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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core objective: To enhance EU energy security and industrial competitiveness by fostering the development and integration of advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) value chains.
Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: The grant targets a diverse range of stakeholders including technology developers, researchers, industrial entities (including SMEs), farmers, CO2 suppliers, fuel producers, end-users, and policy makers.
MUST state if grant is 'SECTOR-SPECIFIC' or 'SECTOR-AGNOSTIC': SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic scope and any location requirements: Primarily focused on the European Union, aiming to contribute to EU energy security and industrial competitiveness. Eligible participants are from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe, with possibilities for non-EU/non-Associated Countries under specific provisions.
Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Projects must specifically address the competitiveness, energy security, and integration aspects of advanced biofuels and RFNBOs value chains. Excludes value chains of renewable hydrogen as an end-product.
Grant frequency and program context: This is a specific topic within the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 (Cluster 5, Call 02-2026), implying it's part of a recurring framework program, but this particular call for proposals has a defined scope and deadline.

Financial Structure

Funding type: Grants will take the form of a lump sum contribution.
Budget range per project: Minimum and maximum contribution per project is €4,000,000.
Total budget for this topic: The total indicative budget for this specific topic is €8,000,000, with 2 expected grants.
Eligible costs: The lump sum will be an approximation of the beneficiaries' underlying actual costs. Proposals must detail eligible costs that align with Horizon Europe rules, categorized as: Personnel costs (employees, direct contracts, seconded staff, SME owners, natural persons), Subcontracting costs, Purchase costs (travel, subsistence, equipment, other goods/works/services), and Other cost categories (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, access to research infrastructure, PCP/PPI procurement, Euratom Cofund staff mobility, ERC additional funding).
Ineligible costs: Any costs explicitly stated as ineligible under Horizon Europe rules must be excluded from the lump sum calculation.
Indirect costs: A flat rate of 25% for indirect costs, applied to qualifying direct cost categories, is included in the lump sum calculation.
Co-financing: Compliance with the co-financing principle is ensured; the total estimated costs of the action must be greater than the estimated Union contributions.
Payment mechanism: Payments of lump sum contributions per work package are made upon proper implementation of the corresponding work packages, as described in Annex 1 of the grant agreement, and compliance with all other grant obligations.
Financial reporting: Beneficiaries are not required to report actual costs incurred. Payments are performance-based on achieved work packages.
Financial guarantees: Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Currency: All financial amounts are in EUR.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Legal Status

Eligible: Any legal entity established in an EU Member State or a country associated with Horizon Europe, as defined in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Eligible: Entities from certain non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible for funding if specific provisions have been made (refer to the Horizon Europe Programme Guide).
Consortium requirement: Participation in a consortium is expected, involving multiple relevant stakeholders (e.g., farmers, CO2 suppliers, technology providers, researchers, fuel producers, end users, policy makers, international organisations) to develop integrated solutions. Partner search functionality is available.

Financial & Operational Capacity

All applicants must meet the financial and operational capacity requirements as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Exclusion criteria: Applicants must not fall under any exclusion criteria detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Technical & Experience

Technical expertise: Demonstrated expertise is required in areas related to advanced biofuels, renewable fuels of non-biological origin, value chain analysis, macroeconomic modelling, strategic decision-making, and sustainability assessments (including life cycle analysis).
Infrastructure: Applicants must possess the necessary infrastructure and capacity to carry out Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) within the scope, including research activities for optimization and new standards definition.

Compliance

Admissibility conditions: Proposals must adhere strictly to the page limits and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
Legal and financial setup: Grants will operate under the lump sum contribution model, as authorised by the Decision of 7 July 2021 for Horizon Europe.

Application Process

Submission system opening: The submission system is planned to be opened on 2025-09-16.
Application form: Applicants must use the standard application form templates for HE RIA, which are available in the Submission System.
Submission format: Proposals must adhere to the page limits and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and Part B of the Application Form.
Procedure: This call follows a single-stage submission procedure.

Deadlines

Application deadline: The final deadline for submitting proposals is 2026-02-17 00:00:00+0000.

Evaluation & Selection

Evaluation criteria: The award criteria, scoring system, and thresholds for evaluating proposals are detailed in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Review process: The submission and evaluation processes are outlined in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Evaluation is conducted by external independent experts.
Indicative timeline: An indicative timeline for the evaluation process and grant agreement preparation is provided in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Support & Guidance

Support available: A range of support resources are available, including the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks.
Partner search: A partner search facility is available to help organizations find suitable collaborators for their proposals.

