A final evaluation of the Horizon 2020 programme (2014-2020) and an interim evaluation of the Horizon Europe programme (2021-2023) are announced and include stakeholder consultations.  

The Horizon 2020 final evaluation runs from the second quarter of 2022 up to the fourth quarter of 2023. It will analyse the design and implementation, results and impacts of the programme from 2014 to 2020 and covers all Horizon 2020 instruments. The Horizon Europe interim evaluation runs from the fourth quarter of 2022 up to the third quarter of 2024. It will analyse the programme’s design, implementation and first results and will cover all Horizon Europe instruments.  

For both evaluations the following stakeholder consultations are planned:

• A 12-week public consultation to be published in English, French and German on the Have Your Say website in the fourth quarter of 2022. Responses may be submitted in any official EU language. Shortly after it has closed, a factual summary report will be published on the same website, along with the respondents’ replies. The same consultation will also cover Horizon Europe (interim evaluation and preparations for the 2025-27 Horizon Europe strategic plan).
• Targeted consultations (e.g. workshops, interviews) for applicants, participants, national and regional authorities and business representatives. These have already started as part of external evaluation studies supporting this evaluation.
• An online event, planned in the second quarter of 2023 to harvest more stakeholder views.

The consultations are targeted at main stakeholders identified which include researchers, business, academia, non-governmental organisations, public authorities, and EU-wide ‘umbrella’ organisations.

These evaluations will help the European Commission with implementation of current EU research and innovation measures and with the design of future measures. It also fulfils the Commission’s legal obligation to explain how it has spent public funds.

More information on these initiatives can be found on the “Have your say” webpage of the European Commission. For Horizon 2020 final evaluation here and for Horizon Europe interim evaluation here