# Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020 is a Research & Innovation Framework Programme based in Brussels, Belgium.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Research & Innovation Framework Programme
- **Headquarters:** Brussels, Belgium
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** Brussels, Belgium
- **Founded:** 2014
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** ec.europa.eu
- **LinkedIn:** https://linkedin.com/company/horizons2020
- **Wikidata:** Q13583472

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Discover how the EU functions, its principles, priorities; find out about its history and member states; learn about its legal basis and your EU rights.

## Sectors

- Life Sciences & Biotech
- Clean Energy & Renewables
- Digital & ICT
- Advanced Materials
- Space
- Climate & Environment
- Mobility & Transport
- Food & Agriculture

## People

- European Commission — Managing Authority

## Questions

### How did Horizon 2020 differ from earlier EU research framework programmes?

Horizon 2020 consolidated three previously separate EU initiatives — the Framework Programme for Research, the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology — into a single integrated programme. It introduced a stronger focus on innovation and market-readiness alongside pure research, with simplified funding rules and a dedicated SME Instrument for small business grants.

### What was the SME Instrument and how did it operate?

The SME Instrument was a grant vehicle within the Industrial Leadership pillar that provided non-dilutive financing to high-growth small and medium enterprises. It offered up to €2.5 million per company across three phases: concept feasibility, demonstration and market replication, and commercialisation support. Over 7,000 SMEs received funding through this mechanism during the programme period.

### Which organisations received the most Horizon 2020 funding?

The largest beneficiaries by total funding received included the Max Planck Society (Germany), France's CNRS, the University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, and KU Leuven. These institutions acted as coordinators for large multi-partner research consortia and grant awards disproportionately clustered in Germany, the UK, France, Spain, and Italy.

### How is Horizon 2020 linked to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation?

The European Commission and the Gates Foundation established formal collaborative agreements under Horizon 2020 to co-fund research in global health, agricultural development, and infectious disease diagnostics. One joint initiative was the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, which combined EU and foundation resources to accelerate vaccine and drug trials for diseases affecting low-income countries.

### What investment instruments did Horizon 2020 use beyond traditional grants?

Beyond direct grants, the programme deployed financial instruments through the European Investment Fund, including loan facilities, guarantees, and equity investments via the InnovFin programme. InnovFin provided over €24 billion in risk finance for innovative companies, bridging the gap between grant-stage research and venture-scale commercialisation.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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