Horizon Europe introduced a new layer of partnership structures that did not exist in Horizon 2020. These Institutionalised and Co-funded Partnerships represent a significant shift in how the Commission wants to organise European research — and they have major implications for organisations planning their funding strategy.
What are Horizon Europe partnerships?
Horizon Europe partnerships are long-term collaborative frameworks between the Commission and private or public partners. They come in three types: Co-funded Partnerships (where the Commission co-funds a programme managed by a third party), Co-programmed Partnerships (where the Commission and partners jointly define research priorities), and Institutionalised Partnerships (established by regulation or Council decision, typically as Joint Undertakings).
Why partnerships matter for your strategy
Partnerships control a significant portion of the Horizon Europe budget — approximately 50% of Cluster funding flows through partnerships rather than direct calls. If your research area is covered by a partnership, you may find that the most competitive funding opportunities are inside the partnership rather than in the open calls. Ignoring partnerships means ignoring half the funding landscape.
Key partnerships in 2025
For technology and industrial innovation, the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking, Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, and Chips Joint Undertaking are the most significant. For health, the Innovative Health Initiative. For agri-food, the Agroecology partnership is the primary vehicle. For climate and sustainability, the Built4People and Made in Europe partnerships are relevant.
How to access partnership funding
Accessing partnership funding requires understanding that partnerships have their own governance structures, their own calls for proposals, and often their own eligibility requirements that differ from standard Horizon Europe rules. Some partnerships require membership or contribution in kind. The entry point is typically the partnership's Governing Board or the Calls page on the partnership's website — not the standard EU Funding and Tenders Portal.
The strategic implication
For organisations serious about EU funding over the next five years, the question is not just 'which calls should we apply for?' but 'which partnerships should we be inside?' Partnership membership, even as an observer, provides early access to call topics before they are published, influence over the research agenda, and relationships with the organisations that will be your future consortium partners.