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What Funding Is Available To UK Businesses From The EU?
Since Brexit, the funding agreements between the UK and the EU have changed. The UK has lost access to key funds such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which was previously responsible for a large number of improvement projects across the UK. However, agreements have been made to allow businesses and researchers to retain access to other core funding, such as research and development funding from the Horizon Programme, collaborative funding from the European Space Agency and other EU funding strands.
What EU Funding Programmes Can UK Businesses Apply For?
i) Horizon Europe Programme
Horizon Europe is the EU’s flagship research and development funding programme that is currently running between 2021 and 2027 with €93.5bn available. The key goals are to tackle global issues, such as climate change and also support EU competitive and growth activities.
As of 1 January 2024, UK businesses and researchers have been permitted to access Horizon funding opportunities directly as part of the Work Programme 2024 as the UK secured its associate member status. Previously, during the Brexit transition period UK businesses had to be funded via Innovate UK as part of the Horizon Europe Guarantee to take part in any of the schemes.
The Main Focus Areas Of Research For Horizon Are As Follows
a) Health – Disease prevention, improving health outcomes and development of innovative medical technologies and treatments.
b) Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society – Supporting cultural heritage, social inclusion and innovation for societal challenges.
c) Civil Security for Society – Innovation relating to cybersecurity, disaster resilience and safety and security of European citizens.
d) Digital, Industry and Space – The development of digital technologies, industrial innovation and advancements in space exploration.
e) Climate, Energy and Mobility – Development of sustainable energy solutions, green transportation systems and initiatives to mitigate climate change.
f) Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment – Research for food security across Europe, bioeconomy, sustainable farming innovation and environmental protection and restoration.
ii) European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) has a specific Business Applications programme that supports the development and implementation of commercial related services including satellite applications, data analysis, navigation and communications. Businesses can apply to be part of research and development projects in their area of expertise, including sectors such as environmental monitoring, transport, agriculture and healthcare. Funding, technical expertise and access to an extensive network to support interested applicants is available, as well as involvement in the continuous development of European space technology including:
a) Spaceflight Technologies – Development of technologies for launching, maintaining and utilising spacecraft.
b) Satellite Communications – Using satellites to provide communication services, such as global broadband, remote connectivity in areas of poor internet access, secure communications and disaster response communications.
c) Satellite Navigation – Use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS and Galileo and other business applications that can assist with precise positioning and timing.
d) Satellite Earth Observation – Using satellite imagery to monitor the Earth’s atmosphere and its surface for environmental monitoring, climate change detection, urban planning, disaster management and overall resource management for forestry, water management and agriculture.
e) Space Weather – This is related to the forecasting and monitoring of space weather events, such as geomagnetic storms and solar flares which have the ability to disrupt satellite operations, navigation systems and communications.
iii) EUREKA
The EUREKA programme supports collaborative research and innovation activity between the EU and other associated countries, including the UK and 44 other countries. Partnerships are facilitated between research organisations, businesses and universities across partnering countries and allow the development of innovative ideas to be taken to market across a number of sectors, including healthcare and ICT. United Kingdom organisations participating in international R&D projects are eligible for funding through the following programmes:
a) Network Projects – This is a flexible programme that provides funding for collaborative R&D projects where businesses or research organisations can come up with a project proposal and build up a consortium to work on it.
b) Globalstars – This programme sees calls for projects made on a thematic basis to work on projects in overseas countries outside of Europe on challenges that they face and participants can see a benefit of collaborative R&D activities with businesses and researchers from both international leading and emerging markets.
c) Eurostars – This is a partnership co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe and is aimed at SMEs who want to collaborate and receive funding for innovative commercial projects with other businesses and research organisations across Europe.
d) Clusters Programme – The cluster programme specifically focuses on collaboration activities for sectors such as next generation communications, low carbon energy, software innovation, advanced manufacturing and production techniques and electronic components and systems. Major industrial corporations, SMEs, knowledge institutes and end-user organisations can all take part in a relevant funded clusters project.
iv) European Innovation Council
The European Innovation Council (EIC), part of the European Commission, is classed as Europe’s biggest deep tech investor and has provided over €1bn in approved investments since 2022 and has invested in over 159 companies. Businesses who take part in any of the funding programmes can benefit from accelerator activities, such as access to coaches, mentors, a network of global partners and an innovation ecosystem.
