Beta recently hosted an insightful webinar titled “Demystifying Horizon Europe Research Projects,” aimed at unravelling the complexities of Horizon Europe, the world’s largest research and innovation programme. The event, held on the 13th of March 2025, was led by Beta experts to discuss strategies for successfully navigating and applying for Horizon Europe projects, with a specific focus on Critical Raw Materials. Here are the key highlights.
Introduction to Horizon Europe: Tom Hudson, Chief Executive Officer and the new owner of Beta Technology, kicked off the webinar by providing an overview of Horizon Europe. He emphasised its significance, with a budget of €95.5 billion for 2021-2027, designed to support projects addressing global challenges and enhancing Europe’s competitiveness.
Structure and Funding: Tom outlined the three pillars of Horizon Europe:
- Excellent Science: Focused on pure research with €25 billion allocated.
- Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness: Thematic research with €53.5 billion allocated, covering areas like climate, energy, digital, and health.
- Innovative Europe: Supporting the commercialisation of innovative technologies with €13.6 billion allocated.
Further Information
You can watch a webinar recording here and download a copy of the presentations.
Contact the Beta team if you would like to discuss how Beta can help you develop Horizon Europe projects and proposals.
Critical Raw Materials
Richard Wrigley, Associate Director at Beta Technology, delved into the importance of CRMs and the European Commission’s CRM Act. He highlighted the need for sustainable sources of CRMs to support clean energy technologies and Europe’s economic growth. He discussed upcoming Horizon Europe calls focused on CRM recovery, sustainable production, and international collaboration.
Proposal Writing and Evaluation: Operations Director, Jayne Evans then offered detailed guidance on writing successful proposals, stressing the need for balance across excellence, impact, and implementation sections. She provided tips on finding suitable partners, aligning project concepts with funding schemes, and ensuring compliance with policy drivers and legislative considerations. She concluded by explaining the evaluation criteria and process used by the EU.
