Horizon Europe
2026 Internal Notice of Intent (iNOI)
Overview of Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe is the European Union's 9th research and innovation funding programme (2021-2027) with a budget of EUR 95.5 billion.
The objective of the programme is to support and strengthen global scientific and technological collaboration by leveraging European Union (EU) funding instruments. It aims to enhance access to talent, networks and financial resources while addressing strategic priorities and global challenges, with a particular focus on climate change, digital transition, the priorities highlighted in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan. Horizon Europe, as the successor tot he EU's former Horizon 2020 framework, provides the foundation for advancing these objectives.
The Government of Canada has allocated $147 million dollars (CAD) to fund Canada’s association to Horizon Europe as an Associated Member to Pillar II. As an Associated Member, Canadian researchers can now receive funding directly from the Horizon Europe programme by joining consortium projects under Pillar II and as a Beneficiary applicant to Pillar I opportunities.
Pillar II Work Programmes for 2026-27 are expected to be finalized and available in December 2025. Once published, they will be available to view and download at the link below.
Find Horizon Europe Funding Opportunities
PILLAR I
Excellent Science
NOTE: Select opportunities may be available for Canadian PIs to access funding through specific calls and programs under Pillar I of Horizon Europe.
For more information on these opportunities and guidance on applying, please reach out to our team for tailored support and advice for engaging with/applying to Pillar I opportunities.
PILLAR II
Global Challenges & European Industrial Competitiveness
How we support you
Research Services (RSO) and UCalgary International (UCI) can provide support to guide researchers through the EU funding environment and navigate complex administrative requirements. RSO offers proposal development support for Pillar I and II research applications, and early engagement with RSO and UCI is strongly recommended.
If you have questions, or are considering applying to a 2026-27 Horizon Europe funding opportunity, please contact us at horizoneurope@ucalgary.ca.
UCalgary International supports:
- Partner recommendations, search and outreach as needed.
- Initial to mid-stage proposal concept(s) to topic alignment analysis with an implementation and partnership requirement lens.
- Connecting on-campus teams, initiatives and startups to PI if needed or relevant for participation in consortium and to the context of the proposal.
- Horizon Europe Funding opportunity search and contextual pairing.
- Facilitating initial meetings between campus units and external team members for required support and inputs as needed.
- Project Technology Readiness Level Requirement Assessment: Strategic guidance for aligning your concept technology with topic requirements for strengthening proposals.
Research Services Office supports:
- iNOI support and review.
- Call topic selection support (including assistance with understanding the requirements of the selected topic and work programme and connecting with Canada’s National Contact Points for proposal advice).
- Advice on development of proposal elements.
- Review/feedback on draft application materials (individual components and/or final draft prior to submission in EU portal).
- Liaising with faculty research facilitators on coordinating proposal development activities and updates.
- Workshop offerings.
- Support with connecting to in-house specialist teams (RSO, Research Security Division, Knowledge to Impact, Research Data Management, Research Legal, Finance etc.).
- Proposal development planning and timeline coordination: supporting the development and alignment of critical phases, milestones, and key administrative checkpoints throughout the proposal preparation process. This includes ensuring consistency with project timelines and adapting as needed on a case-by-case basis.
Instructions for Interested Applicants
Step 1: Identify an area of interest in the Horizon Europe framework and interested partners
Recommended 6 - 12 months before submission
At this stage, we strongly encourage you to connect early with the UCalgary Horizon Europe teams in Research Services and UCalgary International via the Horizon Europe inbox. Sharing your plans to apply now ensures you get a clear preview of the supports and processes available and helps us anticipate upcoming application volumes.
Horizon Europe funding opportunities are available to search and view online via the European Commission’s Funding and Tenders Portal.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully read the Horizon Europe Work Programme applicable to their selected call topic in order to fully understand the objectives and guidelines applicable to the funding call.
Our in-house Horizon Europe program specialists can help you identify topics that best match your research interests, profile, and expertise. Reach out to us at horizoneurope@ucalgary.ca to learn how we can support you at this stage and guide you toward the right opportunities.
