Horizon Europe is the EU’s main funding programme for research and innovation, supporting projects that address global challenges and strengthen Europe’s scientific and industrial leadership. It enables collaborations across companies, research organisations, and public bodies to turn ambitious ideas into real-world impact.
Calls for proposals are launched regularly throughout the year, covering a broad range of topics under thematic clusters such as climate, energy, mobility, digital, health, food systems, industry, and the environment.
What it funds
Research and Innovation Actions (RIA)
Early-stage research and development (typically TRL 3-5)
Innovation Actions (IA)
Closer-to-market activities and demonstration projects (typically TRL 6-8)
Flagship projects
(within the CBE-JU, Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking) – large-scale, industrial demonstration projects in the bio-based sector
Coordination and Support Actions (CSA)
Networking, policy, and project coordination
Who it’s for
Horizon Europe supports cross-border collaboration between universities, research institutes, SMEs, large companies, and public bodies. Successful projects rely on well-balanced consortia with complementary expertise.
Funding at a glance
Horizon Europe provides grant funding with most calls covering up to 100% of eligible costs for research organisations and up to 70% for industry in Innovation Actions (IA). Project budgets range from a few million euros for Research and Innovation Actions to €15-20M for CBE-JU Flagship demonstration projects.
Common challenges
Applicants often face challenges such as aligning the project with the call text, meeting TRL expectations, and building a credible, balanced consortium. A clear, cohesive proposal narrative is critical for evaluators to understand both the technical excellence and the expected impact.
How Iconiq helps
At Iconiq, we combine hands-on proposal writing with deep technical and funding expertise. Many of our consultants hold PhDs and postdoctoral experience, giving us both strategic and scientific insight.
We are flexible: if you have a solid concept and consortium, we can develop your proposal from your inputs; if you’re still shaping your idea, we help define the concept, interpret the call, and recruit partners to strengthen your consortium.
We handle concept development, partner recruitment, narrative structuring, and submission management, turning complexity into clarity and delivering proposals that stand out.
see our impact in action
Explore our current project portfolio and completed case studies to see our impact in action: