Other Funding Sources

Other EU funding opportunities

In Horizon Europe, there are many other funding opportunities and support services available for the research and innovation community beyond the regular calls for proposals. These include the following:

• Horizon Europe Partnerships (European Partnerships in Horizon Europe) - Joint undertakings
  • Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) and its predecessor (KDT)
  • Smart Networks and Services (SNS JU)
  • High Performance Computing (HPC JU)
• Horizon Europe Partnerships and/or ERA-NETS
  • Coordinating National and Regional Funding for the Future and Emerging Technologies Flagships (FLAG-ERA)
  • Emerging Information and Communication Technologies (CHIST-ERA)
  • Coordinating National Research in Quantum Technologies (QuantERA)
• Calls for third parties (FSTP), sometimes called "cascading grants" in Horizon Europe projects (competitive calls)

• Public-Public Partnerships by several Member States
  • Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI)
  • European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDICs)
• Other EU programmess addressing digital
  • Digital Europe Programme (DEP)
  • Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)
  • European Defence Fund (EDF)

Digital Innovation Hubs

Digital innovation hubs are ecosystems that consist of SMEs, large industries, startups, researchers, accelerators, and investors. They aim to create the best conditions for long-term business success for all involved. Around 60% of large industries and more than 90% of SME feel lagging behind in digital innovation. Similarly, there are strong digitalisation discrepancies between industrial sectors. Digital innovation hubs can help ensure that every company, small or large, high-tech or not, can grasp the digital opportunities. There are already several initiatives of the EC to shape the pan-European network of DIHs with the focus on helping SMEs to master their digital transformation. 

Ongoing initiatives offering financial support for third parties

• Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU)
• Next Generation Internet (NGI)
• EU Cloud Edge IoT (CEI)
• European Institute of Innovation & Technologu (EIT) Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC)
• AI on-demand platform (AI4EU)
• Quantum Flagship (QT)

Past initiatives

Do you want to learn about previous initiatives and results of cascading grants?

• Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS)
• Smart Anything Everywhere (SAE)
• Open Data Incubator Europe (ODINE)
• European Data Incubator (EDI)
• European Coordination Hub for Open Robotics Development (ECHORD++),
• Access Center for Photonics Innovation Solutions and Technology Support (ACTPHAST),
• Supercomputing Exercise for SMEs (SESAME NET)