Funding opportunities under Horizon Europe are set out in multiannual Work Programmes, released by the European Commission.
The current main Work Programme is made up of a general introduction, 11 thematic sections included within three priorities complementary and interconnected and a fourth part addressed to strengthen the European Research Area. General Annexes close the Programme, setting out rules which apply across the WPs, such as the standard admissibility conditions and eligibility criteria, selection and award criteria, etc.
The three priorities are:
• Excellent Science: this priority ensures a strong continuity with Horizon 2020 confirming the support to excellent science of frontier research projects with a bottom-up approach, funding personnel exchanges and fellowships and investing in world-class research infrastructures.
• Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness: it supports top-down collaborative research activities that tackle societal challenges through the identification of six thematic areas of intervention [clusters] and further specific ambitious objectives [missions] involving Member States, stakeholders and citizens.
• Innovative Europe: essentially focus on scaling up breakthrough and market-creating innovation by establishing a European Innovation Council, support the enhancement of European ecosystems of innovation and continued support to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology [EIT]. The European Innovation Council will offer a one-stop shop to high-potential innovators. Activities are defined mainly bottom-up.
The structure includes also a fourth part called
Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area: it includes measures to help Member States to exploit their national potential in research and innovation.
