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The second half of 2026 is not a season to observe comfortably from afar. It is an operational window: those who act now still have time to build a competitive consortium, prepare a solid proposal, and present themselves for the most relevant calls of the Horizon Europe programme before they close.
What is Horizon Europe and why should it interest you
Horizon Europe is the European Union's framework programme for research and innovation, with a total budget of €95 billion for the period 2021–2027. It is the largest public funding programme for R&I in the world, and its current cycle is in the final phase: the calls open today are part of the Work Programme 2026–2027, and some may be the last of the cycle before the start of the new framework 2028–2034.
For an Italian SME, this means two things: concrete opportunities to access grants for innovation projects, and a structural deadline that leaves no room for procrastination.
The priority sectors of the second half of 2026
The calls currently open or about to open cover five strategic macro-areas:
Digital transition and emerging technologies Cluster 4 — "Digital, Industry and Space" — mobilises over 307 million euros in the two calls of the 2026 Work Programme. The topics range from next-generation artificial intelligence and robotics, to advanced materials, to European cloud-edge systems, up to Web 4.0 and virtual worlds. Deadlines are concentrated between September and December 2026.
Green transition and climate The CINEA calls for batteries, smart buildings and industrial decarbonisation have deadlines in September 2026. The LIFE programme — dedicated to biodiversity, circular economy and climate mitigation — opens three windows between September and October 2026 with a record budget.
Health and life sciences The call for multidisciplinary translational oncology projects (pre-proposal by July 2026) and the calls for early diagnosis with AI are among the most relevant opportunities of the semester for businesses and research centres in the health sector.
Advanced manufacturing and food security Specific calls on innovative materials with integrated sensory functionalities (IAM) and on technologies TRL ≥ 6 to bring to market (deadline September 2026) offer direct access also to manufacturing SMEs, provided they are in a consortium.
Security and defence The European Defence Fund (EDF) has open calls on disruptive technologies, military cloud and cybersecurity with a deadline in September 2026. This is a channel still little explored by Italian SMEs, but with significant resources and accessible consortium requirements.
Not just Horizon: the other tools of the semester
Horizon Europe is the most well-known programme, but it is not the only one active in the second semester of 2026.
Digital Europe Programme funds consortia made up of SMEs, large technology companies and Digital Innovation Hubs, with co-financing rates of up to 75% for SMEs in deployment calls. The evaluation windows are open until June 2026 and beyond.
EIC Accelerator — the flagship tool for deep-tech startups and SMEs with high-risk innovations — has the short application open until 17 December 2026. It funds up to €17.5 million per project (grant + equity). The approval rate at the final stage is around 5–7%: selective, but transformative for those who succeed.
Eurostars provides funding for consortia led by innovative SMEs in international R&D projects. Structurally more accessible than Horizon for companies without previous European experience.
The real problem: it is not finding the call
The calls are public, available on the European Commission's Funding & Tenders portal, and widely documented by aggregators such as Europa Innovation or Obiettivo Europa.
The real bottleneck is another.
Italy is among the leading countries in terms of participation in Horizon Europe — third in Europe — but the economic return for Italian SMEs remains significantly below the European average. Despite over 1,300 SME participations, the funds received are lower than those obtained, for example, by French SMEs with a similar number of applications.
The main causes are two: difficulties in building solid consortia and proposals that do not hold up in competitive comparison during the evaluation phase.
On average, only one proposal in five is funded in collaborative calls. The rate varies between 12% and 20% depending on the cluster. Preparing a proposal takes two to three months of intensive work: technical work plan, detailed budget, letters of commitment from partners. Those who start in August for an October deadline are already behind.
What should an Italian SME do now
1. Check your basic eligibility Register on the Funding & Tenders portal and obtain the PIC (Participant Identification Code). It is free, mandatory for any participation in a direct European call, and requires document validation which can take a few weeks.
2. Identify the relevant cluster for your activity Do not apply for any available call. Identify the 2–3 topics in which your organisation has real technical expertise and the ability to provide demonstrable value to the consortium.
3. Start building the consortium now Most Horizon calls require at least three partners from three different countries. Finding qualified partners, aligning objectives, and gathering letters of commitment takes time. The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and national contact points are useful resources for identifying European partners that align with your profile.
4. Consider the support of an experienced consultant Preparing a competitive proposal is not a side activity: it is a project in itself, with a real cost in terms of time and resources. For many SMEs, the support of an advisor specialised in European proposal writing significantly increases the chances of success.
The right time is now
The average time from the preparation of a proposal to the signing of the Grant Agreement is between 8 and 15 months. The evaluation alone takes 5–6 months. This means that for a deadline of October 2026, the operational and financial impact will not materialise before mid-2027.
Main source : Incentivimpresa