Horizon Europe 2026–27: final work programmes promise broader, less prescriptive calls

The European Commission has adopted the final set of Horizon Europe work programmes for the years 2026–2027, outlining about €41 billion in funding for research and innovation projects across all clusters and missions. This marks the last programming cycle under Horizon Europe before the EU moves to its next framework programme, FP10.

According to the Commission, the 2026–27 calls are intended to be less prescriptive and broader in scope than earlier waves. Rather than narrowly defined topics, many calls are framed around wider policy challenges, giving applicants more flexibility in how they respond. This is partly a response to long-standing concerns from researchers and industry that Horizon topics had become overly detailed and restrictive. 

The work programmes cover the full range of Horizon Europe pillars, including excellence science, global challenges (such as health, climate, digital and security), innovation ecosystems, and widening participation. For health and life sciences, the broader calls are expected to create more room for cross-disciplinary projects, new treatment models, and stronger links between basic research and implementation.

With EU institutions now negotiating the next long-term budget and FP10 design, the final Horizon Europe work programmes will act as a bridge: they keep funding flowing through 2027 while offering a testbed for more flexible, mission-oriented approaches that may be scaled up in the next programme.