European Partnerships in Horizon Europe
European Partnerships are EU initiatives supported by Horizon Europe. They bring together public and private actors to fund research and innovation programmes that contribute to EU priorities such as the Green Deal, the digital strategy and pandemic preparedness.
Nearly 60 European Partnerships from 2021 to 2027
A total of 49 European Partnerships were launched under the first strategic plan of Horizon Europe covering the period 2021–2024. A further 10 additional European Partnerships are planned under the second strategic plan for the 2025–2027 period.
Co-funded Partnerships
Co-funded Partnerships involve public bodies, typically funding agencies, foundations and international organisations. A Co-funded Partnership begins with a dedicated call for proposals within the Horizon Europe work programme. The selected consortium then signs a grant agreement with the European Commission. It can then launch tenders, which are jointly funded by the consortium and the EU. All partnership calls and project application evaluations are centrally coordinated. The projects selected by the Co-funded Partnership are managed by the national funding agencies.
Co-programmed Partnerships
Co-programmed Partnerships are established between the EU (represented by the European Commission) and private and/or public partners. Participants jointly define objectives, develop a roadmap, and establish partnership obligations and services. Unlike in Co-funded Partnerships, national and EU funds are not pooled, but instead are coordinated through two separate programmes. Partners and the EU implement complementary research and innovation activities through parallel work programmes. The EU integrates its calls for proposals into the regular work programme of Horizon Europe.
Institutionalised Partnerships
Institutionalised Partnerships are longer-term initiatives established through specific legal structures authorised by the EU Council and, in some cases, the European Parliament. These Partnerships target areas where close integration of private and public research and innovation activities is needed to achieve ambitious policy objectives. EU member states and countries associated to Horizon Europe implement Institutionalised Partnerships either through dedicated bodies such as Joint Undertakings or through knowledge and innovation communities operated by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).
Swiss participation
Swiss organisations can participate in calls for proposals published in the Horizon Europe work programme that are open to associated third countries. This eligibility applies in particular to Co-programmed Partnerships. By contrast, Co-funded and Institutionalised Partnerships typically operate under their own separate work programmes.
For Co-funded Partnerships, Swiss participation is only possible when a Swiss funding agency (i.e. the Swiss National Science Foundation or Innosuisse) or a Swiss federal office (such as the Federal Office of Public Health or the Federal Office of Energy) is represented in the partnership and provides the necessary national funding.
This same limitation also applies to Institutionalised Partnerships requiring national co-funding. However, a number of Institutionalised Partnerships do not require national co-funding. In these cases, Swiss institutions can apply directly to the EU for funding through these calls for proposals.