Horizon Europe (HEU), the European Union’s flagship research and innovation funding programme, is entering a critical phase. With the 2026–2027 Work Programme now in force allocating over €14 billion for research and innovation, the stakes for prospective applicants are higher than ever, but so are the opportunities. Spinverse’s funding experts are ready to guide you on your innovation journey if you decide to explore the options offered by the Horizon Europe. Here's our take on the key updates and how we can support.
Summary of the article:
The 2026–2027 Work Programme of Horizon Europe marks a decisive shift in how EU research and innovation funding is structured, evaluated and awarded. With over €14 billion in funding and major changes introduced by the European Commission, applicants now face fewer but broader calls, expanded lump-sum funding, shorter proposal templates and more competitive two-stage submissions. Success is highly dependent on strategic framing, cross-sector collaboration, clear impact pathways and credible implementation logic – not just strong technical ideas. Expert guidance and strategic proposal development are becoming critical for funding success, an area where Spinverse provides comprehensive support from concept design to project execution.
Table of contents:
- Key updates in Horizon Europe 2026–2027
- Key procedural changes in the funding proposal template (2026–2027)
- Why critical thinking and strategic consulting matter now more than ever?
- Spinverse provides end-to-end services for funding proposals and project management support
Key updates in Horizon Europe 2026-2027
Recent policy-level, procedural and template-driven changes in how HEU funding calls are designed and evaluated are transforming how proposals must be conceived, written and positioned. This shift places higher importance on subject-matter expertise as well as on critical thinking, strategic insight and expert navigation of complex evaluation criteria. The European Commission has introduced several important updates that reshape the proposal preparation process:
Strategic simplification and focus: The new work programme introduces fewer topics (around 35 % fewer than the previous edition) with shorter, less prescriptive descriptions, giving applicants more flexibility but also more responsibility in defining how they deliver impact within EU priorities.
Horizontal Calls with significant budgets: New horizontal calls bridge thematic clusters (e.g., Clean Industrial Deal with ~€540 million and AI in science with ~€90 million). These calls require proposals to go beyond traditional sector silos, integrating perspectives from health, digital, industrial, climate, bioeconomy, security or city infrastructure domains to demonstrate cross-cutting European impact.
Lump-sum funding and two-stage processes: Approximately 50% of call budgets will be implemented through lump-sum models, shifting focus from detailed cost reporting to well-defined work packages and realistic deliverables. Two-stage submissions with blind first rounds demand clarity, brevity and strategic framing from the outset.
Smaller, tighter templates and higher evaluation pressure: Page limits for funding proposals have been reduced (40 pages for R&I actions, 25 for CSAs, with slight variations for lump sums), meaning only concise, high-impact funding proposals survive. Generic text or unstructured impact logic can be fatal to success
In all, these changes mean the competition is not just about having a good idea. It is about framing, narrative coherence, logical impact pathways and strategic alignment with multi-layered EU priorities.
Key procedural changes in the funding proposal template (2026–2027)
Beyond call content and reduced page limits as explained above, the Horizon Europe application template itself has been streamlined, including concrete implications for applicants. This increases competition within each section and penalises unfocused or repetitive text.
Simplified impact section (Section 2)
Streamlined implementation and budget sections (Section 3)
Expanded use of lump-sum models
Two-stage submissions with blind first-stage evaluation
Taken together, these changes mean Horizon Europe proposals are no longer won through volume, compliance or technical detail alone. They are won through clarity, coherence, strategic positioning and credible delivery logic within tight space constraints.
Why critical thinking and strategic consulting matter now more than ever?
These shifts present several challenges that go beyond traditional funding proposal writing:
Strategic concept framing has become decisive. With less prescriptive call texts, applicants must deeply analyse expected outcomes and impacts, translating high-level EU policy objectives into focused concepts, methodologies and consortia. This requires systems-level thinking rather than checklist-driven responses.
Interpretation of new evaluation logic is now critical. With reduced page limits and lump-sum conditions, evaluators reward proposals that demonstrate clarity, internal consistency and strategic credibility. Understanding this nuance requires expertise grounded in evaluation psychology and insights into what constitutes high-scoring responses.
Consortium building and positioning have increased in importance. Horizontal calls and two-stage processes elevate the importance of consortium strength, partnership dynamics and stakeholder value propositions. Choosing the right partners and roles is as critical as the project logic itself.
Finally, deliverability and real-world application are under sharper scrutiny. Evaluators increasingly assess whether milestones, risk mitigation and implementation plans are realistic and convincing. Under lump-sum funding, weak logic or over-ambitious planning directly undermines credibility all demanding seasoned analytical judgement.
This is where our experienced funding proposal writers at Spinverse can step in. We can critically analyse call texts, spot trends in evaluation priorities and generate compelling narratives, making a difference between rejection and funding success.
Spinverse provides end-to-end services for funding proposals and project management support
Spinverse is well-positioned to support your organisation throughout your entire Horizon Europe lifecycle, combining strategic innovation consulting with hands-on execution. Spinverse brings in-house expertise across all Horizon Europe clusters and key sectors, including:
| • | Health (medical/clinical, life sciences & digital) |
| • | ICT, digitalisation & AI |
| • | Bioeconomy |
| • | Industrial investments & manufacturing |
| • | Climate, energy & soil |
| • | Defence and security as well as resilience |
| • | Cities, regions & infrastructure |
Our cross-sector capability is increasingly essential as HEU calls demand integrated, cross-cluster approaches.
How we can help
Proposal preparation services - we offer extensive expertise in every phase of proposal development:
| → | Concept design and call matching: Identifying the relevant calls, framing winning concepts and tailoring objectives to EU priorities. |
| → | Consortium building and partner alignment: Our wide networks across the Nordics and rest of the Europe can help compose balanced, credible consortia with strategic roles. |
| → | Impact narratives & implementation planning: Generating impact pathways, work packages and milestones that resonate with evaluators. |
| → | Budgeting & financial logic: Structuring costs with clarity and realism, especially under lump-sum and two-stage formats |
| → | Portal value integration: Translating the funding proposal’s narrative and technical content into portal-ready sections that meet award criteria and stand out in evaluation. |
Post funding & project management support - upon a successful funding decision, Spinverse continues to add value with:
| → | Grant Agreement Process (GAP) analysis, project onboarding & management: We can help project partners smoothly move from proposal to project execution. Our services include management setup, operational planning and compliance support. |
| → | Amendments & reporting services: We offer support in mid-project revisions and updates for project documentation to stay compliant with evolving conditions. |
| → | Impact maximisation & exploitation: We can help ensure project results are leveraged for commercial, societal or policy impact through robust exploitation strategies. |
Would you like to learn more about the funding opportunities of Horizon Europe? Get in touch with us today - let's explore the opportunities relevant for your company!
Renuka Natarajan, Senior Manager,
Portfolio Management & Business Development (health tech)
renuka.natarajan@spinverse.com
+358 40 716 2120
Janne Kaukojärvi, Senior Sales Manager
janne.kaukojarvi@spinverse.com
+358 50 528 6197