EU Grants for Italy: Complete Funding Guide for Italian Organizations [2026]

Italy secured approximately EUR 3.7 billion from Horizon Europe between 2021 and 2024, ranking among the top five EU member states by total funding received. Combined with a EUR 194.4 billion PNRR allocation and substantial ERDF structural funds, Italian organizations have access to a wide and layered landscape of EU and nationally co-funded opportunities.

This guide covers every major EU funding route available to Italian companies, universities, research institutions, startups, and public bodies in 2026, including the national support infrastructure through APRE, MUR co-funding programmes, and regional structural fund access points.

EUR 3.7B

Horizon Europe 2021-2024

8.64%

Share of EU Horizon funds

EUR 194.4B

PNRR total allocation

Top 5

EU Horizon recipients

Italy in Horizon Europe: Scale and Concentration

According to APRE's mid-term analysis published by Science|Business, Italy secured EUR 3.7 billion in Horizon Europe funding between 2021 and 2024, representing 8.64% of funds distributed among EU member states. Italy is consistently one of four countries (alongside Germany, France, and Spain) that account for half of all EU member state applications.

The geographic concentration is significant. Lazio and Lombardy together received approximately EUR 1.7 billion, covering 4,087 project participations. Southern regions (Campania, Sicily, Apulia, Sardinia) collectively received under EUR 336 million. This north-south gap reflects differences in institutional research capacity and shapes where national co-funding programmes direct additional support.

Metric	Italy (2021-2024)	EU context
Total secured	EUR 3.7B	Top 5 in EU
Share of EU-country funds	8.64%	Declined from peak in 2022
2022 funding (peak)	EUR 1.5B	Best single-year result
2023 funding	EUR 958M	Share dropped by nearly one fifth
SME participation rate	1.5 per 10,000	Below EU average; Spain at 2.6
Lazio + Lombardy share	~50%	EUR 1.7B across 4,087 participations

Why 2023 declined

Italy's 2023 drop was partly structural: the overall Horizon Europe budget distributed that year (EUR 12.2 billion) was lower than 2022 (EUR 16 billion), and Italy faced tougher competition from Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands, all of which grew their share. The decline was not unique to Italy but was sharper than in comparable large member states.

APRE: Italy's National Contact Point Network

APRE (Agenzia per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea) is Italy's primary non-profit agency for EU research promotion, established in 1989. APRE hosts all Horizon Europe National Contact Points (NCPs) for Italy, covering every thematic area and instrument in the programme. A team of 40 experts provides free services to the entire Italian R&I system.

APRE also participates in the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), connecting Italian organizations with 600 EEN nodes in 60+ countries for partner search and technology transfer. For Italian SMEs and startups, APRE is the first point of contact before any Horizon Europe application.

NCP Advisory Services

Free support for every stage of the Horizon Europe application process.

Call information and eligibility checks

Proposal structure and writing guidance

Partner search facilitation

Financial rules and audit preparation

Enterprise Europe Network

International partner matching across 60+ countries for Italian organizations.

Technology and business partner search

Access to 600 EEN nodes worldwide

Innovation and internationalisation advice

SME-focused support services

Training and Capacity Building

Workshops and training on Horizon Europe proposal writing and management.

Proposal writing masterclasses

Grant management and reporting training

Evaluator perspective seminars

Regional training events across Italy

EIC Support for Startups

Dedicated advisory for Italian startups targeting EIC instruments.

EIC Accelerator readiness assessment

EIC Pathfinder concept development

Pitch preparation and coaching

Investor matchmaking events

The PNRR and Its Connection to EU R&I Funding

Italy is the largest single recipient of NextGenerationEU funds. According to the European Commission endorsement decision, Italy's Recovery and Resilience Plan was originally valued at EUR 191.5 billion (EUR 68.9 billion in grants, EUR 122.6 billion in loans). Following revisions including the REPowerEU chapter and the latest June 2025 update, the plan now totals EUR 194.4 billion, with an additional EUR 30.6 billion from Italy's national complementary fund.

