What does a HORIZON specialist do?
A HORIZON specialist manages the administrative and strategic requirements for projects funded under the EU Horizon Europe research and innovation framework programme. This role bridges the gap between scientific or technical teams and the strict compliance standards required by European Union funding bodies. The specialist structures proposal content to address evaluation criteria such as excellence, impact, and implementation while coordinating inputs from multiple consortium partners. They also handle post-award obligations by preparing grant agreements and submitting mandatory reports through official EU portals.
- The specialist identifies relevant calls and topics via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and drafts proposal components that align with specific evaluation metrics. They consolidate technical and financial contributions from all partner organizations into a complete application package, ensuring every section meets the formatting and content guidelines required for submission. This process involves rigorous editing to clarify complex research objectives and demonstrate clear pathways to societal or market impact.
- After a project receives positive evaluation, the specialist supports grant agreement preparation activities by collecting necessary legal and financial documentation from each consortium member. They coordinate with the project coordinator to finalize the consortium agreement and ensure all partners understand their contractual obligations before the project officially starts. This phase requires precise attention to detail to prevent delays in the onboarding process and to secure the initial funding tranche.
- During the project lifecycle, the specialist prepares and submits periodic reports, payment requests, and proof of deliverables through the grant management service. They track milestones against the work plan to ensure that reported progress matches the actual outputs generated by the research teams. This ongoing compliance work ensures that the consortium remains eligible for subsequent payments and avoids audit issues by maintaining accurate records of all expenditures and achievements.
How to hire a HORIZON specialist on Upwork
Step 1: Post a job
Define the specific Horizon Europe call topic and proposal sections you need help with. Use the Job Post Generator powered by Umaโข, Upwork's Mindful AI to draft your listing. Describe your needs in a few sentences and Uma drafts a job post for the role. You can write a new post, update a saved draft, or reuse an existing post.
- Specify whether the freelancer must lead the Excellence, Impact, or Implementation section of the proposal application materials.
- List the exact EU Funding & Tenders Portal workflows the candidate must navigate to submit consortium documentation.
- Clarify if the role involves pre-submission coordination or post-evaluation grant agreement preparation outputs.
Step 2: Evaluate candidates
Look for portfolios that show successful Horizon Europe submissions and grant management experience. Uma can run instant video interviews and build shortlists with side-by-side comparisons to help you assess these signals.
- Verify the candidate has compiled partner inputs into complete application packages for previous consortia.
- Check for experience preparing project reporting documents and proof of deliverables for the grant management service.
- Confirm they understand the specific evaluation criteria for the Horizon Europe programme process you are targeting.
Step 3: Interview your top choices
Discuss their approach to coordinating multi-partner contributions and meeting strict portal deadlines. Interviews can be scheduled and conducted within Upwork Messages with an immediate transcript and summary after each one.
- Ask how they structure proposal content to address the specific excellence and impact aspects of your call topic.
- Question their method for consolidating diverse consortium documentation into a coherent submission package.
- Inquire about their experience supporting grant agreement preparation activities after a positive evaluation result.
Step 4: Agree on scope and begin work
Set clear milestones for drafting proposal sections and submitting required reports. Use Upwork Messages and the contract workroom for communication and project management, plus identity verification, payment protection, hourly tracking, and project funds for security.
- Define deliverables such as drafted application forms and consolidated supporting sections for the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
- Schedule milestones around the portal submission deadline and any required grant agreement preparation steps.
- Agree on the format for project reporting documents and payment requests submitted through the grant management service.
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