Grants8 | The most comprehensive grants search on the web

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant, part of the Horizon Europe programme, aims to help energy-intensive industries reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. The core objective is to develop and demonstrate innovative, cost-effective solutions for integrating renewable energy sources (thermal, electrical, bioenergy) into industrial processes. The goal is to achieve significant reductions in fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and other pollutants, while maintaining or enhancing global competitiveness. It targets organizations, particularly those in the manufacturing and energy sectors, operating within the EU and associated countries, that have access to industrial plants with significant heating demands. This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant focusing on industrial decarbonization. Key filtering criteria include the ability to physically demonstrate innovative renewable energy integration solutions in an industrial setting, demonstrate scalability to completely phase out fossil fuels, and propose strong business and exploitation models. This is a single-stage call for proposals within the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, suggesting it's a specific funding round rather than an indefinitely recurring opportunity, though similar calls may arise under the broader Horizon Europe framework.

Financial Structure

This grant provides funding for Innovation Actions. The total budget allocated for this specific topic is EUR 15,000,000.

Minimum Grant Amount per Project: EUR 7,500,000
Maximum Grant Amount per Project: EUR 7,500,000

It is anticipated that two projects will be funded under this topic. The currency for all financial amounts is Euros (EUR). Information regarding specific eligible and ineligible costs, matching fund requirements, co-financing obligations, payment schedules, and financial reporting mechanisms are detailed in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, which is not provided in this document. The funding rate (percentage of eligible costs covered by the grant) is also not specified in the provided materials.

Eligibility Requirements

The grant is open to organizations established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Specific organization types (e.g., startups, SMEs) are not explicitly defined in the provided information, but the nature of the Innovation Action type implies eligibility for a broad range of entities including:

Businesses (small, medium, and large enterprises)
Research organizations
Universities
Public bodies

Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity, as described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. While a specific track record isn't detailed, the requirement for a physical demonstration in an industrial environment and a sound exploitation strategy implies that applicants should have relevant experience and the necessary infrastructure. No specific certifications or organizational size limits are specified in the provided text.

Application Process

The application process for this grant is a single-stage submission.

Planned Opening Date for Submissions: 2025-09-16
Application Deadline: 2026-02-17 00:00:00+0000

Applicants must prepare their proposals according to the specific page limits and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, as well as Part B of the Application Form available through the Submission System. The standard application form for Horizon Europe Innovation Actions (HE IA) is to be used. Support for Applicants: Numerous resources are available to assist potential applicants: * Online Manual: Provides guidance on procedures from proposal submission to grant management. * Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed information on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe. * Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions about proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management. * Research Enquiry Service: For general questions about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes. * National Contact Points (NCPs): Offer guidance, practical information, and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, including for non-EU and non-associated countries. * Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Provides advice to businesses, especially SMEs, including guidance on EU research funding. * IT Helpdesk: For technical issues related to the Funding & Tenders Portal (e.g., passwords, access rights, submission technicalities). * European IPR Helpdesk: Assistance with intellectual property issues. * CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Advise on integrating standardization into project proposals. * The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct: Outlines general principles for researchers, employers, and funders. * Partner Search: A tool to help find partner organizations for your proposal.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications for this grant will be evaluated based on their ability to meet the following expected outcomes and scope requirements, which form the basis for scoring:

Impact and Contribution: Projects must contribute to developing clear pathways and robust business models for at least one energy-intensive industrial sector in the EU and Associated Countries. This includes significantly improving energy efficiency and reducing fossil fuel consumption, GHG, and other pollutant emissions, all while preserving or enhancing global competitiveness.
Fossil Fuel Phase-out: The proposed solution must demonstrate a path to completely phasing out fossil fuels in an industrial plant with significant heating demand. This involves tightly integrating processes and relying on a local combination of renewable energy sources, including process flexibility and storage, to minimize grid electricity demand.
Innovative Solution Demonstration: Proposals must showcase an innovative, efficient, long-lasting, and cost-effective solution for integrating various renewable energy sources (thermal, electrical, bioenergy) into industrial processes for heating, cooling, and power generation. This includes optimizing process efficiency, reusing, and potentially upgrading excess heat.
Scalability and Applicability: The solution must be physically demonstrated in an industrial environment and be applicable to a substantial portion of the industrial plant's total energy demand. Numerical simulations must prove its potential for full-scale fossil fuel phase-out.
Integration and Safety: The solution should consider integration with neighboring industries or communities for resource sharing. It must ensure very low GHG/pollutant emissions, high reliability, safety, and robust physical and cyber security.
Market Deployment and Exploitation: Projects should facilitate the future deployment of the solution across similar industrial plants in the EU and Associated Countries. This includes surveying and analyzing needs of other factories to design adaptable solutions, identify common components for optimization/standardization, and disseminate technical/economic guidelines. A strong business model and sound exploitation strategy are mandatory.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Applicants and awarded projects must adhere to several compliance requirements and specific considerations:

Regulatory Compliance: General regulatory compliance requirements are detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Security Requirements: The proposed solution must ensure high physical and cyber security.
Ethical Standards: While not explicitly detailed, all projects under Horizon Europe are expected to uphold high ethical standards, as per general EU research principles.
Intellectual Property (IP): Intellectual property issues are relevant, with the European IPR Helpdesk available for assistance. Specific IP policies will be outlined in the Grant Agreement.
Consortium: While not explicitly stated as a mandatory requirement, the scale and complexity of an Innovation Action for industrial decarbonization, coupled with the availability of a 'Partner Search' tool, strongly suggest that projects are typically undertaken by consortia of multiple entities rather than single organizations. Forming a consortium can significantly strengthen a proposal.
Cross-Cutting Priorities: The grant is highlighted with cross-cutting priorities of AI (Artificial Intelligence), DigitalAgenda, and RePowerEU, implying projects that incorporate or align with these themes may be viewed favorably.
Unique Project Aspects: Key unique aspects and expectations for this grant include the mandatory physical demonstration of the solution in an actual industrial environment, the requirement to demonstrate scalability to achieve a complete fossil fuel phase-out, and the need to base the solution design on a survey and analysis of needs from most EU and Associated Countries' factories within the target industrial sector(s) to ensure broad adaptability and deployment.

Grant Details