Guidance

Horizon 2020 funding after Brexit

How Horizon 2020 funding will be affected.

• From: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and UK Research and Innovation
• Published: 9 August 2019
• Last updated: 4 October 2019 — See all updates

This guidance was withdrawn on 31 January 2020

This page is out of date. It told you how to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.

After 31 January 2020 there will be a transition period until the end of 2020, while the UK and EU negotiate additional arrangements.

For current information, read:
Continued UK participation in EU programmes
Horizon 2020: what it is and how to apply for funding
UKRI funding guidance

You can also read about the transition period.

The government has committed to guarantee funding for all successful competitive UK bids to Horizon 2020 that are submitted before we leave the EU, if there’s a no-deal Brexit.

The guarantee also covers all successful competitive UK bids to Horizon 2020 calls open to third-country participation submitted between Brexit and the end of 2020. Both the guarantee and extension commit funding to UK Horizon 2020 participants for the lifetime of projects.

UK recipients who have already submitted successful bids

Current UK recipients of Horizon 2020 funding need to provide initial information about their projects on the UKRI portal.

Register your project on the portal.

If the guarantee is required, UKRI will contact UK beneficiaries directly through the portal with information on the next steps they need to take to access funding.

Find out more about the delivery of the guarantee.

UK project coordinators

Third Country participants in Horizon 2020 are eligible to coordinate projects.

The guarantee and extension include funding for coordination tasks if they are carried out by a UK coordinator.

UK applicants to mono-beneficiary ERC, MSCA and EIC Accelerator grants

• European Research Council (ERC)
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
• European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator (formerly known as SMEi)

If you have submitted a bid to one of these calls you should wait for the Commission’s response. If there’s a no-deal Brexit and your proposal is evaluated as successful by the Commission, your project will be covered by the government’s funding guarantee. As soon as you receive notification of success from the Commission you should contact UKRI directly.

If the Commission notifies you that it will not continue to assess your bid after Brexit you will be able to re-submit your proposal to UKRI for independent assessment.

UKRI will only accept proposals that have been submitted to Horizon 2020 before Brexit. Evidence of this prior submission will be required.

If, at the end of this independent process, your proposal is successful, your project will be funded for its duration. The grant will be administered by UKRI and will be awarded under UKRI terms and conditions.

This funding does not cover calls within ERC and MSCA that the UK can still access as a third -country (for example ERC Synergy, MSCA RISE or MSCA ITNs).

EU citizens and organisations

Organisations in EU countries who are part of a consortium with UK participants do not need to register on the UKRI portal.

Published 9 August 2019
Last updated 4 October 2019 + show all updates

1. 4 October 2019

   We’ve updated the page to provide clarity on UK coordination of Horizon 2020 projects after Brexit. We've also confirmed the scope of the government’s commitment to ensure that all relevant UK bids to mono-beneficiary Horizon 2020 calls that are submitted before Brexit are assessed.

2. 9 August 2019

   First published.