Overall Description

The Horizon Europe Premium provides retrospective financial support for preparing, submitting and negotiating eligible European research, development and innovation proposals. It compensates organisations established in Wallonia for the resources required to develop competitive European and international applications.

The premium applies to projects submitted after 1 January 2024 that achieve at least the minimum evaluation score required to reach the funding threshold.

Funding Amount

• Project coordinator: Fixed premium of €25,000
• Project partner: Fixed premium of €2,500

Large companies, approved research centres, universities and university colleges may receive the premium only as project coordinators. SMEs may receive it as either coordinators or partners.

Submission Deadlines

• The application must be submitted within 90 days following notification that the European proposal has achieved the required funding threshold. Applications submitted after this period are ineligible.
• If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or Belgian public holiday, it is extended to the next working day.
• The scheme applies to eligible projects submitted from 1 January 2024 and is currently in force until 31 December 2027.

Submission Conditions

• The underlying proposal must have been submitted after 1 January 2024 under one of the eligible European programmes.
• The proposal must achieve at least the minimum evaluation score required to reach the programme’s funding threshold.
• Applications must be submitted through the ONTIME platform within 90 days of notification of the threshold result.
• The application must include:
  • The Horizon Europe Premium application form
  • A copy of the officially submitted European proposal
  • Confirmation of the proposal’s submission date from the responsible programme authority
  • The dated evaluation document confirming that the required threshold was achieved, normally the Evaluation Summary Report
  • A signed declaration that the information supplied is accurate and truthful
• A promoter may submit a maximum of five premium applications per year.
• Only one Horizon Europe Premium application may be submitted for the same European project.
• The proposal must not already have received proposal-writing support under the specified Walloon IIS support mechanism.
• Costs already financed through aid or a contract awarded by a Belgian, foreign or international public-law entity are ineligible.
• University and university-college units cannot receive the premium for proposals under the Horizon Europe cluster “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society.”
• The administration determines and processes the premium within 60 days after receiving a complete application.

Eligible Types of Applicants

• Small enterprises
• Medium-sized enterprises
• Large enterprises
• Approved research centres
• University units
• University-college units and their associated research centres

SMEs are eligible as either project coordinators or partners. Large companies, approved research centres, universities and university colleges are eligible only when acting as project coordinators.

Eligible Countries

• Belgium – Wallonia.
• The applicant must be established in the Walloon Region. The underlying European project may involve consortium partners from other countries in accordance with the eligibility rules of the relevant Horizon Europe, European Partnership or European Defence Fund call.