Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how Horizon Europe proposals are prepared.
Both Grant Genius and Opaly help organisations produce stronger proposals while reducing administrative work. Both combine traditional software with AI to improve quality, consistency and efficiency.
However, they were designed with different philosophies.
Opaly focuses on guiding teams through the proposal process with collaborative workspaces, automated quality checks and strong support for the Impact section.
Grant Genius focuses on something different:
making AI almost invisible.
Instead of asking users to interact with an AI assistant continuously, Grant Genius integrates AI only where it genuinely improves the writing experience.
So which approach is the best fit for your organisation?
At a Glance
Feature
Opaly
Grant Genius
Horizon Europe proposal workspace
✅
✅
AI writing assistance
✅
✅
Collaborative editing
✅
✅
Proposal quality checks
✅
✅
Call analysis
✅
✅
AI integrated into workflow
✅
✅
Prompt-free AI actions
Limited
✅
One-click AI improvements
Limited
✅
Traditional software for non-AI tasks
Partial
✅
What Is Opaly?
Opaly, developed by SoScience, is a collaborative platform dedicated to preparing Horizon Europe proposals.
It combines proposal editing, collaboration, call analysis, automated proofreading, proposal generation and dedicated support for the Impact section into a single workspace. It also includes a library of impact indicators and guidance throughout the proposal-writing process.
Its philosophy is to help teams produce more coherent, higher-quality proposals while reducing administrative work.
What Is Grant Genius?
Grant Genius is Grant 360's proposal-writing application.
Like Opaly, it helps teams prepare European grant proposals more efficiently.
Its philosophy, however, is deliberately different.
Rather than making AI the centre of the user experience, Grant Genius keeps the proposal editor at the centre and uses AI only where it provides a clear benefit.
The objective is simple:
The software should adapt to the grant writer—not the other way around.
AI Only Where It Creates Value
One of the core design principles behind Grant Genius is that not every task requires artificial intelligence.
Some activities are naturally faster with conventional software.
Creating sections.
Navigating through the proposal.
Managing contributors.
Reviewing comments.
Organising information.
Tracking completion.
Adding AI to these interactions often creates unnecessary complexity.
Instead, Grant Genius introduces AI exactly where users expect assistance.
For example, with a single click they can:
- improve clarity;
- strengthen an argument;
- rewrite a paragraph;
- shorten or expand text;
- generate a first draft;
- improve consistency;
- suggest objectives or impacts.
Once the task is complete, the AI disappears and the user simply continues writing.
No Prompt Engineering
Many AI applications expect users to describe precisely what they want.
That means writing prompts.
Refining prompts.
Trying different prompts.
Repeating prompts for every section.
Grant Genius removes almost all of that effort.
Instead of asking users to become prompt engineers, the application exposes the most useful AI capabilities through dedicated buttons integrated directly into the interface.
Users simply choose the action they need.
The software already knows:
- which proposal section is being edited;
- the surrounding context;
- the expected writing style;
- the current state of the proposal.
The result is a smoother and more predictable experience.
Collaboration
Opaly places strong emphasis on collaborative proposal development.
Teams can work together inside a shared workspace, distribute tasks and benefit from automated quality controls throughout the writing process.
Grant Genius also supports collaborative proposal development as part of the wider Grant 360 ecosystem, while maintaining its philosophy of keeping the interface focused and avoiding unnecessary complexity.
Quality Rather Than Quantity
Both platforms use AI to save time.
The difference lies in how often users interact with it.
Opaly integrates AI throughout the proposal preparation workflow.
Grant Genius takes a more selective approach.
Rather than encouraging users to "chat" continuously with an AI assistant, it identifies the moments where AI genuinely improves productivity and exposes those capabilities as simple actions.
Everything else remains conventional software.
This keeps the interface predictable while still benefiting from artificial intelligence when it matters most.
Which Platform Should You Choose?
Choose Opaly if you are looking for:
- a collaborative Horizon Europe proposal platform;
- extensive guidance throughout proposal preparation;
- strong built-in support for the Impact section;
- integrated quality checks and proposal generation.
Choose Grant Genius if you prefer:
- AI that works quietly in the background;
- one-click assistance instead of prompt writing;
- a familiar software experience;
- an application where AI enhances productivity without becoming the centre of the workflow.
Final Verdict
Grant Genius and Opaly share the same ambition: helping organisations prepare better European grant proposals with less effort.
Their difference lies in product philosophy.
Opaly provides a rich collaborative environment combining proposal guidance, automated checks and AI-assisted writing.
Grant Genius follows a simpler principle:
Use AI where it creates value. Use conventional software everywhere else.
For many grant professionals, that means spending less time thinking about artificial intelligence—and more time thinking about the proposal itself.