For research and innovation actors, the most relevant PNRR instrument is Mission 4 Component 2 (Dalla Ricerca all'Impresa), with a budget of EUR 11.44 billion. This component co-funds Italian participation in Horizon Europe Partnerships and includes direct investments in research infrastructure, technology transfer, and start-up acceleration.

PNRR Mission	Budget (grants)	Relevant for
M1: Digitalisation, Innovation, Competitiveness	EUR 9.75B	ICT, digital manufacturing, tourism
M2: Green Revolution and Ecological Transition	EUR 15.36B	Cleantech, circular economy, mobility
M4 C2: Research to Enterprise	EUR 11.44B	Horizon EU Partnerships, tech transfer, startups
M5: Inclusion and Cohesion	EUR 6.71B	Social enterprises, employment, South Italy
REPowerEU (added 2024)	EUR 2.76B	Renewable energy, energy independence

PNRR Partnerships for Horizon Europe

Italy's PNRR Mission 4 Component 2, Investment 2.2 (EUR 200 million in grants) directly finances Italian participation in Horizon Europe co-funded Partnerships. Italian research institutions and companies in these Partnerships receive national top-up funding on top of EU grants, effectively doubling the financial incentive for participation in strategic programmes such as Key Digital Technologies, Clean Hydrogen, and Innovative SMEs.

MUR: Italy's Ministry of University and Research

The Ministero dell'Universita e della Ricerca (MUR) is Italy's central funding body for academic research and technology policy. MUR manages the National Research Programme (PNR), administers direct grants for researchers and institutions, and co-finances Italian participation in EU Framework Programmes.

In 2025, MUR launched a PNRR-backed call for young researchers (Decreto Direttoriale n. 72, April 2025) with grants up to EUR 1 million over three years, with 40% of total funding reserved for projects in Southern Italy. Applications were submitted through the MUR GEA platform. MUR also manages the framework agreement with the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy (MIMIT), which can co-finance proposals that exceed available MUR resources.

Top Sectors for EU Funding in Italy

Italy's Horizon Europe performance is concentrated in sectors that align with national research strengths and the EU's Global Challenges and Industrial Competitiveness Pillar. Italian universities lead EU rankings in Horizon Europe innovation projects, according to Science|Business data analysis.

Sector	Relevant EU programme	Italian strengths
Health and life sciences	Horizon Cluster 1, EU4Health	Oncology, pharmacology, rare diseases
Energy and clean tech	Horizon Cluster 5, Innovation Fund, LIFE	Solar PV, energy efficiency, ENEA research
Digital and ICT	Horizon Cluster 4, Digital Europe	AI, cybersecurity, HPC (Leonardo supercomputer)
Agri-food and bioeconomy	Horizon Cluster 6, PRIMA Partnership	Mediterranean agriculture, food safety, wine
Advanced manufacturing	Horizon Cluster 4, EIT Manufacturing	Industry 4.0, robotics, aerospace (Leonardo SpA)
Cultural heritage and social sciences	Horizon Cluster 2, Creative Europe	UNESCO heritage sites, digital preservation

Key Italian Research Organizations in Horizon Europe

Several Italian institutions are among the highest-funded organizations in Horizon Europe across EU member states. These organizations anchor Italian consortia and are often active partners for foreign applicants looking to include Italian expertise.

CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche): Italy's national research council with 88 institutes nationwide. One of the most active Horizon Europe participants in Europe, spanning engineering, ICT, life sciences, and earth sciences.
ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies, Energy): Leading institution in green energy research, solar technology, biofuels, and environmental sciences. Actively funded under Horizon Cluster 5 and the Innovation Fund.
Politecnico di Milano: Italy's top technical university and consistently among the highest-funded Italian institutions in Horizon Europe for engineering, design, and ICT.
Sapienza Universita di Roma: One of Europe's largest universities and a major recipient of ERC grants and Horizon collaborative project funding in Rome.
INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics): Leads large-scale physics infrastructure projects, including contributions to CERN experiments and the Leonardo pre-exascale supercomputer hosted at CINECA in Bologna.
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT): Applied technology research institute in Genoa, active in robotics, AI, nanomaterials, and neuroscience with strong EIC Pathfinder participation.

