AI Can’t Write a Winning Horizon Proposal. But You Can — With the Right Prompts
Forget “one-click” proposal builders. The secret to success in Horizon Europe is not automation — it’s smart interaction. With HorizonEurope.ai, you get step-by-step, prompt-based guidance to co-create powerful proposals with any generative AI tool you prefer.
Why Most AI Tools Fail at EU Proposal Writing
Most AI-based proposal tools make one of two mistakes:
They automate without structure, generating vague or off-target sections.
They skip the evaluator’s mindset, failing to meet key Horizon Europe scoring criteria.
AI is a brilliant assistant — but only if you guide it with the right instructions. That’s where prompt engineering comes in.
What HorizonEurope.ai Actually Does
Your AI Assistant Doesn’t Need to Know the core focus of your target Horizon Europe call. You Do!!
What we offer - A prompt-based system with the following features:
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
🧠 Smart Prompt Templates | Prompts based on Horizon Europe structure (Excellence, Impact, Implementation) |
📋 Aligned with EC Evaluation Criteria | Based on actual evaluator checklists and practices |
🧰 Modular, Section-by-Section Approach | Build your proposal step-by-step: no more blank pages |
📂 Plug-and-Play with Any AI Tool | Use ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek, Perplexity, etc– you choose |
🔐 Respect for Your Data | No proposal text is stored or processed externally |
How It Works
Write Smarter. Not from Scratch.
Step-by-step workflow:
Ensure you are member of OpenCosmos Platform
Select the targeted call you wish to exploit as a coordinator and your proposal type (e.g., ERC, RIA/IA, CSA, EIC Pathfinder, Transition, Pre-accelerator, Accelerator, MSCA PF, MSCA DN, MSCA SE, COFUND, etc).
Arrange an 1-to-1 meeting with one of our experts (See below for more info) to ensure your commitment and capacity for the targeted call
Agree to include up to 2 OpenCosmos members in your consortium and OpenCosmos Accelerator as sustainability partner
We provide you our tested prompts for each section (Objectives, State of the Art, Methodology, Impact, Workplan, ...).
You copy/paste into your favourite GenAI tool.
Refine, adapt, and build – like a human, with AI as your helper and with our guidance (see below for more info).
📝 Bonus: You also get annotated examples and prompt guides from real successful proposals.
Who is Behind HorizonEurope.ai
Created by One of Europe’s Top Funding Experts
This tool was built by Nikolaos Floratos, an EC evaluator since 2003 and EU funding coach with over 27 years of experience.
He developed this prompt-based system after realising what every expert knows:
"AI can support the process, but success comes from using the right questions, not the wrong answers."
Ready to Start?
Stop Using AI Like a Toy. Start Using It Like a Tool.
For Those Who Want to Get It Right From the Start
Sometimes, You Need a Human — Not Just a Prompt.
Even the best prompts can’t replace an experienced expert who’s seen hundreds of winning and losing proposals.
That’s why we offer something no automated tool can match:
🔴 Live 1:1 or team Zoom consulting sessions with a Horizon Europe expert
🕒 From 1 to 3 hours, tailored to your needs
💡 Focus on your idea, your call, and your proposal strategy
✔️ Walk through the Horizon structure step-by-step, while co-developing content using your favourite AI tool
✅ When should you book a live session?
Your Situation | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
You’ve identified a promising call but don’t know where to start | Get guidance on structure, scope, and evaluator expectations |
You’re stuck halfway through your draft | Troubleshoot weaknesses, fix gaps, and align with proposal criteria |
You want to validate your consortium or proposal concept | Get strategic input on roles, impact, and exploitation |
You’re writing under pressure | Avoid wasting time with unfocused drafting or weak impact sections |
🧑💻 Purchase the OpenCosmos membership and Book Your Live Strategy Session Now. We’ll help you combine AI speed with human expertise — the winning formula in Horizon Europe.
Powered by Funding Expert Academy
We transform your grant application into a winning one
We are the ones that come in when you have written a grant application with AI or not
AI can’t write a winning Horizon proposal. But you can — with the right support.
We take your idea, notes, proposal summary, draft application or anything that you have for a call of your choice and we turn them into a winning proposal.
With HorizonEurope.ai, you get step-by-step, Expert guidance to co-create a strong, evaluator-ready proposal irrespectively on whether you used any AI tool or not.
WHAT HorizonEurope.ai DOES
AI won’t understand the deep logic of your Horizon Europe call — the scope, the TRLs, the evaluator expectations.
But we do. And HorizonEurope.ai helps you turn that insight into a high-quality proposal with the right support.
Our experts will fix anything you have written with AI or not in a responsible, efficient, safe and private way.
AI-Supported Grant Writing Consultancy for Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, Defence Funds
Preparing a Horizon Europe, Digital Europe or Defence proposal and want to use AI without risking quality or compliance?
Discover our supported grant writing consultancy, designed to support real EU proposals under full expert control.
From structured drafting and call-specific prompts to risk detection and human-led quality review.
Explore the full service description below and express your interest!
-We offer a focused consultancy service that helps research teams, SMEs, and innovation leaders prepare strong EU funding proposals in a controlled and evaluator-aware way.
-This service is based on our proven grant writing practice and the full knowledge of the pitfalls from AI generated proposals and align it with Horizon Europe and Digital Europe templates, evaluation criteria, and real evaluator expectations.
-We replace AI with expert judgement. We fix what you created with AI and we save time, improve structure, and reduce errors, while keeping full control over content quality and strategic choices.
