Horizon Innovation Actions (IA)

Funding type

Grants to develop and scale up innovations closer to market deployment

Technology readiness level

Four to eight

Funding amount

Between €3 million to €10 million

Focus areas

Digitaltech / Deep Innovation, Cleantech, and Biotech

Turning your innovation into funded reality, one step at a time.

Getting started

IAs are Horizon Europe’s way of helping ideas become real-world solutions.
These projects focus on prototyping, testing, piloting and market validation — in short, it’s where research meets the market.

Finding calls

Horizon Europe is the European Union’s big bet on research and innovation. There are multiple opportunities under Horizon Europe published on an ongoing basis on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (FTP).
Use the filters PROGRAMMING PERIOD: 2021-2027 and PROGRAMME: HORIZON on the portal to see the list of the numerous calls for proposals, specific call topics, deadlines and application forms available.
IAs are especially common under Pillar II of Horizon Europe, which focuses on tackling global challenges and boosting European industrial competitiveness. To only see the opportunities within Horizon Pillar II click on “All filters” and filter by PROGRAMME PART= Global challenges.
Pillar II is divided into six clusters:
- Cluster 1: Health → Calls start with HORIZON-HLTH-YYYY…
- Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity & Inclusive Society → HORIZON-CL2-YYYY…
- Cluster 3: Civil Security for Society → HORIZON-CL3-YYYY…
- Cluster 4: Digital, Industry & Space → HORIZON-CL4-YYYY…
- Cluster 5: Climate, Energy & Mobility → HORIZON-CL5-YYYY…
- Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment → HORIZON-CL6-YYYY…

Evaluation

After submission of an application, proposals are evaluated by independent experts in line with the established procedures in Horizon Europe. Results are typically communicated within 5 months.

Support materials

The following resources can guide your application: 

FTP short tutorials  
FTP for beginners (webinar)  
How to submit a proposal via the FTP (online manual)   
How to apply  
The Horizon Europe programme guide, which provides a detailed overview of all the project types that can be funded.

Not sure if you qualify? We will help make it clear.

Who can apply?  

Most calls for proposals under Horizon Europe require you to team up with at least three partner organisations from three different EU or associated countries, with one of them being from an EU country. You’ll find the details the Horizon Europe programme guide. 
Each call topic may have details or exceptions so be sure to refer to the pages of the call topic on the portal.  
Some calls require a multi-actor approach, meaning your project must bring together a mix of diverse stakeholders (think researchers, businesses, non-governmental organisations, etc..). For a breakdown by topic, head over to the Horizon Europe – Who should apply page.

Funding rates

Horizon IAs funds 75% of the eligible cost for profit organisations and 100% of the eligible costs for non-profit organisations.

Tips and tricks to help you nail your application from previous successful applicants.

This site covers the essentials. For additional information, visit the links below.