Page contentsPage contents Programme in a nutshell Concrete examples of achievements (*) 63 898 Horizon Europe project proposalswere evaluated between 2021 and 2023. 47% of all participants in Horizon Europe researchsupport activities between 2021 and 2023 were new.163countriesparticipated in Horizon Europe between 2021 and 2023.17 176researchers, including PhD students,moved either internationally or between sectors between 2021 and 2023.35Nobel Prize winnerswere supported between 1985 and 2023.9Knowledge and Innovation Communitieswere established since 2010. 44EU Horizon Europe Partnershipswere launched between 2021 and 2023, out of the 49 identified.5EU missionswere assessed in 2023 to be on track to meet their 2030 ambition towards a greener and healthier continent. (*) Key achievements in the table state which period they relate to. Some come from the implementation of the predecessor programmes under the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework. This is expected and due to the multiannual life cycle of EU programmes and the projects they finance, where results often follow only after completion of the programmes. Budget for 2021-2027 [notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_01:pie[/notranslate] More information on the budget for 2021-2027(million EUR)[notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_01:table[/notranslate] Rationale and design of the programme Horizon Europe is the EU’s 7-year research and innovation programme, running from 2021 to 2027. The programme is designed to serve all the political priorities of the EU. Challenge Research and innovation contribute to improving people’s lives (e.g., through better healthcare) and work (e.g., through better digital services), and to enhancing productivity, competitiveness and job-rich growth. They are also crucial for providing solutions to today and tomorrow’s challenges, for example in terms of environment, climate, and society. It is important, therefore, to further improve the creation and diffusion of high-quality new knowledge and innovation in Europe, reinforce the impact of research and innovation in addressing EU’s priorities, ensure the most rapid uptake of innovative solutions and, more generally, strengthen the European research area. Gearing research towards advancing common EU (and global) goals produces social benefits that exceed any private benefits, and even those that flow to any individual Member State that supports such efforts within its borders or by its researchers. Thus, if left to the individual Member States, such research would be carried out at a suboptimal level. Only through action at the EU level can all the positive spillovers be fully realised. Conversely, to maximise EU added value, it is important that EU action in this area be squarely focused on objectives and activities that cannot be effectively implemented by Member States acting alone, but only through their cooperation. Mission Horizon Europe aims to promote scientific excellence and generate new knowledge and technologies, thus contributing to advancing the EU’s general and specific objectives and policies (in particular in terms of boosting sustainable growth and job creation), tackling global challenges and strengthening the European research area. Horizon Europe has a budget of around EUR 95.5 billion. This includes EUR 5.41 billion from NextGenerationEU to boost the economic recovery and make the EU more resilient in the future. The programme shall be implemented through the specific programme established by Decision (EU) 2021/764 and a financial contribution to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology established by the EIT Regulation as well as the specific programme on defence research established by Regulation (EU) 2021/697 and complemented by the EURATOM research and training programme. Objectives Horizon Europe seeks to deliver research and innovation with maximum impact along the following three dimensions.Scientific impact. Creating high-quality new knowledge, strengthening human capital in research and innovation and fostering the diffusion of knowledge and open science.Technological/economic impact. Influencing the creation and growth of companies within the EU, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (including start-ups); creating direct and indirect jobs, especially within the EU; and leveraging investment for research and innovation.Societal impact. Addressing the EU’s policy priorities and global challenges – including the UN sustainable development goals – following the principles of the United Nations’ 2030 agenda for sustainable development and the goals of the Paris Agreement, through research and innovation; delivering benefits and impact through research and innovation missions and European partnerships; and strengthening the uptake of innovation in society, ultimately contributing to people’s well-being.Moreover, Horizon Europe is designed to optimise delivery to strengthen the impact and attractiveness of the European research area, to foster excellence-based participation from all Member States, including those performing poorly on research and innovation, and to facilitate collaborative links in European research and innovation.Actions Horizon Europe activities include: fuelling the EU’s scientific and technological excellence through the European Research Council; funding fellowships and researchers’ mobility; supporting world-class research infrastructures; tackling our biggest societal challenges, including the green and digital transitions and the sustainable development goals; supporting policymaking with independent scientific evidence and technical support; and boosting the EU’s innovation uptake, competitiveness and jobs through the European Innovation Council and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.Structural set-up of the programmeHorizon Europe is implemented directly by the European Commission, the executive agencies or via designated funding bodies. The programme provides funding for indirect actions in any of the forms laid down in the financial regulation, in particular grants (including operating grants), prizes and procurements. It also supports direct actions undertaken by the Joint Research Centre.Horizon Europe ‘main’ work programmes covering the period 2021-2024 follow the first Horizon Europe strategic plan, which was adopted in March 2021 to set the Key Strategic Orientations for 2021-2024. The strategic dimension is complemented by the operational dimension of synergies set in the legislation for 2021-2027. Horizon Europe seeks synergies with other EU programmes, in line with Annex IV to the Horizon Europe Regulation from their design and strategic planning to project selection, management, communication, dissemination and exploitation of results, monitoring, auditing and governance.Most of the funding is allocated based on competitive calls for proposals, set out in work programmes: The main Work Programme includes the following parts :Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and research infrastructures under Pillar I - Excellent Science;6 clusters under Pillar II - Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness;European innovation ecosystems under Pillar III - Innovative Europe;Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area.;MissionsA significant part of Pillar II of Horizon Europe is implemented through European partnerships, including institutionalised ones, particularly in the areas of Mobility, Health, Energy, Digital and Bio-based economy.Another novelty introduced in Horizon Europe are the EU Missions. They aim to bring concrete solutions to some of our greatest challenges by supporting Europe’s transformation into a greener, healthier, more inclusive and resilient continent. EU Missions are a coordinated effort by the Commission to pool the necessary resources in terms of funding programmes, policies and regulations, as well as other activities. They also aim to mobilise and activate public and private actors. Missions will engage with citizens to boost societal uptake of new solutions and approaches.Other work programmes cover:the European Research Council,the European Innovation Council,the Joint Research Centre.Visual representation of structural set-upRemark: as of 2023 the management mode of the investment component of the EIC Accelerator is indirect management (in line with the Implementation of COMMISSION DECISION on the completion of the restructuring of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund in the context of the implementation of the EIC Accelerator under Horizon Europe" - C/2023/8183 final) Link to MFF 2014-2020 Horizon Europe builds on the positive results of its predecessor, Horizon 2020. As a result of the interim evaluation of the Horizon 2020 programme, some changes were made that have been maintained under Horizon Europe, for example the European Innovation Council pilot project launched in 2017 to support breakthrough innovation. In addition, novelties have been introduced in Horizon Europe, notably: EU missions, to deliver targeted solutions to societal challenges together with citizens; a streamlined approach to European partnerships, to rationalise the funding landscape; extended association possibilities, to strengthen international cooperation; a comprehensive open science policy, to reinforce open sharing and collaboration; gender equality strengthened as a crosscutting principle of the programme; more comprehensive approach and increased budget to support widening participation and spreading excellence, to decrease the research and innovation gap in the EU; synergies with other EU programmes and policies, to increase the research and innovation impact; simpler rules, to reduce administrative burdens. Further informationProgramme website: Horizon Europe Impact assessment: The impact assessment of Horizon Europe was carried out in 2018. Evaluations: The Staff Working Document (SWD) on the Evidence framework for the monitoring and evaluation of Horizon Europe was published in April 2023 - SWD(2023) 132 A series of evaluation studies are under way as part of the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe, while the ex-post evaluation of Horizon 2020 was made public on 29 January 2024 (the last external evaluation studies were published in 2023). The Commission also published the results of the largest public consultation - on the past, present & future of European research and innovation programmes 2014-2027 1. Assessment of the influence of ERC funded Research on Patented Inventions (published in January 2023: New study reveals how frontier research spurs patented inventions | ERC (europa.eu)). This analysis finds that more than 40% of ERC-funded projects generated research that was subsequently cited in patents. The results show how curiosity-driven frontier research enables technological development. In parallel, an independent panel of experts evaluated the performance of the JRC within Horizon Europe and the Euratom research and training programme for 2021-2025. The assessment underscored the JRC's relevance as provider of scientific evidence for EU policymaking, the high quality of its work, and adaptability in confronting new challenges such as the COVID-19 and energy crisis (published in October 2023: Interim evaluation of the activities of the Joint Research Centre under Horizon Europe and Euratom 2021-2025 - Final report of the evaluation panel). https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC134811 Studies published since last year: In 2023, 9 evaluation studies supporting the ex-post evaluation of Horizon 2020 were published: Evaluation study on the external coherence and synergies of Horizon 2020 within the European research and innovation (R&I) support system, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/90147 Evaluation study on the relevance and internal coherence of Horizon 2020 and its policy mix, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/058655 Evaluation study on the implementation of cross-cutting issues in Horizon 2020, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/763665 Evaluation study of the European framework programmes for R&I for a resilient Europe, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/60819 Evaluation study on the European framework programmes for R&I for addressing global challenges and