Structural Funds: ERDF and ESF+ Access in Italy 2021-2027

Italy's 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy allocation totals approximately EUR 75 billion including national co-financing. ERDF and ESF+ programmes are managed through both national and regional operational programmes. Southern Italy (the Mezzogiorno) is classified as a less-developed region and qualifies for higher co-financing rates of up to 70-85% of eligible costs.

For R&I-related projects, the national FESR programme (Programma Nazionale Ricerca, Innovazione e Competitivita) managed by MUR and MIMIT is the primary access route. Regional programmes vary significantly in focus and call frequency:

Lombardy (North)

Regione Lombardia manages FESR calls for R&D, digital transformation, and green economy. Lombardy accounts for the highest share of Italian Horizon Europe participations outside Lazio and is home to major tech clusters in Milan and Bergamo.

Campania (South)

Sviluppo Campania manages FESR co-funded innovation grants for Campanian companies and research institutions. Higher ERDF co-financing rates apply (up to 85%), and MUR PNRR calls reserve 40% of funds for southern regions including Campania.

Emilia-Romagna (North)

Home to the CINECA supercomputing center (Leonardo HPC) and a strong tech district around Bologna and Modena. Regione Emilia-Romagna runs FESR calls for Industry 4.0, agri-food innovation, and collaborative R&D with local universities.

Sicily and Sardinia (South)

Both island regions are less-developed and receive maximum ERDF co-financing. Sicily's FESR programme targets agri-food, tourism, and blue economy. Sardinia focuses on ICT, energy, and biomedical innovation through dedicated regional calls.

How to Apply: Step-by-Step for Italian Organizations

Identify the right programme

Use GrantsFinder to match your project description against all open EU calls in seconds, or browse the EU Funding and Tenders Portal directly. For PNRR and national co-funding, check italiadomani.gov.it.

Contact APRE

Before investing time in a full proposal, book a free advisory session with the relevant APRE NCP for your thematic area. NCPs can confirm eligibility, advise on consortium composition, and flag issues with your concept note before submission.

Build your consortium

Most Horizon Europe collaborative calls require at least three partners from different EU member states. Use the EU partner search tool and APRE's EEN network to find complementary international partners. For EIC Accelerator applications, a single Italian company can apply alone.

Prepare and submit

Allow 2-3 months minimum for Horizon Europe proposals. All submissions go through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Proposals are evaluated on Excellence, Impact, and Implementation criteria. For PNRR-backed MUR calls, the MUR GEA platform (gea.mur.gov.it) is the submission system.

Stack national co-funding

Italian organizations can combine EU grants with PNRR co-funding, MUR research grants, regional ERDF grants, and Invitalia incentives. MIMIT programmes (including the Contratti di Sviluppo for industrial investment) can be combined with Horizon Europe funding for qualifying projects, raising effective public support to 70-80% of eligible costs for SMEs in less-developed regions.

SME opportunity in Italy

Italy has one of the highest densities of SMEs in Europe but a below-average Horizon Europe SME participation rate (1.5 per 10,000 vs. 2.6 in Spain). This gap represents a real opportunity: Italian SMEs that invest in Horizon Europe applications face less domestic competition than in comparable large member states. APRE's EIC advisory service and the EIC Accelerator open calls provide a practical entry point.

Horizon Europe vs. PNRR: Which Route Is Right for You?

