Live Events
Our Live Events are designed to help you master EU-funded project development with direct interaction, real-time guidance, and practical insights.
Each live training focuses on critical areas of Horizon Europe, MSCA, ERC, EIC, financial management, project implementation, and proposal development.
You learn directly from expert evaluators and practitioners who guide you step-by-step through real examples, strategies, and proven methods that you can apply immediately to your work.
All sessions include live Q&A, access to the recording, training materials, and a Certificate of Attendance.
Check Out upcoming Live Events
AI for Horizon Europe.
The Santorini Workshop.
Two days. Bring a Horizon Europe call of your choice. Leave with a full draft proposal you wrote yourself — with the help of free, private AI tools and a 25-year EU funding expert sitting next to you.
Why this workshopMost proposals fail for reasons AI can help you fix before you submit.
Horizon Europe success rates sit around 7–15% across most calls. The winners are rarely the smartest — they are the ones who read the call properly, align to the work programme logic, and write a full draft that survives the first critical read. AI can cut the time for all of this from weeks to days, if you know which four tools to use and how to use them without giving away your idea.
This is a working session, not a presentation. By the end of Day 1 you have a draft Excellence, Implementation and Impact section on a real call of your own.
(1) As a partner joining a Horizon Europe proposal led by someone else — and finally being useful to the coordinator.
(2) As a coordinator initiating your own winning proposal under an open or forthcoming call.
Day 1 agendaFrom call to complete draft in six hours.
Five working modules, built on the same method that helped researchers from 100+ universities and institutes across Europe and beyond win Horizon Europe grants.
| Time | Module | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 – 10:45 | Module 1 — Horizon Europe Intelligence | Read your target call the way an evaluator does. Clarify TRLs, type of action, top-down vs bottom-up, expected outcomes, impact logic and evaluation weights. |
| 10:45 – 11:00 | Coffee break | Short reset. Not included in the fee. |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | Module 2 — AI Intelligence (private and free) | Four AI tools configured for research work. Opt-out of training. The C.R.E.A.T.E. prompt method. What AI can and cannot do on a Horizon Europe draft. |
| 12:15 – 13:15 | Module 3 — Excellence, built live | On your own call: SoA mapping, objectives, methodology, concept, ambition. First full draft of the Excellence section. |
| 13:15 – 14:15 | Lunch break | Self-organised. Not included in the fee. Recommendations shared on arrival. |
| 14:15 – 15:15 | Module 4 — Implementation, built live | Work packages, tasks, deliverables, milestones, risk table, first-cut Gantt and consortium map — all AI-assisted. |
| 15:15 – 16:15 | Module 5 — Impact, built live | Results-to-outcomes-to-impacts chain, KPIs, D&E&C plan, IPR, and exploitation model — in Horizon Europe’s own evaluation language. |
| 16:15 – 16:30 | Wrap-up & next steps | What to do Monday morning. How to run the draft past your research office. How to find or be found as a partner. |
BookingThree fees. 15 seats.
OpenCosmos members pay the member fee. Early bird closes 20 May 2026 or when the 15 seats sell out, whichever comes first. The ferry on Day 2 is included in every fee.
- Full workshop Day 1 (6 hours)
- Ferry Day 2 (Oia ⇄ Thyrassia)
- All prompts, templates and checklists
- One month of post-workshop Q&A
- External evaluation of your draft on request
- Full workshop Day 1
- Ferry to Thyrassia from Oia/Ammoudi Day 2
- All prompts, templates and checklists
- One month of post-workshop Q&A
- Full workshop Day 1
- Ferry to Thyrassia and Lunch from Ammoudi/Oia Day 2
- All prompts, templates and checklists
- One month of post-workshop Q&A
Frequently askedUseful answers before you book.
Which Horizon Europe call should I bring?
Any open or forthcoming call under Pillar 2, EIC Pathfinder, MSCA, Widening or ERC. You choose. On the booking form you tell us the topic ID. The trainer reviews it before the workshop so the exercises fit your case.
I am a complete beginner. Will I keep up?
Yes. The method is built for any level. Beginners leave with a usable draft — advanced applicants leave with a stronger one. Everyone gets live feedback on their own work during Day 1.
What do I need to bring?
A laptop, a charger, the call topic you want to work on, and a short summary of your idea (5–10 lines). That is enough. Pre-work guidance is sent two weeks before.
Is my idea safe with the AI tools you use?
Yes. The four free AI tools we use are configured so your prompts are not used for model training and no data is retained after the session. You keep full ownership of your material.
What happens if the weather cancels the ferry on Day 2?
The port operator calls it. If sailing is cancelled for safety, we replace Day 2 with a half-day walking and working session in Oia — same hours, same trainer. No refund on the 90 €, 450 € or 590 € fee.
Can I become an OpenCosmos member to access the 90 € fee?
Yes. OpenCosmos annual membership gives unlimited access to our live and recorded courses, unlimited proposal evaluations, matchmaking and monthly funding updates. See horizoneurope.guru.
Will the workshop be recorded?
