recipients of funding which improves research conditions and enables them to develop innovative ideas.
  • This creates and secures high-quality jobs in Germany and Europe.
  • Germany and Europe remain competitive in the global research and innovation arena.

Largest individual funding programme worldwide

Horizon Europe is the European Union’s 9th Research Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The aim of its funding for excellent research and innovation is to boost Europe’s competitive strength, to promote cooperation between science and industry and to find solutions for problems facing society. At the same time, the programme makes a contribution to sustainable development in Europe. Horizon Europe serves to implement the European Commission’s political guidelines. The programme plays an important role in Europe’s digital and green transformations in particular. Horizon Europe offers researchers funding opportunities and support to develop new and innovative solutions together with partners in Europe.

Research topics focus on important issues for society such as health, sustainable development and digital transformation. As the world’s largest individual funding programme for research and innovation, it is very important for Germany’s research landscape: many researchers – teams and individuals – can benefit from the attractive funding opportunities. The funded projects strengthen transborder cooperation – in Europe and worldwide.

Horizon Europe budget

The 9th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, titled “Horizon Europe”, was launched in 2021. Its funding volume of 95.5 billion euros makes it the largest research and innovation programme in the world.

Budget - BMBF Horizont Europa (horizont-europa.de)

95.5 billion euros

Structure and contents

Programm overview

Excellent Science

Horizon Europe promotes excellent science by providing funding for top-quality research, promoting talents and building research infrastructures. It supports cooperation between researchers from different countries and disciplines with the aim of strengthening Europe as a leading location for excellent research.

Clusters

Research collaborations work on established research areas. The focus is on issues that are highly relevant for society. Examples which play a key role include health, climate, energy and digital transition.

Innovative Europe

This pillar comprises the instruments which focus on innovation. They are the European Innovation Council, the European Innovation Ecosystems and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The objective is to introduce a product or service to the market.

European Research Area

The cross-cutting part on widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area is geared in part towards promoting the participation of member states which have been less active in research and innovation up to now.

Selected areas

The European Research Council

The European Research Council is an institution which provides funding for excellent basic research. It promotes pioneering project ideas from outstanding scientists in all disciplines.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

The aim of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions is to support transnational and cross-sector mobility and to promote researchers’ career development. As a result, Europe as a research location is to become more attractive for researchers.

EU Missions

EU Missions are targeted and transformative packages of measures which address current challenges facing society. They bring together various different players and strike out on new paths to bring innovations to the people. Thematic fields include clean water, climate change adaptation and the fight against cancer.

Future developments: The 10th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation

The 10th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10) is scheduled to be launched on 1 January 2028. Discussions regarding the future programme have already started at national and European level. Germany is participating actively in negotiations early on.

German Discussion Paper (May 2024)

The Federal Government published a first national discussion paper on FP10 on 23 May 2024.

BMBF Focus Papers (March 2025)

In March 2025 the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) published a series of focus papers on FP10. These supplement the discussion paper of May 2024 and address more closely individual aspects of the provisional FP10 positioning:

Further information

Related topics