The European Commission has increased its support for research and innovation with an additional €500 million to Horizon Europe for 2026 and 2027. This brings the programme’s total budget for these two years to approximately €14.8 billion.
The increased funding comes alongside an expansion of the Horizon Europe 2026–2027 Work Programme, creating new opportunities for researchers, innovators and businesses across Europe.
New funding opportunities to address key challenges
The expanded programme introduces two new cross-cutting calls addressing some of Europe’s key priorities.
The first, “Transformative Change Towards a Nature-Positive Economy and Society”, has a budget of €237 million and will support research and innovation activities contributing to Europe’s biodiversity objectives and the transition towards more sustainable economic models.
The second, “Bridging Actions 2027”, provides €260 million to strengthen the link between research and market uptake. The initiative will also contribute to preparations for the next EU research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe 2028–2034, and its links with the future European Competitiveness Fund.
The new opportunities span areas from biodiversity to advanced technologies, artificial intelligence and autonomous mobility, with a particular focus on bringing research closer to concrete and innovative applications.
A new boost for the New European Bauhaus
Among the new elements of the revised Work Programme is support for the New European Bauhaus Academy, with a particular focus on developing and upgrading the skills of workers in the construction sector.
The initiative contributes to the broader ambitions of the New European Bauhaus, which seeks to bring together sustainability, inclusion and the quality of the spaces and environments in which we live, in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal.
Continued investment in Europe’s research community
The increased funding comes as recent Commission reports confirm Horizon Europe’s ability to engage a growing number of organisations and beneficiaries.
Since its launch in 2021, the programme has supported nearly 23,000 projects, involving more than 34,000 organisations. Horizon Europe is also supporting the next generation of researchers, with more than 151,000 early-career researchers benefiting from projects funded by the programme.
Another particularly significant figure is that 55% of beneficiaries are newcomers to EU research and innovation programmes, highlighting Horizon Europe’s ability to attract talent and create new opportunities for participation.
What this means for European innovation
The additional €500 million investment confirms the central role that research and innovation continue to play in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, sustainability and long-term resilience.
By expanding funding opportunities in areas such as biodiversity, advanced technologies and the transition from research to market uptake, Horizon Europe aims to help researchers and organisations turn more and more promising ideas into concrete solutions, products and services.
The expansion of the 2026–2027 Work Programme therefore represents an important opportunity to explore new funding possibilities and develop new partnerships.
Find out more here.