Horizon Europe Clusters: Strategic EU Funding for UK-Led Consortia
Access large-scale funding for collaborative, impact-driven R&D aligned with Europe’s most urgent societal challenges with strategic support from FI Group’s pan-European grant team.
What Are Horizon Europe Clusters?
Horizon Europe Clusters are mission-driven funding streams under Pillar II of Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme. Each Cluster is focused on solving global challenges in areas such as health, climate, digital technology, food systems, security, and more.
Unlike individual SME grants like the EIC Accelerator, Cluster calls are large-scale, collaborative projects involving international consortia. Projects must demonstrate not only scientific excellence but also broad societal and economic impact.
The Clusters fund multi-partner research and innovation actions (RIAs), innovation actions (IAs), and coordination and support actions (CSAs), often with budgets exceeding €5 million per project.
Can UK Companies Apply to Horizon Europe Clusters?
Yes. UK organisations are strongly encouraged to apply. Following the UK’s formal re-association to Horizon Europe in 2024, UK companies, universities, and research institutions are fully eligible to lead or participate in Cluster projects.
Through our UK team and 13 European offices, FI Group supports clients in:
Building or joining strong, compliant consortia
Aligning their innovation with specific Cluster topics
Meeting both EU and national eligibility and evaluation standards
We help UK companies take leadership roles in consortia, giving you visibility, influence over project direction, and stronger funding opportunities.
Can UK Companies Apply to Horizon Europe Clusters?
Yes. UK organisations are strongly encouraged to apply. Following the UK’s formal re-association to Horizon Europe in 2024, UK companies, universities, and research institutions are fully eligible to lead or participate in Cluster projects.
Through our UK team and 13 European offices, FI Group supports clients in:
Building or joining strong, compliant consortia
Aligning their innovation with specific Cluster topics
Meeting both EU and national eligibility and evaluation standards
We help UK companies take leadership roles in consortia, giving you visibility, influence over project direction, and stronger funding opportunities.
Horizon Europe Clusters fund large-scale, cross-border R&D projects tackling Europe’s most urgent societal challenges. From climate and digital transformation to health and security, Cluster calls offer high-value funding for collaborative innovation. Open to UK-led consortia, they support TRLs 3–7 and require strong, multi-country partnerships. FI Group helps you identify the right call, build the ideal consortium, and develop a winning bid.
Who Can Apply?
Cluster calls are open to a wide range of applicants, including:
Eligible Entities
Examples
UK-based SMEs
Innovators with scalable technologies
Universities & RTOs
Research and academic partners
Large Corporates
Industrial tech providers and manufacturers
Public Bodies
NHS Trusts, Local Authorities, Policy Labs
Each consortium must include at least three organisations from three different EU or associated countries.
FI Group helps UK organisations identify the right call, build a strategically aligned consortium, and develop a winning bid that stands out during evaluation.
What Funding Is Available?
Funding depends on project type:
Action Type
Funding Rate
Typical Budget
Purpose
RIA (Research & Innovation Action)
100%
€3m–€6m+
Fundamental and applied research
IA (Innovation Action)
70% (100% for non-profits)
€5m–€10m+
Closer to market, pilot testing and scaling
CSA (Coordination & Support)
100%
€1m–€3m
Networking, strategy, stakeholder engagement
Projects typically span 36 to 48 months, with funding covering personnel, equipment, subcontracting, travel, communication, and more.
Horizon Clusters vs Other EU Grants
How Do Clusters Compare?
Programme
Max Funding (€)
Avg. Success Rate
TRL Focus
Consortium Required?
Lead Role for UK?
Clusters
€10m+
~12–15%
3–7
✅ Yes
✅ Yes
Eurostars
€1.5m
25–30%
4–6
✅ Yes
✅ Yes
Pathfinder
€3–4m
~5%
1–4
✅ Yes
✅ Yes
EIC Accelerator
€17.5m
~8%
5–9
❌ No (solo SME)
✅ Yes
Clusters provide some of the highest-value, largest-scale R&D grants in Europe, especially for collaborative or systems-level innovation.
Choosing the right EU funding pathway depends on your project’s maturity, scope, and ambition, the chart below compares how Horizon Clusters measure up against other major Horizon Europe programmes.
Comparison of funding levels and success rates across major Horizon Europe programmes. Horizon Clusters offer high-value funding for collaborative innovation, balancing strategic impact with a competitive but achievable success rate.
Clusters provide some of the highest-value, largest-scale R&D grants in Europe, especially for collaborative or systems-level innovation.
Choosing the right EU funding pathway depends on your project’s maturity, scope, and ambition, the chart below compares how Horizon Clusters measure up against other major Horizon Europe programmes.
Comparison of funding levels and success rates across major Horizon Europe programmes. Horizon Clusters offer high-value funding for collaborative innovation, balancing strategic impact with a competitive but achievable success rate.
