Discussions on the simplification of the rules for participation are taking on strategic relevance in the run-up to the 9th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon Europe or FP9). This is because they have the potential to increase the added value and improve the efficiency and impact of EU funding. Missed opportunities for impactful simplification directly translate into significant costs at all stages of the project life cycle. As the largest beneficiaries of Horizon 2020, universities are a key stakeholder and unique partner for EU institutions seeking to improve and simplify Framework Programme rules. In 2016, EUA launched the EUA Member Consultation on the Horizon 2020 Mid-Term Review, which addressed several aspects of Framework Programme simplification and revealed the need for further research into beneficiary opinions. In Autumn 2017, a second guided opinion poll aimed at collecting specific evidence about opportunities to further simplify and enhance the efficiency of the EU Framework Programme was launched. This survey (hereafter the Focused Simplification Survey) also assessed the impact of changes to the Horizon 2020 Model Grant Agreement introduced in 2017. Complemented by expert advice from the EUA simplification group, the results of these consultations inform the recommendations put forward in this report, the EUA paper on EU Funding Simplification, and more generally in EUA’s wider campaign for sufficient, sustainable and simple EU Funding for Universities.