What APRE does

APRE (Agenzia Per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea) is a non-profit association founded in 1989 and headquartered in Rome, Italy, serving as Italy's first and only dedicated national agency for promoting Italian participation in European Union research and innovation funding programmes. The organization operates in close institutional collaboration with the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and maintains a privileged interlocutor status with the European Commission, with a Brussels Liaison Office providing direct EU institutional access.

APRE delivers a portfolio of information, training, and assistance services centered on EU framework programmes, currently Horizon Europe (2021-2027) and the Digital Europe Programme. Core service offerings include APREmailing (newsletter service), APREformazione (training courses), thematic National Contact Point (NCP) services providing free expert assistance on proposal writing and partner search, and dedicated information portals (horizoneurope.apre.it, dep.apre.it). Supporting outputs include APRE Magazine (quarterly publication), APREDati (data analytics reports), APRELibreria (document repository), APREVideo (YouTube content channel), and an annual conference (APREcon). The organization coordinates a network of 17 regional offices (sportelli territoriali) across Italy and serves more than 170 member organizations including universities, research institutions, public entities, and Italian companies.

APRE's business model is membership-based: annual membership fees from 170+ member organizations fund operations, while basic information and assistance services related to Horizon Europe participation are provided at no direct charge to users. The agency is governed by its member base and operates without venture capital or private equity backing. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. APRE holds GDPR compliance certification and reports experience in international cooperation spanning more than 40 countries. Leadership comprises Alessandro Damiani (President) and Marco Falzetti (Director), with 11-50 employees supporting operations across Italy and Brussels.

Name

APRE

Legal name

APRE - Agenzia Per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea

Website

https://apre.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

APRE is Italy's national non-profit agency, founded in 1989, that provides information, training, and assistance to facilitate Italian participation in EU research and innovation funding programmes (primarily Horizon Europe). It serves 170+ member organizations including universities, research institutions, public entities, and companies through 17 regional offices and a Brussels liaison office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research and Innovation Funding Advisory Services

NAICS

Public Administration (92)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Application Support, Matching Platforms & Scholarship Administration Services (EDAIAOAN)

Keywords

• EU research funding advisory
• Horizon Europe support
• Research training services
• Innovation assistance
• National contact point services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: APRE operates as a non-profit association funded through annual membership fees from over 170 member organizations, which include universities, research institutions, public entities, and private companies in the Italian R&I ecosystem.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

APRE is Italy's national agency that provides information, training, and assistance services to facilitate Italian participation in European Union research and innovation framework programs, primarily Horizon Europe. The agency supports universities, research institutions, public entities, and private companies through dedicated thematic teams, training courses (APREformazione), National Contact Point services, info days, and direct proposal/partner-search assistance. It operates an extensive member-based network of 170+ organizations backed by 17 regional offices and a Brussels Liaison Office.

