Horizon Europe newsletter

Out and about
Top Left, L-R: Digital, Industry & Space NCPs, Claire Whelan, Sergio Fernandez-Ceballos and Stephen O'Reilly visiting SETU
Top Right: Culture, Creativity & Inclusive Society NCP Patrick Lansley speaking at the Development Studies Association of Ireland
Bottom Left, L-R: Geraldine Canny, SETU, NCP Mark Sweeney, Enterprise Ireland, Abhishek Babu, SETU, National Delegate Helen Murphy, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine at a Cluster 6 meeting in SETU Waterford
Bottom Right: Ann Dooley, EEN Ireland and Cluster 4 National Delegate Sergio Fernandez-Ceballos at IMR Mullingar for a PTMA - Irish Precision Tooling & Machining Association of Ireland ‘focused on funding’ event for members

European Innovation Council (EIC) information webinar 2026
The EIC National Contact Point team at Enterprise Ireland is hosting a dedicated EIC Information Webinar on 18 February 2026 (10:00–12:00) to help Irish companies understand the expanded opportunities available under the European Innovation Council’s deep‑tech funding programmes. This session will walk participants through the full suite of EIC supports—including Pathfinder, Transition, the new Advanced Innovation Challenges, STEP Scale‑Up, and a deep dive into the significantly updated EIC Accelerator, which now features a simplified application process and enhanced evaluation model.

Whether you're advancing early‑stage research or scaling a disruptive technology, this webinar will clarify how the 2026 work programme can accelerate your journey. You can find out more and register here.

Novelties in the 2026-2027 Horizon Europe work programme
Speaking of webinars, if you missed it, the European Commission's Horizon Implementation Day on novelties in the Horizon Europe application process and criteria for 2026-2027 is worth checking out - it covers updates to the application forms, reduction in page limits and the reduction of the overall time to grant (TTG) in two-stage calls. You can watch back or download the presentations here.

Action plan for women in research, innovation and startups - open for feedback

The EU’s action plan for women in research, innovation and startups will address persistent gender gaps and promote diversity, equality and inclusiveness in the European Research Area (ERA). Now open for feedback until 23 February, the plan aims to make the ERA the world’s most attractive place for women to work in research, innovation and startups by 2030. Have your say here.

Action plan for women in research, innovation and startup

National Support Network team updates

We'd like to introduce you to the newest member of Ireland's Horizon Europe National Support Network - Caroline Wynne (pictured left) is the new National Contact Point (NCP) for Cluster 6 - Environment. Based at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Caroline is a Senior Manager for Research Strategy, acting as EPA representative on various EU research initiatives and partnerships.

In this month's newsletter, we have a Cluster 6 update from National Delegate Helen Murphy while Cluster 4 NCP Stephen O'Reilly outlines the new 2026–2027 Digital Work Programme and major upcoming Chips JU and SNS JU calls.

For those of you looking for a meeting space in Brussels, our EU Liaison for R&I and WIDERA NCP Kevin Flynn highlights the value of face-to-face meetings in consortium building and the facilities available at Enterprise Ireland's new office close to the EU Quarter. And should you stay on X? That's not the real question says Ben Moore from Carr Communications who tackles a dilemma facing Horizon Europe projects in his guest article.

Scroll down to read the full stories further below.

Get in touch
We've updated our Horizon Europe National Support Network team directory - we look forward to hearing from you! Not sure who you should talk to? Email us for more information.

Helen Murphy, National Delegate for Horizon Europe Cluster 6 - Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Helen Murphy has stepped into the role of National Delegate and NCP for Cluster 6 at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, taking over from Willie Ryan. She spotlights the newly opened 2026/2027 Horizon Europe Cluster 6 calls and shares insights from recent info days, along with Ireland’s growing momentum across several Horizon Europe Partnerships. Read the full article here.

Kevin Flynn, EU liaison for R&I, Brussels and National Contact Point for WIDERA (Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area), Enterprise Ireland

In Horizon Europe, the quality of the consortium and the strength of the collaboration are as important as the research excellence of the proposal itself. Consortium meetings, especially face‑to‑face ones, play a critical role in building the trust, alignment, and shared ambition needed to craft a winning application. Kevin highlights Enterprise Ireland’s Brussels meeting spaces as a chance to build new opportunities and strengthen funding applications. Read more here.

Stephen O'Reilly, National Contact Point (NCP) for Horizon Europe Cluster 4 - Digital and National Representative for the Chips Joint Undertaking, Enterprise Ireland

In his latest update, Stephen O’Reilly outlines the new 2026–2027 Digital Work Programme, major upcoming Chips JU and SNS JU calls, and the strong performance of Irish organisations to date. With substantial budgets, open brokerages, and key deadlines already announced, his article highlights significant opportunities for researchers and companies preparing Horizon Europe proposals. More details here.

Ben Moore, Senior EU Project Manager

Carr Communications

The visibility of Horizon Europe projects across social media is not just a ‘nice to have’, it is a core part of their responsibility to communicate publicly funded research, engage meaningfully with stakeholders, and demonstrate the real-world impact of EU investment in research and innovation. As Twitter shifts into X under Elon Musk, many projects must now ask: is it worth staying? Ben Moore discusses.