New Guidance on Synergies between Horizon Europe and ERDF programmes

In addition to instructions on how to set up synergies correctly, the manual also includes concrete examples from practice.

The European Commission published a long-awaited guide on new opportunities to maximize the synergies between Horizon Europe and the European Regional Development Fund programs. This document aims to outline the new opportunities available to the managing authorities of the cohesion policy programmes, national Horizon Europe contact points and Horizon Europe applicants.

Bringing cohesion policy and Framework program closer together has been an important priority for the Commission in recent years, particularly when preparing for the new programming period 2021-2027. Strengthening synergies between these two key instruments creates new opportunities to help foster innovation in all regions and to better integrate less-developed and peripheral regions into the European Research Area (ERA) and the European Innovation Ecosystem (EIE).

The document covers legal and implementation details of all new opportunities for achieving operational synergies, including for the Seal of Excellence, transfer, cumulative funding, co-funded and Institutionalised Partnerships, Teaming, and upstream/downstream synergies including missions.

The guide can be found on the EC´s website.