The UK is expected to soon become an associated country to the EU’s R&I Framework Programme Horizon Europe. The UK will therefore have the same rights and obligations as other countries associated to the Programme.
How will the UK be associated to Horizon Europe?
Through the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK (TCA). All aspects of UK association to Horizon Europe were agreed on 24 December 2020 in the TCA and documents attached to the Agreement. Association will enter into force through the formal adoption of a Protocol that is already agreed in principle, after the Horizon Europe Regulation has been adopted. No additional negotiations are foreseen.
Can UK entities take part in the first calls for proposals of Horizon Europe?
Yes. UK entities including universities, research centres, scientists, innovative businesses, industry, etc. will have full rights to participate in the first calls for proposals of Horizon Europe as soon as they are published on the European Commission’s website. This is also true for calls which may be published before the adoption of the Horizon Europe Regulation, such as early COVID-19 calls or those of the European Research Council (ERC) and the European Innovation Council (EIC), apart from the EIC Fund (see below). In duly justified exceptional cases, restrictions may apply and these will be clearly specified in the calls for proposals.
What parts of Horizon Europe will the UK be associated to?
The UK is associating to the full Horizon Europe programme with the only exception of the EIC Fund (which is the loan/equity instrument of the EIC, see below). The scope of association includes the European Research Council (ERC), the Marie Curie-Skłodowska Actions, the six ‘Global Challenges’ clusters and Missions, the partnerships, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, etc.
UK entities are not eligible to participate in the EIC Fund part of the EIC Accelerator, since the UK decided not to take part in financial instruments of the EU. This means UK entities can apply for grants under the Accelerator but they will not be eligible for loans or equity.
They can also participate on an equal footing with entities from EU Member States and other associated countries in the EIC’s Pathfinder component.
The UK will also be associated to the Euratom Research and Training Programme, as well as fusion-related activities carried out under the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy (F4E), the ITER Agreement, and the Broader Approach
Agreement. The UK will not participate in the European Defence Fund, which has a different legal basis and is not covered by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
More details you can find here.
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