The Government has restated that UK businesses will be able to access Horizon 2020 programme funding in 2019 and 2020, subject to an overall withdrawal agreement with the EU. Businesses will continue to receive funding for the lifetime of the project, even those which continue beyond 2020.
Horizon 2020 is the largest ever European funding programme for research and innovation. The initiative, aimed at securing Europe’s global competitiveness, offers support and funding to EU based organisations focused on the areas of excellent science, industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges. Horizon 2020 has programmes specifically for the video games industry, which includes funding for games developers working on interactive technologies, such as AR and VR.
Following a Written question by Jonathan Djanogly, Conservative MP for Huntingdon, the Government also confirmed if no overall Brexit agreement is reached, the UK Government will guarantee the payments of successfully bid awards, including Horizon 2020, which UK organisations obtained from the European Commission while the UK remains an EU member.
See the full Written Question below:
Horizon 2020
HM Treasury
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon) (Con): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to underwrite competitive grant awards made during the transition period by the European Commission to UK organisations including universities participating in Horizon 2020.
Elizabeth Truss: Subject to an overall withdrawal agreement being reached with the EU, UK people and organisations will be able to bid for grant funding, participate in and lead consortia in Horizon 2020 and other EU programmes during the implementation period. They will continue to participate in programme projects until their final closure. This includes the tail of Horizon 2020 projects that continue beyond 2020.
If no overall agreement is reached, the UK government will guarantee the payment of awards where UK people and organisations successfully bid directly to the European Commission on a competitive basis for EU funding projects while the UK remains an EU member. This will include Horizon 2020 projects.