industrial competitiveness: focus on activities related to the green transition, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/422725 Evaluation study on the European framework programmes for R&I for addressing global challenges and industrial competitiveness: focus on activities for the digital and industrial transition, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/99438 Evaluation study of the European framework programmes for R&I for excellent science, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/967813 Evaluation study of the European framework programmes for R&I for an innovative Europe, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/144504 Eurostars-2 final evaluation, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/333838 Other reports: Several publications were released in 2023: a report and a factsheet on the participation of newcomers in EU R&I programmes, a factsheet on Horizon Europe key 2021-2022 implementation data and a report on how the R&I programmes contributed to the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) reports. The monitoring flash on the contribution of the framework programmes to IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) was also updated. European Court of Auditors reports: Annual report on the performance of the EU budget – status at the end of 2021 Special Report 09/2022: Climate spending in the 2014-2020 EU budget – Not as high as reported small and medium sized enterprises internationalisation instruments – A large number of support actions but not fully coherent or coordinated Measures to widen participation in Horizon 2020 were well designed but sustainable change will mostly depend on efforts by national authorities Synergies between Horizon 2020 and European Structural and Investment Funds – Not yet used to full potential Annual reports concerning the financial year 2022 Special report 24/2023: Smart cities – Tangible solutions, but fragmentation challenges their wider adoption Special report 25/2023: EU aquaculture policy – Stagnating production and unclear results despite increased EU funding Special report 29/2023: The EU’s support for sustainable biofuels in transport – An unclear route ahead BudgetBudget programming (million EUR):[notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_02:table[/notranslate] Financial programming:- EUR 1 990.9 million (- 2%)compared to the legal basis * (*) Top-ups pursuant to Article 5 of the multiannual framework regulation are excluded from financial programming in this comparison. Non-linear Budget Allocation Over Time: It is expected that the budget allocation may not follow a linear pattern over time. A significant part of Horizon Europe’s budget for 2021-2023 corresponds to the European Union Recovery Instrument to support Europe’s recovery after the Covid-19 crisis. This has provided an additional EUR 5.3 billion budget programming for the three first years of the Framework Programme. Since the regulation of the European Union Recovery Instrument foresees the concentration of funds over the period 2021-2023, the overall budget programming significantly drops after 2023. Indeed, an overall budget of EUR 12,9 billion is programmed for 2024 (excluding the top ups from decommitments Art 15.3 FR, and contributions from other countries) compared to EUR 15,3 billion for 2023. Difference Between Financial Programming and Legal Base: During the three first year of Horizon Europe, budget programming was fairly in line with the legal base and differences are rather limited. However, the Mid-Term Revision of the MFF has resulted in a reduction of EUR 2.1 billion for the Horizon Europe programme over years 2025-2027. These funds will be reallocated to benefit other identified programs as per the mid-term revision. Therefore, the budget programming for 2025-2027 will be adjusted accordingly. Nevertheless, Horizon Europe’s budget programming for the same period will also be readjusted to take into account additional funding expected to contribute to the budget. According to Article 5 of the MFF Regulation, Horizon Europe’s budget programming benefits from a top up of up to EUR 3 billion (in constant 2018 prices) based on fines collected by the Union between 2022 and 2027. This additional budget has not yet been taken into account in the programming for 2025-2027. In addition, Horizon Europe’s programming will benefit from the possibility to re-use so-called decommitments made available again as per Article 15(3) of the Financial Regulation. Decommitments correspond to unspent money of running projects. Based on joint statement agreed by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission during the adoption process of the Horizon Europe Regulation, EUR 500 million in constant 2018 prices can be programmed on this basis. [In addition, as part of the political agreement reached on the MFF Mid-Term Revision, an additional EUR 100 million in constant 2018 prices of decommitments will be made available again to Horizon Europe by 2027.] For the period 2021-2023, decommitments made available again already represent EUR 286 million and the final agreement on the European Chips Act foresees the use of EUR 75 million to be used for this initiative over 2024-2027 (out of the initial EUR 500 million). Hence, the scope for manoeuvre regarding the use of this source of funding is rather limited. As in previous years, the 2024-2027 budget will also benefit from additional contributions linked to the participation of other countries associated to Horizon Europe. This represented approximatively EUR 2,5 billion for 2021-2023 and is expected to increase significantly with additional countries joining the Framework Programme especially the United Kingdome and Canada. Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027: The Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027, shaped by a robust analysis and inclusive co-design process, serves as the blueprint for utilising efficiently the Horizon Europe budget in alignment with EU priorities. Informed by extensive consultation and considering key global and societal shifts, the plan addresses pressing challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate-related events, and geopolitical dynamics. It emphasizes bridging innovation gaps, addressing regional disparities, and fostering significant investments in research and innovation to realize the European Green Deal and ensure strategic autonomy. With active involvement from Member States, stakeholders, and the European Parliament, the plan is expected to be adopted in 2024, defining strategic orientations and research priorities to drive sustainable recovery and advance green and digital transitions, ultimately shaping a climate-neutral and digitally advanced Europe for its citizens. Budget performance – implementationMultiannual cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR):[notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_03:table[/notranslate] Annual voted budget implementation (million EUR)(1):[notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_04:table[/notranslate] More information on the budget implementation Horizon Europe’s budget is implemented in accordance with its legal base to fund different types of research and innovation activities. The resources available for individual funding schemes are based on the ceilings set by the legislations for the seven years of the Framework Programme and implemented through fixed annual budgets. As of the end of 2023, substantial progress has been achieved in the implementation of Horizon Europe. The financial commitment outlined in the Horizon Europe Regulation, including budget allocations for Space or Digital, are being diligently implemented. However, with only 17.26% of the 63 898 proposals submitted by 325 913 applicants being retained for funding, Horizon Europe remains highly competitive. While the overall success rate has improved compared to Horizon 2020, budgetary constraints continue to limit the impact of Horizon Europe, as approximately EUR 54.4 billion would have been needed to fund all high-quality proposals submitted over 2021-2023. 1. Key features of implementation: This section provides an overview of the state of play of the implementation of the budget for the overall Framework Programme. Progress in Grant Agreements: A total of 10 674 Grant Agreements have been signed, amounting to EUR 30.8 billion in funding, representing a share of 32.25% of the programme's overall budget of EUR 95.5 billion. Notably, in 2023 alone, 5 163 Grant Agreements were signed, totalling EUR 14.36 billion, thus indicating an accelerated implementation. Grant Sizes: The average grant size has increased to EUR 2.9 million, surpassing the figures from Horizon 2020 (EUR 2.3 million2). Notably, collaborative grants receive higher European Union funding, averaging around EUR 4.2 million, compared to mono-beneficiary grants, which average EUR 1.2 million. Collaborative grants involve 11 participants on average 3. Launch of Research Topics: A total of 284 calls for proposals covering 1,581 research topics have been launched under Horizon Europe's main work programs for 2021-2022 and 2023-2024, among which 123 calls under the main work programme 2023-2024 with 76 having deadlines in 2023. While the main work programme constitutes the bulk of Horizon Europe's budget (EUR 25.6 billion for 2021-2024), significant funding has also been allocated through other funding schemes, particularly the European Research Council (ERC) and the European Innovation Council (EIC). Notably, 4 ERC calls supporting frontier research and opportunities worth over EUR 2.12 billion, as well as calls worth over EUR 1.6 billion from the EIC were opened and evaluated in 2023. Participation Landscape and SME Participation: The diverse participation landscape of Horizon Europe includes higher education institutions, private sector entities, research organizations, NGOs, and public administrations, with over 163 countries represented. Notably, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) account for 19% of participating organizations, reflecting the programme's inclusivity. New Participant Dynamics: The number of new participants in the program continues to rise, representing 47% of all participants. However, their participation rate in projects remains lower than that of established participants, with newcomers joining an average of 1.2 projects compared to 5.2 for old-timers. New participants, particularly from the private sector, including SMEs, secured 11.4% of Horizon Europe funds to date. International Cooperation: Around 28% of Horizon Europe topics promote international cooperation, in line with the EU's commitment to openness. Associated and non-associated third countries collectively submitted 17.8% of all applications, with United Kingdom-based organisations accounting for half of the latter. Following the political agreement with the UK leading to its formal association from the 1st of January 2024, 18 countries have association agreements in force, including New Zealand, the first country outside of Europe’s neighbourhood, for which the association agreement has been signed on the 9th of July 2023. A political agreement has also been reached with Canada for an association expected in 2024. Funding Distribution: entities established in the Member States have received EUR 28.3 billion or 92% of the total funding allocated through Horizon Europe. This allocation remains consistent with previous years. Entities from widening countries received 13.6% of funds, while those from associated and non-associated third countries received 6.6% (over EUR 2 billion) and 1.4% (EUR 444 million), respectively. 