Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA) require a consortium of at least three legal entities which are independent of each other and of which at least one legal entity is based in an EU Member State. The other legal entities have to be based either in different EU Member States or countries associated to Horizon Europe. The applicable work programme and/or call document may include exceptions to this standard rule.
The term “legal entity” is deemed to include both legal persons and natural persons (e.g. sole proprietors).
Eventual additional beneficiaries beyond the minimum conditions mentioned above are not subject to the obligatory criteria (i.e. they must not necessarily be independent from each other or rather domicile in different EU Member States/associated countries).
For certain project types such as e.g. ERC projects, MSCA projects, EIC projects, Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) or co-financing actions, specific conditions for participation apply.
Legal entities may participate as non-beneficiaries/third parties (i.e. subcontractors, contractors, affiliated entities, associated partners, in-kind contributors, financial support to third parties) regardless of their domicile as long as the Rules for Participation, those of the work programme and the call conditions are complied with.
The work programme and/or the relevant call document may specify deviating or additional conditions for individual calls (e.g. concerning the number and type of project participants and their domicile).
Detailed information about participation and eligibility of participants from third countries can be found at Horizon Europe: Ausweitung der Beteiligung und Verbreitung von Exzellenz (in German only).
Please note that the minimum conditions for participation must continue to be fulfilled when beneficiaries terminate their participation in the project during the project lifetime!
Beneficiaries not receiving EU funding
These are beneficiaries, which …
- either are not eligible for funding (as they are not from an EU Member State/associated country/third country listed in Annex B of the General Annexes to the Work Programme 2023-2024 or as they were not granted EU funding by the EU Commission)
- or voluntarily do not request any funding.
The estimated costs of these beneficiaries need to be indicated in the project budget (Annex 2), but will not be reimbursed and will not be taken into account for the calculation of the grant amount.
Please note: If such beneficiaries become eligible for funding during the project, they may in principle request funding as from their eligibility (an amendment is necessary). As this does not increase the maximum grant amount, the other beneficiaries need to reallocate the project budget in order to free part of the project budget.
Detailed information
- document of the EU Commission "List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe"
- guide of the EU Commission "User Guide to the SME definition"
- Rules for Participation, article 22
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