What this call funds
Expected Outcome
Project results are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:
- Increased commercialisation of academic research results, by facilitating access for industry, startups and scaleups to the intellectual assets of academic research;
- Strengthened collaboration between industry and academia, reflected in an increased number of technology transfer deals and joint R&D projects resulting in market-ready innovations;
- Introduced more startup friendly intellectual asset transfer/licensing policies in universities/research and higher education institutions/RTOs;
- Increased number of spinoffs by enabling researchers to overcome the barriers to commercialising their intellectual assets;
- Reduced transaction costs related to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) negotiations by establishing more standardised asset transfer policies across universities/research and higher education institutions/RTOs;
- Optimised transfer/licensing processes by universities/research and higher education institutions/RTOs based on grouping intellectual assets in portfolios that can be commercialised in package deals that are more attractive for industry and investors.
Scope
Academic knowledge producing organisations (universities, research and higher education institutions and RTOs) are acting as innovation engines by fuelling startups and industries with new knowledge, technologies and skilled individuals. This potential can be nurtured with efficient intellectual management strategies and effective Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs). However, Europe’s potential of research valorisation is underutilised.
Currently, it is challenging for industrial actors to identify and access academic results that have potential for commercialisation. On the one hand, a relatively complex fragmented landscape of TTOs generates high transaction costs discouraging companies, especially startups from engaging in collaboration or accessing academic research for commercialisation. On the other hand, the lack of financial and non-financial incentives for academic researchers hampers their commitment. Indeed, in many cases, researchers cannot fully appropriate royalties from the licensing of intellectual assets and knowledge valorisation activities are not recognised for their career progression.
In this regard, the Draghi report[1] recommends European universities/RTOs to adopt a more coordinated, commercialisation minded, and startup friendly intellectual asset management approach[2].
Participating beneficiaries should engage in the following activities:
- adopting startup-friendly intellectual asset management strategies;
- accelerating the commercialisation of academic research results under fair and transparent conditions in an attractive way for innovative companies and investors, in particular for critical technology areas related to the EU’s economic security;
- reinforcing the adoption of best practices in intellectual asset management [3] including the equitable sharing of value generated in R&I activities;
- improving the support to researchers and students in commercialising research results;
- enhancing intellectual asset management practices by establishing portfolio approaches to market intellectual assets in package deals;
- facilitating the collaboration between researchers, startups and innovative companies.
More specifically, project participants should:
- Identify and share best-practices developed to support knowledge valorisation [4];
- On this basis, create a common set of tools for start-up friendly licensing/transfer [5] to be adapted to the specific national/regional context with templates, strategies, successful case studies and business models. The toolbox could include standardised rules and processes together with flexible and adaptable clauses to support negotiation, conclusion and implementation of licensing agreements;
- Develop a common incentives and benefit-sharing model ensuring incentives for researchers and students to engage in commercialisation with a fair distribution of revenues from intellectual assets;
- Test the licensing/transfer tools and benefit-sharing models by implementing at least three pilot cases with researchers or students engaging in commercialization activities.
- The outcomes of these activities should enable to inform the further development of a blueprint for licensing, royalty- and revenue-sharing and equity participation for academic institutions and their inventors when commercialising IP and creating spinoffs[6]. The blueprint should further support effective intellectual asset management and IPR negotiation and licensing practices across Europe.
The participation of innovation agencies and/or national and regional authorities that can help universities, research and higher education institutions or RTOs in adapting their intellectual asset management policy and implementation is encouraged. Beneficiaries should ensure to consult relevant stakeholders in particular startups and SMEs to carry out the action. They are also encouraged to leverage relevant complementary programmes such as the EIT Higher Education Initiative[7].
[1] The future of European competitiveness – A competitiveness strategy for Europe
[2] For example, using virtual shares or licensing conditions that compensate the university/research and higher education instituion/RTO only at the time when sales/profits are made from the product or service that commercialises the IPR or when investors exit the company.
[3] As identified in the Code of Practice on the management of intellectual assets for knowledge valorisation in the European Research Area.
[4] Participants are encouraged to share their best practices in the repository of best practices of the Knowledge Valorisation Platform, amongst others.
[5] The project is encouraged to collaborate and build further where ever possible on results from other EU funded projects in the knowledge valorization domain. This includes in particular projects from calls HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-31 and HORIZON-CL4-2024-HUMAN-02-35.
[6] The creation of a dedicated blueprint is part of the Lab to Unicorn Initiative announced under the EU Startup and Scaleup strategy.
[7] EIT Higher Education Initiative
Eligibility & conditions+
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligible Conditions
This action requires the participation, as beneficiaries, of at least three (3) legal entities from at least three (3) different Member States or Associated Countries that are universities, research and higher education institutions or research technology organisations (RTOs).
In addition, at least one (1) legal entity shall be established in a “widening country”. [[“Widening countries” are listed under Article 2 of the Horizon Europe regulation (Regulation (EU) 2021/695).]]
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1) 
Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1 BLIND)
Standard application form (HE CSA) 
Standard application form (HE CSA Stage 1) 
Standard application form (HE CSA Stage 1 BLIND)
Standard application form (HE RI) 
Standard application form (HE PCP) 
Standard application form (HE PPI) 
Standard application form (HE COFUND) 
Standard application form (HE FPA) 
Standard application form (HE MSCA PF) 
Standard application form (HE MSCA DN) 
Standard application form (HE MSCA SE) 
Standard application form (HE MSCA COFUND) 
Standard application form (HE MSCA COFUND CE)
Standard application form (HE ERC STG) 
Standard application form (HE ERC COG) 
Standard application form (HE ERC ADG) 
Standard application form (HE ERC POC) 
Standard application form (HE ERC SYG) 
Standard application form (HE EIC PATHFINDER CHALLENGES) 
Standard application form (HE EIC PATHFINDER OPEN) 
Standard application form (HE EIC TRANSITION) 
Standard application form (HE EIC STEP)
Standard application form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 2 - full proposal)
Standard application form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 1 - short proposal)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations 
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE CSA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1) 
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1 BLIND)
Standard evaluation form (HE PCP PPI) 
Standard evaluation form (HE COFUND) 
Standard evaluation form (HE FPA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE MSCA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC PATHFINDER CHALLENGES) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC PATHFINDER OPEN) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC TRANSITION) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 1 - short proposal) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 2 - full proposal) 
Guidance
HE Programme Guide 
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
HE MGA 
HE Unit MGA 
Lump Sum MGA 
Operating Grants MGA 
Framework Partnership Agreement FPA 
Call-specific instructions 
Detailed budget table (HE LS) 
Information on financial support to third parties (HE) 
Information on clinical studies (HE) 
Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 2. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 3. Research Infrastructures
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 4. Health
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 5. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 6. Civil Security for Society
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 10. European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE)
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 11. Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 12. Missions
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB)
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 14. Horizontal Activities
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
EIC Work Programme 2026
ERC Work Programme 2026
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement 
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual 
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions 
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal · synced 2026-06-30