2. Focus on the implementation of specific funding schemes: The following section provides more details about the state of play of the implementation of specific funding schemes implemented in Horizon Europe. European Partnerships: Horizon Europe is implemented through European Partnership when the objectives of the Programme can be more effectively achieved in this way than by the European Union alone. The first Horizon Europe strategic plan (2021-2024) identified 49 partnerships among which 44 were set-up and are actively implemented at the end of year 2023. Among the European Partnerships, 10 are active joint undertakings (institutionalised partnerships based on Art.187 TFEU) under which 345 grants were signed for a total of EUR 2.9 billion corresponding to 9.5% of Horizon Europe funds granted over 2021-2023. Grant Agreements were signed with 8 consortia of beneficiaries to implement co-funded partnerships for a total EU funding of EUR 680 million. In addition to this EU funding, the partners contribute between 50% and 70% of the total funding implemented by the co-funded partnerships. In addition, EUR 3.1 billion (10% of Horizon Europe’s funding) supported co-programmed partnerships and an extra EUR 0.5 billion was brought in the projects by the partners. EU-Missions: With the EU Missions, Horizon Europe has adopted a new instrument for directing R&I efforts toward complex societal challenges. The EU Missions set ambitious goals for 2030, enable new forms of governance and collaboration and engage citizens in their design and implementation. Five missions are implemented under Horizon Europe: Adaptation to Climate Change; Cancer; 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart cities by 2030; Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030; A Soil Deal for Europe. By the end of 2023, 32 Horizon Europe mission calls had been launched, closed, and fully evaluated. Hence, 173 Horizon Europe grants involving 3 732 participants have already been signed for a total amount of EUR 1.43 billion. In addition, at least 1 041 R&I projects, financed under other instruments of Horizon Europe, have been identified as contributing to the missions’ objectives. European Innovation Council: The EIC is Europe’s flagship programme to identify, develop and scale up breakthrough technologies and game changing innovations. The EIC opened in 2023 funding opportunities worth over EUR 1.6 billion through its three main funding schemes: EIC pathfinder (EUR 343 million), EIC transition (EUR 128 million) and EIC accelerator (EUR 1.13 billion). Following the Commission implementing decision of the 7th of December 2022, the EIC is adopting a new management configuration based on indirect management for the EIC Fund ensuring that it can operate on a sustainable basis and in line with its legal base. European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT): The EIT is an EU body fostering the links between business, education, and research. Between 2021 and 2023 a total of EUR 912 million have been allocated to the institution to run its activities, mostly its knowledge and innovation communities. Joint Research Centre (JRC). By implementing its scientific work programme for 2023-2024, the JRC provides independent, evidence-based knowledge and science, supporting European Union policies to positively impact the society. European Research Council: the ERC is Europe’s funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It launched five 2023 calls under the excellent science pillar for a total budget of EUR 2 170 million. Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA): the MSCA are the European Union’s flagship funding programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training of researchers. The MSCA also fund the development of excellent doctoral and postdoctoral training programmes and collaborative research projects worldwide. Since the beginning of Horizon Europe, grants for a total of EUR 1 792 million have been signed under the MSCA funding scheme in the excellent science pillar. 3. External factors impacting the financial implementation: The reallocation of budgetary resources, particularly towards initiatives like the European Chips Act, support to Ukraine, the Strategic Technologies European Platform (STEP) (see the performance section), and addressing challenges of inflation and energy crises, may have a significant impact on the performance of the Horizon Europe Programme. European Chips Act: The regulation establishing the European Chips Act has been adopted on the 13th of September 2023. The initiative will be implemented through the Horizon Europe budget EUR 1 725 billion and the Digital Europe budget EUR 1 575 billion. The European Chips Act foresees the creation of a dedicated institutionalised partnership, the Chips Joint Undertaking, in replacement of the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking, and targeted funding through the EIC. Therefore, the setting of this priority will have an impact on the programming of Horizon Europe. Support to Ukraine: Specific actions have been initiated to face the consequences of the war in Ukraine. The agreement associating Ukraine with Horizon Europe and the Euratom research and training programme has been in force since 9 June 2022. In addition, a new Horizon Europe Office in Kyiv; a new European Innovation Council (EIC) action to support the Ukrainian deep tech community; the new EUR 25 million (to be topped up by additional EUR 10 million in 2024) MSCA4Ukraine fellowship scheme for displaced researchers for Ukraine to continue their research in Europe funded under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions; and a new European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Community Hub have been initiated. This leads in particular to an investment of up to EUR 20 million in Ukrainian deep-tech start-ups through the EIC. Inflation & Energy crisis: Inflation & Energy Crisis: The looming threat of inflation may pose significant challenges for both activities and participants involved in our program. This economic phenomenon has the potential to disrupt the smooth implementation and outcomes of funded activities. For instance, inflationary pressures on materials and services can significantly impact projects across all stages of execution. Moreover, the degree of inflation's impact may vary depending on the project's phase and its Technology Readiness Level (TRL). In addition to its effects on project dynamics, inflation also constrains the flexibility and capabilities of participants. High inflation rates can limit their ability to adapt and ability effectively within the programme. Furthermore, the recent surge in energy costs across Europe has exacerbated the situation. Although prices have stabilised somewhat, they remain elevated compared to 2021. This inflationary trend has translated into higher operational expenses for research and innovation activities, including those undertaken by the JRC. Consequently, there is mounting pressure on the implementation of Horizon Europe's budget, which is structured on a multiannual basis. Additionally, individual projects are grappling with unexpected cost escalations, further straining their financial sustainability. In light of these challenges, it is imperative for us to closely monitor and mitigate the impacts of inflation and energy price fluctuations on our program's operations and objectives. By proactively addressing these issues, we can safeguard the integrity and effectiveness of our initiatives amidst volatile economic conditions. A sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic: The 2023-2024 work programme has directed investments of more than EUR 1 billion from NextGenerationEU towards Europe's recovery from the economic and social damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Progress is being made and will continue for the European Partnership on Pandemic Preparedness, building notably on and integrating earlier initiatives like the Trial Coordination Board (TCB) and the Cohort Coordination Board (CCB). In addition, following the June meeting on “Paving the way towards coordinated clinical trials in public health emergencies in the EU”, a clinical trial coordination mechanism is being established jointly by HERA, DG SANTE, DG RTD and EMA 4 The mechanism will be a sub-group of the HERA board. The Partnership will contribute to this mechanism by ensuring the appropriate clinical trial networks readiness and response. Contribution to horizontal prioritiesGreen budgetingContribution to green budgeting priorities (million EUR):[notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_05:table[/notranslate] Research and innovation are pivotal drivers in facilitating the green transition, offering pathways to accelerate and navigate the necessary transitions while deploying, demonstrating and engaging citizens in innovative solutions. The Horizon Europe regulation states that actions under this programme must contribute at least 35% of expenditure to climate objectives. This underscores the programme’s commitment to addressing climate change and advancing sustainability goals. Monitoring figures Mainstreaming climate has been seamlessly integrated into all actions funded by Horizon Europe and reported in the Commission’s financial system. However, as commitments for 2023 are ongoing, it is not currently possible to provide reliable monitoring data for the year. Additionally, the stable monitoring figures for 2021-2022 will only be known after the verification of the current monitoring data is completed and any necessary corrections are made. The 2023 figures will be checked to ensure the reliability of climate information encoded in the Commission financial system, once all commitments for the year 2023 will be completed, i.e., at the end of the year 2024. Europe. Estimate figures: For the years 2024-2027, these are based on draft and foreseen work programs and strategic plans. The estimated climate contribution for 2025-2027 reflects the minimum target of 35% as per the Horizon Europe legal basis as no work programmes are available yet. Should corrective measures be necessary, they will be proposed to ensure that Horizon Europe's overall contribution to climate aligns with regulatory requirements. Among the numerous activities funded under Horizon Europe, the four EU ‘green’ missions actively drive Europe towards a greener and healthier future, as evidenced by their progress in 2 years5. These missions are promising approach to supporting the European Green Deal and accelerating transformative change at both local and regional levels. For instance, the ‘Adaptation to climate change’ mission is empowering European regions to become climate-resilient by 2030. With over 300 regional and local authorities committed to the cause, and 50 actively engaged in developing risk assessments, this mission is laying the groundwork for resilient communities in the face of climate challenges. The ‘Climate-neutral and smart cities’ mission is spearheading efforts to achieve 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030. With nearly 400 cities expressing interest, this initiative is fostering innovation and collaboration, creating a powerful network of cities committed to climate action. Meanwhile, the ‘Restore our ocean and waters’ mission is leading the charge in protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems. Through the establishment of lighthouse sites and the pledge of over 480 actions, this mission is driving tangible solutions to preserve aquatic resources for generations to come. Lastly, the ‘Soil’ mission is working for climate change mitigation and adaptation. By creating 100 living labs and lighthouses (more than 1 000 real-life experimentation sites across Europe), the mission is leading the transition towards healthy soils by 2030. Horizon Europe supports the Green Deal and plays a pivotal role in advancing the objectives set forth by EU nature legislation, including the birds and habitat directives and invasive alien species regulation, along with the EU biodiversity strategy 2030 and international commitments such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Through funded projects, Horizon Europe focuses on biodiversity protection, restoration and sustainable use, addressing key issues relating to biodiversity such as climate, food security, public health, water management and energy sustainability. The programme also emphasises the promotion of transformative change and nature-positive actions, particularly through nature-based solutions. The overarching target of the multiannual financial framework is to allocate 10% of spending to biodiversity by 2026-2027. Mainstreaming biodiversity considerations has been integrated across all areas and topics funded by Horizon Europe. Preliminary ex post estimations reveal that spending on biodiversity within the programme has increased from 7.9% in 2021 to 8.7% in 2023. However, to achieve the Horizon Europe ambition of 10% of spending on biodiversity by 2026-2027, further efforts will be