Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA) (Verified)
- Kind
- Grant (the beneficiaries carry out and own the work)
- What it is for
- A RIA consists mainly of activities to establish new knowledge or to explore the feasibility of a new or improved technology, product, process, service or solution; it can include basic and applied research, technology development and integration, and testing, demonstration and validation of a small-scale prototype in a laboratory or simulated environment. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 2, point (32))
- The General Annexes repeat this definition of RIA as an action type generally eligible for Horizon Europe grants. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex B, Eligible activities, p. 14)
- Designed by
- The Commission adopts the cluster work programmes under Pillar II by implementing acts, following the strategic planning, under the examination procedure with the Programme Committee. (Council Decision (EU) 2021/764 establishing the Specific Programme implementing Horizon Europe, Article 13(1)-(2)(b) and Article 14(4))
- Implemented by
- For Cluster 4 digital topics, the work programme names the granting authority as DG CNECT and HaDEA (for example in the notification duty on transfers of ownership or exclusive licences). (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 7: Digital, Industry and Space, Part 7, Digital, Industry and Space, p. 109 (topic-specific IPR condition))
- Who can apply or take part
- Unless the work programme provides otherwise, a consortium must include at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State and at least two other independent legal entities each established in different Member States or associated countries. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 22(2))
- The General Annexes apply the same default: three independent legal entities in three different countries, at least one in a Member State; affiliated entities do not count towards this minimum. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex B, Consortium composition, p. 13)
- Funding rate or co-funding
- Up to 100% of total eligible costs may be reimbursed; the work programme fixes the maximum rate and a single rate applies per action. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 34(1)-(2))
- The maximum Horizon Europe funding rate for a research and innovation action is 100%, unless the topic conditions set another rate. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex G, Form of grant, funding rate and maximum grant amount, p. 31)
- Typical size
- Example only: the Cluster 4 RIA topic HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-71 (Quantum Space Gravimetry) expects an EU contribution of EUR 14.00 to 15.00 million per project within a topic budget of EUR 29.20 million. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 7: Digital, Industry and Space, Part 7, HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-71, p. 244)
- Example only: the EuroHPC JU RIA topic Quantum Machine Learning (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QML-07-01) has a 2026 budget of EUR 6 000 000 for an expected 2 grants of EUR 2 000 000 to 3 000 000 each. (Topic HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QML-07-01: Quantum Machine Learning, Topic budget overview)
- Maturity (TRL)
- The General Annexes define TRL 1 to TRL 9 for use where a topic requires a TRL; they do not attach a fixed TRL range to the RIA action type, so the range is set topic by topic. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex B, Technology Readiness Levels, p. 15)
- Example: the EuroHPC JU Quantum Machine Learning RIA expects activities to start at TRL 3/4 and reach TRL 5/6 by project end. (Topic HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QML-07-01: Quantum Machine Learning, Topic conditions (expected outcome / TRL statement))
- Who owns the results
- Beneficiaries own the results they generate; jointly generated results that cannot be separated are jointly owned, with a written joint ownership agreement. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 38(1))
- Beneficiaries must grant each other royalty-free access to results needed for their own tasks, access for exploitation on fair and reasonable conditions, and royalty-free access for Union institutions for non-commercial policy use. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 41(6) and (9))
- Where justified, the grant agreement can give the Commission or funding body a right to object to transfers of ownership or exclusive licences to entities in non-associated third countries that are not in line with Union interests. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 40(4))
- In Cluster 4 digital topics, beneficiaries must notify DG CNECT and HaDEA before transferring ownership or granting exclusive licences, and the granting authority may object up to four years after the end of the action. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 7: Digital, Industry and Space, Part 7, p. 109 (topic-specific condition))
- Time to grant or contract
