Abstract

In the conditions of scarce national funding (typical for research and innovation (R&I) ecosystems of Widening countries) and oversubscription of international competitive research funding calls, the ability to spot, exploit and combine different funding opportunities and instruments in complimentary way is vital to fuel R&I. Synergies between Horizon Europe and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) instruments are particularly encouraged by the European Commission to promote innovative, smart and sustainable economic transformation and to foster excellence in R&I, while also mitigating and overcoming the persistent innovation divide. The regulatory framework for 2021-2027 governing cohesion policy funds allows for strengthened synergies between these two types of EU funding.
In this session we will walk through:
1. The legal basis regulating synergies between Horizon Europe and ERDF
2. Types of synergies
3. Do’s and don’ts in combining Horizon Europe and ERDF funding from legal and financial perspective.
The target audience of the session is professionals of pre-award grant offices having access to both Horizon Europe and ERDF funding instruments. The outcome of the session is increased ability to combine different Horizon Europe and ERDF funding in a complimentary way to maximize and reinforce the impact of both mechanisms.