required. In this regard, cluster 6 of pillar II already contributes significantly to biodiversity objectives through the calls that support biodiversity protection, nature restoration, transformative change and ensuring that the EU is meeting the global biodiversity targets. Additional measures and initiatives will be necessary to ensure that Horizon Europe effectively contributes to biodiversity conservation and restoration in the years ahead. Therefore, increasing the contribution to biodiversity of other clusters of pillar II – along with pillars I and III – is being investigated, in order to meet the aforementioned 10% spending target on biodiversity. Based on the preliminary estimations, 4.1% of Horizon Europe spending has been allocated to address clean air for the 2021-2024 period. The Horizon Europe programme plays a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability and addressing major societal challenges. Horizon Europe aims to make a significant contribution to environmental protection, resource efficiency and sustainable development. A significant portion of the programme’s initiatives align with the EU taxonomy criteria for sustainable investments. Specifically, funded activities such as ‘Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors’, the ‘Clean hydrogen partnership’ or the ‘Climate neutral and smart cities’ mission have been identified as sustainable investments, reflecting their alignment with the EU's environmental objectives, including the transition to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. To ensure coherence and alignment with the EU taxonomy, a comprehensive alignment analysis was conducted for the intervention fields within the Horizon Europe programme. This analysis categorises intervention fields into three groups based on their alignment with the taxonomy criteria: ‘fully aligned’, ‘partially aligned’, or ‘not covered’. This approach provides a comprehensive overview of the programme’s environmental impact and facilitates targeted actions for improvement. Large parts of Horizon Europe are not directly relevant to the taxonomy, such as activities in the health, security or digital sectors, which we have assessed as ‘not covered’. Another set of actions, including the actions European Research Council, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, ‘Widening participation and strengthening the European research area’ and INFRASTRUCTURES, primarily support scientific excellence and research and innovation stakeholders. While these supported projects may indirectly contribute to economic activities covered by the taxonomy, they are considered ‘not covered’ as they primarily target stakeholders that not covered by the taxonomy. Conversely, other programme areas such as destinations in clusters, partnerships/joint undertakings, missions, and the Knowledge and Innovation Communities and instruments of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, generally support applied research and innovation activities that directly benefit industrial actors in developing innovative products and services. These efforts either exceed current technical performance requirements outlined in the taxonomy regulation or aim to create an environment conducive to the adoption of high-performing products and services. Without delving into project-level distinctions, these programme areas or instruments are assigned a percentage share of taxonomy relevance based on information and experience gathered from programme implementation until 2023, including quality control measures regarding climate action relevance. This alignment analysis has been used as an alternative to project-based assessments, recognising the complexity and scale of our initiatives. This streamlined approach enables efficient decision-making and ensures effective resource allocation to support sustainable development goals. Based on the budget implemented and our taxonomy perspective, approximately EUR 8 685 million have been evaluated as fully or partially aligned, while EUR 16 443 million were identified as not covered. Additionally, an ex- ante estimate for 2023 indicates that approximately EUR 3 962 million are evaluated as covered. Through its commitment to environmental sustainability and innovation, the Horizon Europe programme promotes positive change and make a significant contribution to the broader environmental goals of the EU. GenderContribution to gender equality (million EUR) (*):[notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_06:table[/notranslate] Under the Horizon Europe programme, a broad array of actions has been taken to promote gender equality in research and innovation, aligning with the broader goals outlined in the European Commission gender equality strategy 2020-2025. Horizon Europe emphasises gender equality as a cross-cutting priority, integrating strengthened provisions to foster gender-equal and inclusive research environments, promote gender balance and ensure the integration of the gender dimension in projects.Provisions for gender equality have been significantly strengthened under Horizon Europe compared to Horizon 2020. They include the requirement for applying legal entities to have a gender equality plan in place in order to be eligible for funding. Additionally, the integration of the gender dimension into research and innovation content is now a default requirement unless specified otherwise in the topic description. Efforts are also underway to achieve gender balance among research teams and within program-related boards and committees. To support organisations in meeting the gender equality plan eligibility criterion, the Commission has developed detailed guidance documents and offered online training sessions targeting specific regions. A recent addition is the EU Award for Gender Equality Champions, which recognises academic and research organisations’ outstanding results obtained through gender equality plan in implementation. Moreover, dedicated funding is allocated to promoting gender studies and intersectional research, particularly under cluster 2 of the programme focusing on culture, creativity, and inclusive society. Horizon Europe also has dedicated measures and funding schemes to empower women innovators through Pillar III, Innovative Europe, and the European Innovation Council.Furthermore, gender mainstreaming efforts extend beyond Horizon Europe to the broader European research area policy, where initiatives focus on fostering gender equality in research careers, leadership, decision-making and the integration of the gender dimension into research content. The European research area policy agenda 2022-2024 outlines specific actions to promote gender equality and inclusiveness, including the development of policy coordination mechanisms on inclusive gender equality opening to intersectional approaches, and strategies to counteract gender-based violence in research and innovation. These objectives are also supported through funding under the ‘Widening participation and strengthening the European research area’ work programme of Horizon Europe.In addition, Horizon Europe aims to foster women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), where they remain under-represented. Efforts include supporting the implementation of a manifesto for gender-inclusive STEM education and careers, supported by other activities such as the EU Prize for Women Innovators and various projects aimed at strengthening gender equality including through a science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM) approach integrating the arts and social science and humanities in STEM education.Gender mainstreaming will continue and be further reinforced in the 2025-2027 Work Horizon Europe work programme, in support of EU political priorities, including regarding combating gender-based violence including sexual harassment in the EU research and innovation system, in line with the upcoming directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. Gender disaggregated information:At the cut-off date of 31 December 2023, out of 54 411 researchers(1) involved in upskilling activities (training, mentoring/coaching, mobility and access to R&I infrastructures) in projects funded by the Programme(2), 44.5% were woman researchers, 55.4% man researchers, and 0.1% non-binary researchers. (1) It covers only category C and category D researchers. (2) Excluding the EIT Cascading grants and JRC direct activities” Gender equality is a crosscutting priority in Horizon Europe and the integration of the gender dimension in research and innovation content is a requirement by default. Until there are project reviews that allow to determine whether projects have actually integrated a gender dimension and to what extent, we attribute a 0* score by default to all of Horizon Europe, except for topics and actions whose principal objective is explicitly to improve gender equality (score 2), or which explicitly mention gender equality as one of their objectives or indirectly contribute to it (score 1) or which we already know will have no significant impact (score 0).For 2021 and 2022, we have updated amounts compared to the previous programme performance statements, with the precise budgets allocated to actions, instead of relying solely on the indicative budget envelopes defined in the work programmes ex ante. In addition, we have implemented a more rigorous screening process to identify projects having a gender dimension, under Pillar 1 (European Research Council and Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions), as under Missions within Pillar 2. This increased scrutiny has resulted in the identification of a significantly larger number of projects actively contributing to gender equality. As a result, the combination of updated budgets for 2021 and 2022 and a more comprehensive project examination process has resulted in an increase in expenditure figures contributing to gender equality, particularly under score 2.Score 2If the principal objective of the project is explicitly to improve gender equality, a score of 2 is attributed. A selection of some examples:Under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions :2021: EUR 7.2 million (score 2)2022: EUR 7.0 million (score 2)Under the European Institute of Innovation and Technology:2022: EUR 3.7 million (score 2) including the cross-KIC strategic synergies Supernovas project for women entrepreneurship2023: the European Institute of Innovation and Technology expects to have consolidated figures at the end of June 2024. At this stage, the only 2023 estimated figures available amount to EUR 3.6 million (score 2).Under the European Innovation Council:2023: EUR 390 600 (score 2) for the Women Leadership Programme (EUR 70 600) and the EU Prize for Women Innovators (EUR 320 000).Under pillar 2, cluster 3 – Civil Security for Society: 2021: EUR 7.4 million (score 2) for topics on preventing domestic and sexual violence and child sexual exploitation. A Gender Marker Score 1 is attributed to projects that will contribute in some way to gender equality, but not significantly. A selection of some examples:Under EU Missions:2022: EUR 193 million (score 1) for 9 projects under the Cancer mission, the Ocean and Waters mission, and the Soil mission.2023: EUR 243.5 million (score 1) for 10 projects under the Cancer mission, the Ocean and Waters mission, the Cities mission, the Soil mission, and the Joint-calls mission.Under Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions :This bottom-up work package encourages gender equality in research teams, funds a substantial number of women researchers and asks that gender be integrated into the contents of funded projects. Building on a keyword search in the titles and abstracts and further scrutiny, the following has been identified:2021: EUR 41.1 million (score 1) 2022: EUR 40.8 million (score 1).2023: it is too early to provide figures for 2023 as most calls are yet to be evaluated.Under Research Infrastructures (INFRA): 2023: EUR 3.7 million (score 1) for a topic on cooperation with Latin America paying special attention to women and young researchers.Score 0*If the projects are not properly implementing activities, the project reviews that allow to determine whether they have actually integrated a gender dimension and to what extent cannot take place. Therefore, we attributed a 0* score by default to all