The UK government has announced a raft of plans to drive up participation in Horizon Europe by researchers, innovators and businesses from across the country - as tomorrow (Wednesday 1 January) marks the one-year anniversary of the UK’s association to the £80 billion programme that runs from 2021 to 2027.

Horizon is the largest research collaboration programme in the world and can kickstart economic growth through groundbreaking discoveries - supporting a key milestone in the government’s Plan for Change. Through it, researchers and innovators from the UK can access grants to fund work tackling some of the biggest challenges facing society: from breakthroughs in healthcare, to green energy, to putting productivity-boosting technologies like AI to work in the economy. It is also a critical vehicle for working in partnership with researchers from across Europe, as well as other associated countries like Canada and South Korea.

Recent, initial signs suggest UK association is trending in the right direction. For instance, in the latest ERC Synergy Grants, in which the UK hosted 18 projects - the second highest number.

This follows a year marked by the introduction of pump priming grants to support UK applications, a PR campaign in the UK, Spain, and Italy, and a successful series of Roadshow events. Looking ahead to 2025, the government is enhancing efforts to help UK researchers and businesses fully capitalise on the opportunities Horizon presents.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

Everyone knew what a big job we had on our hands to restore the UK’s place as the natural R&D partner to our neighbours, when we associated to Horizon a year ago. But the brilliance of our scientists and businesses was never in doubt, and the green shoots of recovery are breaking through.

In 2025, it really is now or never to truly reap the benefits of Horizon association. This year we will pull every lever at our disposal to help Britain’s innovators seize the opportunities for funding and collaboration that are open to them. Only by backing our brightest minds to get their ideas out of the lab and into the economy, will we be able to fulfil our mission of national renewal as part of our Plan for Change.

Plans for 2025

Horizon Europe roadshows

Building on the success of events in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the West Midlands in 2024, this year we already have plans for further Horizon Europe roadshows coming to Wales and London. These events will give researchers and innovative businesses the chance to speak to those who have been through the process of bidding for Horizon funding, gain support for their applications, and connect with likeminded innovators.

Horizon Europe brokerage events

New for 2025, Innovate UK will take delegations of British business people and researchers to Italy, Germany and Spain to network with potential R&D partners in those countries, and work on how to build the best possible bids for Horizon funding together.

Renewed PR blitz

Building on the success of our 2024 campaign, this year’s marketing activity will encourage UK R&D-focussed businesses to apply to the Horizon funding programme. The campaign, which will be seen on a range of channels including LinkedIn and podcasts, will showcase the breadth of projects that can receive funding from Horizon, from curing diseases to transforming agriculture, and encourage organisations to apply by emphasising the support available for applicants.

Travel awards

In addition to the Horizon specific support,  in 2025, Innovate UK will offer grants of up to £700 for UK innovators to help cover the cost of attending R&D events across Europe aimed at networking with potential Horizon research partners. More details are available on Innovate UK’s website.

Businesses up and down the country are already carrying out cutting-edge R&D thanks to Horizon backing, like Recycleye, who are developing AI-powered robotics to lower the cost of waste sorting, making recycling more economically viable. They received a grant of £385,000, which allowed them to take on more engineers in order to refine their robots to better suit customer needs.

Victor Dewulf, CEO of Recycleye, said:

We know from recent history that the UK can be a leader in this area. We have 4 of the top 10 universities in the world, and the second-highest number of Nobel prize winners. A quarter of projects in which the UK participated, funded through Horizon Europe’s predecessor, were UK led. 

Further information, including practical support on how to apply, is available on Innovate UK’s website. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) also host regular events that help guide businesses and researchers through the opportunities on offer and the application process. 

Potential applicants can find Horizon Europe calls (funding opportunities) open to UK-based applicants using the European Commission’s funding and tender opportunities portal. They can apply for Horizon Europe funding through the European Commission’s funding and tenders portal, where the original funding call is found. More information on how to submit applications are available on the European Commission’s website.