Jun 1, 2026
Exploitation is one of the areas that often generates the most questions in Horizon Europe proposals and projects. And it is understandable.
Partners are asked to define how project results will be used, protected, transferred, further developed or taken up by relevant audiences, even when those results are not yet fully defined.
Over the years, while supporting consortia in proposal writing and project implementation, we have received many questions from partners about exploitation.
In this article, we have collected some of the most common questions and answers to help you navigate exploitation with more clarity.
Is exploitation a formal requirement in Horizon Europe?
Let’s start from the beginning. Exploitation is not optional in Horizon Europe. Projects are expected to explain how results will be used and how they may generate value beyond the project lifetime.
This means that exploitation should be addressed both at proposal stage, especially in the Impact section, and during project implementation, through dedicated exploitation activities, deliverables, and reporting.
What are the key elements of exploitation?
Two elements are particularly important: Key Exploitable Results (KERs) and Individual Exploitation Plans (IEPs).
The consortium should identify its most relevant exploitable results, while each partner should define how it intends to use, valorise or further develop the results that are relevant to its role.
A strong exploitation strategy shows that the project is not only producing outputs but also creating the conditions for future uptake, continuity, and impact.
What is the difference between exploitation and dissemination?
This is one of the most common sources of confusion.
Dissemination is about sharing project results with audiences that may benefit from them, such as researchers, industry, policymakers, public authorities or professional communities.
Exploitation is about using those results.
For example, publishing a paper is dissemination, while using the knowledge generated in that paper to open a new research line is exploitation.
Similarly, presenting a software tool at a conference is dissemination, while integrating that tool into a product, service, workflow or future project is exploitation.
Dissemination helps results become visible. Exploitation helps results create value. Both are connected, but they are not the same.
Do all partners need an Individual Exploitation Plan?
Yes, every partner should have a clear exploitation plan. This applies regardless of the type of organisation. The key is that exploitation should be adapted to the nature of each partner.
For industrial partners, exploitation may involve product development, services, patents, licensing, pilots, new customers or market positioning.
For academic partners, exploitation may involve further research, teaching, publications, datasets, methodologies, PhD work, future projects, knowledge transfer, spin-offs or collaboration with industry.
Exploitation does not always mean commercialisation. But every partner should be able to explain how it will use the knowledge, tools, methods or results generated through the project.
Do all partners have equal opportunities to valorise all project results?
Not automatically. In Horizon Europe, results are generally owned by the partner or partners that generate them, unless otherwise agreed. Other partners may request access rights if they need them to implement the project or to exploit their own results, according to the Grant Agreement and Consortium Agreement.
This means that not every partner has the right to exploit every result. Individual Exploitation Plans should therefore focus on the results that each partner can realistically use or valorise. A good exploitation plan should be ambitious, but also realistic and legally coherent.
What should an academic partner include in its exploitation plan?
Academic partners often worry that they do not have a “real” exploitation plan because they are not commercialising a product. But academic exploitation is highly relevant.
For universities and research centres, exploitation may include use in future research, such as the continuation of scientific lines or new projects; use in education and training, such as theses, courses or academic curricula; publications and Open Science; and knowledge transfer, including collaborations with companies, spin-offs or licences.
Should we include TRLs in the exploitation plan?
Yes, when relevant. For technological results, the exploitation plan should indicate the expected Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at the beginning and at the end of the project.
This helps show how the project will mature the technology. However, TRL commitments should be realistic. Do not promise a TRL increase that cannot be achieved within the project timeline, budget or validation activities.
It is also useful to explain how the planned exploitation activities help move the result closer to market, society, policy or real-world application.
Should we mention patents in the exploitation plan?
Yes, if it is realistic and relevant. Including patents or other forms of Intellectual Property can strengthen an exploitation plan, especially for industrial partners or technology-oriented results.
Evaluators may see this as a signal of exploitation potential, commercial value and continuity beyond the project. However, patenting is not an obligation. It should only be included if it makes sense for the expected results.
What are Key Exploitable Results and how do they relate to IEPs?
Key Exploitable Results (KERs) are the project results with the strongest potential for future use, uptake or value creation.
Individual Exploitation Plans explain how each partner intends to use or contribute to those results.
In simple terms, KERs define what the project can exploit, while IEPs define how each partner plans to exploit or valorise relevant results.
Both elements should be connected. A project should not have isolated partner plans that are disconnected from the main exploitable results.
What exploitation deliverables should a Horizon Europe project include?
The exact deliverable structure will always depend on the project, the call topic and the expected results. However, at Blue Ocean, we usually recommend including three exploitation deliverables across the project lifecycle.
The first one is an initial exploitation report, prepared in the early stage of the project, to establish the project’s initial exploitation framework and provide a more mature version of the exploitation work presented at proposal stage.
The second one is an intermediate exploitation report, usually prepared around the middle of the project. The objective of this intermediate report is to move from strategy to action.
The third one is a final exploitation report, prepared at the end of the project, to consolidate the exploitation work carried out and provide a framework for long-term use, uptake, and sustainability of the project results. This final report should describe what has been done and how project results will continue creating value after the project ends.
How does Blue Ocean support exploitation in Horizon Europe?
At Blue Ocean, we support consortia in structuring exploitation from proposal stage to project implementation.
We help partners identify expected results; define preliminary Individual Exploitation Plans; identify and structure Key Exploitable Results; align exploitation with IPR and Open Science; define realistic TRLs and exploitation routes; prepare exploitation deliverables; facilitate exploitation workshops; collect partner inputs; and connect exploitation with the overall Impact strategy.
Our role is to make exploitation clear, structured and manageable. We do not treat exploitation as a last-minute deliverable. We integrate it into the full project lifecycle.
If you’d like us to help you build a solid exploitation section, contact us!