The Horizon Papers

On this page, you can find links to the draft Horizon Europe work programmes 2026-27, and the official work programmes for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. These are the documents that spell out the research topics, timing and budgets the Commission plans.

But Science|Business is also keeping the full history of the drafting process publicly available. On this page, besides the “final” versions of the work programmes, you will also find earlier-stage drafts that were leaked to us over time. We think it important to maintain a public record of how the programme evolves, in successive rounds of drafting between the Commission and member states. It is a political process – which, so far, the Commission refuses to make transparent.

2026-27 Work Programmes

• Cluster 1 - Health: April 2025
• Cluster 2 - Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society: workshop destination 1, workshop destination 2, workshop destination 3, April 2025
• Cluster 5 - Climate, energy and mobility: draft orientations (February 2025)
• Cluster 6 - Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment: undated initial draft
• Widening: February 2025, April 2025
• Research infrastructures: draft orientations (February 2025)
• Missions: January 2025, climate adaptation (February 2025)

• European Research Area: February 2025

2025 Work Programmes

• General introduction: latest draft (April 2025)
• Cluster 1 - Health: December 2024, latest draft (April 2025)
• Cluster 2 - Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society: October 2024, February 2025, March 2025, latest draft (April 2025)
• Cluster 3 - Civil security for society: November 2024, latest draft (April 2025)
• Cluster 4 - Digital, industry, space: May 2024, July 2024, October 2024, latest draft (April 2025)
• Cluster 5 - Climate, energy and mobility: April 2024, latest draft (April 2025)
• Cluster 6 - Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment: October 2024, February 2025, latest draft (April 2025)
• Widening: October 2024, latest draft (April 2025)
• Research infrastructures: latest draft (April 2025)
• Missions: latest draft (April 2025)
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: January 2025
• European Innovation Council: July 2024, FINAL (October 2024)
• European Innovation Ecosystems: latest draft (April 2025)
• New European Bauhaus Facility: latest draft (April 2025)
• European Cybersecurity Competence Centre: December 2024
• General annexes: latest draft (April 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 28 April 2025 to add the latest batch of draft work programme for 2025.