Collaborate to innovate: join or create a consortium
Forming a consortium – what you need to know
Building a strong consortium is essential for the success of any collaborative Horizon Europe project. A well-structured consortium not only meets eligibility requirements but also combines the right mix of expertise, resources, and commitment to deliver impactful results.
For detailed guidance on forming or joining a consortium, check out the Factsheet on Building a Consortium. This resource covers essential steps, partner roles, and tips to strengthen your consortium for Horizon Europe projects.
Align
Align on project’s activities, needs, functions and deliverables.
Meet eligibility
Meet eligibility requirements (e.g., at least three legal entities from three different EU Member States or Associate Countries).
Variety of organisations
Include a variety of organisations (academia, industry, public bodies, charities, research and end user organisations).
Wide ranging skills and experience
Bring a wide range of skills, expertise, knowledge, and experience tailored to the project.
Proactive approach
Be proactive and take full responsibility for their roles set out in the project proposal.
Experienced consortium
Be guided by an experienced consortium lead.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Horizon Europe Hour: November 2024 - February 2025
Innovate UK will be hosting the ‘Horizon Europe Hour’ every month, providing a platform to connect directly with UK National Contact Points (NCPs) and ask specific questions you may have on Horizon Europe.
Read more and register
Looking for the right partner for your project?
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To find the right partner for your Horizon Europe project, use these resources:
- EU Partner Search Tool: Access the EU Funding and Tenders Portal for partner searches. Link EU’s Funding and Tenders Portal
- Horizon Dashboard and CORDIS: Identify participants from successful projects and reach out. Links Horizon Dashboard and CORDIS
- UK National Contact Points: Seek guidance from the UK NCPs.
- Thematic Websites: Various topics under Global Challenges category have partner search tools, including:
- Health: Health-NCP-Net 3.0 , which also offers ‘How to Search for Partners and Get Noticed’.
- Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society: Net4SocietyHE (N4SHE) The partner search function can be accessed through their Community Platform
- Civil Security for Society: SEREN5. See also the partner search function of this site.
- Digital: IDEAL-IST which includes a partner search function.
- Space: COSMOS4HE
- Climate, Energy and Mobility: GREENET which includes partner searching tool.
- Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment: CARE4BIO
- Research Infrastructures: RICH EUROPE
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Attend Horizon Europe workshops, events, and official EC Horizon info days to connect with potential partners. These events provide essential networking opportunities with key stakeholders and help you stay informed about upcoming projects and collaborations.
To find potential partners for your Horizon Europe consortium, visit the Innovate UK Horizon Europe Events page for partner search events and workshops. The European Commission’s Horizon Europe Info Days also provide opportunities to network with key stakeholders, gain insights into the funding process, and connect with potential collaborators. These resources are ideal for discovering partners who align with your project’s goals.
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List your expertise and ideas on partner databases to attract the right collaborators.
To help others find you as a potential partner for Horizon Europe, create a personal profile on the Funding and Tenders Portal. By completing your profile, you can showcase your expertise and areas of interest, making it easier for others to identify you as a collaborator for relevant projects. Additionally, consider participating in partner search events and networking activities to increase your visibility within the Horizon Europe community.
How to Navigate the Portal for Funding
Opportunities Learn to efficiently use the portal to search, filter, and identify funding opportunities relevant to your project.
Using the portal
Your questions answered
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Taking on the role of a consortium lead takes a lot of effort across the duration of the project, which can be between 2 – 8 years (depending on your chosen topic). This role cannot be achieved by a single individual and so having additional support from within your organisation is vital. You should consider participating as a project partner in your first consortium, observing how leading a project works in practice. This will prepare you as a future consortium lead.
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Horizon Europe has minimum participant requirements. Research and Innovation Action (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA) proposals must include at least three legal entities independent of each other with at least one organization from a Member State and two others from a different Member State or Associated Country, unless otherwise stated in the individual call. Co-ordination and Support Action (CSA) proposals may be submitted by one or more legal entities from a Member State or Associated Country. There is no maximum number of participants in a consortium. The total number of participants in the consortium should be determined by the scope of the project.
Need Assistance? Contact Your National Contact Point
If you’re seeking assistance to join or create a consortium, your National Contact Point (NCP) offers expert guidance and personalized support to help you confidently navigate the Horizon Europe process. How we support you. Our Advisors are on hand to help support you with your funding application across different strands of Horizon Europe.