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Finding partners

Wherever you look for advice on consortium building, the first suggestion is always to work with who you know, and then contacts of contacts. Entirely new consortia are funded less frequently as there is no track record of the partners working together successfully. Similarly, there is less guarantee of trust in their performance once the project is running.

Potential contacts/avenues for finding partners you might already have include:

  • colleagues from previous HEIs where you have worked
  • visiting academics
  • policy/industry contacts
  • partners from previous grants
  • Colleagues met at conferences
  • Institutional-level international networks

You may sometimes require a specific role that necessitates a partner search. Potential options for this are described below.

EU Portal Partner Search

The Partner search on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is one of the largest databases of partner profiles (self-registered profiles).

This is probably best for finding a partner that fits a missing role in your consortium (testing, dissemination etc.). From experience, it is not particularly deep with quality institutions that have a track record of EU funding.

Crowdhelix

Crowdhelix is a pan-EU network of Universities and industrial partners. It is a subscription service and the majority of HEI partners are highly ranked in worldwide ranking systems and are active participants in EU funding. The platform is divided into ‘helices’ that match the Horizon Europe challenges. Each helix has proactive participants either searching for partners or projects to join.

We subscribe to Crowdhelix and are active within it. All University of Leeds researchers and support staff have access to the online innovation platform and can post here to garner interest from high-quality participants. There is a commitment to SME participation so it is particularly useful for rexcruiting SME partners.

For more information on Crowdhelix, please consult our Networking & External Engagement page.

Area and scheme-specific searches

Please note that this section will be updated soon.

Information days and brokerage events (virtual or in-person)

Each theme within Horizon Europe hosts a selection of information days each year for various sub-topics. These typically comprise details about the call and (online or in-person) networking with parties interested in these topics.

These events are advertised on our Events page as soon as we hear about them.

Joining stakeholder groups that feed into Horizon Europe

A variety of policy and industrial stakeholder groups exist, many consulted by the European Commission on future priorities for their sector. Academic bodies are often welcome members and networking with organisations with influence can really enhance your chances of being part of a successful consortium.

Please contact the EU Team for more information.

Become an evaluator

Signing up as a Horizon Europe expert means that you may be picked to review proposals. As well as seeing what Horizon Europe proposals look like, you will also be exposed to a physical or virtual network of evaluators in your area of research (who are also potential applicants) across academia, industry and the third sector – more so if you are part of a panel ranking proposals.

Click on the link to register at as an expert on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal and set up a profile by clicking on the ‘My Expert Area’.

Social Media

There are LinkedIn groups for many Horizon Europe funding areas. Most social media outlets are a last resort for finding a partner, but the business focus of LinkedIn makes it a more legitimate option.