In the evolving European research and innovation funding landscape, the message is clear: submission volumes are increasing and thus competition is intensifying. Success now depends less on form and more on substance, strategy and purpose. The ERIS (European Research and Innovation Support) team is witnessing this first-hand.
An increase in proposal submissions within Horizon Europe 2025
In the Horizon Europe funding programme, ERIS sees record numbers of proposals being submitted in 2025, showing both the opportunity and complexity of this increase. Some numbers from this year’s proposal submissions within Horizon Europe 2025:
- The EIC Pathfinder Open 2025 call increased by 86.5% of proposal submissions compared to 2024.1
- Cluster 2 (Pillar II): The European Research Executive Agency reports that the 2025 Cluster 2 call has an 80% increase compared to submissions in 2024.2
These numbers confirm what many research offices are feeling: more proposals than ever are being submitted to Europe’s main funding scheme.
What is the cause of this increase?
There are multiple causes for this increase, but two main trends stand out:
- AI and digital tools: Grant-writing tools powered by AI, generative models, and automated administrative assistance are lowering barriers to entry and enabling more teams to submit. This does not guarantee success, but it means a broader field of applications.
- Changing funding dynamics and strategic orientation: With national calls in some countries stabilizing or becoming more competitive, more researchers are turning to European funding schemes. This dynamic intensifies competition and makes it more important than ever to stand out, not just in terms of idea, but in terms of how you present, implement and impact.
Proposals that look perfect on paper but …
Many proposals nowadays look perfect on paper, but they miss the mark on authentic impact and real collaboration.
Authentic impact translates into realistic, measurable outcomes like clear beneficiaries and sustainability beyond the project lifecycle. Real collaboration explores the interdisciplinarity of different partners who complement each other. Looking for meaningful partners across borders and sectors is becoming increasingly important.
How ERIS at VUB TechTransfer adds value
That is precisely where ERIS brings value to VUB researchers and teams. Our approach is built around three main focus points:
- Identifying the most suitable EU call: Share a few keywords related to your research idea or expertise, and ERIS will help you identify the most relevant EU funding opportunities. Using our in-house text-mining tool, ERIS analyzes all active EU calls to match your research focus with the best possible funding fit.
- Proposal co-development: ERIS supports VUB researchers in co-developing the “excellence,” “impact,” and “implementation” sections of the proposal, ensuring alignment with EU funding priorities and a clear translation of research excellence into measurable impact. We challenge assumptions, sharpen framing and ensure alignment with the funding programme. ERIS also assists in the development of Gantt and PERT charts and other visuals to illustrate your project concept.
- Hands-on administration and budgeting: We free up your time so you can focus on the science. When you coordinate a consortium, the ERIS team takes care of the administrative side, collecting all Form A documents from partners and entering them into the EU portal. If you’re a partner in a consortium, we complete your Form A on your behalf. For the budgeting process, ERIS co-develops the entire consortium budget when you’re the coordinator, and reviews and validates the VUB budget when you're a consortium partner.
If you’re preparing a proposal within a framework programme like Horizon Europe (pillar 2, pillar 3 and Widera) or are looking into non-framework programmes, please don’t hesitate to contact the ERIS team!
Early contact with ERIS means they can co-design your submission roadmap, strengthen your impact narrative, build your consortium and streamline the administrative side, giving your consortium the best chance of success.
Contact the ERIS team today and let’s turn your research ambition into a competitive European proposal!