20 Oct 2026
BusinessEurope calls for stronger European Partnerships under FP10
BusinessEurope has called for stronger funding, industry-led governance and simpler procedures for European Partnerships in its contribution to the public consultation on Joint Undertakings, Article 185 initiatives and future Partnership priorities. The organisation argues that partnerships under Horizon Europe’s Pillar II are essential to Europe’s competitiveness and resilience, bringing together industry, research organisations, public authorities and academia to turn research into market-ready innovations.
While welcoming the European Commission’s proposed €22.4 billion increase for Pillar II, BusinessEurope warns that its share of the programme’s overall budget would fall from 56% to 43.3%. It calls for a reinforced Horizon Europe budget to deliver a corresponding Pillar II increase of €22.1 billion in 2025 prices, equivalent to €25 billion in current prices, complemented by European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) support.
BusinessEurope also urges meaningful industry involvement in setting priorities, designing calls and overseeing implementation. Integrated work programmes linking Horizon Europe and the ECF should strengthen the pathway from research to deployment. To improve participation, it advocates shorter grant-award timelines, transparent criteria for streamlining partnerships and flexible reimbursement models rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
The organisation opposes mandatory direct cash contributions from industry and warns against lower funding rates for large companies. Preserving in-kind contributions and attractive funding conditions, it argues, is vital to retaining industrial expertise, encouraging investment and sustaining patricipation in European research and innovation.
The positon paper can be downloaded here: