On 26 May 2026, the Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas hosted the practical seminar “Horizon Europe: How to Turn a Scientific Idea into an International Project”, dedicated to the preparation of competitive project proposals within the Horizon Europe Programme. The event was held in a hybrid format — both offline and online — and brought together around 60 participants, including researchers, academic staff, representatives of higher education institutions, and project teams.

The aim of the seminar was to provide participants with practical knowledge on developing project ideas, analysing Horizon Europe calls, preparing the content and financial sections of proposals, as well as understanding evaluation criteria and budgeting principles.

The event was organized by the National Contact Point (NCP) “Legal and Financial Aspects” and “European Research Council” in cooperation with the NCP “Euratom – Fission” and the NCP “New European Bauhaus Initiative” within the framework of the activities and planned events of the Horizon Europe NCP network in Ukraine.

Special attention during the seminar was given to the role of National Contact Points (NCPs), which play a key part in supporting Ukrainian researchers and innovation teams in preparing international project proposals.

One of the speakers of the seminar was Sergii Pugach — Head of the National Contact Point “Euratom – Fission”, Head of the Sector for Market Research, Technology Transfer and Commercialization of Scientific and Technical Developments at the National Science Center “Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology”.

In his presentation “Analysis of the Call and Its Impact on the Project Idea”, Sergii Pugach emphasized the importance of properly analysing Horizon Europe call documentation and ensuring alignment between project ideas and the expected outcomes and priorities of the European Commission. The speaker thoroughly explained approaches to shaping a project idea that can be effectively integrated into a proposal, described how to adapt scientific concepts to specific call requirements, and shared practical recommendations for preparing strong project applications.

Other representatives of the Horizon Europe NCP network also contributed to the seminar. In particular, Tetiana Popova — Head of the NCP “Legal and Financial Aspects” and “European Research Council”, Head of the Project Coordination Department at IFNTUOG — presented the talk “Budget Structure. Rules for Proposal Budget Preparation”, focusing on practical aspects of project budgeting. The presentation highlighted Lump Sum projects, cost structure, and budget planning principles.

Olesia Skliarenko — Head of the NCP “New European Bauhaus Initiative”, Associate Professor at Hryhorii Skovoroda University in Pereiaslav — presented opportunities for participation in New European Bauhaus grants within the Horizon Europe Programme. This year, nearly €100 million will be invested in initiatives under the New European Bauhaus calls.

Karina Shakhbazian — Head of the NCP “Legal and Financial Aspects” and “European Research Council”, Academic Secretary at the Center for Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine — in her presentation “What a Proposal Looks Like: Structure, Size, Main Sections, Evaluation Criteria” introduced participants to the requirements for Horizon Europe grant applications. She also explained the differences between proposal types across various programme directions and highlighted key procedural aspects that require special attention.

The practical part of the seminar included a hands-on training session on project budget preparation, during which participants gained applied skills in developing the financial section of proposals and had the opportunity to discuss questions related to participation in international grant competitions.

Such events contribute to strengthening international project activities of Ukrainian scientific institutions, enhancing integration into the European Research Area, and expanding the participation of Ukrainian teams in European Union programmes.

Seminar materials

Speakers’ presentations: