EMDESK says you can manage your entire EU project, from finance management and planning to reporting and collaboration, with just one tool.1 Horizon Europe is the flagship research and innovation funding programme of the European Union (EU) for 2021–2027.7 Its total budget is €93.5 billion, which makes it the largest publicly funded research and development programme in the world.7
One example of purpose-built software is a project management platform for EU and nationally funded projects (EMDESK), made in Germany and used daily by 1000+ organisations in the EU.1 This guide shows how to choose software, where to save money and which mistakes to avoid.
What Horizon Europe Software Should Do
The main items to follow are work packages (the project's main blocks of work), milestones, deliverables (the outputs you owe the funder), team members and partners.1 EMDESK says users can stay on top of all of these and collaborate securely in real time on Office documents.1
Check how the tool handles money. EMDESK tracks time and expenses to simplify financial reporting, and it generates financial analyses and reports in a few clicks.1
If you also run nationally funded projects, pick software that handles both EU and national funding in one system. Ask the vendor to show a real example before you commit.
Find Funding Calls And Partners
The Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) is the official public repository for EU-funded research and innovation projects.2 As of early 2026, it holds 19,495 Horizon Europe projects, and more than 56,000 unique organisations have taken part across all programmes.2
Search it before you write a proposal to see what has already been funded. Look for organisations that have delivered in your field and treat them as possible partners.
For open funding calls (the funder's invitations to apply), EuroAccess, an online funding search, lets you register and receive its newsletter on the latest calls.9 You can also save calls in a personal funding basket and export them.9
Budget-Friendly Options
Start small if money is tight. Worklenz, a project management tool, lets you track time spent on tasks and projects.8 It also offers project finance tools to track budgets, costs and financial performance.8
Compare general-purpose tools before you pay for a specialist one. One guide compares 11 project management tools, including Asana, Jira, Trello and monday.com, on features, integrations and scaling tips.5
If your team lacks time, outsource the admin. Scientific Network Management, based in Barcelona, manages EU-funded research consortia (the groups of partners that deliver a project), covering project infrastructure, consortium agreements, reporting and deliverables.4
Steps To Set Up Your Project
- List what you must report: time, expenses, milestones and deliverables.
- Search CORDIS and open calls for precedents and partners.
- Shortlist two or three tools, one specialist and one general-purpose.
- Run a trial on one real work package using sample data.
- Check how the tool handles timesheets; Worklenz, for example, lists timesheet management and approval.8
- Train partners in one short session and schedule a monthly review of progress and spending.
Common Mistakes
- Buying on price alone without testing the reporting features.
- Skipping the search of past projects before pitching an idea.
Safety And Data Protection
Treat partner, staff and budget data as sensitive. Keep documents inside the tool rather than in email attachments.
Choose software that states its data-protection compliance. EMDESK describes its software as compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).1 Ask any vendor for the same assurance in writing.
Quick-Reference Checklist
- One tool covers planning, finances, reporting and collaboration.
- Time and expense tracking feed your financial reports.
- Work packages, milestones and deliverables sit in one view.
- EU and national funding both fit the same system.
- Past projects and possible partners checked in CORDIS.
- Open funding calls tracked in one place.
- Data-protection compliance stated in writing.
- Trial run with sample data before real data goes in.
- Roles set and a monthly review scheduled.
Start your free trial once the checklist is ticked, and test it on one real work package with your partners.