Call to anchor early-stage collaborative research at the heart of FP10
11 July 2025
Coimbra Group, together with other 11 leading European research and innovation stakeholders, is calling on EU institutions to secure a strong role for early-stage collaborative R&I within the forthcoming Framework Programme (FP10).
As the European Commission is due to publish, on 16 July, its much-awaited proposal for the next multi-annual financial framework (MFF) post-2027 and for FP10, we argue that maintaining and strengthening early-stage collaborative R&I within FP10 is essential to safeguard Europe’s ability to address global challenges, reinforce strategic autonomy and sustain long-term competitiveness.
Early-stage collaborative R&I, taking place before market competition and focused on low- to mid- Technology and Societal Readiness Levels (TRLs/SRLs), enables impactful cross-border, cross-sector, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
As the negotiations will now kick off on the EU’s future research funding architecture, we urge policymakers to ensure FP10 continues to support flexible, curiosity-driven collaboration, free from overly prescriptive funding models.
In addition, Coimbra Group cautions against any attempt in the future to align the strategic governance of FP10 with that of the Competitiveness Fund and the Competitiveness Coordination Tool.
The joint statement calls for concrete improvements in FP10 to further unleash the potential of early-stage collaborative R&I, including reduced complexity, better support for diverse project sizes, and stronger funding for early-stage research.
“Early-stage collaborative research is foundational for Europe’s innovation capacity. If FP10 is to meet the challenges ahead, it must firmly anchor and support this type of research. It is also through early-stage collaborative research that the impact of EU R&I funding on the local knowledge ecosystems is most profound and enduring. Without it, Europe risks weakening the very engine of its global competitiveness and well-being“, says Emmanuelle Gardan, Director of the Coimbra Group Brussels Office.
Read the full statement: