Horizon Europe 2026-2027: The Complete Guide to EUR 14 Billion in EU Research Funding

The European Commission formally adopted the Horizon Europe 2026-2027 Work Programme on 11 December 2025, releasing €14 billion in research and innovation funding for the final two years of the current 2021-2027 programme cycle. This guide covers every cluster, new call types, budget figures, and the structural changes that will affect every applicant in 2026 and 2027.

What Is the Horizon Europe 2026-2027 Work Programme?

The Horizon Europe 2026-2027 Work Programme is the official document that defines all open calls, budgets, eligibility rules, and deadlines for the final two-year period of the EU's flagship research and innovation programme. It was adopted by the European Commission on 11 December 2025 following months of stakeholder consultation and draft publication.

With a total indicative budget of €14 billion, this work programme sits within the broader Horizon Europe framework, which has an overall budget of approximately €93.5 billion for 2021-2027. According to the European Commission, at least 35% of the total budget (approximately €4.9 billion) is dedicated to climate action, making it the most climate-aligned work programme in the programme's history.

The programme is structured across three pillars and five EU Missions. The 2026-2027 edition also introduces four new horizontal calls that cut across multiple clusters, representing a deliberate move toward larger, more integrated funding packages.

Horizon Europe Structure: Three Pillars Explained

Horizon Europe organises all calls under three pillars, each targeting a distinct type of research activity and applicant profile.

2026-2027 Budget by Cluster: Complete Breakdown

The six clusters under Pillar II represent the core of collaborative R&I funding. Budget figures below are drawn from the European Commission's official adoption announcement and supporting work programme documents.

ERC and MSCA Budgets for 2026

Pillar I accounts for a substantial share of the total work programme. The European Research Council and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programmes have published detailed grant-level budget allocations for 2026.

European Research Council (ERC) 2026 Allocations

According to the ERC Work Programme 2026, the total ERC budget for 2026 is approximately €2.7 billion across five grant types:

A notable 2026 change: researchers based outside Europe can now request up to €2 million in relocation funding (up from €1.5 million), with the additional funds eligible to cover personnel costs for the first time. Researchers already based in an EU member state or associated country remain eligible for up to €1 million.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) 2026-2027

The MSCA work programme for 2026-2027 allocates approximately €1.196 billion in 2026 and €1.181 billion in 2027, covering Doctoral Networks, Postdoctoral Fellowships, Staff Exchanges, and Co-funding schemes. The 2026-2027 period introduces the Choose Europe for Science initiative, which pledges €50 million in dedicated MSCA funding to attract and retain global research talent.

European Innovation Council (EIC) Budget 2026

The EIC 2026 Work Programme allocates over €1.424 billion for breakthrough innovation support. This is the primary route for startups and SMEs seeking equity investment alongside grant funding.

The EIC Accelerator Open has five submission windows in 2026: 4 March, 6 May, 8 July, 2 September, and 4 November. The EIC Pathfinder Open deadline is 12 May 2026, while Pathfinder Challenges close on 28 October 2026.

New Horizontal Calls in 2026-2027

The 2026-2027 work programme introduces a set of horizontal calls that cut across traditional cluster boundaries. These represent a strategic shift by the Commission toward larger-budget, cross-cutting initiatives tied directly to political priorities.

Five EU Missions: Budgets and Status in 2026

The five EU Missions continue into the 2026-2027 work programme with dedicated budgets. Missions are goal-oriented, time-bound initiatives with specific 2030 targets. Unlike standard cluster calls, missions coordinate funding across multiple instruments.

What Changed in 2026: Simplification and New Rules

The 2026-2027 work programme introduces the most significant procedural changes since Horizon Europe launched in 2021. According to the European Commission, these changes are intended to reduce administrative burden and improve time-to-grant.

Lump-Sum Grants Cover Half the Programme

Lump-sum funding applies to approximately half of all call budgets in 2026-2027. Under the lump-sum model, the grant amount is fixed at contract signature based on the approved work plan. This eliminates ongoing cost reporting, time-sheet obligations for personnel, and financial audits for individual transactions. The trade-off: the applicant bears any cost overrun, and the Commission reviews work plan delivery rather than expenditure.

Lump-sum grants particularly apply to topics under €10 million. For large collaborative projects above that threshold, the traditional actual-cost model often remains.

