Fully Funded Horizon Europe Brokerage Visits

UK organisations eyeing Horizon Europe collaboration have a significant opportunity through the Horizon Europe Brokerage Visits 2025/2026, run by Innovate UK Business Connect in partnership with DSIT, the UK Science & Technology Network, and National Contact Points. These fully funded visits (open to up to 15 UK-registered bodies - SMEs, universities, corporates, RTOs) will take place between September 2025 and March 2026 across Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Each visit targets specific Horizon Europe Cluster 4 topics (Digital, Industry & Space) aligned with planned work programme calls for 2026/27, offering practical support through matchmaking, pitch sessions, innovation workshops, and proposal guidance.

Below are all confirmed brokerage events for the 2025/26 series:

  • Germany: 23–25 September 2025. Focus: Advanced Materials, Raw Materials & Chemicals
  • Spain: 1–3 October 2025. Focus: Fast‑tracking Circularity
  • Spain: 20–22 October 2025. Focus: Sustainable Agriculture
  • France: 21–23 October 2025. Focus: Smart Energy Systems
  • Netherlands: 17–19 November 2025. Focus: Sustainable Agriculture
  • Netherlands: 1–4 December 2025. Focus: Innovative Advanced Materials/Technologies & AI for Manufacturing
  • Belgium: 10–12 February 2026. Focus: Automotive Mobility.

Together, these visits present valuable engagements for UK delegates to meet European collaborators in sector-aligned pitches, roundtables, and workshops. Each event supports deep dive into forthcoming Horizon Europe call themes, for example advanced materials, circularity, smart systems, sustainable agriculture, AI in manufacturing, and mobility systems.

Key logistical and eligibility information:

  • Applications open: 25th July 2025 at 12:00 pm (UK time).
  • Each event typically has its own application deadline (e.g. Germany: 8th August 2025; notification 20th August).
  • Innovate UK funds flights, accommodation, in-country travel, and daily subsistence for one representative per organisation.
  • Eligibility: UK-registered SMEs, corporates, universities, RTOs, and Catapult Network members.

These visits build on earlier 2025 programmes that sent UK delegations to Italy, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland, focusing on energy tech, hydrogen, smart manufacturing, cybersecurity and resilience. The experience of those earlier rounds demonstrated tangible outcomes: early-stage project ideas, new cross-border partnerships, and groundwork for full Horizon Europe consortia.

Why participate?

Key benefits:

  • Fully funded in‑market visit for one delegate: travel, lodging, subsistence.
  • Sector-focused matchmaking with European peers aligned to your R&I themes.
  • Professional guidance from UK NCPs, STN, and embassy networks on bid preparation and consortia formation.
  • Pitch opportunities to showcase your innovation and gather collaborators.
  • Strategic foresight into Horizon Europe 2026/27 calls aligning with Cluster 4 priorities.

If you're working in advanced materials, circular economy, energy systems, agricultural innovation, AI-enhanced manufacturing or mobility, these brokerage visits could be instrumental in starting or strengthening Horizon Europe projects.

Applications opened on the 25th July 2025 for the first events, followed by additional country-specific deadlines. Preparing a strong, focused innovation pitch and aligning your sector interests to each country’s theme will greatly enhance your application.

To express your interest, click here.

by Dayne Hodgson

Travel support for UK businesses to attend European events

Innovate UK has launched a travel support scheme designed to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK in expanding their reach into European research and development (R&D) collaborations. This initiative, set to run throughout the second half of 2024, provides funding to enable SMEs to attend key European events focused on R&D and consortia-building.

Following the UK’s renewed association with Horizon Europe, this travel support aims to bolster international collaboration by ensuring that UK businesses remain visible and active participants in European research initiatives. SMEs are the backbone of innovation, and this initiative offers them a unique opportunity to expand their networks, secure partnerships, and contribute to major collaborative projects across the continent.

The industries covered under this initiative are wide-ranging, including space technology, sustainable urban mobility, and hydrogen energy, among others. Each event offers a platform for SMEs to engage with international counterparts, forming partnerships that could lead to new research breakthroughs and technological advancements.

One of the key benefits of this program is its role in removing financial barriers for UK businesses. Travel and accommodation costs can be prohibitive, particularly for smaller enterprises. Innovate UK's travel support offers up to £700 per company to cover these costs, enabling more businesses to participate in high-impact events without the burden of additional financial strain.

This initiative is viewed as a strategic tool to ensure that UK businesses remain at the forefront of global research collaborations. As Europe’s R&D landscape continues to evolve, especially with the Horizon Europe program driving significant funding and opportunities, it’s essential that UK SMEs are not left behind. By facilitating their involvement in European consortia, this initiative helps ensure that the UK remains a leader in research and innovation.

For more information, please visit: https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/news/travel-support-now-available/

by Dayne Hodgson