A new campaign launched to encourage UK businesses, academics and researchers to apply for Horizon Europe funding has now kicked off.

The average Horizon grant is worth £450,000 to a UK business, and ministers are encouraging UK researchers and businesses to capitalise on the opportunities the programme offers to support vitally important research, from health to the environment.

UK firms are already benefitting from Horizon funding to support their research, like Nova Innovation, whose consortium won over £17 million to develop tidal energy in Orkney, and South Yorkshire tech firm The Floow who are part of a project awarded just under £3 million, looking into road safety.

Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said: “We listened to the research sector and secured an excellent bespoke deal associating to Horizon. Being part of Horizon is a colossal win for the UK’s science, research and business communities and we need to capitalise on this incredible opportunity, once again putting our world class researchers and businesses at the very heart of the Horizon programme, which is precisely why I have set up this campaign blitz.

“I want  to ensure that every part of the country is getting the most out of this programme. From a comms blitz to ensure every business and institution that does research in the UK knows about the opportunities Horizon offers, to grants to help our researchers and businesses put in the best applications possible, we will leave no stone unturned to boost our role in the world’s largest research programme.”

The launch of this campaign builds on concrete support already being made available to encourage UK bids for Horizon funding, such as ‘pump priming’ grants delivered in partnership with the British Academy offering of up to £10,000 for selected UK researchers and businesses to help them create better applications.

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The aim is for this funding to encourage those researchers who have not previously had experience, including next generation researchers, to apply to Horizon.

Horizon Europe is built around three main pillars – excellent science (Pillar 1), global challenges and industrial competitiveness (Pillar 2), and innovative Europe (Pillar 3). Horizon’s Pillar 2 has the largest budget, and supports research that is aimed at tackling some of the biggest problems facing society, from improving people’s health to tackling climate change.

The average Horizon grant from Pillar 2 is worth £450,000 to a UK business.