Applying to a Horizon Europe Cluster call is not just about submitting a strong technical idea. It requires building a highly credible international consortium, aligning your proposal with specific policy and mission objectives, and presenting a clear, measurable pathway to impact. Each step of the process demands strategic planning, strong coordination, and detailed understanding of EU expectations.
FI Group supports clients through every phase of the process, combining our UK advisory capabilities with our cross-European presence to deliver fully compliant, compelling applications.
Our Eurostars Grant Experts and European Network
Horizon Europe Clusters offer some of the EU’s most ambitious funding for collaborative innovation. But for UK organisations, the process can be complex. From choosing the right call to building a fundable consortium, success depends on more than just a good idea.
At FI Group, we support you at every step with:
Strategic call selection aligned to EU policy
Consortium building via our 13 European offices
Proposal writing, TRL positioning & compliance
With over 1,400 consultants across Europe, we help UK applicants turn complex Cluster opportunities into competitive, fully funded projects.
“Clusters demand more than innovation. They demand alignment, scale, and trust between partners. With our presence across Europe and deep knowledge of Horizon policy priorities, we help UK organisations lead and deliver Cluster projects that evaluators trust and stakeholders value.” — Dr. Fawzi Abou-Chahine, Funding Director
Horizon Europe Clusters offer some of the EU’s most ambitious funding for collaborative innovation. But for UK organisations, the process can be complex. From choosing the right call to building a fundable consortium, success depends on more than just a good idea.
At FI Group, we support you at every step with:
Strategic call selection aligned to EU policy
Consortium building via our 13 European offices
Proposal writing, TRL positioning & compliance
With over 1,400 consultants across Europe, we help UK applicants turn complex Cluster opportunities into competitive, fully funded projects.
“Clusters demand more than innovation. They demand alignment, scale, and trust between partners. With our presence across Europe and deep knowledge of Horizon policy priorities, we help UK organisations lead and deliver Cluster projects that evaluators trust and stakeholders value.” — Dr. Fawzi Abou-Chahine, Funding Director
Navigating Horizon Europe Clusters can be complex, especially for UK organisations entering multi-country consortia for the first time. Below, we answer the most frequently asked questions.
Spotlight on Success: Stablepharma Secures €2.5M Through the EIC Accelerator
In early 2025, Stablepharma Ltd was awarded €2.5 million in grant funding through the EIC Accelerator to advance its StablevaX™ technology, an innovation set to transform vaccine distribution by removing the need for cold‑chain logistics.
FI Group UK played a pivotal role in reviewing and strengthening the company’s final submission. Working closely with Stablepharma’s executive team, FI Group helped refine the technical narrative, align financials with key clinical milestones, and enhance the overall credibility and clarity of the application. The award made Stablepharma one of just five UK companies selected in a highly competitive round of over 1,200 applicants.
This success highlights how expert grant consultancy can significantly improve outcomes for high-potential applicants seeking funding under Horizon Europe’s most competitive instruments.
Spotlight on Success: Stablepharma Secures €2.5M Through the EIC Accelerator
In early 2025, Stablepharma Ltd was awarded €2.5 million in grant funding through the EIC Accelerator to advance its StablevaX™ technology, an innovation set to transform vaccine distribution by removing the need for cold‑chain logistics.
FI Group UK played a pivotal role in reviewing and strengthening the company’s final submission. Working closely with Stablepharma’s executive team, FI Group helped refine the technical narrative, align financials with key clinical milestones, and enhance the overall credibility and clarity of the application. The award made Stablepharma one of just five UK companies selected in a highly competitive round of over 1,200 applicants.
This success highlights how expert grant consultancy can significantly improve outcomes for high-potential applicants seeking funding under Horizon Europe’s most competitive instruments.
Leading innovators across the UK, from deep-tech start-ups to large research-driven corporates, trust FI Group to guide their most strategic grant bids. Our tailored support has helped secure multi-million euro awards through Horizon Europe, the EIC Accelerator, and Innovate UK. Clients return to us year after year for our end-to-end delivery, strategic insight, and deep evaluator understanding.
Jenny Young, Head of Business Operations, Mocean
We've had an excellent experience collaborating with FI Group. Their team of consultants demonstrated proficiency in evaluating and comprehending our innovative wave energy technology, leading to a comprehensive technical report that played a significant role in securing our R&D tax credit repayment.
Robin Lumely-Savile, Director, BeMore
The smoothest way to work on R&D Tax Credit – not only are they experts of the subject but also sectors specialists; FI Group could get all the technical elements of our business by themselves leading to a successful and remarkable result.
Praveen Sagar - Director and co-founder at OxDevice Ltd.
Giuseppe Amoroso from FI group did our R&D tax claim and successfully submitted on our behalf of OxDevice. Excellent team work in Submitting the claim.
Speak to a Cluster Funding Specialist
FI Group helps you navigate the full Cluster journey, from call selection to submission and delivery. If you are ready to engage with the EU’s largest innovation funding stream, we are ready to help.
FI Group helps you navigate the full Cluster journey, from call selection to submission and delivery. If you are ready to engage with the EU’s largest innovation funding stream, we are ready to help.
