EU funding updates

Between changing templates, faster timelines and newly opened Calls, Horizon Europe is entering another busy phase (again!). This edition helps you navigate the updates and shines a light on the most recently announced opportunities, including those in the environment, food and hydrogen fields. And if you are planning to apply, I have something for you too.

Important changes to Horizon Europe proposal templates and Call procedures from 2026

New Horizon Europe Calls published as of 2026 introduce several important changes. These updates are designed to simplify proposal preparation and accelerate evaluation processes.

Horizon Europe Work Programmes have been further streamlined, with shorter and more concise topics and fewer topics that are funding only one project.

The use of lump sum funding has also been expanded. At least 50% of the Horizon Europe Call budget is now expected to be allocated through lump sums, supporting simplified cost reporting and a reduced administrative burden for beneficiaries.

For Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs), the maximum length of Part B of the proposal template (technical description) has been reduced from 45 to 40 pages. For topics using lump sum funding, the limit is now 45 pages instead of 50.

In line with this, the recommended page allocation for the Impact and the Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation sections has been reduced. The instructions for filling out the different sections of the template have been updated as well. The Impact summary table is now optional, giving applicants greater flexibility.

For two-stage Calls, the overall time-to-grant (the time between the Call deadline and the signature of the Grant Agreement) has been shortened by three months, from 17 to 14 months. The minimum time between Call publication and first-stage proposal submission has decreased from three to two months. Consortia invited to the second stage will now have two months instead of three to submit their full proposals. Evaluation timelines for both stages are also being shortened.

Funding opportunity spotlight 

Horizon Europe Cluster 6 Calls are now open

The new Horizon Europe Cluster 6 Calls (Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment) include 28 funding topics for research and innovation projects addressing sustainability challenges in agriculture, food systems, environmental protection and climate resilience.

The Call includes topics focused on improving nutrition, microbiome research and public health outcomes. One example is the topic on sustainable and healthy diets for cardiovascular disease prevention supported by digital applications.

Water resilience is another priority, with a dedicated topic on future-oriented water infrastructure, aiming to support innovative, climate-resilient solutions for water management and supply security.

Beyond these, the Call also includes opportunities related to climate-smart agriculture, ocean governance and data-driven solutions for the agri-food sector.

The submission deadlines are in April 2026. Find all open Cluster 6 topics here.