Proposals

Plan Early, Win Big: Horizon Europe Proposals 2025

As the September 2025 Horizon Europe deadlines approach, now is the time to start preparing your proposals. With funding opportunities becoming more competitive, early preparation is key. Here are our top three tips to ensure your submission is as strong as possible. 1. Stay Updated on Draft Work Programmes Currently, only Draft Work Programmes are available, meaning official deadlines and call details are still subject to change. Keeping up to date with the latest versions is crucial, as there have been discussions about some September deadlines shifting to a two-stage proposal process. What to do? Regularly check for updates from the European Commission, your National Contact Point (NCP), and relevant contacts. If two-stage proposals are introduced, this will impact your planning and timeline, so start mapping out your proposal strategy now. Tip from Michael Papapetrou (Executive Director, ERINN Innovation): “We’ve seen last-minute changes before. If you’re working on a proposal now, don’t assume the draft details are final — stay flexible and informed.” 2. Factor in Summer Holidays When Planning Writing a Horizon Europe proposal is a significant undertaking, often taking around six person-months to complete. With key deadlines in September, July and August can be challenging months for collaboration due to summer holidays. Scheduling meetings, securing input from partners, and refining key proposal sections can be delayed if not planned early. What to do? Lock in key writing and collaboration sessions before July. Set clear internal deadlines, and don’t rely on August as an intensive working month. If needed, schedule a proposal-writing sprint in June to ensure all partners are aligned before summer breaks. Advice from Rochelle Caruso (Project Manager, ERINN Innovation): “Every year, we see teams underestimate how slow things move in the summer. Start early, and plan with these delays in mind.” 3. Build Your Consortium Now Many Horizon Europe consortiums are already forming, and securing strong partners early gives you a strategic advantage. A well-balanced team with the right expertise, geographic coverage, and stakeholder representation is crucial for a winning proposal. What to do? If you’re leading a proposal, start securing your core team now. Engage with potential partners, attend networking events, and leverage existing collaborations. If you’re looking to join a consortium, get in touch with coordinators and express interest early — many teams are finalising their partners by spring. Tip from Pamela Cardillo (Project Manager, ERINN Innovation): “Networking is key. The best teams come together months before the deadline, not weeks. If you’re still searching for partners, start now.” Final Thoughts September may seem far away, but a successful Horizon Europe proposal requires long-term planning. Stay informed, plan around holidays, and build your consortium early to give yourself the best chance of securing funding. Need help navigating the process? ERINN Innovation can support you with expert guidance, training, and proposal development strategies. Let’s get started – September will be here before you know it! Have you read our Top 5 Tips for Writing a Winning Horizon Europe Bid? Let’s start building your path to success!

Top 5 Tips for Writing a Winning Horizon Europe Bid

ERINN Innovation are excited to be attending the upcoming EARMA INORMS conference in Madrid this May. A highlight for our team, we will be hosting two pre-congress workshops focusing on Impact-Driven Proposal Design. In anticipation of the event, we are sharing our Top 5 Tips for Writing a Winning Horizon Europe Bid. 1. Read the call topic clearly When it comes to writing a proposal for Horizon Europe, it is crucial to thoroughly read and understand the call topic. Many proposals suffer because they fail to align closely with the specific requirements outlined in the call. As human beings, we often have biases and tend to focus on the parts of our research that align with the call and overlook other essential aspects. Take the time to carefully read and analyse all elements of the call topic, and then go one step further. Start to analyse why certain terminology was included, question the phrasing and critically assess what the scope is asking for to ensure a robust understanding. 2. Consortium is key Consortium composition is at the basis of a successful proposal. When forming your consortium, carefully consider the expertise required for each work package and ensure that the participating organisations or individuals have a track record of excellence in their respective fields. The evaluators are assessing whether or not you can credibly drive European-level impact and complete project goals – it’s extremely hard to convince the evaluators this is possible if the whole value-chain is not represented or if the geographic spread is limited. 3. Complete your concept note before you start writing Before delving into the writing process, finalise your concept note as best as you can. This means outlining the work packages and objectives, and being clear about who is doing what. By completing the concept note first, you establish a strong foundation that guides the rest of your proposal, allowing you to organise your thoughts, identify any potential gaps or inconsistencies, and refine your project’s objectives and methodology. Adjustments to the design after the proposal has been written requires a huge amount of effort to cover your tracks and course correct. 4. Read it as an evaluator When you have completed your initial proposal draft, step into the shoes of an evaluator. Try to objectively assess your proposal, considering the evaluation criteria and the perspective of the reviewers, identifying inconsistencies, weaknesses or unclarities in the proposal. This is often easier said than done, so support can be provided by colleagues or external reviewers to provide that fresh perspective. 5. What we write, we have to implement Keep in mind that if your project is funded, you and your team will have to implement the project. Thus, it is crucial to assess the feasibility and coherence of your proposed activities and objectives, particularly those results that multiple work packages make use of/depend on for progression. Evaluators will also be assessing the viability of your proposal, and if it is deemed impractical or unrealistic, it will reduce your chances of receiving funding. Find the balance between writing a winning and innovative proposal, that will be meaningful and possible for your team to implement. If you would like to learn more about proposal writing, the ERINN Innovation team are attending INORMS 2025 and we’d love to connect. Let’s talk proposals, impact, and making the most of Horizon Europe – while also taking a moment to enjoy everything that makes this conference such a fantastic event. Learn more about our services.