Valorising Horizon project results via innovation ecosystems
Valorising Horizon project results via innovation ecosystems supports consortia to fund validation, testing and mentoring that help turn promising Horizon research results into market-ready innovations.
Funder: European Commission
Due Dates: October 20, 2026 (Opening) | February 16, 2027 (Application deadline, 17:00 Brussels time)
Funding Amounts: Expected EU contribution of EUR 2.5–4 million per project; EUR 20 million total topic budget; 5 expected grants
Summary: Supports innovation-ecosystem consortia to validate and commercialise promising Horizon research results through competitive grants, mentoring and real-world testing.
Key Information: Third-party grants must support results from Horizon 2020 Pillar III or Horizon Europe Pillar II projects, or their owners.
Description
This Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action, run by the European Commission, addresses the gap between laboratory-validated research and market deployment. It funds innovation-ecosystem consortia that connect owners of promising Horizon results with validation facilities, business expertise and follow-on financing. Technological, non-technological and social sciences and humanities-based innovations are in scope, with both financial and societal benefits sought.
Projects combine scouting and mapping with competitive calls, access to living labs and industrial testing sites, and tailored mentoring on value propositions, business models, customer validation, intellectual property and exploitation. Training and entrepreneurial team-building should prepare participants for accelerators, investment and further public or private funding. The intended outcomes include clearer commercialisation pathways, validated use cases and stronger collaboration among research, education and innovation stakeholders.
