Navigating EU funding can feel like a full-time job for researchers, innovators, SMEs, and public authorities. This guide brings together 10 key websites where you can find up‑to‑date European funding opportunities in 2026—from Horizon Europe and Digital Europe to Creative Europe and EU4Health.
Use these platforms to spot relevant calls, build strong consortia, and turn your project ideas into funded actions.
1. Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions (MSCA) – Training & mobility funding
The Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions support excellent doctoral and postdoctoral training through bottom‑up, international, and intersectoral mobility schemes under Horizon Europe. With a total budget of around €6.6 billion for 2021–2027, MSCA funds Doctoral Networks, Postdoctoral Fellowships, Staff Exchanges, COFUND programmes, and science-with-and-for-society actions such as MSCA and Citizens.
In 2026, dedicated calls are open or scheduled for MSCA Doctoral Networks, Postdoctoral Fellowships, and new initiatives like “Choose Europe for Science”, with clear deadlines and guidance published on the official REA portal. Applicants and hosts can find templates, FAQs and support for building competitive proposals.
- Official MSCA funding page: https://rea.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/horizon-europe-marie-sklodowska-curie-actions_en
- How to apply for MSCA under Horizon Europe: https://rea.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/horizon-europe-marie-sklodowska-curie-actions/horizon-europe-msca-how-apply_en
2. European Research Council (ERC) – Frontier research grants
The European Research Council funds investigator‑driven, frontier research across all disciplines through highly competitive Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, Synergy and Proof of Concept Grants. ERC calls are part of Horizon Europe’s Excellent Science pillar, supporting world‑class PIs and teams based at European host institutions.
The ERC 2026 Work Programme is already published, setting out forthcoming calls and timelines that will also appear in the Funding & Tenders Portal. Researchers can use the ERC site to access work programmes, evaluation criteria, statistics and practical guidance on how to apply.
- ERC homepage: https://erc.europa.eu
- ERC section in Horizon Europe: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/european-research-council_en
3. Horizon Europe & Funding & Tenders Portal – Central hub for EU R&I calls
Horizon Europe is the EU’s main research and innovation framework programme for 2021–2027, with an indicative budget of about €93.5 billion to tackle climate change, drive the green and digital transitions and boost European competitiveness. All collaborative calls are published in multiannual work programmes and are accessed via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
The 2026–2027 Horizon Europe work programmes – including MSCA, all six thematic clusters, Missions, the New European Bauhaus, Widening and European Innovation Ecosystems – were adopted in December 2025, mobilising around €14 billion in new funding opportunities. On the work programme page you can download each part (e.g., Cluster 2, Cluster 5, Missions), check expected impacts and plan your proposals well ahead of deadlines.
- Horizon Europe overview:
https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en - Horizon Europe work programmes 2026–2027:
https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/horizon-europe-work-programmes_en - Funding & Tenders Portal (all EU programmes):
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal
4. Digital Europe Programme – Large‑scale digital deployment
The Digital Europe Programme (DEP) finances the deployment of digital technologies in areas such as advanced digital skills, AI, cybersecurity, data spaces and public‑sector digital transformation. In 2026, new calls focus heavily on AI uptake, data‑driven innovation, digital health, online safety and multi‑country projects for interoperable public services.
Recent and upcoming calls cover topics like advanced digital skills, the best use of technologies, European Health Data Space deployment, Safer Internet Centres, digital skills for AI in health, EdTech acceleration and information‑integrity frameworks, with many 2026 calls opening on 21 April and closing on 1 October.
- How to get funding under Digital Europe:
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/get-funding-digital - Latest DEP calls and guidance: via the Funding & Tenders Portal (search for “DIGITAL‑2026‑…”) and HaDEA announcements such as:
https://hadea.ec.europa.eu/news/new-calls-proposals-under-digital-europe-programme-published-2026-04-10_en
5. Max Weber Programme (EUI) – Postdoctoral fellowships
For early-career researchers in the social sciences and humanities, the Max Weber Programme at the European University Institute offers 1–2 year fully funded postdoctoral fellowships in Florence. It targets scholars within five years of completing their PhD across economics, history, law, political and social sciences, with a strong training programme on publishing, teaching and grant acquisition.
The programme is highly selective (around 55–65 fellowships per year) and provides a monthly grant (currently around €2,500) plus family allowances, health insurance and potential teaching contracts in the second year. The official EUI page publishes updated calls, eligibility conditions and application deadlines.
