We hope you enjoyed the wonderful holidays and wish you the best in 2026. The title of this article is a bit weird, and it is because 2026 will be a very special year. As you probably know, the current framework program for European grants, Horizon Europe, runs from 2021 to 2027. Therefore, we are entering the penultimate year of this period.
But what makes 2026 special? The first reason is that, typically, European programs increase the total budget allocated year over year until the penultimate year. The last year of each period, however, has tended to suffer from budget cuts and shortages accumulated by previous years. As a result, 2027 is expected to be the year with the highest budget, probably in a decade.
Secondly, it is a period of experimentation, during which new pilot calls are launched and new templates, rules, etc., are tested before being formally included in all calls of the following framework program. That means new opportunities, fewer resubmissions, and topics that are likely to be continued in the first years of the following framework programme. This means lower competition, more chances to organizations that take it seriously (e.g., hiring professional teams like ours at GIA Institute), and a longer roadmap to develop research and innovation supported by EU grants.
In conclusion, this Year Minus 2 is a great opportunity to set up a solid consortium around a novel idea. Please contact us to discuss your initiative while we are still on time for this unique opportunity.
