Advisory on the EU programme Horizon Europe
Collaborative projects are open to all types of companies working with research institutes, universities or other partners. Projects must include participants from at least three Horizon Europe countries. The projects should help address European and global challenges. Calls are organised into thematic work programmes covering a wide range of topics, from health and digitalisation to climate and the environment.
Grant amounts range from EUR 1.5 million to several hundred million, depending on the specific call published on the EU Funding & Tender Portal.
Horizon Europe offers various types of collaborative projects that Norwegian companies can take part in:
Innovation Actions (IA)
Innovation Actions (IA) are collaborative projects close to market, primarily focused on developing plans or designs for new, modified or improved products, processes or services. Examples include prototype development, testing, demonstration, pilots, large-scale product validation and market replication.
Projects typically run for two to three years and must involve at least three partners from three different countries. Funding covers up to 70 per cent of direct costs and up to 25 per cent of indirect costs.
Research and Innovation Actions (RIA)
Research and development are at the heart of the project, with the aim of creating new scientific and technological knowledge or exploring the feasibility of new or improved technologies, products, processes, services or solutions.
Projects typically run for three to four years and must involve at least three partners from three different countries. They receive funding for 100 per cent of direct costs, plus a 25 per cent overhead for indirect costs.
Research organisations or larger companies often coordinate these projects, but SMEs can also contribute through smaller work packages.
Read the article: What you need to know about Horizon Europe
Collaborative projects should help address global challenges and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The calls are divided into thematic work programmes covering a wide range of topics, from health and digitalisation to climate and the environment.
The Research Council of Norway has primary responsibility for advisory on large-scale collaborative projects, while we share responsibility and focus specifically on advising Norwegian companies that want to participate in these consortia.
We can advise Norwegian companies that want to learn more about opportunities for collaborative projects and calls for proposals, and introduce them to relevant business partners in Norway and internationally.
In partnership with the Research Council of Norway, we offer a range of courses and competence-building initiatives covering calls for proposals, application processes and administrative matters. You can also receive support with the application process and access to consultancy services.
We also offer a dedicated grant scheme for business clusters that appoint their own EU advisor.
Get in touch with your regional EU adviser or one of the National Contact Points (NCPs) for the thematic work programmes covering digitalisation, climate and energy, or the bioeconomy:
- Kerstin Solholm, kerstin.solholm@innovasjonnorge.no, NCP Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry and Space
- Tim Genge, tim.genge@innovasjonnorge.no, NCP cluster 5 – climate, energy and mobility
- Greta Karine Juul, greta.karine.juul@innovasjonnorge.no, NCP Cluster 6 – food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment
- Espen Warland, espen.warland@innovasjonnorge.no, Coordinator/NCP for collaborative projects (Pillar 2, partnerships and missions)
Alternatively, contact the Research Council of Norway's National Contact Points in other areas.
Project Establishment Support (PES)
You can also receive support from the Research Council of Norway to prepare applications for collaborative projects (Innovation Actions or Research and Innovation Actions).
The Research Council of Norway's courses
Free online courses covering introductions to Horizon Europe, strategy development, how to write strong project proposals, project management and finance, as well as courses on specific topics such as innovation management, Impact and Exploitation, and Open Access.
Calls for proposals on the European Commission's website (participant portal)
Calls for collaborative projects on the European Commission's Funding & Tenders Portal. Each call specifies the type of project involved, such as RIA or IA.