What this service includes:
Structured proposal development
Step-by-step support for all proposal sections (Objectives, Impact, Work Plan, Consortium, Exploitation, Ethics),Call-specific intelligence
Expert advice adopted to your exact call topic, TRL, and action type (RIA, IA, CSA). No generic AI text generation.Human-led quality control
All outputs are reviewed, challenged, and refined by experienced EU funding experts. AI never submits text on its own.Faster drafting with better consistency
AI should be used to keep logic consistent across sections and reduce repetition or contradictions.In-depth State of the Art Analysis without sharing your own knowledge
We mainly AI to identify the current state-of-the-art limitations and why the scientific community hasn't managed to overcome them
Risk and weakness detection
Early identification of gaps, unclear arguments, and evaluator concerns before submission.Capacity building for your team
Your team learns how to reuse the prompts and methods safely in future proposals.Who this service is for:
Research organisations and universities
SMEs and startups preparing Horizon Europe or Digital Europe proposals
Consortium coordinators who need faster and more controlled drafting
Innovation teams that want to use AI without risking compliance or quality
Data confidentiality and privacy:
All data you share remains private and confidential
Proposal drafts, background documents, project ideas, and any other material are used only for delivering this consultancy service.Your data is not used to train AI models
No content provided by you is stored, reused, or used for model training, fine-tuning, or improvement.No cross-client reuse
Your inputs, prompts, and outputs are never shared with or reused for other clients.Compliance-focused handling
Data handling follows standard confidentiality principles expected in EU-funded research and innovation projects.
What makes this different:
AI is used as a deep research assistant, not an author
Expert support by top scientists as consultants (Humans)
Focus on decision support, not text inflation
Compatible with Horizon Europe ethics, IP, and AI requirements
Typical outcomes:
Transcending your current idea, proposal summary or draft into a winning proposal
Reduced drafting time
Clearer objectives and impact logic
Fewer inconsistencies across sections
Stronger alignment with evaluator expectations
It is a hands-on consultancy service designed to submit better EU proposals, faster, and with confidence.
Guided 3 one-to-one AI-supported proposal development SESSIONS
Discover our one-to-one, expert-led proposal support, designed for real submissions — not generic templates.
From idea refinement to near-final draft, with structured guidance and final expert evaluation.
Explore the full service description and see if it fits your call and profile.
We have prepared a Free AI Summit
Responsible AI in European Funding — Virtual Summit
Five half-days. Twenty expert sessions. One practical framework for using AI in EU funding without losing your ideas, your integrity or your score. Independent expert training on responsible AI across Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and EIC — covering the facts, the rules and the practical workflows that stand up to evaluation. Attend for free!
Date & Time
Monday 9 – Friday 13 November 2026
09:30–13:45 CET daily — Day 1 opens at 09:15
Access
Free Live Attendance
FREE TRAINING VIDEOS
People Also Ask
Is HorizonEurope.ai an official European Commission service?
No. HorizonEurope.ai is a specialized, private consultancy tool operated by Key Innovations Cyprus Ltd under the OpenCosmos ecosystem. While it is not an official EU programme, it was developed by Nikolaos Floratos, an EC expert evaluator since 2003, to help applicants navigate official requirements more effectively.
How does the AI help in writing a Horizon Europe proposal?
Our platform uses AI as a high-level writing assistant, not an author. We provide curated prompt libraries and structured workflows specifically aligned with Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and European Defence Fund templates. This ensures your draft meets technical evaluator expectations while maintaining your original research voice.
Do I need to disclose the use of this AI tool in my grant application?
Yes. Under current Horizon Europe regulations, applicants must explicitly disclose the use of generative AI in their proposals. HorizonEurope.ai guides how to transparently document AI assistance while ensuring the final content remains the result of human expert judgment and verification.
Is my proposal data safe and GDPR-compliant?
Absolutely. We prioritize data sovereignty and confidentiality. Any data processed through the HorizonEurope.ai workflows is kept strictly confidential. Unlike public AI tools, your intellectual property and project secrets are not used to train future AI models.
What is the success rate of the OpenCosmos platform?
The OpenCosmos ecosystem, which powers HorizonEurope.ai, has a proven track record of securing over €158M in awarded funding for its members. Our methodologies save organizations an estimated 25,000 staff-hours annually by streamlining the proposal drafting process.
Who is the expert behind HorizonEurope.ai?
The platform was founded by Nikolaos Floratos, a veteran in the EU funding landscape with over 20 years of experience. As a former EC expert evaluator and founder of the Funding Expert Academy, he brings "insider" logic to the AI prompts to ensure your proposal resonates with the actual jury.
HorizonEurope.ai is a specialized AI-assisted proposal writing and consultancy tool designed for Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and European Defence Fund applications. We provide curated AI tools for EU grant proposal writing, featuring expert prompt libraries for ERC, MSCA, and EIC training. Our platform functions as a high-level Horizon Europe proposal writing assistant, ensuring your draft aligns with technical evaluator expectations and the latest Horizon Europe proposal template.
Developed by Nikolaos Floratos, an EC expert evaluator since 2003, our methodologies integrate 'insider' logic to help universities and SMEs navigate the Horizon Europe work programme 2026. As part of the OpenCosmos ecosystem, our approach has secured over €158M in awarded funding and saves organizations 25,000 staff-hours annually by streamlining the EU grant writing and pre-evaluation expert review process.
We prioritize GDPR compliance and data sovereignty. Unlike public models, HorizonEurope.ai ensures your intellectual property is never used for training. We guide applicants on how to transparently document the use of generative AI in proposals to meet current Horizon Europe regulations. © 2026 Key Innovations Cyprus Ltd. This is a private consultancy service and is not an official European Commission programme
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