of Horizon Europe, except for topics and actions for which gender relevance is mentioned or is clearly not present.Score 0 A score of 0 is attributed to projects that are not expected to contribute noticeably to gender equality. DigitalContribution to digital transition (million EUR):[notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_07:table[/notranslate] Horizon Europe investments in the digital transformation for 2021-2022 are up to EUR 14 053.2 million, which represents 33% of the Horizon Europe budget. As the Horizon Europe estimates refer to biannual 2021-2022 work programmes, the figures indicated in the table correspond to the split of half of the value to get a reference per year. This figure includes contributions to developing digital solutions/applications in different economic sectors. The contribution to core digital (general-purpose) technologies amounts to EUR 4 184 2 million for 2021-2022. Budget performance – outcomes[notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_09:progress[/notranslate] More information on the key performance indicators [notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_09:table[/notranslate]Link to file with complete set of EU core performance indicators2021-2027 Indicator metadata set The Horizon Europe programme aims to deliver impactful research and innovation across various dimensions, including scientific, technological/economic, societal impact and strengthening the European research area. The Horizon Europe programme demonstrates progress across its specific objectives, with efforts underway to address challenges, exploit synergies and mitigate external factors impacting its performance. Continuous implementation monitoring and performance monitoring allow to ensure the programme’s effectiveness and to maximise its impact. The performance of the Horizon Europe programme is assessed using a set of 27 indicators, as set in Annex V of the Horizon Europe regulation. These 27 indicators cover the entire lifecycle of the programme and are classified into three categories: for the short- term, 9 for the medium-term and 9 for the long- term. At this stage, 3 years after the launch of the programme, performance analysis relies on the 9 short-term indicators. Based on these 9 indicators, the Horizon Europe programme is progressing well towards its targets, with no major deviations observed. However, there are delays in the number of scientific publications. This could be explained by the delayed adoption of the Horizon Europe regulation and consequently, calls for proposals. Furthermore, it should be noted that complete data will only become available once they have been recorded through the periodic reports of the projects. This process typically takes place 18 months after the start of the project. Once these data are encoded, they can be accurately accounted for, and the results will subsequently be updated accordingly. Therefore, the results for some indicators, such as the ‘Researchers involved in upskilling activities’ indicator are currently incomplete, as they cover only the parts of the programme already encoded. Nonetheless, the results of the 9 indicators show that the progress in the specific objectives of the framework programme (Article 3 of the Horizon Europe regulation) are on track. As for the indicator on the co-creation of research and innovation content, a revision of the milestone and the target is under consideration, due to a change of methodology. The European Union has faced significant challenges in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and climate-related extreme events. These crises have underscored the need for joint and just responses, with Europe rallying to address them collectively. However, ongoing geopolitical challenges continue to pose uncertainties for economic and social developments. The war in Ukraine, in particular, has had far-reaching consequences, impacting various sectors including research and innovation. Despite these challenges, the Horizon Europe programme has shown agility in supporting Ukrainian researchers and innovators, with initiatives like the European Innovation Council's EUR20million action, which provides direct funding to support the Ukrainian innovation community. Additionally, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions have launched a dedicated EUR 25 million scheme to support displaced doctoral candidates and post-doctoral researchers from Ukraine, allowing them to continue their research activities in Europe. The European Research Council has also appealed to its grantees to provide temporary employment to refugee researchers and support staff from Ukraine. These funding actions demonstrate the EU's commitment to supporting research and innovation efforts in times of crisis and highlight the crucial role of innovation in addressing complex challenges. Looking ahead, continued investment in research and innovation will be essential for fostering resilience and driving sustainable solutions to global issues. In addition to addressing immediate crises, the EU’s research and innovation efforts are crucial for advancing the green and digital transitions. Funding actions under programs like Horizon Europe play a significant role in accelerating progress towards these transitions. For example, research and innovation funded activities focused on renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and circular economy practices contribute to the green transition by reducing carbon emissions and promoting environmental sustainability. Similarly, investments in digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure, support the digital transition by enhancing connectivity, efficiency, and innovation across various sectors. By funding initiatives that drive innovation in both green and digital domains, Horizon Europe is paving the way for a more sustainable and technologically advanced future. The Horizon Europe programme plays a crucial role in advancing the green transition by addressing key environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. One significant focus area is the preservation and restoration of ocean ecosystems, which are vital for the planet’s resilience. Through Horizon Europe, research is conducted to restore degraded ecosystems, reverse biodiversity loss and enhance climate change adaptation. Innovations in blue bioeconomy and biotechnology are explored, offering promising solutions for marine ecosystem regeneration. Moreover, Horizon Europe supports sustainable fisheries and aquaculture through digital technologies, contributing to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and global biodiversity frameworks. Furthermore, farmers and foresters, who manage a significant portion of the EU’s land, are pivotal in the green transition. Horizon Europe engages these stakeholders to develop sustainable land management practices aligned with the EU’s climate ambitions. Research efforts focus on tools and solutions to adapt to changing environmental conditions and promote sustainable agriculture and forestry. By integrating projects funded by Horizon Europe with the common agricultural policy network, impactful solutions are deployed to support the transition to greener practices. In addition, the global food system faces numerous challenges, exacerbated by climate change and recent crises. Horizon Europe drives research to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems, addressing issues such as food waste prevention, alternative proteins and microbiome research. By aligning with the EU Green Deal and the farm-to-fork strategy, Horizon Europe targets sustainable food consumption and production from farm to fork. Investments in research foster systemic approaches to transform food systems, promoting fairness, health , sustainable agriculture practices and environmental sustainability. Moreover, Horizon Europe contributes to the green transformation of health and care systems, ensuring they remain resilient amid environmental and health challenges. Biomedical research supported by Horizon Europe explores therapeutic approaches for post-COVID-19 health conditions and strengthens healthcare systems’ resilience and quality. Initiatives like the co-funded partnership on transforming health and care systems address these challenges, enhancing the competitiveness and resilience of the EU’s economy and industry while addressing strategic dependencies. Through these concerted efforts, Horizon Europe drives innovation and research to foster a sustainable and resilient future for Europe and the world. The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform initiative, adopted by the Commission on 20June 2023, aims to bolster Europe’s technological leadership and resilience by supporting investments in critical technologies in the sectors of digital technologies and deep tech innovation, clean and resource efficient technologies and biotechnologies. Horizon Europe, particularly through the European Innovation Council, plays a significant role in supporting the goals of Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform and plays an important role in its implementation. One of the main challenges identified by European scale-up companies and investors is the later-stage financing gap in Europe in critical sectors, particularly for high-risk, deep technologies. The European Innovation Council Fund addresses this gap, but evidence shows that the European Innovation Council instrument is highly oversubscribed, with a low overall success rate close to 5%. To meet the needs of companies requiring larger investment amounts for developing breakthrough technologies, the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform proposed a new compartment of the European Innovation Council Fund providing unprecedented equity investments ranging from EUR 15 to 50 million, which would have been supported through a budgetary reinforcement of EUR 2.63 billion (including EUR 2.13 billion from redeployments and de-commitments). The Council and Parliament did not approve the budgetary reinforcement for the European Innovation Council, but have agreed to increased flexibility in providing equity-only support for companies: the amendments made in February 2024 in the context of the revision of the multiannual financial framework will expand equity-only support for all European Innovation Council projects beyond the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, and clarify equity terms to attract other investors. Furthermore, the co-legislators have agreed on the possibility to award Sovereignty Seals as quality labels for projects contributing to Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform objectives, including via proposals assessed through European Innovation Council calls, to facilitate access to EU funding and investment opportunities. By enhancing the European Innovation Council's flexibility to provide equity investments and strengthening funding opportunities via the Sovereignty Seal, Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform strengthens synergies among existing funding instruments, fostering the development of critical technologies in the fields of digital technologies and deep tech innovation, clean and resource -efficient technologies, and biotechnologies. It thereby contributes to Europe’s efforts to maintain and enhance its technological leadership and resilience in strategic sectors. Horizon Europe is striving to foster synergies with other EU programmes by the following methods: Combining Horizon Europe funding with other EU, national or regional funding instruments in the same operation, project or initiative in order to achieve greater impact and efficiency (cumulative/ complementary funding). Funding collaboration where projects/initiatives build on each other’s results/resources (sequential synergies). This takes place in the form of upstream synergy, where regional/national initiatives pave the way for joint efforts to apply for Horizon Europe and downstream synergy aiming to enhance the take-up of Horizon Europe and other research results towards the market and concrete deployment. Funding parallel projects that complement each other (complementary parallel projects), which also includes funding to improve the research and innovation capacity to provide the necessary basis for Horizon Europe projects. Securing alternative funding for