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As the current Horizon Europe 2021–2027 programme enters its final phase, attention is shifting to its successor: the 10th Framework Programme (FP10) for R&I — Horizon Europe 2028–2034, whose proposal is already on the table.

The initiative for regulation, published by the European Parliament in December 2025, begins to offer a clearer picture of the practical changes we can expect and how organisations in the bioeconomy and agri-food sector can prepare to keep innovating.

Relevant links:

Horizon Europe 2028–2034 keeps a familiar structure with important updates

Horizon Europe 2028-2034 budget draft proposed by the European Comission

FP10 follows the four-component structure of its predecessor, transforming the former horizontal Widening and ERA component into the new vertical Pillar IV, and introducing a significantly higher budget of €175 billion in current prices.

i. Horizon Europe 2028–2034 budget draft proposed by the European Commission.

Compared to the 2021–2027 period, the draft foresees substantial increases across all pillars, with particularly strong growth for Pillar III (Innovation) and Pillar IV (ERA). This reflects a clear political signal: Europe wants to move faster from knowledge to real-world solutions, while reducing geographic gaps in participation.

For applicants, this continuity means that overall formats, terminology, and proposal logic will remain familiar, but with key practical changes that organisations should prepare for.

Relevant link: European Commission overview of Horizon Europe 2028–2034 (July 2025).

Key practical changes compared to Horizon Europe 2021–2027

Lump-sum funding becomes the norm

FP10 confirms “lump sums as the default form of Union funding”, further simplifying financial management. This means more focus on work-plan realism and risk management.

Faster time-to-grant

Grant agreements must now be signed within seven months of submission, with applicants informed of results by month five. This streamlines project launch and reduces planning delays.

Updated participation rules

Collaborative projects still require at least three entities from different eligible countries, but FP10 strengthens the distinction between “widening” and “transition” countries, adding new conditions linked to national R&I investments.

Stronger link with the European Competitiveness Fund

A large share of Pillar II will be implemented with the European Competitiveness Fund, which targets critical technologies such as AI, clean tech and advanced materials. This means more industry-aligned calls and greater opportunities to progress from R&I to deployment.

Relevant link: European Competitiveness Fund (European Commission).

EIC and innovation ecosystems scaled up

The European Innovation Council (EIC) will see its budget increased to strengthen support for deep-tech start-ups and disruptive innovations, including selected defence and dual-use areas. This is directly linked to more connected and supportive innovation ecosystems.

Relevant link: European Innovation Council (EIC).

What does this mean for the bioeconomy and agri-food actors?

For the bioeconomy and agri-food community, FP10 brings both continuity and new opportunities. The dedicated policy window “health, biotechnology, agriculture and bioeconomy” in Pillar II recognises these areas as strategic for Europe’s competitiveness and resilience, fully aligned with the priorities of the European Competitiveness Fund.

This represents a more integrated approach than the separate thematic clusters of Horizon Europe 2021–2027 and reinforces funding for:

  • Low-emission and circular production systems
  • Bio-based materials
  • Sustainable food transformation technologies
  • Climate-resilient agriculture
  • Bioprocessing and value-chain optimisation

The strengthened EIC and innovation ecosystems are particularly relevant for bioeconomy start-ups and SMEs, who will face higher expectations on market readiness, business models and exploitation strategies, but can also access more targeted support to scale up.

It is a good moment to start getting ready for Horizon Europe 2028–2034

The final legal texts are still under negotiation, but the main direction is clear: more funding, faster procedures, and a stronger focus on competitiveness, impact and scale-up.

For bioeconomy and agri-food actors, this is the right moment to:

  • Start aligning R&I roadmaps with the upcoming policy windows
  • Build strategic partnerships across the value chain, expecting more interdisciplinary calls
  • Design projects with clear exploitation and market pathways from the outset, regardless of their technological maturity

At Innovarum, we will keep following the FP10 negotiations closely and support organisations in turning these new opportunities into concrete, impactful projects.