Product overview

APRE (Agenzia Per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea) is Italy's national agency for promoting European Research and Innovation funding participation. Rather than a traditional software product, APRE offers a portfolio of information, training, and assistance services centered on EU research funding programs. The core service offerings include APREmailing (newsletter service), APREformazione (training courses), and thematic NCP (National Contact Point) services. Supporting publications include APRE Magazine (quarterly magazine), APREDati (data analytics), APRELibreria (document library), and APREVideo (video content). The agency operates dedicated portals for Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme, and organizes the annual APRE Conference as a major networking and learning event for the Italian research community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• APREformazione (Training Courses) Online and in-person training courses covering topics related to European research and innovation programs, including proposal writing, legal and financial aspects, frontier research, mobility, innovation management, and thematic areas. Targeted at members and the broader Italian R&I community.
• National Contact Point (NCP) Services Free assistance and tailored support provided through specialized thematic teams covering each Horizon Europe work programme, helping Italian researchers, institutions, and companies participate in EU funding calls.
• Horizon Europe Portal Dedicated online portal providing comprehensive information on Horizon Europe calls, programme structure, work programmes, and assistance services for Italian participation.
• Digital Europe Programme Services Information and support services for Italy's participation in the Digital Europe Programme, covering high performance computing, AI, cybersecurity, and digital skills.
• Innovation Support Services Innovation support, technology transfer assistance, and business model development services targeted at Italian companies and SMEs seeking to engage with European innovation programmes.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Ministry of University and Research (MUR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPRE operates in close collaboration with the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR), serving as the primary national contact point for Italian participation in EU framework programs. This institutional relationship is fundamental to APRE's mission of facilitating Italian R&I participation in Horizon Europe and other EU programs.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPRE serves as a privileged interlocutor of the European Commission for Italian R&I matters. Through its Brussels Liaison Office, APRE maintains direct relationships with European institutions to advocate for Italian research interests and facilitate policy dialogue on framework programs.
• APRE Member Organizations (170+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPRE's network of over 170 member organizations includes universities, research institutions, public entities, and private companies representing the main actors of the Italian R&I system. Members benefit from preferential access to APRE services and participate in working groups, events, and policy discussions organized by the agency.
• National Contact Points (NCP) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPRE coordinates with the European network of National Contact Points to provide harmonized support for Horizon Europe participants. Through this network, APRE connects Italian researchers with counterparts across EU member states and associated countries.
• Regional Authorities (Sportelli Regionali APRE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPRE maintains 17 regional offices (sportelli territoriali) in partnership with regional authorities across Italy, providing localized access to EU funding information and support services for researchers and innovators at the regional level.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NWO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek): Dutch research council that funds research and supports Dutch researchers in accessing EU and international R&I programs. Comparable to APRE's mandate of promoting Dutch/Italian participation in European research funding.
• FFG (Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft): Austria's national research funding agency. Like APRE, it facilitates Austrian participation in EU framework programs (Horizon Europe), runs national contact point services, and supports companies and researchers in accessing R&I funding.
• Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR): France's national research funding agency. Comparable to APRE in mission of supporting French participation in EU research programs and providing information, training, and proposal assistance, though ANR also directly disburses national research funding.
• CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial): Spain's national agency for R&D and innovation promotion, analogous to APRE in Italy. Both are quasi-governmental bodies that facilitate national participation in EU R&I framework programs, provide partner search and proposal support, and act as privileged interlocutors with the European Commission.

Broad incumbents

• EU Funding & Tenders Portal: The European Commission's official platform for Horizon Europe and other EU funding programs. It provides call information, application tools, and partner search that overlap directly with APRE's core information and partner-matching services.
• Enterprise Europe Network: EU-wide network that helps small businesses innovate and access EU funding. APRE itself is an EEN partner, but the broader EEN consortium offers overlapping partner-search, advisory, and funding-information services that compete for the same audience.
• EURAXESS: EU-wide network for researcher mobility and career development. APRE runs the Italian EURAXESS node, but the broader EURAXESS initiative provides similar information and assistance services to researchers across Europe, including those in Italy.

Others

• CORDIS (Community Research and Development Information Service): EU Commission's primary public repository of Horizon Europe and predecessor program project information. Functions as an enabling data source for anyone (including APRE) tracking EU R&I funding opportunities and consortium formation.

Emerging players

• ResearchConsult (and other private EU funding consultancies): Private commercial consultancies offering paid proposal writing, partner search, and project management services for Horizon Europe. They target the same Italian and European researcher audience as APRE but compete primarily for paid advisory work where APRE is capacity-constrained.

Regional players

• UKRI (UK Research and Innovation): UK's national research and innovation funder. Comparable mission of supporting UK research excellence and access to international R&I funding, though post-Brexit its EU framework program access differs from Italy's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwHGIDtTR6eyuqWO2tgGWJg
• Xtwitter.com/apre_it
• Facebookfacebook.com/APRE.it

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about APRE