To proceed to Step 2 (iNOI) UCalgary applicants will need to identify (at minimum) the area of interest in Horizon Europe they wish to prepare a proposal for in 2026.
- Pillar I Example: identify the Funding Program (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowships, ERC Advance Grant, ERC Synergy Grants, etc.)
- Pillar II Example: identify the Cluster, Mission, or Destination of interest.
Identification of a specific call topic is not required at this stage.
Step 2: Prepare and submit your Internal Notice of Intent (iNOI)
4 - 6 months before submission
Horizon Europe Pillar I & II funding opportunities require submission of an internal Notice of Intent (iNOI) to Research Services.
The 2026 iNOI process will offer two (2) intake deadlines (January and May).
Submission of an iNOI is mandatory for applicants seeking partnership and application support. INOIs will be used to inform Research Services of the supports required for development of your research proposal.
Preparing a Horizon Europe application typically requires several months of thorough preparation; applicants forming or joining a consortium are encouraged to allocate at least six (6) months to develop, write, and refine their proposal.
Horizon Europe specialist teams in UCalgary International and Research Services can help you get started by suggesting topic‑to‑expertise fit best practices and guiding you on the types of partners and themes to consider for building a strong consortium and proposal. Deadlines for submission of a 2026 iNOI are organized by submission deadline for the Horizon Europe opportunity selected by the applicant. These timelines are designed to ensure sufficient time is available for RSO and UCI to provide meaningful partnership and application development support to UCalgary applicants leading up to application submission.
In the event you are unsure which iNOI deadline applies to you, or you have not yet selected a specific Horizon Europe opportunity, please connect with us at horizoneurope@ucalgary.ca for assistance identifying the correct iNOI intake period.
The deadline to submit is 12 p.m. (noon) on the specified date, unless otherwise indicated.
Researchers are encouraged to submit their iNOI proposals as early as possible.
2026 iNOI Submission Timelines (12 p.m. / Noon)
Step 3: Application Preparation
4+ months to submission
Applications for Horizon Europe are prepared and submitted in the European Commission’s online digital submission system the Funding & Tenders portal.
Researchers must create an EU Login account and associate their login to UCalgary’s Participant Information Code (PIC: 998757203) to access the application documents and begin a submission in the portal.
Step 4: Full Proposal Submission
10 business day internal deadline ahead of the earliest deadline set by Coordinator or EU
The Coordinator (ie. the organization leading the application process) assigns roles, responsibilities, and deadlines applicable to partners for the development of the application. Coordinator organizations are also responsible for final submission of the proposal to the European Commission and collection of final submission approval from all participating partners.
Research Services can help you manage these timelines and provide assistance navigating the application portal.
Internal Deadlines for Full Proposal Submission
To meet internal requirements for review and submission, applicants will be required to submit a fully complete application with budget at least ten (10) business days in advance of the earliest deadline set by the Lead/Coordinating Institution. This should arrive in RSO via the Research Management System (RMS), complete with approvals.
Please be sure to select "Submitted for approvals" (under Save & Progress) in RMS in time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the Research Services deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines.
Resources
2025 Info Session Webinar: Access the recording and the webinar slides.
For Applicant Resources, and information about Canada’s status as Associate Member to Horizon Europe visit Innovation, Science & Economic Development Canada (ISED)
- Do's and Don'ts of Preparing a Horizon Europe Application
- ISED Applicant resources
- ISED GDPR Overview
- ISED IP
To Create an EU Login or explore current and upcoming funding opportunities in the Funding and Tenders Portal:
Visit CORDIS to access information on past successful Horizon Europe projects and their results, subscribe to their newsletter to discover ongoing projects, or locate partners with a track-record of Horizon Europe funding:
Horizon Europe work programmes: What work programmes are, what they cover, download available Horizon Europe work programmes. (coming soon)
The University of Calgary Statement on Gender Equality Plan demonstrates how UCalgary’s EDIA commitments, plans, and programs meet Horizon Europe’s requirements for an organizational Gender Equality Plan.
Upcoming Info Sessions
Stay tuned!