Affordable and sustainable primary equipment for Future-Ready multi-terminal HVDC Systems

The Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-19 aims to support the development of affordable and sustainable primary equipment for future-ready multi-terminal High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems. The funding opportunity has a total budget of €24 million and expects to award grants ranging from €4 million to €12 million for three successful projects. The call emphasizes the need for a multi-stakeholder consortium, which must consist of at least two equipment or system manufacturers, two transmission system operators (TSOs), and two research centres. This consortium requirement ensures the developed technologies are validated and relevant for deployment in Europe’s energy infrastructure.

Eligible applicants primarily include organizations from European Union Member States and Associated Countries, with some provisions for participation from non-EU countries under specific conditions. The focus is on the energy sector, particularly in sustainable energy systems and addressing challenges related to HVDC technology such as component size, reliability, affordability, and environmental impact. Projects should be at the demonstration and validation stage, progressing towards commercialization, and should contribute to standardization efforts.

The application process is a single-stage submission, allowing direct submission of complete proposals without a preliminary expression of interest. This call opens on December 18, 2025, with a submission deadline of March 31, 2026. While the specific success rates for the call are not disclosed, Horizon Europe typically sees competition levels with success rates between 10-15%.

Successful applicants will receive financial support through a lump sum grant mechanism, which simplifies budget management compared to traditional reimbursement models. While co-funding is not explicitly required, projects might involve costs beyond EU funding.

Overall, this Horizon Europe call presents a highly competitive opportunity aimed at fostering innovation in HVDC technology to support Europe’s energy transition, enhancing grid reliability and sustainability while promoting collaboration among various stakeholders.

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal presents several funding opportunities under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically within the BATTERIES and ENERGY call (HORIZON-CL5-2026-03). These opportunities aim to enhance the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) infrastructure in Europe, supporting the EU's energy transition by focusing on more performant, sustainable, and affordable HVDC equipment. The goal is to ensure higher grid reliability and stability, improve the affordability and interoperability of HVDC grid equipment, enhance the reliability and stability of HVDC grids through advanced protection and control equipment, and improve the environmental sustainability of HVDC equipment by reducing their carbon footprint and promoting SF6-free alternatives.

The scope of these projects involves addressing challenges related to component size, reliability, affordability, interoperability, supply chain resilience, and the life-cycle environmental impact of critical HVDC equipment. Projects must investigate and develop primary equipment suitable for multi-terminal HVDC grids, focusing on small size, lightweight designs, environment-friendly materials (e.g., SF6-free, lead-free), affordability, and reliability. This includes equipment such as mechanical or hybrid circuit breakers, fault current limiters, superconducting or conventional cables, and the conversion of high voltage alternating current (HVAC) overhead lines to HVDC.

Equipment affordability and interoperability should be pursued through modularization, standardization, a focus on key functionalities and performances, size reduction, and the use of new components or materials. A comprehensive techno-economic assessment of the system integration of these technologies into multi-terminal HVDC systems is required, along with testing and validation of performances in representative conditions. Contribution to standardization bodies is also expected.

To ensure the developed equipment is fit for use and interoperable, consortia must include at least two equipment or system manufacturers, at least two transmission system operators (TSO), and at least two research centers.

The funding is provided under the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] mechanism, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

The call is a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date for submissions is 18 December 2025, and the deadline for submissions is 31 March 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The following funding opportunities are available:

HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D2-02: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) with a budget of 14,200,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 4,700,000 EUR per grant, with approximately 3 grants to be awarded.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-01: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) with a budget of 9,000,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 3,000,000 EUR per grant, with approximately 3 grants to be awarded.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-12: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) with a budget of 15,000,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 5,000,000 EUR per grant, with approximately 3 grants to be awarded.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-13: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) with a budget of 31,500,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 10,500,000 EUR per grant, with approximately 3 grants to be awarded.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-18: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) with a budget of 20,000,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 10,000,000 EUR per grant, with approximately 2 grants to be awarded.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-19: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) with a budget of 24,000,000 EUR and contributions ranging from 4,000,000 to 12,000,000 EUR per grant, with approximately 3 grants to be awarded.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-20: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) with a budget of 14,000,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 7,000,000 EUR per grant, with approximately 2 grants to be awarded.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-21: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 4,000,000 EUR per grant, with approximately 3 grants to be awarded.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-22: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 6,000,000 EUR per grant, with approximately 2 grants to be awarded.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-29: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) with a budget of 25,000,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 5,000,000 EUR per grant, with approximately 5 grants to be awarded.

Admissibility conditions, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, exclusion criteria, evaluation and award processes, and the legal and financial setup of the grants are detailed in the General Annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme and the Online Manual. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Applicants are advised to consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements, call-specific instructions, and other additional documents available on the Funding & Tenders Portal for detailed guidance. Partner search announcements are available on the portal to facilitate the formation of consortia. Support is available through the Online Manual, 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.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on advancing HVDC technology to support Europe's sustainable energy goals. It seeks innovative solutions for HVDC equipment to improve grid reliability, affordability, interoperability, and environmental sustainability. The call encourages collaboration among equipment manufacturers, transmission system operators, and research centers to develop and validate these technologies, contributing to the expansion of HVDC infrastructure across Europe. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process is a single-stage submission with a deadline of March 31, 2026.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but the call specifies that the consortium must include at least two equipment or system manufacturers, at least two transmission system operators (TSO), and at least two research centers. This suggests that eligible applicants include companies that manufacture HVDC equipment, companies that operate transmission systems, and research institutions. Other types of entities might be eligible as part of a consortium.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The call is for HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. The call specifies that the consortium must include at least two equipment or system manufacturers, at least two transmission system operators (TSO), and at least two research centers.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. The text mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. This suggests that while the primary focus is on EU and associated countries, some participation from non-EU countries is possible.

Target Sector: The target sector is energy, specifically sustainable energy and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems. It focuses on optimizing HVDC systems and addressing challenges related to component size, reliability, affordability, interoperability, supply chain resilience, and life-cycle environmental impact of critical HVDC equipment. The call falls under the "BATTERIES and ENERGY" call within Horizon Europe.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions "non-EU/non-Associated Countries" but does not list specific countries. The primary geographic focus appears to be the EU.

Project Stage: The project stage is development and demonstration. The call focuses on innovation actions, which typically involve demonstrating and scaling up existing technologies. The scope includes testing and validating performances in representative conditions, in relevant or operational environments.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview lists several topics with total budgets ranging from 9,000,000 EUR to 31,500,000 EUR. The expected EU contributions for individual projects range from around 3,000,000 EUR to around 10,500,000 EUR, with one topic (HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-19) specifying a range of 4,000,000 EUR to 12,000,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the "Indicative number of grants" column in the budget overview suggests how many projects are expected to be funded under each topic.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, Horizon Europe grants often require some level of co-funding, which would be detailed in the specific call documentation.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the "BATTERIES and ENERGY" program, aims to foster innovation in High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems to support Europe's energy transition. The call seeks projects that will develop and demonstrate more performant, sustainable, and affordable HVDC equipment, enhancing grid reliability and stability. The focus is on addressing challenges related to component size, reliability, affordability, interoperability, supply chain resilience, and environmental impact. Consortia applying for this grant must include equipment manufacturers, transmission system operators, and research centers to ensure the developed equipment is fit for use and interoperable. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a single-stage submission. The call is open to entities from the EU and associated countries, with some possibilities for participation from non-EU countries. The projects should investigate and develop primary equipment suitable for multi-terminal HVDC grids, conduct techno-economic assessments, and contribute to standardization efforts. The indicative EU contribution varies by topic, ranging from approximately 3 million to 12 million EUR.