The European Commission (EC) has made simplification a central priority in the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027, responding to long-standing feedback from applicants about the large administrative burden, overly prescriptive calls and complex proposal requirements. The changes introduced affect not only the structure of the work programme itself, but also the proposal templates, funding models and evaluation procedures used across Horizon Europe. Together, these reforms aim to make Horizon Europe more accessible to newcomers, reduce unnecessary workload for applicants and evaluators, and increase the programme’s overall impact by focusing on fewer, broader and more flexible topics (European Commission, 2025a).

In this article, I explain the key simplification measures introduced in the Horizon Europe 2026–2027 Work Programme, including shorter and less prescriptive topic descriptions, reduced numbers of topics, newcomer- and SME-friendly features, the use of lump-sum funding, two-stage calls, and, in particular, the significant changes made to the proposal templates, highlighting what applicants need to know to prepare competitive submissions efficiently.

1. Less Strict and Shorter Topic Descriptions

A fundamental simplification measure is the move towards shorter and less strict topic descriptions. The EC has reduced the average length of topic texts, focusing more clearly on expected outcomes and impacts, while leaving applicants greater freedom to determine the pathways, methodologies and technologies used to achieve them (European Commission, 2025a).

This approach includes a broader use of so-called open topics, where objectives are defined but implementation routes are deliberately left open. As a result, the overall length of the 2026–2027 Work Programme has been reduced by approximately 33% compared with the 2023–2024 edition (European Commission, 2025a).

2. Fewer, Broader Topics with Higher Impact

In parallel, the EC has reduced the number of topics by around 35% relative to the previous work programme. The intention is to concentrate funding on fewer but broader topics, allowing for stronger competition, higher ambition and increased potential impact (European Commission, 2025a).

Additionally, the number of topics expected to fund only a single project has been cut by approximately 50%, encouraging a more competitive environment and reducing the risk of overly narrow calls (European Commission, 2025a).

3. Expanded Use of Lump-Sum Funding

Financial simplification is another cornerstone of the 2026–2027 programme. Around 50% of the total call budget will be implemented through lump-sum funding, particularly for topics with grants below EUR 10 million (European Commission, 2025a).

Under lump-sum schemes, beneficiaries are no longer required to report actual costs in detail, significantly reducing financial administration and any risks that could occur during a project audit. This approach is expected to be especially beneficial for SMEs, newcomers and smaller organisations, which often lack extensive financial management resources (European Commission, 2025a).

4. Newcomer-Friendly and SME-Focused Measures

The EC has explicitly designed parts of the 2026–2027 Work Programme to lower barriers for newcomers, SMEs, start-ups, scale-ups, civil society organisations and smaller public administrations. This includes the introduction of more newcomer-friendly topics, as well as increased use of instruments such as the Fast Track to Research and Innovation scheme (European Commission, 2025a).

In addition, the programme expands opportunities for financial support to third parties, allowing funded consortia to cascade funding to smaller actors who may not otherwise participate directly in Horizon Europe calls (European Commission, 2025a). These measures align with the Commission’s stated ambition to broaden participation and diversify the Horizon Europe applicant base (Science|Business, 2024).

5. Increased Use of Two-Stage Calls and Anonymised Evaluation

To to ensure that efforts and resources are used effectively, the EC has expanded the use of two-stage calls, with 41 topics using this approach in the 2026–2027 programme (European Commission, 2025a).

In two-stage calls, applicants first submit a short proposal. Only those that pass the first evaluation stage are invited to submit a full proposal. This significantly reduces the workload for unsuccessful applicants and shortens time-to-grant. Many first-stage proposals are also evaluated anonymously, with applicant identities hidden to reduce the risk of bias (European Commission, 2025a; Science|Business, 2024).

6. Simplified Proposal Templates and Reduced Page Limits

6.1 Updated Standard Application Forms

A major and highly practical simplification for applicants is the revision of the standard proposal templates for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The European Commission has published updated versions of the Standard Application Forms on the Funding & Tenders Portal, reflecting the simplification objectives of the 2026–2027 Work Programme (European Commission, 2025a,b).

6.2 Reduced Page Limits

The revised templates introduce lower maximum page limits, encouraging clearer and more focused proposals:

• RIA and IA (full proposals): 45 à 40 pages
• RIA and IA (lump-sum): 50 à 45 pages
• CSA: 30 à 25 pages (28 pages for lump-sum actions)
• Two-stage calls: 10 pages for first-stage proposals

6.3 Optional Impact Summary Table

One of the most notable template changes concerns the Impact section. The impact summary table (Section 2.3), previously mandatory, is now explicitly optional. Applicants may include it if it helps clarify their intervention logic, but they are no longer required to do so (European Commission, 2025b). This change reduces the pressure to fit complex impact pathways into a rigid structure and allows applicants to prioritise narrative explanations where more appropriate.

6.4 Streamlined Impact and Implementation Requirements

Further simplifications include:

• Reduced guidance and fewer mandatory sub-elements in Section 2.1 (“Pathways towards impact”), with less emphasis on formalised or quantified impact descriptions that were difficult to substantiate at proposal stage.
• Closer alignment with evaluation criteria, removing content that evaluators did not systematically assess.

6.5 Simplified Budget and Resource Tables

In the Implementation section (Section 3), several detailed tables have been removed or simplified:

• Tables on other cost categories and in-kind contributions have been removed.
• Justification for equipment purchases is now required only when such costs exceed 15% of personnel costs, reducing unnecessary explanations for minor items.

Overall Impact of the Simplification Measures

Taken together, the simplification measures in the Horizon Europe 2026–2027 Work Programme represent a structural shift in how EU research funding is designed and managed. By shortening texts, reducing prescriptiveness, simplifying templates, expanding lump-sum funding and lowering entry barriers, the EC aims to:

• Reduce administrative burden for applicants and evaluators
• Improve accessibility for newcomers and SMEs
• Shorten time-to-grant
• Increase diversity of participation
• Focus funding on higher-impact activities (European Commission, 2025a; Science|Business, 2024)

These changes are not merely cosmetic; they signal a deliberate move towards a more agile, inclusive and outcome-oriented Horizon Europe programme.

References

• European Commission (2025a) Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027: General Introduction. Brussels: European Commission. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2026-2027/wp-1-general-introduction_horizon-2026-2027_en.pdf (Accessed: 13.1.2026).
• European Commission (2025b) Horizon Europe Standard Application Form (HE RIA/IA). Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/af/af_he-ria-ia_en.pdf (Accessed: 13.1.2026).
• Science|Business (2024) Commission hopes to open up Horizon Europe to more newcomers. Available at: https://sciencebusiness.net/news/horizon-europe/commission-hopes-open-horizon-europe-more-newcomers (Accessed: 13.1.2026).

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