- By derogation from the Financial Regulation, Horizon Europe allows at most five months from the submission deadline to inform applicants of evaluation results and at most eight months to sign grant agreements; the work programme may set shorter periods. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 31(1)-(2))
- The General Annexes give an indicative timetable of around 5 months to inform applicants and around 8 months to sign grant agreements from the submission deadline (for two-stage calls around 3 and 5 months for the two evaluation stages and around 8 months from the second-stage deadline to signature). (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex F, Indicative timetable for evaluation and for signature of the grant agreement, p. 30)
- A fast track to research and innovation (FTRI) procedure may be used for bottom-up calls for small consortia of at most six entities, with time-to-grant not exceeding six months and a maximum of EUR 2.5 million per consortium. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 6(7))
- Legal basis
- Regulation (EU) 2021/695: Article 2(32) definition, Article 22 eligibility, Article 34 funding rates, Articles 38-41 ownership, exploitation and access rights. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Articles 2(32), 22, 34, 38-41)
- Work programme, committee or other step needed
- RIA topics can only be used once included in a work programme adopted by the Commission as an implementing act under the examination procedure (Programme Committee); funding decisions for indirect actions of EUR 2.5 million or more also require implementing acts under the same procedure. (Council Decision (EU) 2021/764 establishing the Specific Programme implementing Horizon Europe, Article 13(2)(b), 13(4)(a) and 14(4))
- Conditions and limits
- For actions related to Union strategic assets, interests, autonomy or security, the work programme may limit participation to entities in Member States or specified associated or third countries and, exceptionally, exclude entities controlled by non-associated third countries. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 22(5))
- Unless otherwise stated, entities established in China are not eligible for Horizon Europe RIAs; the listed exceptions are in Clusters 2 and 5 destinations, not Cluster 4. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex B, Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China, p. 6)
- Horizon Europe R&I under the specific programme must focus exclusively on civil applications. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 7(1))
- Quantum examples
- HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-71 Quantum Space Gravimetry (RIA, 2027): EUR 29.20 million topic budget, participation limited to entities in Member States, Norway and Iceland. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 7: Digital, Industry and Space, Part 7, pp. 244-245)
- HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-18 Large-Scale Photonic Quantum Computing Platform Technologies (RIA) was cancelled after Council Regulation (EU) 2026/150 extended the EuroHPC JU mandate to quantum technologies. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 7: Digital, Industry and Space, Part 7, pp. 170-173)
- Qu-Pilot (grant 101113983, topic HORIZON-CL4-2022-QUANTUM-06-SGA), experimental production capabilities for quantum technologies, 2023-04-01 to 2027-03-31, EU contribution EUR 18 999 992, recorded on CORDIS as HORIZON-RIA. (CORDIS project 101113983: Qu-Pilot - Experimental production capabilities for quantum technologies in Europe, CORDIS project record (fact sheet))
- QSNP Quantum Secure Networks Partnership (grant 101114043, topic HORIZON-CL4-2022-QUANTUM-04-SGA), 2023-03-01 to 2027-02-28, EU contribution EUR 24 999 999.70, recorded on CORDIS as HORIZON-RIA. (CORDIS project 101114043: QSNP - Quantum Secure Networks Partnership, CORDIS project record (fact sheet))
- QuantERA III (grant 101212998, topic HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-02-02) is a RIA with cascading grants (financial support to third parties) for a co-funded transnational quantum call: EU contribution EUR 15 000 000, 2025-06-01 to 2030-05-31, coordinated by the National Science Centre (Poland). (CORDIS project 101212998: QuantERA III - QUANTERA III RIA: COFUND IN QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES, CORDIS project record (fact sheet and objective))
- Who to contact
- European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) / DG CNECT for Cluster 4 digital topics; National Contact Points
- Next steps
- Check whether a topic in the current Horizon Europe work programme (or the EuroHPC JU quantum calls since 2026) covers it; a new topic needs the next work programme and the programme committee.
- Talk to the unit in charge of the work programme part and to the national contact points.
- Verification
- Verified. Regulation 2021/695, Decision 2021/764, General Annexes 2026-2027 and the Cluster 4 work programme were read in full text at the cited locations; CORDIS records were read via the CORDIS JSON export. The General Annexes give no TRL range per action type.