International research consortiums are the mechanism through which most EU-funded innovation programmes operate. EUREKA, Horizon Europe, and national programmes like Innovate UK all rely on multi-partner collaborations that bring together complementary expertise from across borders. Digital Tactics has participated in multiple international research projects, and the consortium-building phase is consistently the most critical determinant of project success.
A consortium begins with a clear problem statement. What challenge are you trying to address, and why does it require international collaboration? Funders want to see that the consortium exists because the problem genuinely requires diverse expertise, not because the funding rules mandate a minimum number of countries. The best proposals articulate a specific technical or societal challenge and then demonstrate that each partner contributes a unique capability that is essential to solving it.
A strong consortium is not a collection of organisations. It is a team with complementary capabilities and aligned incentives.
Partner identification draws on several channels. National Contact Points for Horizon Europe maintain databases of organisations seeking consortium partners. The Enterprise Europe Network connects businesses for innovation partnerships. Industry events and academic conferences provide direct networking. We have found that the most productive partnerships come from existing professional relationships, people we have worked with or alongside in previous projects or industry groups.
Finding the Right Partners
Due diligence on potential partners is essential. Evaluate their technical capability by reviewing publications, products, and previous project outcomes. Assess their financial stability, particularly for SMEs who must co-fund their participation. Check their track record of delivering on funded projects, including whether they have completed previous grants on time and within scope. A partner who looks strong on paper but has a history of under-delivery will damage the entire consortium.
The consortium agreement is the legal foundation of the collaboration. It defines intellectual property ownership, background and foreground IP rights, publication rights, decision-making procedures, and dispute resolution. Negotiating this agreement before submitting the proposal, not after winning funding, prevents conflicts that can derail a project years into its timeline. We use a standard consortium agreement template based on the DESCA model, adapted for each project's specific requirements.
- Start with a clear problem statement that justifies international collaboration
- Use National Contact Points, Enterprise Europe Network, and existing relationships to find partners
- Conduct due diligence on every potential partner's capability, finances, and track record
- Negotiate the consortium agreement before submitting the proposal
- Allocate three to six months for competitive proposal preparation
- Ensure each partner contributes a unique, essential capability to the consortium
Finally, allocate adequate time for proposal preparation. A competitive Horizon Europe proposal typically requires three to six months of preparation, including partner recruitment, work package design, budget planning, and impact analysis. Rushed proposals are visible to evaluators and are rarely funded. We budget at least one full week of effort per work package for proposal writing, plus additional time for consortium coordination and revision cycles.
