The British Academy (with the support of the Royal Society, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Royal Academy of Engineering) is inviting proposals from UK and EU/Associated Countries-based researchers to pump prime collaborations to support the effective uptake of the opportunities provided by the UK’s association to Horizon Europe.
Proposals are welcome in all disciplines:
- engineering
- natural sciences
- medical and health sciences
- humanities
- social sciences
This programme will provide pump priming funding to seed collaborations for applications to specific Horizon Europe topics in Pillar 2, which comprises the following ‘clusters’:
- Health
- Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
- Civil Security for Society
- Digital Industry and Space
- Climate, Energy and Mobility
- Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Within Pillar 2, applications for this pump priming funding can be used for Calls and Topics from the 2025 and draft 2026-27 Work Programme (i.e. Calls and Topics with 2026 and 2027 in the call code) that are listed on the Horizon Europe funding portal as either ‘open for submission’ or ‘forthcoming’, or those published by the Commission that appear on the UK’s Horizon Europe Hub that close no earlier than 1 January 2026. Calls with a closing date prior to this will be considered ineligible.
ELIGIBILITY
- Each project must be led by a named Principal Investigator (PI).
- The PI must be a researcher from an eligible UK-based organisation and must be of postdoctoral or above status (or have equivalent research or innovation experience).
- The PI’s position must last at least the duration of the grant funded by the Academy.
- The PI is expected to direct and manage the grant and has responsibility for the overall project reporting requirements.
- An individual cannot be the PI on more than one bid under this call.
- Projects may also include any number of specified ‘Other Participants’, who may, for example, be relevant stakeholders participating in networking or dissemination events, academic or policy advisers, practitioners, industry representatives, etc.
Proposals that that involve working closely with any type of organisation eligible for Horizon Europe funding (based in the UK and/or the EU/Associated Countries), as appropriate to the selected call and topic, including third parties, end users and similar bodies/organisations such as:
- hospitals
- libraries
- regulators
- commercial partners
- creative industry partners
- museums
- local authorities and associations
- NGOs
- charities
- companies
VALUE AND DURATION
Awards are worth up to £10,000. This will cover collaboration preparation activities to enable multinational consortium building, as well as costs for developing the project ideas and gaining a better understanding of the market opportunities.
The expectation is that this funding will be utilised in a variety of ways but could include feasibility studies, application advice and training, partnership building, and dedicated resource to take forward an application.
Funding may be used to support:
- costs for concept or proof of market work and proposal development
- costs of meetings for the organisations involved in the UK or the EU to prepare the proposal
- travel and subsistence, including costs to participate in information days, brokerage events directly related to Horizon Europe objectives, relevant discussions with European Commission officials or similar
- research and/or clerical assistance (based in the UK or internationally)
- due diligence work on partners
- costs towards child or parent care if activity is conducted away from home and it is not possible to make alternative arrangements
- contributions towards support services such as proposal writing not exceeding 50 per cent of the total value sought
- contributions towards research assistance not exceeding 50 per cent of the total value sought
The following items are not currently eligible for funding (applicants registered with additional needs may consult the Academy about possible exceptions prior to applications):
- institutional overheads, or any element that should properly be ascribed to institutional overheads
- PI and Co-Applicant time
- purchasing of assets
- computer hardware including laptops, electronic notebooks, digital cameras, etc.
- books and other permanent resources Pump Priming Collaboration between UK and EU Partners The British Academy Page 6 of 10
- the preparation of camera-ready copy, copy editing, proof-reading, indexing, nor any other editorial task
- subventions for direct production costs (printing, binding, distribution, marketing etc.)
- costs of publication in electronic media
- travel and maintenance expenses for purposes such as lecture tours or to write up the results of research
- carbon offsetting
- open access fees
The end date of your pump priming project must be before the submission deadline of your chosen Horizon Europe Call and Topic.
Please note that deadline of your chosen Call and Topic must be at least 3 weeks after the planned start of the award.
Award activity and use of funds must conclude with an interim report by the deadline of the Horizon Europe call being applied to.
Awards will be required to provide further reporting on their award, including in relation to the outcome of their application to Horizon Europe.
KEY DATES
Deadline: 5 November 2025
Earliest possible start date for pump priming activity: 10 December 2025
Eligible calls must close no earlier than 1 January 2026
More information, including FAQs and details of past awards, can be found on the opportunity webpage.