Following the Brexit deal agreed in December 2020, it is hoped the UK will continue to be associated with Horizon Europe, subject to ratification of the overall deal and finalisation of the Horizon Europe Programme regulations.
Draft Protocol I of the Joint Declaration on Participation in Union Programmes and Access to Programme Services states that the UK will be permitted full participation in Horizon Europe and also states that the UK may participate in Joint Research Centre (JRC) activities, European Partnerships in the form of Article 185 and 187 (Joint Programming), the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), ERICs (European Research Infrastructure Consortium) and the European Research Area Committee (ERAC).
The UK has also reached agreement with the EU to associate to the next Euratom Research and Training (R&T) Programme 2021-2025. This agreement includes UK participation in the ITER fusion collaboration through membership of Fusion for Energy.
The only part of Horizon Europe not accessible is the European Innovation Council Fund, which falls under the EIC Accelerator programme (formerly the SME Instrument) and provides financial support to SMEs through the European Investment Bank. Please note that various reports are misleading and sound like there is no access to Pillar 3 (see below), but it is just this specific fund within it.
Although Friday 1 January 2020 was meant to be the first day of Horizon Europe, we are still awaiting the finalisation of the Programme regulations. As a result, no calls have been released officially and no deadlines confirmed, but we will update these pages when this changes.
Next steps
Once Horizon Europe is formally established and the Brexit deal ratified on all sides, there will be a formal process between the UK and the EU to conclude the association agreement. This will establish the UK's relationship to the programme legally.
Contact the EU Team for any clarifications, and visit the Research and Innovation Service’s events page for EU funding webinars in January that will provide regular updates.
You may also find the following online resources helpful:
- UK Research and Innovation website on UK Participation in Horizon 2020 the EU's Flagship Science and Innovation Programme; and
- UK Research Office (UKRO, Brussels) Brexit factsheet.
Although Brexit will ultimately change the structural relationship between the EU and the UK, collaboration with our European partners will remain a priority as described in the BEIS R+D Roadmap.
Information about the UK’s access to EU Funding through Horizon Europe (the next funding programme running from 2021-27) will be available on the RIS Impact on EU Research Funding website as this becomes known, although any process of association cannot be commenced until the programme is legally established which, due to the pandemic, will be in late 2020/early 2021.
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Erasmus+
The UK has left the EU and the withdrawal agreement has been ratified by both the UK Government and the EU, which technically allows the University to fund Erasmus teaching and training visits in the 2020/21 academic year and possibly into the 2021/22 academic year. However, due to the covid-19 pandemic, the University is not accepting applications for Erasmus+ funded teaching or training visits until further notice. Further information about the scheme can be found on the Student Education Service website.
Successor programme – post 2020
The current Erasmus+ programme ended on 31 December 2020, and will be succeeded by the Government’s recently announced
Turing Scheme running across a seven-year cycle. The proposal for the successor programme outlines some important innovations that would make it more accessible to a more diverse community of learners and beneficiaries. It also features a pathway for participation for 'third' countries, which could include the UK once we leave the EU.
