Data corner: Horizon success rates are dropping

11 Nov 2025 | News
Horizon Europe
R&D Funding

Preliminary figures for 2025 suggest the success rate has fallen to 12%. But some countries are submitting many more applications than others

By Goda Naujokaitytė

Photo credits: llaszlo / BigStock

Horizon Europe calls this year have received unprecedented numbers of proposals, with some jumping by as much as 80%. We dive into the figures. 

First of all, with applications on the rise, success rates are set to plummet. The overall Horizon Europe success rate for 2025 currently stands at 12%. 

The data is incomplete, however, containing about a third of all 2025 Horizon Europe calls so far this year. This is because the European Commission only reports on those that have been fully evaluated. 

But a trend seems to be emerging. Even calls that have not yet been included in the dataset show success rates as low as 2%. 

For example, the European Innovation Council (EIC) has always been popular and thus competitive. But in 2025, out of 2,087 applications for its Pathfinder grants for breakthrough innovation, it could…

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