The EIC Runs The Following Types of Funding Programmes
a) EIC Pathfinder – This scheme supports research and deep tech projects with high levels of scientific ambition and risk.
b) EIC Transition – This scheme supports the maturation and validation of innovative novel ideas and can help transform concepts from lab level to commercial business level. It is considered a bridge between research and application development.
c) EIC Accelerator – This accelerator supports innovative SMEs in terms of scaling up and developing new markets or disrupting existing ones.
v) European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Manufacturing
EIT Manufacturing is co-funded by the European Commission and aims to bring innovative manufacturers together from across Europe, including the UK. Its extensive network includes over 170 top-tier industrial partners, leading academic and research institutions and a large number of innovative start-ups and SMEs.
By 2030 EIT aims to transform European industry and see the creation and support of over 1,000 manufacturing start-ups, 30% of materials used to be part of the circular economy, 60% of all production to use sustainable practices and to get €325m in investment put into EIT ventures.
There Are Currently A Number of Programmes Available To Support Businesses
a) Venture Building Programme – A fast track programme to support innovative manufacturing start-ups including expert workshops, networking and pitching opportunities and potential access to investments.
b) Access-To-Market Services – Tailored packages of support for manufacturing start-ups, including advice on new customers and geographic locations, new product and service expansion and marketing and communication support.
c) Investments – EIT directly invests in start-ups for B2B industrial start-ups that have innovative technologies and solutions for the manufacturing sector in Europe that need scaling up to become globally competitive and promote green credentials.
What Are Some Current Funding Opportunities Available From European Sources
i) European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre
The ESA has an incubation centre to support UK based start-ups interested in space and satellite applications. This includes fully-funded access to technical expertise and facilities, business support, networking opportunities, office space and funding to help support growth in the sector.
ii) Commercial Applications Of Space-Enabled Robotics For Health And Safety
This is a funding call from the European Space Agency to support feasibility studies and demonstration projects to combine the use of satellite technologies and robotics to support services relating to health and safety activities.
iii) Patient-Centred Clinical-Study Endpoints Derived Using Digital Health Technologies
The Horizon Programme has a funding call looking for businesses and researchers to collaborate on a funded project relating to looking to support healthcare organisations carrying out clinical studies using the latest innovative digital health software, hardware and service developments.
iv) Nature Inspired Alternatives for Food Packaging and Films for Agriculture
The Horizon Programme has a funding call looking for a collaborative project relating to using natural alternatives for food packing or films for agricultural purposes to replace more traditional man-made packaging, such as plastics.
v) EUREKA Open Call for Network Projects Applications
EUREKA is running a funding opportunity to support businesses in accessing support for their defined research and development project proposal and access collaborative partners from across Europe and other associate countries.
vi) EIT Community Connect NEB: Citizen-Generated Solutions and Initiatives to Advance Sustainability, Beauty and Inclusivity – 2025
EIT Manufacturing is running a scheme which focuses on supporting citizen-generated solutions to the challenges facing cities, urban and rural areas across Europe, including a focus on sustainability for manufacturing, urban mobility, food and climate.
Case Studies Where Businesses Received Funding Or Support From EU Programmes
i) Nova Consortium Awarded €20m To Install Turbines in Orkney
Nova Innovation, an engineeering firm from Edinburgh, has won Horizone Europe funding wirth €20m for a 4 MW tidal energy farm that will be home to the largest number of tidal turbines anywhere in the world, which includes 16 SEASTAR turbines. The project is hoping to act as a prime testing site to help unlock tidal energy as a major renewable energy source around the world and boost the manufacturing and production of tidal energy related turbines across Europe.
ii) Yorkshire Telematics Company Awarded European Funding
The Floow is a telematics and insurance company from Sheffield and is part of a cross-Europe consortium which secured just under £3m as part of a road safety project initiative from Horizon Europe. The project is Predictive Approaches for Safer Urban Environment (PHOEBE) which looks into predictive capability to understand the degree of risk by location, so can factor in busy city environments and show how to spend and apply resources to make city roads safer for all users.
How To Apply For European Schemes
Full details about how to apply for European schemes and the eligibility criteria is available on each individual scheme page on the relevant European funding site. Any deadlines, funding amounts or how business support is funded and any required match-funding from businesses will also be outlined on these pages. Interested businesses can speak to funding and support experts based at each organisation who can guide them through requirements and eligibility criteria to see if the relevant funding or support is a match with their needs and help them to apply. There are also application forms and other supporting guidance available on scheme pages as well. There are also instances where UK support organisations, such as Innovate UK can provide funding and support for businesses who have never accessed European funding before to get support with their applications.
Want To Find The Latest European Funding and Support Opportunities?
If you want to see the full set of European funding and support currently available, please visit https://getbusinessgrants.com/