- Max Weber Programme official page: https://www.eui.eu/apply?id=max-weber-fellowships
6. EURAMET Researcher Grants – Metrology mobility schemes
EURAMET, the European Association of National Metrology Institutes, coordinates European metrology research and offers researcher grants linked to joint research projects. Researcher Mobility Grants (RMG) provide financial support to researchers at any career stage to work on EMPIR/EMN projects, building skills in cutting‑edge measurement science.
These grants strengthen both individual careers and institutional capacities in metrology while contributing to the objectives of associated projects, and details on eligibility, open calls and application procedures are regularly updated on the EURAMET website.
- EURAMET Researcher Grants page: https://www.euramet.org/research-innovation/researcher-grants/
7. Creative Europe – Culture & audiovisual funding
Creative Europe is the EU’s flagship programme for the cultural and creative sectors, structured around a Culture strand, a MEDIA strand and a cross‑sectoral strand. With a budget of about €380 million in 2026, it supports projects that safeguard cultural diversity, foster innovation, promote green and digital transitions and strengthen resilience in the cultural and creative industries.
In 2026, the Culture strand includes a €60 million call for European cooperation projects (small and medium scale), expected to fund around 150 projects with consortia starting from at least three organisations in three different eligible countries. Additional calls cover literary translations, mobility schemes (Culture Moves Europe), heritage actions, Perform Europe, Creative Innovation Labs, journalism partnerships and more.
- Creative Europe programme overview: https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe
- Calls for the cultural and creative sectors: https://culture.ec.europa.eu/funding/calls
8. EU International Partnerships – Global development grants and tenders
The European Commission’s Directorate‑General for International Partnerships (INTPA) finances development cooperation projects through grants, tenders and budget support in partner countries worldwide. Its “Looking for funding” page explains how organisations can access grants, participate in calls for proposals, and respond to procurement opportunities in sectors such as health, education, governance, environment and digitalisation.
Opportunities are implemented through geographic and thematic programmes under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe) and are regularly published as calls for proposals or calls for tenders with specific eligibility and partnership requirements.
- International Partnerships funding page:
https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-technical-assistance/looking-funding_en
9. Energy research & innovation – Green transition funding
The EU’s Energy Research and Innovation portal aggregates funding opportunities and policy information relevant to energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy storage, grids, and clean technologies. Energy‑related calls appear under Horizon Europe (especially Cluster 5 – Climate, Energy and Mobility), the LIFE Programme, NER 300, structural and investment funds and other initiatives supporting the European Green Deal.
On the portal you will find links to Horizon Europe work programmes, LIFE and other instruments, along with thematic prizes such as the SOFT Innovation Prize and awards for governance innovations in energy communities, plus a dashboard of projects managed by CINEA.
- Energy research & innovation portal: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/energy_en
10. EU4Health Programme – Health policy and systems funding
EU4Health (2021–2027), implemented by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), is the EU’s main funding instrument for health policy, resilience and cross‑border health threats. It supports actions on disease prevention, cancer control, digital health, health workforce, pharmaceutical policy and crisis preparedness, aligned with DG SANTE priorities.
Recent work programmes include multi‑topic calls on cancer screening, AI and health data, lifelong prevention, orphan medical devices, medicine pricing transparency and health data for biotech innovation, with indicative budgets of tens of millions of euros and deadlines typically in late 2025 or early 2026. All calls are accessible via the Funding & Tenders Portal, with HaDEA providing call documents, info days and guidance for applicants.
- EU4Health overview (HaDEA): https://hadea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/eu4health_en
- Latest EU4Health calls (via HaDEA news and Funding & Tenders Portal):
https://hadea.ec.europa.eu/news/new-eu4health-calls-proposals-under-2025-work-programme-2025-09-23_en
How to turn these opportunities into funded projects with Consulta Europa
Identifying the right EU funding opportunity is only the first step; success depends on aligning your concept with the work programme, building a strong international consortium and crafting a high‑quality proposal that meets all eligibility and evaluation criteria. This is where specialised support in European project design, budgeting, impact pathways and communication strategy can make a decisive difference.
If you are:
- A university, research centre or SME looking for partners to lead or join a Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, Creative Europe or EU4Health proposal.
- A public authority or NGO seeking European funding to scale innovative solutions in energy, health, culture, digitalisation or international cooperation.
- A cluster or association wishing to coordinate transnational projects and maximise impact through professional dissemination and exploitation.
You can use the contact form below to reach our team at Consulta Europa and discuss:
- Proposal development for Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, Creative Europe, EU4Health and other EU programmes.
- Consortium building, partner search and concept refinement for upcoming 2026 calls.
- Communication, dissemination, exploitation and stakeholder engagement packages tailored to EU evaluators’ expectations.