Project Implementation & Reporting

Grant agreement: The Model Grant Agreements (MGA) specifically for lump sum contributions (Lump Sum MGA) will be used.
Reporting obligations: Reporting focuses on the technical implementation and completion of defined work packages. Payments are tied to the successful completion of these work packages. There is no obligation to report actual incurred costs.
Post-award requirements: Checks, reviews, and audits post-award will primarily focus on the technical implementation of the action and verification that conditions for releasing lump sum contributions per work package have been met.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria, Scoring & Thresholds

Proposals will be evaluated based on the standard Horizon Europe award criteria: 'Excellence', 'Impact', and 'Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation'. Detailed scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Budget assessment: Independent experts with financial expertise will rigorously check the proposed lump sum budget estimate against relevant benchmarks such as market prices, statistical data, and historical data from comparable actions. The resources proposed and the split of lump sum shares must be justified to achieve the activities and expected outputs.

Innovation & Impact

Expected outcomes: Projects must contribute to:
- Improved EU energy security and industrial competitiveness of renewable fuel technologies.
- Enhanced reliability, robustness, and security of renewable fuel technologies for both energy producers and consumers.
- Broadened common knowledge and understanding among diverse stakeholders (policymakers, public authorities, citizens, researchers, industry) regarding opportunities in integrated value chains for advanced biofuels and RFNBOs.
- Generation of multi-benefits, including promoting sustainable development, advancing sustainable agriculture (especially regarding climate change resilience and regenerative practices), accelerating renewable fuel innovation, and maximizing carbon removals.
Scope alignment: Projects must assess energy security and industrial competitiveness aspects of advanced biofuels and RFNBOs value chains, evaluating their contribution to EU energy security via detailed value chain analysis, future scenarios, macroeconomic modelling, and strategic decision-making. This includes identifying and implementing necessary research and innovation actions.
Integration aspects: Proposals should address competitiveness, energy security, and integration challenges across all steps of individual value chains and among all relevant stakeholders.
Multidisciplinary considerations: Expected to cover issues such as advanced biofuels/RFNBOs production, carbon removals, CO2 trading/valorisation, sustainable farming, production of nature-based soil amendments/fertilizers/organic materials, fuel standardisation, and trade-offs/synergies of carbon farming with in-situ carbon storing and land uses.
Sustainability assessment: A comprehensive sustainability assessment, including techno-economic, environmental, and social aspects, based on life cycle analysis, is expected.

Cross-Cutting Priorities

Integration of 'Artificial Intelligence (AI)', 'Societal Engagement', and 'Digital Agenda' as cross-cutting themes may enhance evaluation scores.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory & Legal Compliance

General conditions: Adherence to general conditions regarding admissibility, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, and exclusion criteria, as outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (A, B, C, E, F, G), is mandatory.
Lump Sum Decision: Compliance with the Decision of 7 July 2021, which authorizes the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, is required.
Financial Regulations: Projects must comply with the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
Legal Entity Validation: Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment, and Financial Capacity Assessment apply.
Ethical Standards: Adherence to ethical standards and research integrity principles is a key requirement of the grant agreement.
Data Protection: Compliance with data protection and privacy regulations, including the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement, is expected.
Intellectual Property: Proper management of intellectual property is required, as stipulated in the grant agreement. Resources like the European IPR Helpdesk are available for guidance.

Environmental & Social Compliance

Sustainability Assessment: A comprehensive sustainability assessment, encompassing techno-economic, environmental, and social aspects based on life cycle analysis, is an expected component of the project.
Environmental Considerations: Projects should actively promote sustainable development, sustainable agriculture (including climate change resilience and regenerative practices), and address issues like carbon removals, CO2 trading, and carbon farming.

Scope Limitations

Exclusions: Value chains of renewable hydrogen as an end-product are explicitly not within the scope of this topic.

Unique Aspects & Strategic Opportunities

Cross-Cutting Priorities: Proposals are encouraged to integrate cross-cutting themes such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Societal Engagement, and Digital Agenda, as these are identified priorities.
Innovation Requirements: Projects are expected to identify and implement research and innovation actions to improve energy security and industrial competitiveness aspects of relevant value chains, potentially leading to new standards definitions.
Risk Mitigation: While financial reporting is simplified via lump sums, the focus shifts to technical implementation validation. Failure to meet work package conditions can lead to non-payment of lump sums for those packages, and potential grant reduction.
Knowledge Sharing: Projects are expected to enhance common knowledge and understanding among diverse stakeholders, fostering knowledge transfer and collaboration.

Grant Details