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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The 'Europe-Africa Research and Innovation call on Sustainable Energy 2025' (LEAP-SE COFUND) aims to foster research and innovation collaborations between Europe and Africa in the field of sustainable and renewable energy. The grant seeks to fund projects that align with specific multi-annual roadmaps and thematic priorities related to energy. - Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: Research partners, organizations, and entities with research and innovation capabilities. - MUST state if grant is 'SECTOR-SPECIFIC' or 'SECTOR-AGNOSTIC': SECTOR-SPECIFIC - Geographic scope and any location requirements: Europe and African countries. - Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Focus on sustainable and renewable energy, research and innovation, and cross-continental collaboration between European and African entities. - Grant frequency and program context: This is part of the 'Long-Term Joint EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership on Renewable Energy' (LEAP-RE), which is a recurring program, with this specific call designated for 2025-2026.

Financial Structure

Total budget for the call is 9,855,000.
Currency is not specified in the provided information.
Information regarding minimum/maximum grant amounts, eligible/ineligible costs, matching fund requirements, co-financing, payment schedules, financial reporting, audit requirements, or indirect cost policies is not provided in the given documents.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type & Capacity

Eligible organizations are those engaged in research and innovation, including but not limited to research institutions, universities, public bodies, and private sector entities (SMEs, enterprises) with demonstrable R&D capabilities.

Geographic Location

Applicants must be from European and African countries. Specific countries are not detailed beyond this continental scope in the provided documents.

Project Scope & Focus

Projects must address at least one of the 7 identified multi-annual roadmaps (MARs).
Projects must align with LEAP-RE thematic priorities, which include:
Assessment of Renewable Energy Sources and integration of RES in sustainable energy scenarios.
End-of-life and second-life management and environmental impact of RE components.
Smart stand-alone systems.
Smart grid (different scales) for off-grid application.
Processes and appliances for productive uses (agriculture, mobility, and industry).
Innovative solutions for priority domestic uses (clean cooking and cold chain).
Production and utilisation of Green Hydrogen.

Application Procedure

Organizations must be able to participate in a two-step application and evaluation procedure.

Application Process

Application Procedure

The application process is a two-step procedure:
Step 1: Submission of pre-proposals.
Step 2: Submission of full proposals (by invitation after successful pre-proposal evaluation).
Proposals must be submitted via the dedicated submission platform.
Applicants are strongly advised to submit their final proposals well in advance of the deadline to avoid technical problems, as extensions for last-minute issues will not be granted.

Deadlines

The latest submission deadline for this call is 2025-09-11 16:00:00+0000.
An earlier deadline is also noted as 2025-03-27 16:00:00+0000, likely for pre-proposals.

Supporting Materials and Assistance

Call documents detailing submission and evaluation procedures are available on the LEAP-RE website.
Three informational webinars are scheduled to provide presentations on the call:
January 20, 2025, 10:30 CET (French session)
January 21, 2025, 10:00 CET (English session)
January 22, 2025, 10:00 CET (Portuguese session)

Evaluation Process Timeline

After submission, eligible pre-proposals are reviewed by an International Review Panel (IRP).
A Call Steering Committee meets to finalize pre-proposal assessments and decide which projects are invited for full proposals.
Full proposals are then evaluated by an IRP, who produce assessment reports and rank lists of proposals for funding.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation process is two-stepped, with both pre-proposals (Stage 1) and full proposals (Stage 2) assessed based on the same three main criteria: Main Evaluation Criteria (scored from 0-5 points each)

Scientific excellence
Impact
Quality and efficiency of the implementation

Scoring and Ranking Thresholds (Stage 1: Pre-Proposals)

To proceed to Stage 2, pre-proposals must achieve:
An average or consensus score of 3 or above for each of the three main evaluation criteria.
A total average or consensus score of 10 or above (out of a maximum of 15).
Ranking lists are developed for each of the 7 multi-annual roadmaps (MARs) based on final scores.
Selection for Stage 2 (full proposal invitation) is decided by a Call Steering Committee consensus meeting.

Scoring and Ranking Thresholds (Stage 2: Full-Proposals)

For a full proposal to be recommended for funding, it must achieve:
An overall score of 10 or above.
A score of 3 or above for all main evaluation criteria.
7 ranking lists (one per MAR) will be established for eligible full proposals.
All proposals will be evaluated together, not separately by MAR, by the same International Review Panel (IRP).

Review Process

Each pre-proposal will be allocated to at least two (most often three) International Review Panel (IRP) experts.
For full proposals, the IRP will consist of at least three members, up to four for projects of high complexity.
In case of significant disagreement (6 or more points difference) between individual expert scores, a consensus meeting will be held to agree on scores.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Project Alignment

Projects must directly contribute to the identified multi-annual roadmaps (MARs) and thematic priorities of the LEAP-RE initiative, focusing on sustainable energy.

Collaborative Framework

The grant operates within a 'Long-Term Joint EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership', implying a strong emphasis on collaboration between European and African entities. While not explicitly stated as a consortium requirement, a collaborative approach is central to the program's mission.

Quality and Impact Expectations

High standards for 'Scientific excellence', 'Impact', and 'Quality and efficiency of the implementation' are critical for successful evaluation and funding.

Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination

The overarching LEAP-RE initiative emphasizes a 'cooperative ecosystem' and 'online knowledge-sharing platform', suggesting an expectation for applicants to contribute to and benefit from knowledge exchange.

Grant Details