Criterion	Horizon Europe	PNRR / national co-funding
Who manages it	European Commission / agencies	Italian ministries and regions
International consortium	Usually required (3+ countries)	Not required
Grant size	EUR 500K to EUR 100M+	EUR 50K to EUR 50M depending on programme
Competition level	European (success rate ~17%)	National or regional (often higher success rate)
Stacking allowed	Yes (with limits)	Yes, can combine with EU grants
Best for	Cutting-edge R&I, international collaboration, scale-ups	Industrial investment, southern Italy, infrastructure

Frequently Asked Questions

What EU grants are available for Italian organizations in 2026?

Italian organizations can access Horizon Europe (collaborative R&D, ERC, MSCA, EIC Accelerator, EIC Pathfinder), the PNRR national co-funding framework (EUR 194.4 billion total), ERDF and ESF+ regional programmes managed by Italian regions, sector-specific calls such as LIFE, Digital Europe, Erasmus+, and InvestEU facilities. APRE provides free advisory support for all Horizon Europe access routes.

How much has Italy received from Horizon Europe?

Between 2021 and 2024, Italian entities secured approximately EUR 3.7 billion from Horizon Europe, representing around 8.64% of total funds allocated to participating countries. Italy is consistently among the top five recipients in the EU, though its share declined in 2023 when it received EUR 958 million, down from EUR 1.5 billion in 2022.

What is APRE and how can it help Italian applicants?

APRE (Agenzia per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea) is Italy's official agency for EU research promotion and hosts all National Contact Points (NCPs) for Horizon Europe in Italy. Founded in 1989, APRE offers free-of-charge services to Italian R&D actors including information on calls, financial instruments, proposal assistance, partner search support, and training. APRE also participates in the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) across 60+ countries.

What is the PNRR and how does it connect to EU funding for Italy?

Italy's Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) is the national plan to deploy NextGenerationEU funds. Following two revisions, the plan is now worth EUR 194.4 billion (EUR 68.9 billion in grants, EUR 122.6 billion in loans, plus EUR 30.6 billion in national complementary funds). The PNRR's Mission 4 Component 2 (EUR 11.44 billion) directly funds Horizon Europe Partnerships at national level, supporting Italian research institutions and companies participating in EU R&I initiatives.

What success rate do Italian proposals achieve in Horizon Europe?

Italy's overall Horizon Europe success rate is below the EU average of approximately 17-20%. Research by APRE indicates Italy falls below 18% in most call categories, partly due to lower SME participation rates compared to Spain and Germany. However, Italian universities and research institutions such as CNR, Politecnico di Milano, and Sapienza Universita di Roma achieve rates at or above the EU average in their respective domains.

Which Italian regions receive the most Horizon Europe funding?

Between 2021 and 2024, nearly 50% of Italy's Horizon Europe funding was concentrated in Lazio (home to Rome and major national research institutions) and Lombardy (Italy's industrial and financial hub), which together received approximately EUR 1.7 billion across 4,087 project participations. Southern regions (Campania, Sicily, Apulia, Sardinia) collectively received less than 10% of total funding, around EUR 336 million.

Can Italian SMEs apply directly to Horizon Europe?

Yes. Italian SMEs can apply to the EIC Accelerator (up to EUR 2.5M grant plus up to EUR 15M equity for high-impact deep tech), EIC Pathfinder (up to EUR 3M for early-stage breakthrough research), Horizon Europe Pillar II collaborative calls, and Eurostars for SME-led international R&D. Italy's SME participation rate in Horizon Europe is around 1.5 SMEs per 10,000, below the EU average, indicating significant untapped opportunity for Italian SMEs.

How do Italian organizations access EU structural funds?

Structural funds (ERDF and ESF+) are managed at regional level through Italian regional operational programmes (Programmi Regionali, PR) for 2021-2027. Key access points include Invitalia for national programmes, regional agencies such as Sviluppo Campania, Puglia Sviluppo, and Fondazione Sicilia for southern regions, and regional development agencies in northern regions. Southern Italy (Mezzogiorno) qualifies for higher ERDF co-financing rates of up to 70-85% of eligible costs.

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