Who is eligible for EU funding?
In addition to the minimum participation requirements (i.e. whether and how legal entities may take part in a Horizon Europe project), legal entities are in general eligible for EU funding if they are established in EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
Non-associated third countries
Legal entities from non-Horizon Europe Associated Countries are generally not eligible for funding (i.e. they usually cover their project costs on their own).
However, exceptions are possible if one of the following applies:
- The third country is explicitly mentioned as eligible for funding in the Work Programme (e.g. Annex B of the General Annexes to the respective Work Programme) OR
- The EU Commission considers the participation of the third country essential for project implementation.
Beneficiaries without EU funding
These Beneficiaries participate in the project but do not receive any financial support from the EU. This applies to:
- Beneficiaries who are not eligible for EU funding (see above)
- Beneficiaries who voluntarily waive EU funding.
Although their estimated costs must be included in the project budget (Annex 2 of the Grant Agreement), these costs are neither reimbursed by the EU, nor counted towards the total EU contribution.
Please note: If such Beneficiaries become eligible for funding during the project, they may in principle apply for funding as from their eligibility on. This requires an amendment to the Grant Agreement. Since the overall EU contribution cannot be increased, the consortium must reallocate the existing and approved project budget internally.
Further information