The EU framework programme for research and innovation

Putting together a proposal for the EU framework programme, Horizon Europe, requires careful planning, precise budgeting and good collaboration with consortium partners.This guide outlines the administrative steps in the application process and applies to collaborative projects coordinated by Lund University.

1. Register on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Start by registering as an External User on the EU Funding & Tenders participant portal. Once authenticated, you can create and manage applications in the system.

2. Inform your department

You must inform your department (for example the head of department) about the application so that the financial commitments of a granted project are acknowledged.

3. Identify a call and topic of interest

Find the suitable call and topic in the EU portal. Once the call has formally opened, follow these steps:

• Select Start submission in the left-hand menu of the topic page.
• Enter the Lund University PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999901318 and short name ULUND
• Indicate your role as Main contact
• Give your proposal a project acronym (this can be changed later)
• Complete the short summary (this can be edited later)
• Click Next, Accept and Continue with this proposal

When you have created the proposal you will find it under the tab My proposals when you are logged in to the portal.

4. Grant access to LU Research Services

Add the relevant contact person at Research Services to your proposal as Coordinator contact (but not as Team member). You will find the right contact person for each programme part on their blog.

In the portal this is done under the Participants tab. After logging on, go to the bottom of the page and click Back to participants list. Then select Lund University and Add contact.

It is also recommend that you add your departmental financial advisor and/or local administrative support as a contact to the application.

5. Complete Administrative forms (part A)

For collaborative projects, you as a coordinator will add other consortium partner organisations under the Participants tab using their PIC. You need to collect PIC numbers from all partners. Add a contact person/PI for each partner organisation.

Research Services recommend that you ask each partner to log in and complete their own administrative information in part A. Alternatively, partner information may be collected via a partner information form and entered by the coordinator in the portal. As a coordinator you must verify that all entered information is correct prior to submission. Research Services can provide a template for a partner information form.

6. Download templates for part B

Templates for the scientific proposal (part B) are available in the left-hand menu under Download part B templates. These are essential for your proposal preparations. The templates can be downloaded and completed offline. Always use the templates linked to your specific call, not the general templates found in the portal’s reference document list.

7. Plan the budget of your project

The budget template is included in the administrative forms in the portal. Involve the departmental financial officer as early as possible to build the budget. Allow sufficient time for the budgeting process, particularly for lump sum proposals. 

8. Use support from Research Services

Keep Research Services informed about the progress of your application. They provide:

• sounding board for the different parts of the application 
• advice on consortium building and call topic matching guidance 
• material on how to write a competitive proposal
• support and guidance with the EU portal 
• feedback on early and more advanced proposal drafts 
• advice on budget planning.

For questions relating to IPR and commercialisation, contact LU Innovation. For legal questions, contact LU Legal.

9. Apply for a planning grant from Research Services

You can receive a planning grant from the university if you coordinate a collaborative application within Horizon Europe with a minimum of three participating organisations.

You are also qualified to apply for a coordination grant if you coordinate a collaborative project within Horizon Europe. To receive the planning grant, please contact Research Services and inform them which ‘Topic ID’ you will be applying to during the work with the application.

10. Submit the application

Do not wait until the final moment to submit your proposal. You may submit multiple times – only the latest submitted version is evaluated.

Participating in a proposal for the EU framework programme, Horizon Europe, requires careful planning, precise budgeting and good collaboration with the project coordinator and other consortium partners.

This guide outlines the administrative steps that are part of an application if participating as a partner in a collaborative project in Horizon Europe.

1. Register on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Start by registering as an External User on the EU Funding & Tenders participant portal. Once authenticated, you can manage applications where you are invited as a partner.

2. Inform your department

You must inform your department (for example the head of department) about the application so that the financial commitments of a granted project are acknowledged.

3. Share PIC number with your coordinator

In order for the coordinator to be able to add you to their proposal you need to share the Lund University PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999901318 and short name ULUND with them. You will then find the proposal under the tab My proposals when logged in to the portal.

4. Grant access to LU Research Services

Add the relevant contact person at Research Services to your proposal as Participant contact (but not as Team member). You will find the right contact person for each programme part on their blog.

In the portal this is done under the Participants tab. After logging on, go to the bottom of the page and click Back to participants list. Then select Lund University and Add contact.

It is also recommend that you add your departmental financial advisor and/or local administrative support as a contact to the application.

Research Services are available for questions regarding the application and your responsibilities as a partner. Do contact Research Services financial advisors regarding the drafting of the budget.

5. Complete Administrative forms (part A)

For collaborative projects each partner must complete their own administrative information in part A of the application. Alternatively, partner information may be collected by the coordinator via a partner information form and entered by the coordinator in the portal.

6. Read the full application

It is very important that you have read the full application and can endorse it before it is submitted. An important reference document is the EU Living guidelines on the responsible use of generative AI in research.

Proposals submitted to the European Research Council (ERC) follow a separate procedure and require central approval at Lund University. To apply for an ERC grant, you will need a Host Commitment letter signed by the Vice Chancellor. To receive this letter, you will need to submit a project certificate to Research Services in good time ahead of the ERC deadline.

This certificate confirms the budget, co-financing, and conditions of the grant, and must be signed by both your head of department and the dean of your faculty.

To receive further information about central support for ERC proposals, and a template and instructions for the project certificate, please contact john [dot] phillips [at] fsi [dot] lu [dot] se (John Phillips) or kerstin [dot] gidlof [at] fsi [dot] lu [dot] se (Kerstin Gidlöf) well in advance of the application deadline.

When applying for funding from the EU, Research Services provide support and advice throughout the process from application to completed project. Your Research Funding Advisor will guide you through the EU’s programme structure and regulations and can help in finding suitable calls for applications.

Research Services offer tips and templates for working on your application, covering both the administrative aspect and the budget, as well as help and feedback with parts of the application text.

Read more about the support on Research Services blog

Horizon Europe – internal rules for participation 

Lund University has internal rules for participation in Horizon Europe. These concern matters such as who approves your participation and what documentation is required for the decision, who signs the contract and who is responsible for the work in the project. At Lund University, these aspects are managed by Research Services.

Guidelines for Horizon Europe projects (PDF 388 kB; new window)

Financial support for applications and project coordination

You can receive a planning grant of up to 75 000 SEK from the university if you coordinate an application regarding collaborative projects within Horizon Europe with a minimum of three participating organisations. You are also qualified to apply for a coordination grant of up to 200 000 SEK per year if you coordinate a collaborative project within Horizon Europe. To receive the planning grant, please contact Research Services and inform us which ‘Topic ID’ you will be applying to during the preparation of the application. 

You are welcome to contact Research Services early in the application process to partake of all available support.

Contracts

Framework programme projects feature several types of contracts between the parties involved in the project. The contracts are reviewed by the legal division before being signed by the head of the faculty office/head of the administration.

Read more about contracts and find your responsible Legal Counsel

Gender Equality Plan

It is a mandatory requirement for all public bodies, including higher education institutions, to have a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) in place in order to apply to calls for proposals in Horizon Europe. Lund University has a GEP in place, which is the Equal Opportunities Plan for Lund University 2022-2027.

Read more about Lund University’s work with gender equality and equal opportunities