A consortium is a group of legal entities that submit a proposal together and sign the grant agreement. Horizon Europe research and innovation actions require at least three independent organisations from three different countries, at least one of them from an EU Member State.
- RIA / IA minimum
- 3 entities from 3 countries
- Mandatory condition
- At least one from the EU
- Consortium agreement
- Required by default
- Average size
- 16 partners
The minimum for research and innovation actions is stated precisely: three legal entities independent of each other, each established in a different country, of which at least one is in an EU Member State and two others in different Member States or associated countries.
Hence the mistake that eliminates proposals: three partners from three associated countries do not satisfy the condition – at least one must be from the EU.
Who does not count
Affiliated entities do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not count towards the minimum three. Associated partners participate without funding and without signing – they do not count either.
The Commission's Joint Research Centre, international European research organisations and entities created under EU law are deemed established in a Member State other than the others – so they "cover" one country.
Other types of action
Coordination and support actions, training and mobility actions and programme co-fund actions may be submitted by one or more legal entities. For public procurement of innovative solutions the rule is stricter: of the three participants, at least two must be public procurers from different countries.
The consortium agreement
In Horizon Europe it is mandatory by default – set in the Data Sheet of the grant agreement; it is not required only for mono-beneficiary projects.
It must settle the consortium's internal organisation, management of portal access, other keys for distributing payments, financial liability on recoveries, rules on background and results, internal dispute resolution and confidentiality. One hard limit: no provision may contradict the grant agreement.
Three things worth knowing. The agreement is purely internal: it is not submitted to the Commission, which is not a party and takes no responsibility for it. The cost of preparing it is ineligible (updating it during the project may not be). And the recommendation is to conclude one even where it is not formally required.
The most common model is DESCA, currently version 2.1 of February 2026, covering both actual-cost and lump sum grants. It is not a Commission document: the EU deliberately endorses no particular model.
The scale to expect
According to the programme's own evaluation, the average consortium in Pillar II grew from 12 partners in the predecessor programme to 16, and the average grant to about €2.9m. The management load on the coordinator has grown accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
Three partners from three associated countries – is that enough?
No. The condition requires at least one legal entity from an EU Member State. Three associated countries do not satisfy it, and the proposal will be rejected on eligibility without its content being read.
Can an affiliated entity be counted as a partner?
No. Affiliated entities do not sign the grant agreement, so they do not count towards the minimum of three. The same applies to associated partners, which take part without funding.
When should the consortium agreement be signed?
The Commission recommends signing it before the grant agreement, meaning that each beneficiary should sign it before signing the accession form. There is no hard legal deadline in the grant agreement itself, but the costs of preparing the consortium agreement are ineligible, because it has to be concluded before the action starts.
Official materials
- Document · European Commission General Annexes WP2026-2027 Conditions on consortium composition by type of action
- Document · European Commission, V1.2 Model Grant Agreement Article 7: internal arrangements and the consortium agreement requirement
- Document · DESCA Core Group DESCA – model consortium agreement The most widely used model; it is not an official EC document
Read on GetGrant
Sources
- General Annexes WP2026-2027 ec.europa.eu · checked 27.07.2026
- HE Model Grant Agreement V1.2 ec.europa.eu · checked 27.07.2026
- DESCA desca-agreement.eu · checked 27.07.2026
Data current as of 27.07.2026. Verify the terms with the donor’s official portal before applying.
Updated 27.07.2026 · Reviewed by: GetGrant editorial team
