Organised by researchers' needs: finding funding, writing proposals and managing collaborative projects
For researchers, securing Horizon Europe funding has become increasingly competitive. Success depends not only on scientific excellence but also on identifying the right opportunities, preparing compelling proposals and collaborating effectively with partners across Europe.
The right software can significantly reduce administrative effort, allowing researchers to spend more time on science and less time navigating complex funding processes.
This guide reviews some of the most useful software solutions for researchers involved in Horizon Europe, organised according to the different stages of the grant lifecycle.
1. Finding the Right Funding Opportunities
Before writing a proposal, researchers need to identify calls that genuinely match their expertise and research ambitions.
Grant 360 – Grant Radar
Grant Radar helps researchers discover relevant Horizon Europe funding opportunities more efficiently.
It enables users to:
- Search Horizon Europe calls
- Filter opportunities by research field
- Track upcoming deadlines
- Save and monitor interesting calls
Best for: Researchers who want to spend less time searching and more time preparing competitive proposals.
Grantbites
Grantbites presents funding opportunities in a structured and easy-to-read format.
It helps researchers:
- Browse funding opportunities
- Discover relevant calls
- Quickly understand funding requirements
- Stay informed about new opportunities
Best for: Researchers looking for a simplified grant discovery experience.
AISEMA
AISEMA applies AI to funding intelligence.
Researchers can use it to:
- Match research expertise with funding opportunities
- Analyse funding landscapes
- Explore previously funded projects
- Identify potential research directions
Best for: Researchers looking for strategic opportunity analysis supported by AI.
2. Proposal Writing
Writing a Horizon Europe proposal often requires weeks of work involving multiple collaborators.
Grant 360 – Grant Genius
Grant Genius assists researchers throughout proposal preparation using AI.
It helps users:
- Draft proposal sections
- Improve clarity and consistency
- Structure proposals
- Strengthen Excellence, Impact and Implementation sections
Rather than replacing scientific expertise, it helps researchers communicate their ideas more effectively.
Best for: Researchers who want to accelerate proposal preparation while maintaining full control over the scientific content.
WinGrants AI
WinGrants AI provides AI-assisted drafting, proposal evaluation and redrafting workflows specifically designed for Horizon Europe proposals.
Best for: Researchers seeking an AI-first proposal development environment.
Review IQ
Review IQ focuses on proposal assessment before submission.
It enables researchers to:
- Identify weaknesses
- Simulate evaluator feedback
- Improve proposal quality
- Strengthen competitiveness
Best for: Teams looking for structured proposal reviews before submission.
Opaly
Opaly provides collaborative proposal writing features that help multiple authors coordinate contributions while maintaining document organisation.
Best for: Research teams preparing collaborative proposals.
3. Managing Funded Projects
Once funding has been awarded, researchers must coordinate scientific work while keeping administrative requirements under control.
Grant 360 – Grant Planner
Grant Planner supports Horizon Europe project execution through:
- Work package planning
- Deliverable tracking
- Milestone management
- Consortium coordination
Its objective is to simplify project administration without distracting researchers from their scientific work.
Best for: Researchers coordinating collaborative Horizon Europe projects.
EMDESK
EMDESK is one of the most widely used Horizon Europe project management platforms.
It combines planning, budgeting, reporting and collaboration in a single environment.
Best for: Large collaborative research projects.
Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project remains a powerful scheduling tool for planning complex research activities.
However, it does not include Horizon Europe-specific features such as consortium governance or deliverable reporting.
Best for: Researchers already using Microsoft project management tools.
OpenProject
OpenProject is a European open-source project management platform.
It offers:
- Task planning
- Timeline management
- Collaboration
- Self-hosting
Best for: Researchers and institutions prioritising open-source software and digital sovereignty.
4. Managing Scientific References
Scientific literature is the foundation of every competitive proposal.
Reference managers help researchers organise publications, cite previous work correctly and build high-quality bibliographies.
Popular solutions include:
- Mendeley
- JabRef
- Zotero
- Citavi
Grant Genius is designed around the open BibTeX standard, allowing researchers to reuse bibliographies generated by virtually any reference manager rather than becoming dependent on a single ecosystem.
Best for: Researchers building proposals supported by extensive scientific literature.
Final Thoughts
Researchers should not have to become project management experts to secure competitive funding.
The best software is the one that removes administrative friction while allowing researchers to focus on developing ideas, conducting excellent science and building successful international collaborations.
As AI, open science and collaborative research continue to evolve, specialised software will increasingly become an essential part of every researcher's Horizon Europe toolkit.