Dissemination is making the results of a project public so that others can use them; exploitation is putting those results to work to create value, including commercial value. In Horizon Europe this is not a wish but a contractual obligation, with its own plan due as a deliverable in the first six months.
- Dissemination
- So that others can use it
- Exploitation
- So that value is created
- Plan as deliverable
- First 6 months
- Assessed under
- The Impact criterion
These two are constantly merged, although they are about different things.
Dissemination means making results public so others can use them: publications, conferences, open data. Exploitation means applying results to create value: commercialisation, uptake in practice, further research, influence on policy.
Communication is separate again – telling a wider audience about the project. It is often confused with dissemination, but the audience and purpose differ: communication addresses society, dissemination addresses those who can use the results.
This is a contractual obligation
In Horizon Europe the plan for dissemination and exploitation including communication activities is a mandatory deliverable due in the first six months. The data management plan is due in the same window.
In the proposal it has its own subsection under Impact, and what is assessed is not intent but specificity: who exactly the audience is, which channels, which indicators.
The typical weakness
A section reading "results will be published in scientific journals and presented at conferences". That is not a plan: no audience, no measurable indicators, no link to who is meant to use the result.
A strong section answers: who will do something differently after the project – and how will we know.
Frequently asked questions
How does dissemination differ from communication?
In audience and purpose. Dissemination is addressed to those who can put the results to use: researchers, industry, regulators. Communication is addressed to society at large and tells the story of the project as such.
When is the plan due?
Within the first six months of the project. It is a mandatory deliverable under the grant agreement, as is the data management plan.
Official materials
Read on GetGrant
Sources
- Application form HE RIA/IA V5.1 ec.europa.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
