Delft: The European Commission added 500 million euros to Horizon Europe funding for 2026 and 2027 in late September 2026, amending the programme’s main work programme for the two-year period. The extra money lifts the combined budget of the 2026-2027 work programme to about 14.8 billion euros, according to the Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine.
The Commission announced the extra Horizon Europe funding in press release IP/26/2004, describing Horizon Europe as the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme. The release itself carries few details, so researchers have turned to the amended texts on the Funding and Tenders Portal, where the adopted documents appear under work programme and call documents.
The amendment adds new cross-cutting topics. One call targets “next-generation AI-driven digital platforms for a more affordable, secure and sustainable European energy system”, as the Commission worded it. A second covers skills for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, and a third looks at the biodiversity benefits and impacts of clean and digital industries.
The Commission has not published a breakdown showing which clusters receive the additional Horizon Europe funding. That gap matters for applicants, because each cluster sets its own deadlines and success rates. Until the full texts are analysed, no one can say whether energy, digital or biodiversity topics gain the most.
The change closes a long review. The Commission launched it to adapt the programme to shifts in the geopolitical and strategic environment, and draft texts for the modified thematic sections appeared in stages on the Comitology Register. National contact points could therefore follow the changes before the formal adoption.
Timing has already affected applicants. The Commission shifted the opening of some autumn calls, such as HORIZON-CL4-2027-06 in the Cluster 4 area on digital, industry and space, to 13 October 2026 so that the call matched the new formal text. Earlier operational updates on the portal had hinted at an October adoption date before the Commission confirmed it.
The announcement also lands in a wider debate about the next long-term EU budget. Parliament and the Council are negotiating the post-2027 framework, and research groups argue that Horizon Europe funding should grow, not shrink, as Europe competes with the United States and China on artificial intelligence and clean technology. The 500 million euros of Horizon Europe funding will not settle that argument, but it shows where the Commission wants to steer money before the current programme ends in 2027.
For universities, start-ups and research organisations, the practical advice is simple. Read the amended topics on the portal, check the revised call dates and compare the new cross-cutting themes with existing consortium plans. Teams that chase the new Horizon Europe funding early on the energy platform and SME skills topics may find less competition than in the established clusters.
The decision confirms that the Commission treats Horizon Europe funding as a flexible tool, adjusting priorities during the programme instead of waiting for the next framework. Applicants should expect further tweaks as the 2027 calls approach.
