Science|Business is publishing the Commission’s sector-by-sector plans for its Horizon Europe programme
On this page, you can find the draft Horizon Europe work programmes 2026-27, and the drafting history for the work programmes for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. These are the documents that spell out the research topics, timing and budgets the European Commission plans.
For a long time, the Commission kept the work programme drafting process behind closed doors. But the drafts would leak from the Commission to research offices around Europe, most often into the hands of those closest to the policymaking process, giving them an unfair advantage in the preparation for funding calls.
In 2021, Science|Business started publishing leaked drafts, sent to us confidentially by our readers, on this page. We did this, because we believed the Commission should be transparent about the drafting process and publish the draft documents for all to access.
In 2025, the Commission finally took the decision to publicly release the latest drafts as they become available, in a win for transparency.
But Science|Business has not abandoned its mission to bring all draft Horizon work programmes – and their drafting history – together in a single access point, here on our Horizon papers page.
We also continue to analyse the novelties, quirks and particularities of these work programmes. Here are our latest articles:
Horizon papers: industry calls get a Clean Industrial Deal makeover in 2026-27
Widening measures evolve as budget dips in last years of Horizon Europe
Research priorities for final years of Horizon Europe start to fall into place
Horizon work programmes for 2025 show clear shift to competitiveness
Leaked Horizon plans set priorities for biodiversity, food and environment calls
The Work Programmes
2026-27 Work Programmes
- Cluster 1 - Health: April 2025, May 2025, June 2025
- Cluster 2 - Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society: workshop destination 1, workshop destination 2, workshop destination 3, April 2025, presentation (May 2025), July 2025
- Cluster 3 - Civil security for society: May 2025, June 2025
- Cluster 4 - Digital, industry, space: industry (May 2025), industry bis (May 2025), space (May 2025), May 2025
- Cluster 5 - Climate, energy and mobility: draft orientations (February 2025), May 2025
- Cluster 6 - Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment: undated initial draft, May 2025
- Widening: February 2025, March 2025, May 2025, June 2025
- Research infrastructures: draft orientations (February 2025)
- Missions: January 2025, climate adaptation (February 2025), July 2025
- European Innovation Council: June 2025
- European Innovation Ecosystems: June 2025
- New European Bauhaus Facility: July 2025
European Research Area: February 2025
2025 Work Programmes
- General introduction: latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- Cluster 1 - Health: December 2024, latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- Cluster 2 - Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society: October 2024, February 2025, March 2025, latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- Cluster 3 - Civil security for society: November 2024, latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- Cluster 4 - Digital, industry, space: May 2024, July 2024, October 2024, latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- Cluster 5 - Climate, energy and mobility: April 2024, latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- Cluster 6 - Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment: October 2024, February 2025, latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- Widening: October 2024, latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- Research infrastructures: latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- Missions: latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: January 2025
- European Innovation Council: July 2024, FINAL (October 2024)
- European Innovation Ecosystems: latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- New European Bauhaus Facility: latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
- European Cybersecurity Competence Centre: December 2024
- General annexes: latest draft (April 2025), FINAL (May 2025)
2023-24 Work Programmes
- Cluster 1 - Health: March 2022, June 2022, FINAL (December 2022)
- Cluster 2 - Culture, creativity and inclusive society: early draft, July 2022, FINAL (December 2022)
- Cluster 3 - Civil security for society: January 2022, July 2022, FINAL (December 2022)
- Cluster 4 - Digital, industry, space: January 2022, September 2022, FINAL (December 2022)
- Cluster 5 - Climate, energy and mobility: January 2022, June 2022, latest draft (undated), FINAL (December 2022)
- Cluster 6 - Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment: early draft, July 2022, FINAL (December 2022)
- Widening: early draft, July 2022, FINAL (December 2022)
- Research infrastructures: early draft, July 2022, FINAL (December 2022)
- Missions: climate adaptation, July 2022, FINAL (December 2022)
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: March 2022, September 2022, FINAL (December 2022)
- European Innovation Council: July 2022, October 2022
- European Research Council: final work programme (July 2022)
- European Innovation Ecosystems: latest draft (undated), FINAL (December 2022)
General annexes: FINAL (December 2022)
2021-22 Work Programmes
- General introduction: January 2020, March 2021*
- Cluster 1 – Health: October 2020, January 2021, March 2021*
- Cluster 2 – Culture, creativity and inclusive society: October 2020, March 2021*
- Cluster 3 – Civil security for society: September 2020, October 2020, January 2021*
- Cluster 4 – Digital, industry and space: December 2020 version, February 2021, March 2021, March 2021 bis
- Cluster 5 – Climate, energy, and mobility: November 2020, February 2021, February 2021 bis*
- Cluster 6 – Food, bioeconomy, natural Resources, agriculture and environment: December 2020, April 2021
- Widening: Widening and European Research Area
- Research infrastructures: annex 3, March 2021*
- Missions: February 2021, March 2021*, April 2021*
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: annex 2
- European Innovation Council: November 2020, March 2021*
- European Research Council: final work programme
- Euratom: February 2021*
- Strategic plan: November 2020, January 2021
- Model grant agreement: December 2020, February 2021
- Proposal template
- Slides from meeting of the Shadow Strategic Configuration
General annexes: November 2020, January 2021, March 2021*
Other documents
- European Commission’s Competitiveness Compass: January 2025, FINAL (January 2025)
- European Commission’s first review of research missions: July 2023
- Restructuring of the research and innovation directorate general, DG RTD: August 2023
You can download our analysis and explanation of the research programme in our own: “Horizon Europe: The Essential Guide [NEW EDITION].”
* documents linking to the European Commission’s website
Editor’s note: This page was last updated 3 June 2025 to add a draft work programme for 2026-27.
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