Mastering Horizon Europe Terminology: From Deliverables to Impacts

When preparing a Horizon Europe proposal, one of the most common challenges for applicants is navigating the specific terminology used by the European Commission. Words like deliverables, milestones, results, outcomes and impacts may sound familiar, but they carry very precise meanings in the funding context. Misinterpreting them can weaken the clarity of your proposal and reduce your chances of success. At Bee Granted, we guide organisations through these distinctions so that every proposal speaks the Commission’s language. Below, we explain these terms and illustrate them through the same example: the development of a green hydrogen production technology.

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Deliverables

Deliverables are concrete pieces of work submitted to the European Commission to demonstrate progress. They are often reports, plans, or technical documentation. For instance, in a project on green hydrogen, a deliverable could be a report describing the initial design of the electrolyser prototype or a data management plan detailing how experimental results will be shared. Deliverables are not ends in themselves but checkpoints that allow the Commission to monitor that the project is advancing as promised.

Milestones

Milestones represent decision points or verifiable achievements that mark critical stages of the project. They do not necessarily produce a document, but they show that the consortium can move to the next phase. For example, in the hydrogen project, a milestone might be the successful validation of the electrolyser at laboratory scale, which then allows testing under real industrial conditions. Milestones act as the “green lights” of the project, confirming that development is on track and that no major obstacles remain before moving forward.

Results

Results are the direct outputs generated during project implementation. They can be tangible, such as prototypes, or intangible, such as new methods, datasets, or business models. In our example, a key result might be the construction and demonstration of a pilot electrolyser capable of producing hydrogen at a 20% lower energy cost than existing solutions. These results are often intellectual property and can be protected through patents or other formal rights.

Research Outputs

Research outputs are a subset of results, specifically referring to knowledge or data that can be openly shared. They typically include scientific publications, datasets, software, or protocols. For the hydrogen project, this could mean publishing peer-reviewed articles on the novel membrane technology used in the electrolyser or making open-access performance data available to the research community. This distinction matters because Horizon Europe strongly promotes open science and expects applicants to clarify how research outputs will be disseminated.

Outcomes

Outcomes are the effects that appear shortly after the project ends, reflecting the uptake and use of results by stakeholders or end-users. In the hydrogen example, an outcome could be that three European energy companies adopt and integrate the electrolyser technology into their production lines within two years of the project’s completion. Outcomes demonstrate that the project does not stop at producing results, but that those results are actually used and create added value for the sector.

Impacts

Impacts represent the long-term changes enabled by the project, aligned with the broader objectives of Horizon Europe. They extend beyond immediate adoption and address transformation at the level of society, economy or the environment. Continuing with our hydrogen example, an impact could be a measurable reduction in Europe’s reliance on fossil fuels, with a 10% decrease in CO₂ emissions from industrial hydrogen production within a decade. Impacts take time to materialise, but a strong proposal must convincingly demonstrate how project results and outcomes contribute to them.

Why This Matters for Your Proposal

In Horizon Europe, these terms form the backbone of how your project is evaluated. Deliverables and milestones ensure accountability, results and research outputs show innovation capacity, outcomes highlight short-term relevance, and impacts demonstrate alignment with long-term EU policy goals. A successful proposal does not just list activities; it builds a coherent narrative linking deliverables to results, results to outcomes, and outcomes to impacts. This logical pathway, sometimes referred to as the impact pathway, is one of the most critical success factors in Horizon Europe.

How Bee Granted Supports You

At Bee Granted, we help applicants transform complex technical ideas into strong proposals with clear, verifiable deliverables, credible milestones and compelling impact pathways. By ensuring that your proposal uses the right terminology with the right examples, we strengthen both clarity and persuasiveness, increasing your chances of securing European funding. If you are preparing a Horizon Europe application and want to maximise its chances, contact us.