Horizon Europe - EU Research and Innovation Programme

Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-11 10:49

EU flagship funding program for research and innovation (2021-2027, EUR 93.5B). Includes clusters for Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, and Restore our Ocean and Waters mission, highly relevant to plastic waste management and circular economy transition.

Source: https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe

Funding Details

Funder

European Commission – Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

Funding Goal

Fund research and innovation projects that address climate change, achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals, and boost EU competitiveness and growth across a wide range of scientific and societal challenges through collaborative transnational projects.

Funding Amount

Total programme budget EUR 93.5 billion (2021–2027); individual grant amounts vary by call and action type (typically EUR 1–10M+ per project depending on instrument)

Deadline

2027-12-31 (Rolling)

How to Apply

Applications are submitted via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Applicants must register their organisation, identify open calls relevant to their topic, and submit a proposal according to the specific call's requirements and deadlines. Most calls involve a two-stage process (expression of interest / full proposal) or single-stage submission.

Target Region

EU member states and associated countries; global for international cooperation calls

Contact

Research Enquiry Service: https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/contact-us/research-enquiry-service_en | Twitter: @HorizonEU

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:23

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a legal entity established in an EU member state or Horizon Europe-associated country
• Most calls require a consortium of at least 3 independent organisations from 3 different eligible countries

Project Scope

• Project must align with the specific topic and objectives of an open call (check Funding and Tenders Portal)
• Proposals addressing plastic pollution or ocean restoration should target Cluster 6 or the 'Restore our Ocean and Waters' mission calls

Required Documents

• Open access publication and Data Management Plan (DMP) required for funded projects
• Register organisation in the EU Participant Register and obtain a PIC (Participant Identification Code) before applying

Constraints

• Each call has specific budget, consortium size, and TRL (Technology Readiness Level) requirements — check individual call fiche
• Non-profit NGOs may face eligibility restrictions on certain instrument types (e.g. ERC is for individual researchers only); check call-specific rules

Summary

Horizon Europe is the EU's flagship research and innovation funding programme covering the period 2021–2027, with an indicative total budget of EUR 93.5 billion following the Multiannual Financial Framework Midterm Review. The programme supports collaborative research projects by legal entities from EU member states and associated countries, aiming to address global challenges, strengthen the European Research Area, create jobs, and drive economic growth and industrial competitiveness. The programme is structured into three main pillars: Pillar I (Excellent Science, including ERC and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions), Pillar II (Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, including six thematic clusters), and Pillar III (Innovative Europe, including the European Innovation Council and EIT). Relevant to ocean and environment topics are Cluster 6 (Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment) and the dedicated "Restore our Ocean and Waters" mission under the missions framework. Five EU Missions provide focused, goal-oriented funding streams: Adaptation to Climate Change, Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, Cancer, Soil Deal for Europe, and Restore our Ocean and Waters. The ocean mission directly targets the reduction of plastic pollution, restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems, and sustainable blue economy activities. Individual calls are published via the EU Funding and Tenders portal, each with specific eligibility criteria, consortium requirements, and deadlines. A successor programme, Horizon Europe 2028–2034, was proposed by the European Commission in July 2025 with a proposed budget of EUR 175 billion, incorporating "moonshot" science-driven projects. This signals long-term continuity of EU research funding, but current applications are governed by the 2021–2027 framework and its active work programmes.

Historical Context

Horizon Europe succeeded Horizon 2020 and runs 2021–2027. Following the Midterm Review, the budget was confirmed at EUR 93.5 billion. On 16 July 2025, the European Commission proposed the successor programme Horizon Europe 2028–2034 with a proposed budget of EUR 175 billion, currently under interinstitutional negotiations. Info days for various clusters were held in January–March 2026.

Why it was added

Baltic government waste/CE program

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