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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to drive the development of next-generation, sustainable, and cost-effective batteries, focusing on efficient manufacturing processes and advanced, safer materials. The core objective is to improve the affordability of electric mobility and enhance the competitiveness of the European battery value chain, while reducing reliance on Critical Raw Materials (CRMs). It is designed to support the transformation towards a carbon-neutral society by enabling zero-emission mobility and renewable energy storage. This funding opportunity targets organizations involved in advanced battery research, development, and manufacturing, including industry players, research institutions, and universities. It is explicitly SECTOR-SPECIFIC, focusing on the battery technology and electric mobility sectors. The geographic scope primarily covers EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe. Key filtering criteria for initial screening include a focus on specific battery chemistries (LMFP/HLM lithium-ion or sodium-ion), the ability to demonstrate cell prototypes at a pilot level, and a strong commitment to integrating Safe and Sustainable by Design principles throughout the project. This specific topic is part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, with calls generally occurring periodically within the overall program framework.

Financial Structure

This grant provides significant funding for ambitious projects:

Budget Range: Individual projects are expected to receive a contribution of 8,000,000 EUR.
Total Topic Budget: The overall budget allocated for this specific topic (HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D2-01) in 2025 is 24,000,000 EUR, with an expectation of funding 3 projects.
Currency: All amounts are in EUR.
Eligible and Ineligible Costs: Details regarding eligible and ineligible costs, as well as the legal and financial set-up of grants, are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific categories are not provided in this document.
Matching Fund Requirements: The grant materials do not explicitly state matching fund or co-financing requirements. Standard Horizon Europe Innovation Actions usually cover a high percentage of eligible costs for non-profit entities and a substantial percentage for for-profit entities, but this specific rate is not detailed here.
Financial Guarantees: Not specified in the provided documents, but governed by Annex G and EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
Financial Reporting: Financial reporting requirements will be part of the grant agreement as per Annex G.

Eligibility Requirements

All hard, non-negotiable formal criteria for this grant are primarily outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, specifically:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout described in Annex A.
Eligible Countries: Participation is open to entities from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe, as defined in Annex B. Projects are particularly encouraged to use materials, products, and equipment produced within these regions.
Other Eligible Conditions: The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the selected consortium.
Financial and Operational Capacity: Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity, and adhere to exclusion criteria described in Annex C.
Organizational Types: While not explicitly limiting, the grant targets legal entities with the capacity for research and innovation. This broadly includes:
- Enterprises (including large industrial players)
- Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
- Startups (as a subset of SMEs)
- Universities
- Public Research Organizations (e.g., JRC, other public bodies)
- Other research and technology organizations
Consortium Requirements: Formation of a consortium is expected, given the nature of 'Innovation Actions' and the explicit mention of JRC potentially participating 'as a member of the consortium'. Projects are also expected to collaborate with a specific Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CL5-2025-D2-02-06).
Technical Expertise: Applicants must possess expertise in advanced battery chemistries (lithium-ion, sodium-ion), manufacturing processes, materials science, and ideally, Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles. The ability to demonstrate prototype production at pilot level implies significant technical and infrastructure capabilities.

Application Process

The application process for this grant is structured and digital:

Application System: The application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System of the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Application Forms: Standard application forms for Horizon Europe Innovation Actions (HE RIA, IA) will be used.
Submission Deadline: The final deadline for submitting proposals is January 20, 2026, 00:00:00 UTC.
Planned Opening Date: The submission system is planned to open on September 16, 2025.
Application Procedure: The submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Required Documentation: Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout described in Part B of the Application Form. Further supporting materials will be outlined in the Submission System.
Evaluation and Grant Agreement Timeline: An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F.
Support Available: Extensive support resources are provided to applicants:
- Online Manual: Guides from proposal submission to grant management.
- Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on structure, budget, and political priorities.
- Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to common questions on submission, evaluation, and management.
- Research Enquiry Service: For general questions about European research.
- National Contact Points (NCPs): Guidance, practical information, and assistance in EU and many non-EU/non-associated countries.
- Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Advice for businesses, especially SMEs.
- IT Helpdesk: For technical issues with the Funding & Tenders Portal.
- European IPR Helpdesk: Assistance on intellectual property issues.
- CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks: Advice on standardisation in project proposals.
- Partner Search: A tool to find partner organizations for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation of proposals will be based on award criteria, scoring, and thresholds described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. While specific weighting is not provided, the grant description highlights several key areas that will be critical for success:

Technological Excellence and Innovation: Proposals must demonstrate development of next-generation batteries based on specific chemistries:
- For HLM and LMFP lithium-ion cells: Achieving gravimetric energy density of at least 220 Wh/kg (LMFP) or 250 Wh/kg (HLM), volumetric energy density of at least 550 Wh/L (both), charging duration of 20 minutes (20-80% SoC), cycle life of >4000 cycles (LMFP) or >1500 cycles (HLM) at 80% depth of discharge, and an EV-grade cell format and capacity.
- For sodium-ion cells: Achieving gravimetric energy density of 180-200 Wh/kg, volumetric energy density of 400+ Wh/L, cycle life of 4000-6000 cycles, charging duration of 20 minutes (20-80% SoC), and EV-grade cell format and capacity.
Manufacturing Process Advancement: Demonstrating the production of cell prototypes at pilot level, with feasibility of compatibility or improvement regarding at least one of the following production processes: dry/aqueous processing, advanced electrode drying, improved cell formation/aging protocols, or improved energy efficiency in dry rooms. Projects must benchmark against the state-of-the-art.
Sustainability, Circularity, and Safety ('Safe and Sustainable by Design'): Projects must demonstrate feasibility of compatibility or improvement regarding:
- Design for sorting, dismantling, separation, cost-effective repairing/regeneration, and safe recycling (including direct recycling).
- Adapting sensing solutions to improve lifetime and state of health detection.
- Quantification of degradation mechanisms at an early stage. Proposals must consider the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework for assessing chemical and material safety and sustainability.
Impact and Exploitation: Proposals should clearly outline how results will contribute to:
- Improving the affordability of electric mobility.
- Enhancing the competitiveness of the European battery value chain.
- Lowering the share of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs).
- Improving adaptation and flexibility of advanced production processes.
- Developing design-to-circularity strategies.
- Providing a credible pathway towards a competitive cost of 50-75€/kWh at pack level by 2030 for both lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.
- A strong exploitation and dissemination plan is required, including preliminary plans for scalability, commercialisation, and deployment, indicating possible funding sources (e.g., Innovation Fund).
Strategic Alignment and Collaboration: Preference is given to projects using materials, products, and equipment produced in EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe. Projects are expected to collaborate and contribute to the activities of the Coordination and Support Action defined under topic HORIZON-CL5-2025-D2-02-06. Consideration of involvement from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) for material safety evaluation is also noted. Cross-cutting priorities include Digital Agenda, AI, PART-COPROGR (co-programmed partnership), and RePowerEU.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Applicants and awarded projects must adhere to a range of compliance standards and unique requirements:

Regulatory Compliance: All projects must comply with the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 and general conditions laid out in Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annexes B, C, D, F, G), covering legal and financial set-up, eligible countries, financial capacity, evaluation, and submission procedures. Required permits and authorizations are implicitly part of regulatory compliance.
Environmental and Sustainability Standards: A key requirement is considering the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework for assessing the safety and sustainability of chemicals and materials. Projects are expected to contribute to reducing emissions and integrating circularity in battery design and manufacturing, aligning with Europe's green transition goals.
Ethical Standards: While not explicitly detailed, adherence to general ethical principles for research and innovation in the EU is expected. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment provide guiding principles.
Intellectual Property (IP) Policies: Governed by the legal and financial set-up of grants described in Annex G.
Risk Management: While not explicitly detailed, the nature of an 'Innovation Action' implies the need for robust risk management strategies for technological, operational, and commercial risks.
Security and Data Protection: Implied by general EU regulations and requirements for participation in EU-funded projects.
Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities:
- Batt4EU Partnership: This topic is part of the co-programmed European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU). Projects are expected to report results to Batt4EU to support the monitoring of its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
- Joint Research Centre (JRC) Involvement: Proposals could consider the involvement of the JRC, particularly for added value regarding integral evaluation of material safety. The JRC assures equal information dissemination regarding its potential contribution.
- Strategic Autonomy: Projects are strongly encouraged to use materials, products, and equipment produced in EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe, unless a valid alternative is demonstrably unavailable. Procurement strategies must detail the place of production.
- Collaboration Requirement: Projects are expected to collaborate with and contribute to the activities of the Coordination and Support Action defined under the topic HORIZON-CL5-2025-D2-02-06.
Cross-cutting Themes: The grant aligns with the Digital Agenda, AI, PART-COPROGR (co-programmed partnership), and RePowerEU initiatives. While not explicitly detailed as scoring factors, these broader EU priorities likely influence the context and potential impact assessment of proposals.

Grant Details