Two-Stage Evaluation for 41 Topics

Forty-one topics across multiple clusters use a two-stage process. Stage 1 requires only a short concept note (typically 5-8 pages), evaluated blindly without applicant or consortium identity disclosed. Only teams invited to Stage 2 submit a full proposal. This reduces wasted effort for applicants who are unlikely to succeed and concentrates reviewer effort on genuinely competitive proposals.

Streamlined Proposal Templates

The standard Research and Innovation Action (RIA) and Innovation Action (IA) proposal template is capped at 40 pages (or 45 pages for lump-sum topics). The Commission has removed prescriptive guidance sections, reduced mandatory cost tables, and simplified the structure of Part B. Prior work programmes had no explicit page cap enforced consistently across all topics.

35% Fewer Topics, Broader Calls

The Commission reduced the total number of topics by 35% compared to the 2023-2024 work programme, while maintaining or increasing total budget per remaining topic. The overall programme document is shorter by one third. This means individual calls are typically broader in scope, allowing applicants more flexibility in how they address the stated objectives.

Key Priority Themes Across the 2026-2027 Work Programme

Four cross-cutting themes appear in topics across multiple clusters and are explicitly flagged as Commission priorities for 2026-2027. Proposals that address these themes credibly tend to score better on the Impact evaluation criterion.

Success Rates and Competition: What to Expect in 2026

Success rates in Horizon Europe vary substantially by instrument and call type. Historical data from the current programme cycle provides the best benchmark for 2026 applicants.

According to Science|Business analysis, Horizon Europe collaborative project success rates have been under downward pressure as the programme has matured, with the overall rate settling around 12%. The 35% reduction in topics in 2026-2027 may concentrate more funding per call, potentially improving the return on investment for each submitted proposal despite unchanged competition levels.

How to Apply for Horizon Europe 2026 Calls

Step 1: Register on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal

All Horizon Europe applications are submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Each participating organisation must have a validated PIC (Participant Identification Code). For new applicants, allow 2-3 weeks for PIC validation before a call deadline.

Step 2: Identify the Right Call

The portal lists all open calls with full topic descriptions, indicative budgets, eligibility requirements, and evaluation criteria. For each topic, read the Expected Outcomes and Scope sections carefully. The 2026-2027 topics are broader than previous years, which creates flexibility but also means competition is less predictable.

Step 3: Build Your Consortium Early

Most Horizon Europe collaborative grants require a consortium of at least three independent legal entities from three different EU member states or associated countries. Partner selection is one of the most critical factors in proposal success. Seek complementary expertise, genuine geographic and disciplinary diversity, and partners with relevant track records.

Step 4: Write to the Evaluation Criteria

All Horizon Europe proposals are evaluated against three standard criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Implementation. Each criterion is scored from 0 to 5, with 3 as the passing threshold per criterion. Most calls require a minimum total score of 10 or 12. The Impact section, covering pathways to market and societal benefit, is consistently the weakest section in failing proposals.

Horizon Europe 2026 vs Other EU Funding Programmes

Horizon Europe is not the only EU R&I funding option active in 2026. The choice of programme depends on your organisation type, technology readiness level, and preferred consortium structure.

For a detailed comparison of EIC instruments specifically, see our guide on EIC Accelerator vs EIC Pathfinder vs Eurostars.

After 2027: What Comes Next for Horizon Europe?

The 2026-2027 work programme is the final major work programme of the current 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The European Commission published its proposal for a successor programme in July 2025, proposing a €175 billion budget for the 2028-2034 cycle. This would be nearly double the current programme and is described by the Commission as "twice bigger, simpler, faster and more impactful."

The proposed successor programme would feature a four-pillar structure (adding a dedicated pillar for strategic European partnerships) and extend key simplification measures from 2026-2027, including lump-sum grants and faster time-to-grant targets. Budget negotiations between member states are expected to continue through 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find Horizon Europe 2026 Calls Matching Your Project

With 35% fewer topics but broader scope, identifying which Horizon Europe 2026 call best fits your project requires reading dozens of topic descriptions across six clusters, five missions, and four horizontal calls. GrantsFinder uses AI-powered similarity search against the EU Funding and Tenders Portal to match your project description to relevant open calls in seconds.

Describe your project in plain language and GrantsFinder returns ranked matches with relevance scores, topic summaries, and direct links to official call documentation. No account required to start.

For a broader overview of recent changes across all EU funding programmes, see EU Funding in 2025: What's New and What's Changing. For introductory guidance on the application process, see EU Grants 101: A Comprehensive Guide.