Ukrainian participants: statistics and cases

Ukraine's association to Horizon Europe is not a concession or a simplified regime but full participation. Ukrainian institutions apply on the same terms as German or French ones and may coordinate projects.

Legal status

The agreement was signed on 12 October 2021, entered into force on 9 June 2022 and applies retroactively from 1 January 2021. The association covers all parts of the programme; the only carve-out concerns membership of the fusion joint undertaking.

In the official list of participating countries Ukraine appears without reservations on the scope of participation. That matters: several other associated countries carry limits – Canada, New Zealand and Korea are associated to Pillar II only, the UK to everything except the EIC Fund. Ukraine has no such note.

Ukraine is also associated to the Euratom programme.

The national contribution

Two mechanisms are often conflated. The contribution for 2021 and 2022 was waived – roughly €20m. Separately, since 2024 a general suspension of Ukraine's payment obligations across all Union programmes applies, retroactively from 1 January 2021, reviewed annually by the Commission.

In practice, Ukrainian institutions' participation does not depend on the state paying a contribution.

One restriction to know

Legal entities established in non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine may not participate in any role. The work programmes state explicitly that this exclusion does not extend to researchers of Ukrainian nationality residing there.

Ukraine as a Widening country

This is a separate status, not the same as association, and it opens calls where only an institution from a Widening country may coordinate: Twinning, ERA Chairs, Excellence Hubs, the Hop-on Facility. See Widening.

Ukraine-specific topics

The 2026–2027 programme carries five: research infrastructures as an accelerator of Ukraine's integration into the European Research Area; cancer research capacity building; open innovation for soil health; bioremediation of ecosystems contaminated by conflict; and support for forest research.

Separately, the Euratom programme provides a grant without a call for nuclear-sector training, naming Ukrainian universities individually.

Note: the Widening part of the programme contains no Ukrainian topic at all. Look in the thematic parts.

Support mechanisms

Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine – the national support point, hosted by the NRFU since December 2023.

MSCA4Ukraine – around €35m for displaced researchers, over 170 supported.

EIC4Ukraine – €20m for deep-tech companies; 41 companies announced in April 2026.

ERA4Ukraine on EURAXESS – a single entry point for vacancies and services.

ERC for Ukraine – a mentoring initiative and a call on ERC grant holders to employ Ukrainian researchers. Not a funding scheme.

On participation figures

Be careful here. The only officially published static data is a Commission factsheet from November 2024: 289 Ukrainian organisations participated, with €58.64m in EU contribution.

Newer figures exist only in an interactive dashboard, so any "current" number without a date and source is worth verifying. For context: the programme-wide success rate is 16.4%, and 70% of proposals judged good enough go unfunded.