The Commission is currently seeking feedback from stakeholders on its proposal to extend the PRIMA initiative until 2027 to align its duration with that of Horizon Europe and to ensure that the programme can fund PRIMA’s annual calls for proposals in the next three years. The Commission decided to table this proposal, following a recommendation from independent experts who conducted PRIMA’s interim evaluation in late 2022, as previously reported by UKRO.
The proposal for an amendment of the PRIMA Basic Act constitutes an extension of the initiative’s active operation (including publication of annual calls for research and innovation projects) until 2027 under Horizon Europe. The amendment will provide for additional budget from both the Horizon Europe budget and the Participating States’ financial contributions, to ensure continuation at the current level of activities for three more years. Furthermore, under the Commission’s proposal, the PRIMA operating rules will be adapted to those of Horizon Europe, including better protection of the Union’s financial interests, monitoring and reporting. Finally, the extension of the active phase until 2027 will align the duration of PRIMA with that of Horizon Europe.
The Commission’s proposal is open for feedback until 29 August 2023. All feedback received will be summarised by the Commission and presented to the European Parliament and Council with the aim of feeding into the legislative debate.