ERA-NET H2020

ERA-NET Cofund under Horizon2020

The ERA-NET under Horizon 2020 merges the former ERA-NET and ERA-NET Plus into a single instrument ERA-NET Cofund with the central and compulsory element of implementing one substantial call with top-up funding from the Commission. The focus of ERA-NETs is therefore shifting from the funding of networks to the top-up funding of single joint calls for transnational research and innovation in selected areas with high European added value and relevance for Horizon 2020.

In addition to the co-funded call, the consortia may implement other joint activities including other joint calls without Union co-funding. The duration of a Cofund is five years. During this time the consortium has to prepare and implement the call, select and negotiate the projects and finalise the projects including final payment to their beneficiaries. A shorter duration than five years is not feasible. The reimbursement rate is 33%, as for the ERA-NET+ actions under FP7. Financial contributions of Member States can be in-cash or in-kind. This way ERA-NETs can broaden their scope towards coordinating institutional funding of governmental research organisations. Once a Cofund has been granted, it may take up to one year before the new Call will be put forward. This means the Call for the new ERA-NET 2016-2017 Cofunds are expected earliest at the end of 2017.

Under the 2014-215 Work Programme (WP) of Horizon 2020, twenty-seven ERA-NET Cofund actions are established as well as a number of Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), including those in support to JPIs. The budget dedicated to the ERA-NET Cofund scheme actions amounts to close to 93 M€ in 2014 and more than 163 M€ in 2015. The 2016-2017 WP includes twenty-eight Cofund actions with a total budget close to 270 M€, of which about 115 M€ is used for Cofunds in the bioeconomy. The 2018-2020 WP includes, at present, fourteen ERA-NET Cofunds with a dedicated budget of little over 80M€ and two EJP Cofunds with a budget of almost 100M€.