The closure of the main Horizon Europe 2026 deadlines once again highlights the central role of this programme as a driver of research and innovation across Europe. In a context shaped by global challenges — from the green transition to digital transformation and the sustainability of healthcare systems — Horizon Europe is consolidating its position not only as a funding instrument, but as a framework that shapes how the solutions of the future are designed, developed and implemented.
Within this landscape, Spain has consolidated its position as one of the most active countries in Horizon Europe, both in terms of participation and funding return, strengthening its role within the European innovation ecosystem. This positioning reflects not only the quality of its research, but also an increasing capacity to compete in an ever more demanding environment.
Far from being a purely administrative exercise, proposal preparation has become an increasingly complex process, where scientific excellence is only the starting point. The ability to build coherent projects, with a clear impact and strong alignment with European priorities, is now a determining factor in securing funding.
An increasingly competitive and strategic environment
The first proposal cycle of 2026 has confirmed a clear trend: innovation in Europe requires ever greater specialisation, integration and strategic vision. Proposals must address complex challenges through multidisciplinary approaches, incorporating not only scientific or technological advances, but also social, economic and regulatory dimensions.
The steady increase in both participation and the quality of submitted proposals has further intensified competition, narrowing the gap between a well-evaluated proposal and a funded one.
In this context, the difference lies not only in the idea itself, but in how the project is constructed: how its impact is articulated, how it connects with broader innovation ecosystems, and how its implementation is conceived in real-world contexts.
Kveloce in the first proposal cycle of 2026: from strategy to execution
During this new period, Kveloce has been actively involved in the preparation of proposals across different areas of Horizon Europe, strengthening its positioning in several key clusters.
The team has provided grant writing services for proposals linked to Cluster 1 (Health) and Cluster 6 (Bioeconomy, Natural Resources and Environment), working on the development of strong narratives, alignment with evaluation criteria, and the strategic definition of projects. In addition, since the beginning of the year, work has also been carried out on two proposals developed under calls linked to WIDERA — focused on fostering citizen engagement in R&I — and the Mission Soil, aimed at the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, the latter currently in its second stage.
This work builds on extensive experience in grant writing services, with more than 400 proposals supported across European programmes and over 60 successfully funded projects. This experience enables each proposal to be approached with a deep understanding of evaluation processes and the factors that truly make a difference.
Furthermore, Kveloce has taken on the role of coordinator in three proposals within Cluster 1, Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space), and Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility). This role involves a cross-cutting responsibility, from the conceptual design of the project to consortium building, impact strategy and overall proposal coherence.
A transversal role across 43 European proposals
Beyond these roles, participation as a partner in 43 proposals so far this year reflects the growing importance of specialised expertise in transversal areas within Horizon Europe.
In this context, Kveloce has contributed its expertise to elements that have become increasingly decisive in evaluation: communication, dissemination and exploitation of results; the development of clustering strategies between projects; the integration of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach; the incorporation of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH); the design of public engagement activities; the development of financial support to third parties (FSTP) strategies; as well as data management and ethics planning.
These contributions are complemented by work in social impact analysis, the application of methodologies such as Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA), and support for processes such as the multi-actor approach (MAA), all of which strengthen the robustness and credibility of proposals.
Beyond the proposal: building projects with impact
The conclusion of this proposal cycle reinforces an increasingly evident reality: within Horizon Europe, success does not depend solely on scientific excellence, but on the ability to build complete, coherent and impact-oriented projects.
Maintaining and strengthening Europe’s position — and that of countries such as Spain — within the global innovation landscape depends largely on this capacity to develop strong proposals from the outset.
This requires understanding the logic of the programme, anticipating evaluation expectations, and working from the early stages to integrate all the dimensions that define a fundable project.
Looking ahead to the next cycle
With the next deadlines expected after the summer, this cycle reinforces a key idea: competing in Horizon Europe requires anticipation, knowledge and strategic construction from the very beginning.
The proposal phase is also a particularly demanding period for the teams involved, characterised by tight deadlines, coordination across multiple partners, and a high level of precision in every detail. This moment therefore also provides an opportunity to recognise the effort and commitment of all team members involved in proposal development over recent months.
Because in an environment where excellence is the norm, the difference ultimately lies in how proposals are built — and, above all, in the people who make it possible.
