On 1 September 2022, the UK government announced an extension to the financial support delivered to Horizon Europe applicants, launched in November 2021. The extension will assure that eligible and successful UK applicants will continue to be guaranteed funding, supporting them to resume their important work in research and innovation.

The guarantee will now be in place to shield all Horizon Europe call that closes on or before 31 December 2022, with the plurality of grant signature dates anticipated before the end of August 2023. This extension will shield and support the UK sector during the ongoing delays. While, the UK government will continue to facilitate the EU to formalize the UK association, including through the recently launched consultation procedure.

Eligible and successful applicants will receive the in-depth value of their funding at their UK host institution for the lifetime or existence of the grant. Successful awardees will be able to stay in the UK to obtain this funding, which will offer reassurance for future collaborations, and reinforce UK researchers whether the association is approved or otherwise.

The UK cannot wait indefinitely for the association with EU Programmes. And in similitude to these measures, they continue to design plans for a fierce and ambitious package of alternatives. The government released a bulletin on 20 July, putting out further detail on these plans. All details concerning the scope and terms of the extension are available on the UKRI website.