Eligibility Essentials: High-Level Overview

If you are considering applying to a Horizon Europe call, it is vital that you are fully aware of all eligibility requirements, and that you read the documents carefully to check who is eligible to participate, and who is eligible for Commission funding.

Horizon Europe General Eligibility Rules

The Horizon Europe general eligibility rules are specified in the Horizon Europe General Annexes, which should be read alongside the Work Programme, including the Call/Topic text and guidance for the call in which you are interested as these may contain specific eligibility requirements.

As well as the eligibility requirements there will also be other applicable rules. For example, the types of research and innovation that can be funded, and the amount of funding requested. In addition, all parts of the proposal template should be completed as instructed in the template and the proposal submitted before the call deadline. Under Pillar 1 of Horizon Europe, there may also be eligibility rules relating to the career stage of the applicant.

Eligible UK Entities

In general (unless the call documents state otherwise) all types of UK legal entities are eligible to participate in and receive funding from Horizon Europe, including universities, industry (companies of any size), research and technology organisations (RTOs), charities and government departments.

For most parts of Horizon Europe, you will need to be part of a consortium to apply, although there are some parts of Horizon Europe, such as the European Research Council (ERC) and European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, where a single organisation can apply for funding.

Horizon Europe Consortium

If your call topic requires a consortium, then normally you will need a minimum of three legal entities (that are independent from each other) and to comply with the conditions mentioned below.

UK Entities in a Horizon Europe Consortium

The UK is classed as an ‘Associated Country’ in Horizon Europe. Therefore, a UK organisation must also have in the consortium:

• at least one independent legal entity established in an EU Member State and
• at least one other independent legal entity which is established in a different EU Member State or a different Horizon Europe Associated Country. The List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe contains the latest list of Associated Countries.

Number of Entities in a Horizon Europe Consortium

Please note that consortium projects which consist of just three countries/organisations are very rare. Most consortia include more than the minimum three countries/organisations.

Once you have the minimum number of consortium partners, you can also include additional organisations from both the same countries and/or other countries.

Please refer to the Horizon Europe General Annexes and call/topic text which explains the exact rules on: which countries and types of organisation are eligible to participate; and which countries and types of organisation are eligible for funding.

Other Types of Consortia in Horizon Europe

There are also some project types which require a consortium but have different rules, such as the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Staff Exchanges under Pillar 1 of Horizon Europe.

Which parts of Horizon Europe do not require a consortium?

Some parts of Horizon Europe do not require a consortium to apply, examples include:

In Pillar 1 of Horizon Europe:

• The European Research Council (ERC) Starting, Consolidator, and Advanced Grants will support projects carried out by “individual teams”, which are headed by a single Principal Investigator. ERC Synergy Grants will support small groups of two to four Principal Investigators and their teams. The constitution of the research teams is flexible. Depending on the nature of a project, the research team may involve team members from other research organisations situated in the same or in a different country.
• The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships allow excellent researchers to undertake international mobility. Applications will be made jointly by the researcher and a host organisation in the academic or non-academic sector. For the full eligibility rules, see the call text.

In Pillar 3 of Horizon Europe:

• European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder Challenges can fund single applicants as well as consortia.
• The EIC Transition scheme can fund single organisations (SMEs, spin-offs, start-ups, research organisations or universities) or small consortia (with a minimum of 2 and maximum of 5 eligible entities).
• The EIC Accelerator scheme funds a single start-up, SME (including spin-offs), or individuals (intending to launch a start-up/SME).
• EIC Prizes. In 2025 there are 2 Prizes in EIC. One is of for Women Innovators and the other is for Cities.

In any Pillar of Horizon Europe:

Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) can be submitted by one or more legal entities, established in a Member State, Associated Country or, in exceptional cases and if provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, in another third country. Although CSAs can be submitted by one eligible organisation, most CSAs will also include other organisations/countries.

Applicants should note

The information about is provided as a general guide to the eligibility criteria for Horizon Europe BUT applicants are responsible for referring to the Horizon Europe call documents to ensure that they meet the eligibility rules for the call to which they are applying.

The information here is intended to give a general overview of the eligibility rules for Horizon Europe, for a UK based applicant. It is not a definitive guide, and organisations should always read the detailed call topic eligibility information.

If you are considering applying to a Horizon Europe call, it is vital that you are fully aware of all eligibility requirements, and that you read the documents carefully to check who is eligible to participate, and who is eligible for Commission funding.