proposals that have been submitted to a competitive call for proposals under an EU programme and evaluated as complying with all quality requirements of that programme, but which could not be funded due to budgetary constraints. The most prominent example is the Seal of Excellence. Funding excellent Horizon Europe project proposals from Member States by way of transfers from the European Regional Development Fund to Horizon Europe, where budgetary constraints would otherwise prevent them from being selected for support. Partnerships and missions are instruments intrinsically set up to create synergies by bringing together EU and associated countries, the private sector, foundations and other stakeholders. Both instruments have a strong commitment to collaborate and build synergies from the start in a proactive manner. Initial examples include cooperation between the EU ‘Carbon-neutral and smart cities’ mission and the partnerships on driving urban transitions, connected and automated driving or Built4People or the ‘Cancer’, ‘Oceans’ and ‘Soil’ missions and the partnership for the risk assessment of chemicals. Seal of Excellence: there is no comprehensive overview of the update of the Seal of Excellence due to the lack of a requirement to report to the Commission but according to voluntary reporting more than 30 Seal of Excellence support schemes at both regional and/or national level are implemented in 18 countries. Horizon Europe aims to foster collaboration across various research and innovation domains. For instance, initiatives that combine digital technologies (such as data analytics, artificial intelligence or cybersecurity) with sustainable practices (such as renewable energy, circular economy or eco-friendly manufacturing) exemplifies synergies between these horizontal priorities. For instance, the EU ‘Restore our ocean and waters’ mission aims to protect and bring back the health of our ocean and waters by 2030 through research and innovation, stakeholder (including with citizens) and investment in the blue economy. Under the mission, the EU is developing the European digital twin of the ocean, a digital replica to help scientists understand and predict the impact of human activities and climate change. This powerful tool collates data from EU assets like the Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) and the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service programmes and feeds it state-of-the-art computer models to simulate the ocean under different scenarios. By building a digital replica, researchers can study the ocean’s past, present and future, which can help inform EU policy and foster new connections between science, business and society. As for specific examples from the 2023-2024 work programme, a call for project relating to cross-sectoral solutions for the climate transition has been issued. This call aims to support research and innovation addressing climate challenges, including climate sciences, mitigation adaptation and more. To address the need for further simplification and accessibility within the Horizon Europe programme, a series of actions has been initiated. These measures aim to enhance the user experience and increase the accessibility of Horizon Europe, particularly for newcomers. Some of the key actions include: revamping information and dissemination channels, especially through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, to provide clearer and more accessible guidance on Horizon Europe; implementing simplified cost options, such as lump sum and unit costs, to streamline financial grant management and make the programme more user-friendly; pilot actions to open the programme to new actors, fostering broader participation and innovation; targeted actions to strengthen the participation of widening countries across all areas of Horizon Europe; restructuring of the European Innovation Council Fund to consolidate its position as the largest technology investor in Europe. Additionally, the client centricity project aims to enhance the user experience of the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Through this project, the portal will undergo a comprehensive revamp, focusing on meeting the needs of its users. Key improvements include artificial-intelligence-powered functionalities for search and recommendations, the introduction of the EU Grants mobile application and the establishment of a centralised newsroom for improved client-centric outreach activities. Furthermore, efforts are underway to implement a robust data governance and data quality framework to enhance the reporting of framework programme data and indicators. This includes the implementation of a risk-based data control framework to improve the quality of data on key impact pathways, including the performance indicators. MFF 2014-2020 – Horizon 2020Horizon 2020 – the eighth framework programme funding research, technological development and innovation – was established as a means of putting the EU at the heart of world-class science and innovation, making it more competitive and creating economic growth and new jobs. Budget implementationCumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR):[notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_08:table[/notranslate] More information on the budget implementation As regards the payment appropriations implemented in 2021, the available appropriations were mainly used to cover the legal obligations of initiatives selected in 2014-2020, including 2 971 final payments allowing the level of payment appropriations still to be implemented to be decreased. To mitigate the risk of the under-implementation of research and innovation projects due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has continued to allow maximum flexibility in relation to the implementation of initiatives. This also means that the full implementation of payment appropriations will take longer following the end of the programme. Performance assessment[notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_10:progress[/notranslate] More information on the key performance indicators [notranslate]HorizonWeb:budg_10:table[/notranslate]Link to file with complete set of EU core performance indicators Many Horizon 2020 projects are still ongoing, as reflected by the payment rate (9191,6%), which explains why some targets have a deadline after 2020. The Horizon 2020 performance is measured until the last initiatives financed under Horizon 2020 are finished, i.e., several years after the formal end of the programme in 2020. Overall, Horizon 2020 has made good progress towards achieving scientific impacts by improving research and innovation capacity, scientific excellence, and reputation and by integrating research and innovation efforts. The results indicate that, in most areas, Horizon 2020 has achieved its targets or even exceeded them. The initiatives under the programme as far as the ‘Excellent science’ pillar is concerned are very satisfactory. From 2014 to 2020, the share of publications from European Research Council-funded projects among the top 1% most cited has remained high, at about 7%, considerably exceeding the target of 1.8%. Future and emerging technologies have already generated more than 29 publications in peer-reviewed journals per EUR 10 million of funding8, and one patent per EUR 10 million of funding9, (targets achieved). The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions scheme has exceeded its target of 65 000 researchers, including 25 000 PhD students. From 2014 to 2020, 115 053 supported researchers have had access to research infrastructures, including e-infrastructures, both remotely and physically, thus far exceeding the target. The initiatives under the ‘Industrial leadership’ pillar have progressed well. In this respect, projects on leadership in enabling and industrial technologies have produced more than 9 000 public–private publications. 197% of participating firms have introduced innovations ‘new to the company or the market’ with the potential to generate scientific breakthroughs, which almost meets the target of 200% (including private companies beyond the beneficiaries involved in the project). 56.65% of SMEs10 participating to the pillar “Industrial leadership” have introduced innovations new to the company or the market exceeding the target of 50%. As regards patents, the result of 0.63 patent applications per EUR 10 million of funding11 shows that it is progressing slowly towards the target of 3. This is normal since patents are generally filed at the end of projects. The SME instruments have generated around 2 545 jobs at the end of 2020. On the other hand, the ‘Societal challenges’ pillar shows moderate progress. So far, the initiatives under this pillar have generated about 9 910 public–private publications12 and 83 900 innovations13, including prototypes and testing activities. However, the number of peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals per EUR 10 million of funding and the number of patent applications per EUR 10 million of funding are lower than the respective targets. Nevertheless, we expect to see better performance results following the final reporting, when publications and patents generally start to appear. Overall, the results to date show that 82% of the indicators have achieved their target. However, 18% of the indicators indicate that the progression is not as foreseen. It concerns the productivity of patents and publications peer-reviewed in high-impact journals in the Societal challenges’ and the patents in the ‘Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies’ priorities. There are many factors that can lead to underperformance, and it is important to identify and address these factors to improve research outcomes, where necessary. However, considering that Horizon 2020 is finished, and calls are no longer published, the margin of manoeuvre to make adjustments is very limited, if not impossible. However, the conclusions should be used to steer the performance of the next programme. Some possible explanations for underperformance of the programme are described below. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on research around the world, leading to delays and disruptions in many researchers’ works. There are several key factors that can help to contextualise and explain the situation. Limited access to research facilities and equipment: Many researchers have been unable to access laboratories, libraries, and other research facilities due to COVID-19-related closures and restrictions. This has made it difficult to carry out experiments, collect data and conduct other research activities, leading to delays and disruptions in research projects. Changes in research priorities: The pandemic has led to changes in research priorities, with many research projects being postponed, cancelled, or redirected to focus on COVID-19-related research. This has affected researchers in all fields, including those who were working on projects that were not directly related to the pandemic. For instance, in the field of health, some Horizon 2020 projects have been reoriented to deal with the emergency. The pandemic-caused disruptions impacted the projects in different ways: for example, a clinical trial cannot be interrupted without serious consequences for the project. On the other hand, a technological development project can be resumed once the crisis has passed, without the need to repeat some research activities. Therefore, significant delays and failures are expected. These factors are beyond the control of individual researchers. Inappropriate targets: It is important to set targets that are challenging but attainable, and to review them regularly to ensure that they remain relevant and achievable. The Horizon 2020 targets for the ‘Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies’ and ‘Societal challenges’ priorities were set in 2011 (1) in the context of the Commission proposal for the Horizon 2020 regulation as mentioned in the 2014 EU draft budget, with reference to the previous performance of the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme. At that time, less than 10% of Seventh Framework Programme projects had started to produce results as the programme was still running (2007-2013). As the full data were not available when the targets for Horizon 2020 were set, the level of