For a scientist or entrepreneur, a European research grant can radically change their career. Since 1984, the EU has been investing in groundbreaking research through extensive framework programmes. The current programme, Horizon Europe, has a budget of €95.5 billion and runs until 2027. But obtaining a grant is by no means easy.
Over the years, the application procedures have become a maze of forms, rules and administrative obligations, resulting in fierce competition. Around the turn of the century, this complexity provided fertile ground for a new market: consultancy firms that help researchers write the “perfect” application and manage international consortia.
For these grant consultants, it is big business: between 2021 and today, tens of millions have flowed their way. In many cases, this is taxpayers' money, originally intended for socially relevant scientific research. The European Innovation Council has now warned against their “aggressive” methods, while critics are calling for a simpler and fairer system.
Critics see this not only as an inefficient use of public funds, but also as a symptom of a deeper problem: a European research approach that places greater emphasis on competition and marketability than on open research and social value.
Investigative journalists Kasper Nollet and Thor Deyaert – both former editors of the Leuven student magazine Veto – delved into the world of European innovation consultants.
Illustration: © Freya Caris
