National Contact Points (hereinafter referred to as NCPs) is the main structure that provides guidance, advice on the practical aspects of participation and support for participants, potential participants and all stakeholders of the Horizon Europe Programme. The NCP network is established in all participating countries Horizon Europe Programme, in most of the associated countries and non-associated countries (so-called “third countries”) that are not direct partners of the Programme.
The NCP network is established and funded directly by the participating countries and associate members of the Horizon Europe Programme, and its main goal is to be able to provide the most complete and reliable information related directly to the Horizon Europe Programme in the national language in the format of personalized support. The NCPs system can vary significantly from one country to another from highly centralized (all NCPs work in the same organization) to decentralized (NCPs represent different organizations, such as ministries, universities, research institutions, special agencies or consulting organizations) and can be located in different regions of the country.
Overall, NCPs network in all countries should be established and follow the NCP Guiding Principles agreed by all countries. In general, the following main tasks of the NCP can be distinguished:
- Guidance on choosing relevant Horizon Europe topics and types of actions.
- Advice on administrative procedures and contractual issues.
- Training and assistance on proposal writing.
- Distribution of documentation (forms, manuals, manuals, etc.)
- Assistance in finding partners.
As the NCPs network is a national structure, the type and scope of services provided can often differ from country to country.
The NCPs network in Ukraine is currently not working. The information will be updated after the approval of the list of national contact points of the Horizon Europe Programme.
Minimum standards and Guiding principles for setting up systems of National Contact Points (NCP systems) under Horizon Europe (PDF, 15 pages)