performance of the Seventh Framework Programme was not representative, therefore this made difficult to set realistic targets for Horizon 2020. Moreover, as regards the indicator ‘Publications in peer-reviewed high impact’, at that time, the target was estimated based on data collected on peer-reviewed publications but not restricted to the 'high-impact' ones. As mentioned in the ex-post evaluation of Horizon 2020 14, another element to be considered is the inherent nature of R&I investments, which often require a lengthy period to yield exploitable results. As shown by the analysis of the long-term effectiveness of FP7, R&I programmes need a longer cycle to demonstrate their impacts. This lesson was identified in the interim evaluation, so the ex-post evaluation follows up on FP7 outputs. Notably, IPR performance can only be fully assessed up to ten years after project completion. Design of Horizon 2020: Another aspect to be considered is the design of Horizon 2020 in comparison to the Seventh Framework Programme. In Horizon 2020, a large part of basic research is covered by the pillar ‘Excellence’, aiming to reinforce and extend the excellence of the EU’s science base. The part focused on societal challenges has therefore moved away from basic/frontier research towards applied research. Moreover, it is not uncommon for grants under the pillar ‘Excellence’, like the European Research Council grants, to produce more scientific publications than in applied research. Basic research often involves the development of new concepts, theories, and models that can have wide-ranging implications for a particular field. This can lead to a greater number of publications, as researchers seek to build on and refine these ideas. Applied research, on the other hand, often involves the testing and application of existing theories and concepts to real-world problems. While this can lead to important discoveries and advancements, it may not always result in as many publications as basic research. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the overall performance in terms of publication peer reviewed per EUR 10 million funded by Horizon 2020 is higher than that of the Seventh Framework Programme. As a result, on one hand the pandemic has affected the research projects, such as causing delays in data collection or changes to funding priorities. On the other hand, the timing of target-setting for Horizon 2020 lead to inappropriate targets for Horizon 2020. Therefore, these specific factors contribute to explain the perceived underperformance. Following the recommendations by the Internal Audit Service on the performance framework and to ensure the quality of data, a deep analysis on the Horizon 2020 data was initiated for the performance indicators. After internal investigations, we noticed that the methodology to extract the data needed to be revised to ensure accuracy and reliability. The data collection method has been revised to be more accurate. However, to allow the possibility to compare with past performance figures for Horizon 2020 and to ensure alignment with the methodology used in the ex-post evaluation of Horizon 2020 and, it has been decided to keep using the same methodology for the indicators reported in the above table. For Horizon Europe, the new methodology which provides more reliable information data is being implemented to report on the performance. To set the target of Horizon Europe indicators the new methodology has been used to extract Horizon 2020 data, as described in the metadata of the relevant Horizon Europe indicators. Sustainable development goals Contribution to the sustainable development goalsSDGs the programme contributes toExampleSDG1End poverty in all its forms everywhere By addressing errors in official EU statistics, the Whocounts project aims to improve our understanding of poverty in Europe. By analysing data from eight European countries, including demographics, low-income dynamics, and policy interventions, the project seeks to provide more accurate estimates of poverty levels and nuanced explanations of extreme poverty. Whocounts will correct for noncoverage error in official EU statistics, ensuring that the changing profile, drivers, and depth of poverty across Europe are accurately represented. Through novel analysis techniques and qualitative comparative analysis, Whocounts will shed light on social groups often rendered invisible through official statistics, promising a significant advancement in our understanding of poverty and offering valuable insights for informed policy interventions. SDG2End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agricultureThe Partnership Agroecology “European partnership on accelerating farming systems transition – agroecology living labs and research infrastructures” anticipates to team-up and unlock the transition to agroecology so that farming systems are resilient, productive and prosperous, place-sensitive, as well as climate, environment, ecosystem, biodiversity and people-friendly by 2050. The European Partnership on “Sustainable Food Systems for People, Planet, and Climate” aims to ensure the availability of safe, healthy, and sustainable food for all. Through joint research and innovation programs, it addresses key challenges in food production, processing, distribution, and consumption, ultimately enhancing food security and access to nutritious food across Europe. By pooling resources and promoting collaboration among stakeholders from diverse sectors, including policymakers, businesses, researchers, and civil society, the Partnership empowers transformative solutions that address hunger and promote sustainable food systems. Through strategic initiatives, such as establishing a Food Systems Knowledge Hub and providing place-based solutions in transformative research labs, the Partnership works towards a future where zero hunger is a reality for all. SDG3Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all agesThe European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed) is a pivotal initiative aimed at advancing healthcare for all by promoting personalised therapy, diagnosis, and prevention. With substantial funding exceeding €375 million from the EU and over 50 international partners, EP PerMed is ready to drive the development and integration of personalised medicine practices into clinical settings over the next decade. By fostering research, innovation, and implementation of personalised medicine approaches, EP PerMed seeks to enhance health outcomes and contribute to sustainable healthcare systems, benefiting patients, citizens, and society at large. Building on previous European initiatives and collaborations, EP PerMed aims to fund transnational projects, align strategic activities, and serve as a global platform for scientific dialogue and alignment in personalised medicine. Furthermore, Horizon Europe supports research efforts in fieldillnesses from air pollution, such as the K-HEALTHinAIR project. This project focuses on assessing Indoor Air Quality's (IAQ) impact on healthdelivering practical solutionsmonitorIAQ,contributing to science-based regulations and healthier living environments. SDG4Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for allBy adapting, implementing, and assessing the effectiveness of the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) in kindergarten settings across five European countries, the MTSS-K project aims to reduce inequalities in education. This approach focuses on training teachers to improve socio-emotional, literacy, and numeracy skills for all students, particularly the most vulnerable. By implementing evidence-based teaching practices and monitoring student progress through tiered interventions, MTSS has the potential to enhance equal opportunities for school success and inclusion. However, comprehensive data on the model's implementation, efficacy in kindergarten, applicability in European education systems, and cost-benefit analysis are currently lacking. The MTSS-K project seeks to fill these gaps by providing evidence-based syntheses, intervention tools, and assessment instruments to stakeholders and policymakers, fostering open science practices, and making policy recommendations for EU and national authorities to enhance education quality. SDG5Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls The EU Award for Gender Equality champions is the EU gender equality prize, awarded for the first time in March 2023. This prestigious award, established under Horizon Europe, serves multiple purposes, including complementing and reinforcing the requirement for higher education and research organizations participating in Horizon Europe to implement Gender Equality Plans (GEPs). By incentivizing the adoption and implementation of GEPs, the award acts as a catalyst for promoting inclusive gender equality plans and policies within the framework of the new European Research Area (ERA) policy agenda. Moreover, the award aligns with the objectives of the new European Strategy for Universities, serving as a vital tool in advancing the transformation agenda for universities. Through its recognition of gender equality champions, the prize aims to elevate awareness of the critical importance of institutional change in addressing gender disparities. Furthermore, it underscores the significance of a strong commitment to implementing inclusive GEPs effectively. One of the key objectives of the EU Award for Gender Equality Champions is to cultivate a community of champions who can inspire and encourage other academic and research organizations to embark on their journey toward becoming gender equality champions. By showcasing exemplary efforts and achievements in gender equality, the award sets a benchmark for excellence and encourages replication of best practices across institutions. SDG6Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for allThe CleanWaterPathfinder project is dedicated to revolutionizing the water industry by introducing an innovative robotic inspection system. This system offers a comprehensive range of functionalities, enabling water utilities to gain profound insights into the condition of their water pipelines. By autonomously navigating inside the pipeline, our system conducts detailed assessments of structural integrity, identifies leaks, and analyses the quality of drinking water. Through the development of the Digital Twin of water networks, this technology empowers water utilities to make informed decisions and take proactive measures to ensure the reliability, efficiency, and safety of their water networks. At the heart of the business model lies Robotics as a Service (RaaS), providing a flexible and cost-effective solution for water utilities. From 2025 to 2029, the system is projected to preserve 143 million cubic meters of drinking water, equivalent to the annual consumption of 2.6 million EU citizens, thus aligning with global efforts for sustainable water management and environmental preservation. SDG7Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for allBy bringing together people and resources, the EIT InnoEnergy aims to catalyse and accelerate the energy transition, fostering the development of new ideas, products, and solutions. Through tailored support and collaboration, it connects industry stakeholders with innovators and entrepreneurs, facilitating the commercialization of commercially attractive technologies across the energy value chain. Additionally, EIT InnoEnergy empowers startups, scale-ups, and innovators, providing them with the necessary support to accelerate business cases and expedite time to market. Moreover, through its educational programs, EIT InnoEnergy equips students and professionals with the skills needed to contribute to a sustainable economy, thus promoting access to clean and affordable energy solutions worldwide. Through its impactful initiatives, EIT InnoEnergy has built the largest sustainable energy innovation ecosystem globally, supporting over 500 sustainable energy innovations and investing in more than 200 companies, all intended to generate significant revenue and contribute to substantial CO2 savings by 2030. SDG8Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for allIn addition to the numerous existing financial instruments and synergies between programs that foster economic growth in Europe, the European Social Innovation