Learn about Horizon Europe Pillar 2, including Canadian eligibility. This pillar is designed to maximize international collaboration in tackling shared challenges. Canada is an associate country under Horizon Europe Pillar 2, allowing Canadians to participate under similar conditions as legal entities from the European Union (EU) member states and receive grants directly from the European Commission (EC).
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Overview
Pillar 2, Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, is divided into six thematic clusters, each addressing a specific societal issue. The Horizon Europe strategic plan outlines the policy objectives used as the basis for these Horizon Europe work programmes.
For Horizon Europe Pillar 2 funding calls (including EU missions associated with Pillar 2), Canadians must apply as part of a consortium. Every consortium must include at least one partner from an EU member state and at least two additional partners, each from different countries of EU member states and/or associated countries.
Calls for proposals may include one or more specific topics of importance for Canada-EU cooperation. In these cases, topic descriptions will request proposals with Canadian partners.
Horizon Europe Pillar 2 clusters
Pillar 2 aims to translate the outcomes of excellent research into innovative solutions to global challenges through the following six clusters. Each cluster has a work programme that sets out funding opportunities for research and innovation activities. More information about each cluster can be found below. Pillar 2's total budget is €53.5 billion, which represents 55.23% of the total Horizon Europe budget. The program runs from 2021to 2027, with funding amounts varying each year.
Cluster 1: Health
Objectives:
- Improve and protect the health and well-being of citizens by generating new knowledge, innovative solutions, and a gender perspective to prevent, diagnose, monitor, treat, and cure diseases
- Develop health technologies, mitigating health risks, protecting populations, and promoting good health and well-being
- Make public health systems more cost-effective, equitable, and sustainable; prevent poverty-related diseases; and support and enable patients' participation and self-management
Cluster 2: Culture, creativity and inclusive society
Objective:
- Strengthen European democratic values, including rule of law and fundamental rights, safeguarding cultural heritage, and promoting socio-economic transformations that contribute to inclusion and growth
Cluster 3: Civil security for society
Objective:
- Respond to the challenges arising from persistent security threats, including cybercrime, as well as natural and man-made disasters
Cluster 4: Digital, industry and space
Objectives:
- Shape competitive and trusted technologies for European industry, enabling production and consumption that respect our planet, and maximizing benefits for all parts of society
- Build a competitive, digital, and low-carbon industry, ensure sustainable raw materials, develop advanced materials, and foster advances and innovation in global challenges to society
Cluster 5: Climate, energy and mobility
Objective:
- Fight climate change by better understanding its causes, evolution, risks, impacts, and opportunities; and by making the energy and transport sectors more climate- and environment-friendly, more efficient and competitive, smarter, safer, and more resilient
Cluster 6: Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment
Objective:
- Reduce environmental degradation, halt and reverse the decline of biodiversity on land, inland waters and sea and better manage natural resources through transformative changes of the economy and society in both urban and rural areas
Eligibility
Three types of countries can access Horizon Europe funding under Pillar 2:
- EU member states
- Associated countries
- Third countries
Associated countries like Canada can participate under similar conditions as legal entities from EU member states, unless the call or topic has specific limitations or conditions. These might include safeguarding EU strategic assets, interests, autonomy or security, specific policy requirements, or the nature and objectives of the call for proposal.
Canadian researchers can now lead projects, retain Intellectual Property (IP) rights within EC guidelines, and participate in all calls for proposals open to associated members and international partners.
Work programmes
For each cluster, a work programme is released every two years, which sets out more detailed objectives. From this, several calls for proposals are released every year, each including detailed research topics corresponding to the detailed objectives. Each work program is designed around specific destinations or actions, which contribute to the objectives and impacts. Destinations provide policy context for the calls and actions included in the work programme.
Project calls are mostly pre-set in two-year workplans, with the flexibility to address emerging global challenges such as the pandemic and climate change-related forest fires. The duration of a Pillar 2 project is typically three to five years, but can vary depending on factors such as the specific call, research topic, project complexity, and funding scheme.
All open and forthcoming calls have their own Web page on the EC website. They are listed on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and can be narrowed down using a keyword search.
National Contact Points
The EC has established National Contact Point (NCP) networks in all member states, associated countries, and many third countries around the world. They provide guidance, practical information, and assistance about Horizon Europe to researchers in all subject areas.
All NCPs have a deep knowledge of the research community in their field within their country. They know the research, researchers, and institutions, and are familiar with national funding agencies and programs. They work in government agencies and research organizations. Countries often have more than one NCP to ensure the best possible service.
The Government of Canada has established NCPs to help Canadians navigate Horizon Europe. There is at least one NCP for each of the six clusters under Pillar 2. These NCPs also work alongside other NCPs from the EU and associated countries.
For more information on Pillar 2 clusters and program calls, use the Horizon Europe contact information page to find the Canadian NCP(s) associated with your cluster of interest.