Mastering the Two-Stage Proposal: How to Write a Stage 1 Outline That Gets Shortlisted

About

Two-stage calls are among the most competitive in Horizon Europe, and Stage 1 is the least forgiving part. The overall success rate sits at around 12% (partial 2025 data), with some calls up 80% in applications year-on-year, so getting shortlisted takes more than a strong idea. It takes knowing exactly what evaluators want from a short outline.

Stage 1 is judged on two criteria only, Excellence and Impact, with a dynamic threshold that keeps shortlisted budgets close to three times the available funding. The effective bar often lands at 8 or 8.5 out of 10. Outcomes arrive around three months after the deadline, and only the strongest outlines make it to Stage 2, there's little room for a second chance.

Adding to the pressure: a blind evaluation pilot is being tested for Stage 1 of selected calls, stripping out organisational identity so your narrative has to stand on its own merits. This session breaks down what it takes to write a Stage 1 outline that gets shortlisted, so you arrive at Stage 2 on the strongest possible footing.

Key takeaways:

How the two-stage process works and what the Stage 1 evaluation actually involves, including how the dynamic threshold is set and what it means in practice
What evaluators are looking for under Excellence and Impact at Stage 1, and how to write to those criteria in a short, constrained format
How to structure your outline to convey scientific ambition and credible impact in limited pages without oversimplifying your project
What blind evaluation means for Stage 1 submissions, which calls are affected, and how to prepare an outline that works without institutional branding or team credentials
Common Stage 1 mistakes that lead to rejection, including vague impact narratives, misalignment with the call text, and overly technical language that buries the headline
How to use Stage 1 strategically: what to commit to in the outline, and how to leave enough flexibility for Stage 2 without creating consistency problems later

Who should attend:

Researchers and project coordinators preparing proposals for Horizon Europe two-stage calls in the 2026–2027 work programme
R&I support staff advising on proposal development
Anyone who has previously been unsuccessful at Stage 1 and wants to understand how to strengthen their next submission
Teams working on calls in CL1 (Health), CL5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility), and other clusters where two-stage processes are most common

If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact us at events@crowdhelix.com

Join the event and register today!