International funding and collaboration

Up-to-date information on the major EU funding programmes UK researchers can still access post-Brexit.

The UK’s physical sciences sector has access to many internationally co-funded research and development (R&D) programmes, but post-Brexit, the UK has lost access to a number of these.

This section provides up-to-date information on which major EU funding programmes UK researchers can still participate in.

1. Horizon 2020

The Withdrawal Agreement allowed the UK to continue to participate in Horizon 2020, and supported projects will continue to be funded for a lifetime of grants.

2. Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the ninth EU multiannual framework programme for research and innovation, spanning 2021-2027, and totalling €95.5bn (£80.6bn).

The UK initially secured associate membership of the programme through the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement at the end of 2020, allowing UK participants to apply for grants, and form and lead consortia with international partners, as per researchers from member states. However, full association was delayed by disagreements over trade in Northern Ireland, meaning UK researchers could apply to Horizon Europe, but not access funds if successful.

As announced on 7 September 2023, the government has now secured a deal to rejoin the Horizon scheme in full.

Associate membership provides the UK with continued access to the following:

The European Research Council (ERC)
European Innovation Council (EIC) grants
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), including fellowships and grants for researchers at all levels
European Innovation Ecosystems
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
EU Research Infrastructures

3. Copernicus

Copernicus is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites’ (EUMETSAT) earth observation programme.

The UK’s deal to rejoin the Horizon Europe programme includes association to Copernicus.

4. Euratom

Euratom is a complementary research programme for nuclear research and training. Euratom aims to pursue nuclear research and training activities with an emphasis on continually improving nuclear safety, security and radiation protection, notably to contribute to the long-term decarbonisation of the energy system in a safe, efficient and secure way.

The UK’s deal to rejoin the Horizon programme does not include association to Euratom. This is by deliberate choice of the government, which wishes to take forward its own fusion energy strategy instead, including plans to invest up to £650m until 2027.

It is presumed that these plans will be developed in line with the government’s existing fusion energy strategy.

5. Space surveillance and tracking services

EUSST is an EU space surveillance and tracking (SST) capability to protect EU space infrastructure (for example, satellites) from risks of collision with other orbital objects (other satellites and debris), and to provide civil contingency services with accurate data regarding debris re-entering the atmosphere.

In the UK, the UK Space Agency distributes EU funding to UK organisations to carry out the necessary tasks to fulfil the EUSST programme.

The UK has secured continued participation in these surveillance and tracking services.

6. The European Space Agency (ESA)

ESA is not an EU programme, meaning the UK’s membership is unaffected and that the UK remains an active member.

UK-based researchers and innovators can bid for, and participate in, both UK-based and international projects, as per ESA protocol.

7. ITER

The ITER project is designed to build the world’s first functioning nuclear fusion system. ITER is not an EU programme, meaning the UK's membership is unaffected and that the UK remains an active member.

8. CERN

The European Council for Nuclear Research (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire – CERN) is an international programme committed to uncovering what the universe is made of and how it works. CERN is not an EU programme, meaning the UK’s membership is unaffected and that the UK remains an active member state.

Find out more about the member states, and read CERN’s information on Brexit.

Lost access: Galileo and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service

Galileo is the ESA’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Galileo aims to provide high-precision positioning, navigation and timing, as well as autonomy from other GNSS systems such as GPS.

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is a satellite-based augmentation system which augments GNSS signals to enable them to be relied upon in situations which need high precision.

In the absence of defence co-operation, the UK will not have access to the Galileo GNSS and encrypted military data. The government is still exploring options for a domestic alternative.