Horizon Europe Pump Priming Collaboration Opportunity Launches for UK and EU Partners

The UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is funding an opportunity to provide pump-priming funding to seed collaborations between UK and EU or Associated Countries-based researchers in preparation for applications to Horizon Europe calls in Pillar 2: Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness.

The opportunity is being delivered by the British Academy (BA), the Science & Innovation Network in Europe (SIN Europe), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and KTN with the support of the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) and the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng).

Applications must identify a specific call in Pillar 2 that they will apply to on the back of this pump priming funding. The chosen call may be in any discipline, including engineering, natural sciences, medical sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Only Pillar 2 calls that open between 1 September 2021 and 7 September 2022 are in scope.

The specific purpose is to give the UK-based partners the resources they need to collaborate with EU organisations and stakeholders to further develop the idea and the market opportunities. Funding can be used to cover collaboration preparation activities to enable multinational consortium building, as well as staff time for developing the project ideas and gaining a better understanding of the market opportunities. Within this context, the grant can be used in a variety of ways, including feasibility studies, application advice and training, partnership building, and dedicated time to take forward an application.

Applicants are encouraged to carefully consider the type of organisations that will be needed to make a successful application to their chosen Pillar 2 Horizon Europe call, and particularly involve significantly third parties, end users and similar bodies/organisations based in the UK and/or the EU/Associated Countries that will be most appropriate for the call they are aiming to apply to.

Projects must be led by a Principal Investigator (PI) of postdoctoral or above status (or with equivalent research/innovation experience) based at an eligible UK-based organisation. The PI’s position must last at least the duration of the grant. Applications must include at least one named Co-Applicant who will actively assist in the direction and management of at least parts of the project.

Proposals are welcome from research institutes and universities based in the UK. Proposals that involve working closely with any other type of organisations eligible for Horizon Europe funding (based in the UK and/or the EU/associated countries) including third parties, end users and similar bodies/organisations – such as hospitals, libraries, regulators, commercial partners, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), creative industry partners, museums, local authorities and associations, NGOs, charities and companies – are particularly encouraged.

Associated Countries include those countries in the process of associating as listed here. Third country partners, such as Switzerland, can also be considered as appropriate, but projects and proposed consortia must demonstrate that they will address necessary eligibility and impact criteria.

Individual projects may apply for a maximum of £5,000. It is expected that around 200 awards will be issued.

The call will remain open on a rolling basis until all funding has been utilised.

The deadline for submissions and UK institutional approval for the first wave of assessment is 13 October 2021 (17:00 BST). Further assessment will be undertaken in waves every two weeks with applications submitted by 27 October 2021 (17:00 BST) considered in a second wave, and then every two weeks from 10 November 2021 onwards if funding remains available. The Academy will announce on its website when the funding has been fully utilised.