EU funding programmes

The European Union provides a wide range of funding. It funds projects and programmes in all 27 EU member states and beyond, for example for regional and urban development, employment or research. As a rule, the topics are orientated towards the research, structural and economic policy agenda of the European Union.

In addition to a large number of specialised funding programmes tailored to different funding purposes, the seven-year research framework programme forms the core of European research funding.

If you are interested, please get in touch with the contact persons at the Research and Transfer Office. We will be happy to advise you on European funding for your projects and support your application process.

A selection of current and completed EU projects can be found here.

THI scientists are particularly active in the following EU funding programmes:

 

Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the European Union's ninth framework programme for research and innovation and the successor programme to Horizon 2020. It has a programme period from 2021-2027 and is one of the largest public research funding programmes in the world with a budget of around EUR 95.5 billion.

Horizon Europe offers a wide range of funding opportunities, from support for basic scientific research to application-oriented projects and market launch measures. The various funding measures also focus on the mobility of researchers, strengthening the European Research Area and supporting infrastructure measures. The programme is aimed at individual researchers, small and large consortia and companies (especially SMEs) in all subject areas relevant to the EU.

All information on funding programmes, regulations, calls for proposals, applications and project management is recorded centrally in the European Commission's funding portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

The Research & Transfer Office will be pleased to advise you on your application and support your application process. 

Selected funding formats in Horizon Europe

Thematic calls for tenders

The second pillar of Horizon Europe aims to contribute to tackling global challenges and sustainable development in line with the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. It comprises the following six thematic clusters, which cover the range of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. Health
  2. Culture, creativity and inclusive society
  3. Civil security for society
  4. Digitalisation, industry and space
  5. Climate, energy and mobility
  6. Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and the environment

Applications for funding are generally submitted by interdisciplinary research consortia under the leadership of a coordinating submission. The thematic calls for proposals are published in biennial work programmes in the EU Funding and Tender Portal.

Successful applicants usually have a good research network and are generally familiar with the typical procedures and requirements of the application process.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions aim to promote the individual career development of researchers, with mobility playing a central role. Funding is provided for activities in the context of international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral science. Individual research skills are to be expanded and institutional structuring effects achieved.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions are endowed with a total budget of EUR 6.6 billion in Horizon Europe. The following five specific funding lines are open to all research areas and support projects ranging from basic research to market development:

Missions

EU missions are courageous, inspiring and highly visible projects that demonstrate the added value of European investment in research and innovation.
Leading experts from across Europe, together with the interested public, have developed the following five thematic areas (the so-called "Mission Areas"), which are expected to characterise the coming years of European research:

  1. Adaptation to climate change, including societal change
  2. Cancer
  3. Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters
  4. Climate-neutral smart cities
  5. Soil health and nutrition

In each area, one mission will be implemented first, for which the core objectives are formulated by 2030.

The calls for proposals for the missions can be found in the "12. Missions and Cross-cutting Activities" section of the Horizon Europe work programme. The work programmes are published in the EU Funding and Tender Portal under "Work programme & call documents" for the respective period of validity.

Links to national advice centres for international funding projects

European Structural and Investment Funds

The European Commission manages the Structural and Investment Funds in partnership with national and regional authorities. Their aim is to improve living conditions in the European regions by investing in key areas of activity. The EU provides the necessary financial resources for this through various structural and investment funds. One of these funds is the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), alongside the European Social Fund, for example (ESF).

Further links:

We will be pleased to advise you on your application and accompany you through the application process. 

European partnerships

European Partnerships are initiatives for the development and implementation of joint research and innovation programmes between the European Commission and private and/or public partners.

The partnership initiatives make an important contribution to the implementation of political priorities of the EU, such as the green transition, European digitalisation or pandemic preparedness.

The structure of the European partnership landscape in Horizon Europe is intended to simplify the research and innovation landscape compared to previous approaches. It is explicitly "impact"-orientated; the intended or already achieved results and effects of the partnerships for research and innovation are particularly important.

Examples of the 49 European Partnerships are:

You can find a complete overview here

We will be pleased to advise you on your application and accompany you through the application process. 

EUREKA networks

EUREKA is a European-international network for application-oriented research and development (R&D) in Europe and offers companies and research institutions a framework for smaller cross-border co-operation projects. 

EUREKA projects can be submitted ass network projects, as open-topic Eurostars- and Globalstars-projects in all technological fields or as thematically orientated projects as EUREKA-clusters.

As a rule, the minimum requirement is the participation of two independent companies from two different Eureka member countries and a balanced distribution of activities and budgets between the partners involved.

Interested parties are advised to enquire about the exact conditions at the above-mentioned national advisory centres before submitting an application.

We will be pleased to advise you on your application and support your application process. 

THI Memberships

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Image of the BATT4EU logo with the text Batteries European Partnership
Illustration of the BEPA logo with the text Batteries European Partnership Association

Contact

You can also send enquiries to the central e-mail address:
E-Mail: forschung@thi.de

Contact person

Research- and EU-Consultant
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Christian Duft
Phone: +49 841 9348-6140
Room: F110
Fax: +49 841 9348-996140
E-Mail: