European Grant Funding presents valuable opportunities for UK organisations to access financial support for their innovative projects and research. Through funding bodies like Horizon Europe, European Space Agency and EUREKA, UK entities can tap into resources specifically allocated for collaborative research, technological development, and market-driven initiatives.

However, given the large number of applications across the EU, securing EU Grant Funding is highly competitive and the ratio of applications to funded projects is relatively low. Crafting a compelling and well-structured application is essential, and therefore, using a specialist bid writer to build a robust application can be key to being awarded funding!

Horizon Europe

The main focus areas for funding include:

• Health: Research aimed at improving health outcomes, disease prevention, and developing innovative medical technologies and treatments.
• Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society: Projects that support cultural heritage, social inclusion, and innovative approaches to societal challenges.
• Civil Security for Society: Efforts to enhance cybersecurity, disaster resilience, and the overall safety and security of citizens.
• Digital, Industry, and Space: Development of digital technologies, industrial innovation, and advancements in space exploration and utilization.
• Climate, Energy, and Mobility: Initiatives targeting climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable energy solutions, and the development of efficient and green transportation systems.
• Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment: Research aimed at sustainable agriculture, food security, the bioeconomy, and environmental protection and restoration.

UK organisations can apply for funding, collaborate in projects, and contribute to various research and innovation activities, maintaining strong ties with the EU in addressing global challenges

European Space Agency – Business Applications (ESA)

• Spaceflight Technologies: This includes the development and application of technologies for launching, maintaining, and utilising spacecraft.
• Satellite Communications: This involves the use of satellites to provide communication services. Applications include global broadband internet, remote connectivity in underserved regions, disaster response communications, and secure communications for government and military purposes.
• Satellite Navigation: Utilising Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) like GPS, Galileo, and others, businesses can develop services for precise positioning and timing.
• Satellite Earth Observation: This entails using satellite imagery and data to monitor the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. Commercial services include environmental monitoring, climate change tracking, urban planning, disaster management, and resource management in sectors like agriculture, forestry, and water management.
• Space Weather: This refers to monitoring and forecasting space weather events, such as solar flares and geomagnetic storms, which can affect satellite operations, communications, navigation systems, and even power grids on Earth.

Eureka

EUREKA offers a dynamic platform for fostering collaborative innovation and driving economic growth within the European Union and beyond. As an intergovernmental initiative, EUREKA facilitates partnerships between companies, research institutions, and universities across participating countries. By leveraging this extensive network and the expertise of national funding agencies, EUREKA enables the development of market-oriented R&D projects spanning various sectors, from ICT to healthcare and beyond.

Eureka funding programmes include:

• Globalstars: Globalstars is a program that brings together several countries to jointly fund and support innovative projects in various technological domains. It typically involves collaboration between European countries and non-European partner countries.
• Eurostars: Eurostars is a funding program specifically designed for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) conducting research and development activities. It is a joint initiative between the European Commission and the EUREKA network, focusing on supporting SMEs in developing cutting-edge technologies and bringing them to market.
• Clusters: Clusters are collaborative projects that bring together businesses, research institutions, and other stakeholders within specific sectors or thematic areas. These projects are typically funded by the European Commission or national funding agencies and aim to promote innovation, competitiveness, and collaboration within the cluster’s focus area.