As we enter the summer period, we would like to make UK applicants and stakeholders aware of temporary service adjustments affecting the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), European Research Council (ERC), New European Bauhaus (NEB), COST and Widening National Contact Point (NCP) services.
Due to the continued success and growing popularity of the aforementioned Horizon Europe schemes, which has led to an increased volume of enquiries, alongside temporary staffing constraints, response times for NCP mailbox enquiries may be longer than usual. In some cases, responses may take up to two weeks.
Specific Periods of Reduced Capacity :
- COST, NEB and Widening NCP mailbox: 13–27 July 2026, 17–21 August, and 26 August–2 September 2026
- MSCA NCP mailbox: 8–26 August 2026
- ERC NCP mailbox: 1–18 September 2026
Before contacting the relevant NCP team
To help applicants access support as quickly as possible during this period, we strongly encourage users to consult the guidance and resources available online before submitting an enquiry. Many common questions can be answered through:
- UKRO Resources and Factsheets
- Horizon Europe Work Programmes and Call documentation
- European Commission Funding & Tenders Portal
We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
UKRI is actively strengthening NCP provision across these areas to ensure continued, high-quality support for the UK research and innovation community.
Thank you for your cooperation, and we wish all applicants a productive and successful summer.