News story

Horizon 2020: European innovation fund seeks business projects

Business can apply for European funds for a range of innovative projects from autonomous transport to energy efficiency and digital health.

Horizon 2020

A European funding programme for businesses and researchers is to invest more than €600 million across 7 new initiatives launched this month.

Businesses can apply for support for projects in a range of fields including smart transport, autonomous transport, factories of the future,digital health, the circular economy and energy efficient buildings.

The funding is part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 fund for researchers and business, which aims to ensure Europe produces world-class science and that barriers to innovation are removed.

Government underwrites European funding

The UK Government recently said that businesses and universities should continue to bid for EU funding while the UK remained a member of the EU and that it would underwrite payment of awards even when projects continued beyond UK membership.

The funding opportunities

Seven new Horizon 2020 funding calls open on 20 September 2016.

Mobility for growth: €227 million is available for smart transport projects across all transport modes and sectors. There are 21 different topics with a variety of closing dates. Find out more.

Autonomous road transport: €50 million is available to support demonstrations of automated driving systems. There are three different topics, including a large-scale demonstrator, with a variety of closing dates. Find out more.

Personalised coaching for well-being and care of people as they age: funding is available for a personalised ‘virtual coach’ to help people with age-related conditions. The closing date is 31 January 2017. Find out more.

Support for large-scale uptake of digital innovation for active and healthy ageing: funding is available for projects that support the uptake of European Commission activities in this field. The closing date is 31 January 2017. Find out more.

Factories of the future public private partnership: €120 million is available for projects that promote new approaches to industrialisation and the circular economy. There are six topics and the closing date is 19 January 2017. Find out more

SPIRE (sustainable process industries) public private partnership: €82.11 million is available for projects that promote new approaches to industrialisation and the circular economy. There are 7 topics and the closing date is 19 January 2017. Find out more.

Energy efficient buildings public private partnership: €54 million is available for projects to develop energy-efficient, clean and affordable buildings. There are 4 topics and the closing date is 19 January 2017. Find out more.

Competition information

  • all competitions open on 20 September 2016 and there are various closing dates
  • Horizon 2020 funding opportunities are open to everyone in an EU member state
  • projects must be a consortium of at least 3 organisations and each member must have a legal standing such as registered business, partnership or charity
  • there are national contact points who can help you to apply for Horizon 2020 funding and to find consortium partners
Published 5 September 2016