Competition aims to ignite the potential of social innovation to address societal challenges and foster sustainable and inclusive growth. It serves as a platform for engaging people, businesses, start-ups, universities, engineering schools, and civil society organizations, thereby creating new connections and sources of sustainable growth. The competition attracts a significant number of applicants each year, acting as a beacon for social innovators across Europe and incentivizing and rewarding early-stage ideas that shape society for the better. Recognizing that what benefits the economy may not always align with social inclusion and environmental preservation, the SPES project aims to understand the pillars of sustainable human development—productivity, equality, environmental sustainability, and participation—and assess their performance across regions. Through comprehensive analysis and stakeholder engagement, SPES will identify synergies and trade-offs among these pillars, informing strategies for a sustainable transition. With its focus on holistic development and inclusive growth, SPES seeks to advance the goal of promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, along with full and productive employment for all. SDG9Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovationBy empowering companies to make positive impacts on climate and communities through its Knowledge and Innovation Community model, EIT Manufacturing contributes to building resilient infrastructure. Additionally, it accelerates the adoption of sustainable innovations in manufacturing technology, aligning with the goal of promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization. Furthermore, EIT Manufacturing focuses on developing the skills of the future workforce, ensuring inclusivity and sustainability in the manufacturing sector. Through these efforts, EIT Manufacturing is actively working towards driving positive change in Europe's industrial landscape. SDG10Reduce inequalities within and among countriesThe EU-Africa Initiative II plays a crucial role in reducing inequality. Through its strategic cooperation with Africa, the EU focuses on enhancing cooperation to address global challenges that disproportionately affect Africa. With dedicated actions in the Horizon Europe Work Programme, the initiative promotes finding locally adapted solutions to these challenges. The Initiative allocates substantial funding, with budgets of approximately €350 million in the 2021-2022 Work Programme and €300 million in the 2023-2024 Work Programme, to support collaborative projects between EU and African entities. By fostering research and innovation cooperation, the EU-Africa Initiative II will address the EU-AU joint priorities on Public health; green transition; innovation & technology; capacities for science. Synergies with other partnerships and programmes between the EU and Africa are proposed, such as the Global Health European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP3) to deliver new solutions for reducing the burden infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa. SDG11Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainableThrough its ambitious aim to deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, the EU mission actively promotes urban sustainability and resilience. By ensuring that these cities serve as experimentation and innovation hubs, it facilitates the replication of successful models across all European cities by 2050. Additionally, the mission's cross-sectoral and demand-led approach fosters collaboration between various stakeholders, including local authorities, citizens, businesses, investors, and regional and national authorities, to address the specific needs of cities effectively. Through initiatives like Climate City Contracts, which involve developing comprehensive plans for climate neutrality across sectors like energy, buildings, waste management, and transport, the mission empowers cities to engage with stakeholders and take concrete steps toward achieving their climate neutrality goals. The 2Zero Emission Partnership aims to accelerate the development of zero tailpipe-emission road transport in Europe, contributing to improved air quality and mobility safety for both people and goods. By fostering innovation, production, and services in the field of road transport, the partnership ensures future European leadership in this critical area. Building upon the successes of previous initiatives like the European Green Cars Initiative and the European Green Vehicles Initiative, the 2Zero partnership brings together stakeholders to implement an integrated system approach covering Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV). Through collaboration with various European Technology Platforms, the partnership extends its scope to cover the integration of zero tailpipe emission vehicles into their ecosystem, thereby boosting EU competitiveness and technological leadership. SDG12Ensure sustainable consumption and production patternsThe European Partnership for Risk Assessment of chemicals (PARC), is dedicated to addressing current, emerging, and novel chemical safety challenges to better protect human health and the environment. PARC facilitates the transition to next-generation risk assessment methodologies, thereby reducing the adverse effects of hazardous chemicals on human health and the environment. Through its sustainable cross-disciplinary network and joint research and innovation activities, PARC fosters collaboration among EU Member States, research organizations, academia, and relevant EU agencies. By promoting European cooperation and advancing research in chemical risk assessment, PARC contributes to launching effective strategies at both European and national levels to mitigate risks posed by hazardous chemicals. Additionally, PARC's emphasis on reducing animal testing and implementing next-generation risk assessment strategies underscores its commitment to promoting well-being and environmental sustainability. With its comprehensive approach involving nearly 200 institutions from 28 countries, including EU authorities and relevant ministries, PARC represents an unprecedented effort to elevate chemical risk assessment to new heights. By supporting the EU's Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the European Green Deal's "Zero pollution" ambition, PARC is instrumental in safeguarding human health and the environment for present and future generations. SDG13Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impactsThe EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change plays a pivotal role in addressing the urgent need to combat climate change and its impacts. Focused on supporting EU regions, cities, and local authorities, the Mission aims to build resilience against the effects of climate change. By assisting regions in understanding climate risks, developing pathways for resilience, and deploying innovative solutions, the Mission seeks to accompany at least 150 European regions and communities towards climate resilience by 2030. Through collaboration with EU countries, regions, and cities, the Mission facilitates the implementation of adaptation strategies tailored to regional and local needs. Signatories to the Mission Charter benefit from guidance, funding opportunities, support networks, and participation in events, contributing to the collective effort to combat climate change and build a more resilient future. SDG14Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable developmentThe EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters' aims to protect and restore the health of our ocean and waters by 2030 through research and innovation, citizen engagement and investments in the blue economy. The Mission addresses the ocean and waters as one and plays a key role in achieving climate neutrality and restoring nature. The Mission supports regional engagement and cooperation through area-based ‘Lighthouses' in major sea and river basins: Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic-North Sea, and Danube-Black Sea. Mission lighthouses are sites to pilot, demonstrate, develop and deploy the Mission activities across EU seas and river basins. In 2023, about 40 new projects with a budget over €230 million were selected to contribute to the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters'. The projects gather over 370 beneficiaries from 39 countries, including SMEs, research institutions, local authorities, schools and businesses. They will play a key role in achieving climate neutrality and restoring nature by protecting and restoring biodiversity in waters, cutting pollution, supporting a sustainable blue economy and developing the European Digital Twin of the Ocean. All EU Member States are involved in the projects, with actions from the Baltic and North Sea, through the Danube River, Mediterranean Sea, and across to the Atlantic. SDG15Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity lossThe project BIOSHIFT aims at understanding the link of biodiversity, abrupt ecosystem shifts and restoration to sustain drylands under global change. It will combine global-scale experimentation and temporal field surveys with state-of-the-art Earth observation, mathematical modelling, -omics approaches, and statistical analyses to tackle these key knowledge gaps. This project will make a major leap forward in our understanding of abrupt ecosystem shifts and provide unprecedent insights on how to monitor and manage them. It will also provide the ecological underpinning to high profile international initiatives aimed at tackling biodiversity losses, mitigating global change and desertification impacts, and restoring degraded ecosystems across global drylands. SDG16Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levelsBy addressing pressing issues related to ecological crises, media developments, and digital divides, the project INCITE-DEM aims to alleviate pressures on democracies and foster a more inclusive and participatory democratic process. Through a combination of research methods and design thinking, INCITE-DEM establishes Democracy Labs where stakeholders collaboratively develop innovative solutions to enhance democratic engagement and participation. These solutions are designed to address complex societal challenges and promote inclusivity within representative democracies. The experienced Consortium behind INCITE-DEM is dedicated to expanding democratic innovation and fostering dynamic feedback mechanisms between citizens and institutional actors. By leveraging historical, quantitative, and qualitative social science research, as well as advanced analytical methods, the project aims to fuel democratic innovation and enhance civic engagement. INCITE-DEM's implementation of Democracy Labs in six countries provides a platform for citizens, policymakers, and other stakeholders to co-create inclusive democratic innovations. Through validation processes, including choice experiment surveys and interactive fora with policymakers, the project ensures the feasibility and potential for implementation of these innovations. (INCITE-DEM | Inclusive Citizenship in a world in Transformation: Co-Designing for Democracy) SDG17Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable DevelopmentMost of the research conducted to date on the optimal conditions for economic advancement in low-income nations, such as job creation, has predominantly focused on the "supply-side" drivers of productivity. However, an additional dimension to be considered is the potential limitations on business growth within these countries imposed by external forces, thereby impeding market entry. Examples of such constraints include inadequate infrastructure and trade barriers within countries. The ACCESS project aims to investigate a broader spectrum of economic, political, and social impediments to market entry – encompassing legal constraints on individual entrepreneurship – and their impact on local economies. ACCESS will utilise microeconomic data gathered from developing nations such as Colombia, Liberia, the Philippines, and Uganda. Archived versions from previous years Horizon Europe PPS 2023Horizon Europe PPS published in 2023Horizon Europe PPS 2022Horizon Europe PPS published in 2022 Related links 2021-2027 Indicator metadata setHorizon EuropeIntroduction and methodology