Horizon Europe Bridging 2027: €32.5 million to bring Pillar II results to market, deadline 28 January

On 20 October 2026 the European Commission opens topic HORIZON-BRIDGING-2027-02-05. The budget is €32.5 million and it funds around 13 innovation projects of up to €2.5 million each, which take the results of collaborative Pillar II projects under Horizon Europe towards production and the market. Consortia of no more than 6 entities that start from an already completed Horizon Europe project can take part. The submission deadline is 28 January 2027.

In brief

• Programme: Horizon Europe, horizontal activities, the "Bridging actions 2027" call (HORIZON-BRIDGING-2027-02), topic 02-05 "Advancing promising results from Pillar II collaborative research through the innovation journey"
• Authority: European Commission
• Beneficiaries: consortia of up to 6 independent entities (companies, SMEs, universities, institutes, end users) that continue the results of Pillar II projects that have already ended
• Total budget: €32.5 million, with approximately 13 grants expected
• Value per project: up to €2.5 million, as a lump sum, action type Innovation Action (IA)
• Submission period: 20 October 2026 – 28 January 2027, in a single stage
• Status: announced on the portal (forthcoming), opening on 20 October 2026

What does the call fund?

The call addresses a problem familiar to many Horizon Europe participants: the project ends with a promising result, but there is no money left for the steps between prototype and market. The topic funds prototyping, testing, demonstration, piloting, large-scale validation and market replication, all in real-world conditions.

The project must cover several of the following areas:

• validation and testing through iterative prototyping;
• commercialisation aspects, such as regulatory compliance and standardisation;
• scaling up operations and supply chains;
• preparing users, the market and stakeholders through co-creation;
• implementation and investment readiness.

Projects last no more than 3 years.

Who can apply and under what conditions?

The specific conditions of the topic are stricter than for an ordinary Horizon Europe call:

• Completed base project: the proposal must continue the results of one or more multi-beneficiary projects funded under clusters 1–6 of Pillar II through RIA, IA or PCP actions. The base project must have ended before the submission deadline.
• Small consortium: a maximum of 6 eligible independent entities.
• Rights to the results: at least one applicant must hold the relevant knowledge, including intellectual property rights, and the right to commercialise it. The alternative is a letter of commitment from the owner, agreeing to negotiate access on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.
• End users in the consortium: end users must be part of the consortium as beneficiaries.
• Maturity level: for results from clusters 3–6, the project must start from TRL 6. For cluster 1 (Health) and cluster 2 (Culture, creativity and inclusive society), activities must begin beyond the laboratory environment.

How and by when do you apply?

Applications are submitted electronically, on the Commission's Funding & Tenders portal, in a single stage, between 20 October 2026 and 28 January 2027. Eligible costs are reimbursed as a lump sum. This means the budget must be built from the outset around clear work packages and deliverables.

The "Bridging actions 2027" call also includes a related but different topic: HORIZON-BRIDGING-2027-06-02, "Valorising Horizon project results via innovation ecosystems". It has €20 million for around 5 projects of €2.5–4 million and a deadline of 16 February 2027. It is aimed at innovation ecosystems (technology transfer offices, incubators, clusters), which redistribute at least 60% of the funds to the holders of results through financial support to third parties.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: the call is worth examining above all if you were a partner in a collaborative Pillar II Horizon Europe project that has ended, or will certainly end, before 28 January 2027. Companies without such a track record can apply only if they obtain from the owner of the results a letter of commitment on access to them. Otherwise, they can join a consortium as an end user or industrial partner, if they find a team with suitable results.

What it is worth preparing now:

• clarify in writing who owns the intellectual property in the results. In large consortia, results are often co-owned, and a letter of commitment from the other owners is hard to obtain in the final weeks;
• document the TRL level reached, with the final reports and test evidence from the original project;
• identify from the start the end user who will join the consortium, for example a hospital, a town hall, an industrial operator or a farmer, depending on the field;
• build a realistic lump-sum budget, keeping the limit of 6 partners in mind.

The most common mistake we anticipate is a proposal that looks like a continuation of the research. The topic requires validation in real-world conditions and a credible route to market, not another research cycle. If you would like an initial assessment of your company's profile, you can use the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply if my Horizon Europe project is still ongoing?

Only if the project ends before 28 January 2027. The topic requires the base project to be completed before the submission deadline.

Are results from Horizon 2020 or the ERC eligible?

Not for this topic. Only collaborative multi-beneficiary projects from clusters 1–6 of Pillar II of Horizon Europe, funded through RIA, IA or PCP, are eligible. Results from Pillar III of Horizon 2020 are covered by the related topic HORIZON-BRIDGING-2027-06-02.

How many partners can the consortium have?

No more than 6 eligible independent entities. End users must be among the beneficiaries.

How mature must the result be?

For clusters 3–6, the project starts from TRL 6. For clusters 1 and 2, activities must begin beyond the laboratory environment.

How is the money paid?

The grant is awarded as a lump sum. Payment is made on the basis of completion of the agreed activities and work packages, not on the basis of reimbursement of each individual expense.

Official sources

• Funding & Tenders Portal – HORIZON-BRIDGING-2027-02-05, Advancing promising results from Pillar II collaborative research through the innovation journey
• Funding & Tenders Portal – HORIZON-BRIDGING-2027-06-02, Valorising Horizon project results via innovation ecosystems

Information checked on 12 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.