# EU research and innovation funding developments > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/european-union-research-and-innovation-funding > Updated: 2026-10-01T22:13:20.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 4. The European Union continues to deploy significant funding through the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the Horizon Europe program. While the EIT has allocated €70 million to 35 projects under its 2025 Higher Education Initiative, Horizon Europe has seen substantial recent developments. A €411 million investment was designated for 73 Horizon Europe projects across four categories: INFRASERV (€154m) for health and digital transformation, INFRADEV (€109m) for research infrastructure, INFRAEOSC (€85m) for open data sharing, and INFRATECH (€63m) for scientific instrumentation. These efforts target sectors such as climate resilience, agriculture, and manufacturing. To address budgetary constraints, the European Commission announced a €500 million boost for Horizon Europe to be implemented across 2026 and 2027, bringing the total budget for those two years to approximately €14.8 billion. This includes €260 million for the ‘Bridging Actions 2027’ initiative focusing on AI-driven energy systems, and €237 million for the ‘Nature-Positive Economy and Society’ call to support biodiversity. The funding increase follows reports that the program is currently unable to fund 75 per cent of high-quality grant proposals. Since 2021, the program has reportedly required over €150 billion in additional funding to support all worthy proposals, with applicant success rates declining from 17 per cent in 2022 to 10 per cent in 2025. Furthermore, concerns persist regarding equitable distribution, as countries in the widening group receive only about 5 per cent of European Research Council (ERC) grants. In response to record-breaking demand, the Commission has also allocated more than €210 million to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme under the ‘Choose Europe’ initiative. This investment aims to support over 700 researchers, following a 2026 call for postdoctoral fellowships that received 21,627 applications, the highest in over 40 years. ## Claims - The European Commission is adding €500m to the Horizon Europe programme for 2026 and 2027. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The additional funding brings the programme budget for 2026 and 2027 to approximately €14.8bn. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The Bridging Actions 2027 call has a budget of €260m and focuses on next-generation AI digital platforms for the energy system. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The Nature-Positive Economy and Society call is allocated €237m to support biodiversity objectives. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Horizon Europe is currently unable to fund 75 per cent of high-quality grant proposals due to budget shortages. (single source) - The programme would have required more than €150bn in extra funding to support all high-quality proposals received so far. (single source) - Funding success rates for applicants dropped from 17 per cent in 2022 to 10 per cent in 2025. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-10-01: European Commission allocates €210m for research careers The European Commission is providing over €210 million in extra funding to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme to support more than 700 researchers and boost scientific talent in Europe. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/european-commission-allocates-210m-for-research-careers ### 2026-09-30: European Commission boosts Horizon Europe research budget by €500m The European Commission is adding €500m to the Horizon Europe programme for 2026-2027, addressing budget shortfalls that have left 75% of high-quality research proposals unfunded. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/european-commission-boosts-horizon-europe-research-budget-by-500m ### 2026-09-21: European Union invests €411m in 73 Horizon Europe research projects The EU is investing €411 million in 73 Horizon Europe projects to bolster research infrastructure, amid concerns regarding unequal grant distribution for scientists in widening EU member states. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/european-union-invests-411m-in-73-horizon-europe-research-projects ### 2026-09-15: European Union invests hundreds of millions in research and innovation The EU is investing hundreds of millions of euros into research and innovation, including €70 million via the EIT for higher education and €411 million through Horizon Europe to enhance research technology. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/european-union-invests-hundreds-of-millions-in-research-and-innovation --- Cite as: EU research and innovation funding developments. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/european-union-research-and-innovation-funding