No. This is a private, small-group session. We protect the confidentiality of each participant’s call and draft. The trainer’s Q&A follow-up session one month later is available on request.
People Also Ask
In which time zone will the live sessions take place?
The live sessions take place during standard business hours, from 09:00 to 17:00 (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM) in Athens time (UTC/GMT+3). Participants from other regions should adjust the schedule according to their local time zone.
Will there be a Q&A session?
Yes, every live session includes a dedicated Q&A segment. Participants can ask Nikolaos Floratos questions about their EU funding proposals and receive real-time guidance during the event.
Who is Nikolaos Floratos?
Nikolaos Floratos is the founder of Funding Expert Academy and a renowned expert in EU funding with over 19 years of experience as an expert evaluator for the European Commission.
Is the live event recorded?
Yes, the live event is fully recorded. All registered participants will receive access to the replay and the presentation materials shortly after the broadcast. This allows you to review the content at your convenience, even if you cannot attend every session live.
Strategic Funding Masterclass + Sailing Cruise Experience
18-19 Sept 2026 (Athens)
Course Purpose
Give R&I professionals a two-in-one springboard: squeeze the most out of Horizon Europe’s final 2025-27 calls and line up early wins for the € 175 billion FP10 era that begins in 2028. Day 1 blends a “last-minute opportunity hunt” of Horizon Europe with forward-looking FP10 readiness; Day 2 lets insights ferment naturally on a relaxed Aegean cruise, where conversations are transformed into partnerships.
Learning Objectives :
Spot and prioritize high-value Horizon Europe 2025-27 calls that match your expertise, with emphasis on the programme’s new competitiveness drive and the € 7.2 billion 2025 call pot.
Draft a compliant lump-sum budget (now > 35 % of grants and heading to 50 % by 2027) and avoid common audit flags.
Map your pathway from Horizon Europe to FP10, understanding the four-pillar structure and the proposed € 175 billion budget envelope.
Leverage Widening/ERA instruments and the quality seal to boost success odds
Design a personal FP10 readiness roadmap that locks in people, processes and partners before the programme launches.
Structure in Modules
Day 1 — 18 Sept (09:30 – 17:00 | Athens)
Morning: “Last-Minute Horizon Europe Wins”
Welcome & Funding Landscape (09:30): Why the 2025-27 work-programme pivot to competitiveness is a gift for agile consortia.
Opportunity Radar (10:00): Live walkthrough of cluster dashboards and search tricks to surface late-stage calls in Digital/Industry/Space, Health, Security, Inclusive Societies, Energy and Agrifood. Participants shortlist 1-2 topics each.
Quick-Win Proposal Sprint (11:30): Teams draft a one-pager using the STEP Seal template—ideal for scoring fast under the lighter 2025 rules.
Lunch Panel (13:00): Recent Horizon Europe awardees share how they hacked the two-stage evaluation and blind review pilots.
Afternoon: “Shift Gear to FP10”
FP10 Deep-Dive (14:00): Decode pillars, budgets, simplified rules and the Competitiveness Fund interface.
Change-Readiness Workshop (16:00): Build your FP10 readiness canvas—governance tweaks, skill gaps, partnership wish-list—and get peer feedback.
Wrap-Up (16:45): Capture “first-100-days” commitments that bridge Horizon Europe actions to FP10 prep.
Day 2 — 19 Sept (10:00 – ≈19:30 | “Relax, Sail & Mingle”)
A no-agenda catamaran cruise through Aegina, Moni and Agkistri. Coffee, swims and scenic sails frame organic networking. Facilitators simply weave introductions and surface synergies; proposal ideas emerge on deck or notepads at your own pace. We dock back in Athens early evening, sun-kissed and armed with new contacts and clear next steps. Conversations start over coffee, drift toward FP10 ideas or stay blissfully off-topic—it’s your call. We anchor off Aegina for a swim and stroll, share a barbeque on deck, then glide to Moni for snorkeling or shaded chats. The skipper decides on a late-afternoon pause near Agkistri; sunset finds us raising a toast while swapping contacts and casual commitments (“Let’s exchange a concept note next week”). We dock back in Athens by 19:00–19:30—sun-kissed, re-energized and richer in prospective partners.
What Makes Us Unique
100% Satisfaction Guarantee: We only get paid if you are 100% satisfied with the learning experience. That Confident we are!
Two programmes, one experience: squeeze the last juice from Horizon Europe and position early in FP10’s € 175 billion game.
Action + Reflection mix: intensive classroom work crystalizes during a stress-free cruise, where trust and creativity bloom.
Insider shortcuts: guidance drawn from well-collected Intelligence
Quality networking: a single vessel = deeper bonds, not shallow card swaps.
Athens flair, European foresight: learn in a city of ideas, sail among islands of inspiration.
Life-time experience: local culture meets strategic funding intelligence for an experience you’ll remember long after
You’ll leave with a shortlist of live Horizon Europe calls, a lump-sum budget template, a peer-validated FP10 readiness canvas—and a handful of collaborators met under an Aegean sunset.
Check Out upcoming Live Events
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