Horizon Europe Pump Priming collaboration opportunities 2025

Horizon Europe is the EU’s largest research and innovation programme ever, with a budget of over €95 billion for 2021–2027. It offers significant opportunities for accessing new knowledge, partners, markets, and resources and is designed to support UK businesses and research organisations in their pursuit of groundbreaking innovations.

The Horizon Europe Pump Priming funding schemes are aimed at enabling businesses, research organisations and other organisations to build partnerships and develop ideas that will have the potential significant market impact by going forward as a proposal to Horizon Europe.

Applications for the Innovate UK Horizon Europe Pump Priming 2025 opportunity are open from 29 May 2025 and close 15 July 2025.

Applications will be processed upon receipt and in the order that they are received. Please note that the award of any grant is made subject to available funding.

Innovate UK are leading a scheme focused on supporting UK SMEs to develop proposals across a wide range of sectors under Pillar 2 and Pillar 3 of Horizon Europe for EIC Pathfinder and Transition opportunities. Successful applicants will have access to grant funding of up to £5,000 (excluding VAT) and are advised to work with a UK National Contact Point in support of their project. Applicants are also given access to a highly experienced Innovate UK Business Growth Innovation and Growth Specialist (IGS) if they are not already a client, to further support their innovation and growth journey.

With the aim of developing a consortium and applying to Horizon Europe, Pump Priming can help with:

• Access to opportunities for collaborative research and innovation
• Explore networking and partnership opportunities
• Support with travel costs to meet with potential consortia and partners
• Develop your Horizon Europe proposal
• Fund consortium partners to travel to UK

Strengthening research ties benefits both the UK and our European partners. Horizon Europe provides many opportunities for UK researchers, and this scheme will prepare them to compete effectively for a share of its c. £80 billion. By fostering collaboration with a diverse range of organisations, the UK research community can access expertise and resources across Europe, driving scientific progress that benefits everyone.” – Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, Lord Vallance

Programme eligibility and how to apply for Innovate UK’s Horizon Europe Pump Priming funding scheme

To qualify for the Horizon Europe Pump Priming funding schemes, applicants must meet these specific criteria:

• UK registered business
• Business is trading and not a holding or dormant company
• Business has fewer than 250 employees
• The support to be provided will not exceed their rolling three-year Minimal Financial Assistance Allowance
• Applications must identify a specific Horizon Europe Pillar 2 or Pillar 3 call and the topic to which they will apply.
• Applications to Pillar 3 must be part of a collaborative Horizon Europe project.
• Applicants will be required to work with a UK National Contact Point and engage with Innovate UK Business Growth.
• All applications for the Innovate UK 2025 Pump Priming scheme must be submitted no later than 15 July 2025. All activities must be completed by 31 October 2025 and all claims must be submitted to the Innovate UK scheme no later than 27 November 2025 or they may not be fulfilled.

Applicants should first consider the list of available calls for Horizon Europe, prior to submitting an application. You can see a summary of each eligible area at the links below:

Pillar 2 calls:

The New European Bauhaus Facility
Missions: Soil Deal for Europe
Missions: 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030
Missions: Restore Our Oceans and Waters
Missions: Cancer
Missions: Adaptation to Climate Change
Cluster 1 – Health
Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
Cluster 3 – Civil Security for Society
Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry and Space
Cluster 5 – Climate, Energy and Mobility
Cluster 6 – Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Pillar 3 calls:

European Innovation Ecosystems
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
European Innovation Council (EIC)

To register your interest, please contact your Innovate UK Business Growth innovation and growth specialist (if already an existing client) or contact us.

For academic researchers, a similar scheme is available through The British Academy: this is focused on supporting researchers to develop proposals to Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe. British Academy are inviting proposals from UK researchers and proposals from UK led consortiums containing EU/Associated Countries-based researchers to pump prime collaborations to support the effective uptake of the opportunities provided by the UK’s association to Horizon Europe. British Academy’s new round of funding of up to £10,000 (including VAT) with the aim to develop collaborative activities under Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe, further strengthening UK-EU research partnerships and support researchers in preparing high quality Horizon Europe applications. To apply, applicants should visit the British Academy Horizon Europe Pump Priming webpage. This scheme closes on 11 June 2025.