CETPartnership Joint Call 2025

The Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETPartnership) Joint Call 2025 is a significant European funding initiative designed to accelerate the clean energy transition through collaborative research and innovation projects. With a total budget of €80 million, this call aims to support transnational efforts to address the objectives of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) and ultimately achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

Eligible applicant types include a diverse range of entities such as startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, universities, research institutions, and public-private partnerships. The call emphasizes the importance of transnational collaboration, requiring proposals to be submitted by consortia comprising at least three legal entities from three different countries, with a minimum of two entities from EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

The geographic eligibility extends to EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and selected non-EU/EEA partner countries participating in this initiative. The targeted sectors for this funding opportunity are clean energy transitions, specifically focusing on various technologies and systemic challenges such as integrated net-zero-emissions energy systems, renewable energy technologies, carbon capture, and efficient energy solutions.

The project stages supported by the grant encompass research, development, validation, and demonstration stages, allowing applicants to conduct innovative activities that are beyond the current state-of-the-art. Each project can expect funding amounts ranging from €1 million to €5 million, adaptable depending on the nature and scope of proposals.

The application process involves a two-stage submission procedure: submitting a pre-proposal followed by an invitation to submit a full proposal if the pre-proposal is positively evaluated. The pre-proposal deadline is set for October 9, 2025, while the full proposal deadline is March 12, 2026. Proposals will be assessed based on criteria of excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation, each scored on a scale from 0 to 5.

Co-funding is encouraged, requiring applicants to seek financial support from national or regional sources, alongside EU funding. Specific eligibility criteria also dictate the project's structural composition, ensuring a healthy distribution of effort among participating entities, with no single partner exceeding 60% of total project efforts.

In summary, the CETPartnership Joint Call 2025 invites a broad array of applicants to engage in impactful clean energy projects through a well-defined collaborative framework. Successful participants will not only gain monetary support but also access to a network of expertise and resources aimed at advancing Europe's climate and energy objectives. This initiative positions itself as a crucial funding mechanism under the Horizon Europe framework, fostering innovation toward a sustainable future.

The Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETPartnership) Joint Call 2025 is a funding opportunity aimed at fostering transnational innovation ecosystems and supporting the implementation of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan). It seeks to contribute to Europe's 2030 climate ambition and the European Research Area, with the ultimate goal of achieving a climate-neutral society by 2050. The call is co-funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe Partnership scheme (GA # 101069750).

The CETPartnership involves over 40 national and regional RTDI program owners and managers from approximately 30 countries, aligning their priorities and pooling national budgets in transnational joint calls from 2022 to 2027. The partnership also plans joint activities to facilitate learning, extract strategic knowledge, and maximize impact to accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies.

The CETPartnership has seven Transition Initiatives (TRIs) focusing on RDI challenges outlined in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). These TRIs address various technologies and system aspects related to the clean energy transition.

The seven Transition Initiatives (TRIs) are:

TRI 1: Integrated Net-zero-emissions Energy System
TRI 2: Enhanced zero emission Power Technologies
TRI 3: Enabling Climate Neutrality with Storage Technologies, Renewable Fuels and CCU/CCS
TRI 4: Efficient zero emission Heating and Cooling Solutions
TRI 5: Integrated Regional Energy Systems
TRI 6: Integrated Industrial Energy Systems
TRI 7: Integration in the Built Environment

The CETPartnership Joint Call 2025 is structured as a two-stage call with 10 thematic modules. All proposals must be submitted via the CETPartnership Submission Platform.

The 10 Call Modules are:

CM2025-01: Multi-vector interactions between the integrated energy system and industrial frameworks
CM2025-02: Energy system flexibility: renewables production, storage and system integration
CM2025-03A: Advanced renewable energy (RE) technologies for power production (ROA)
CM2025-03B: Advanced renewable energy (RE) technologies for power production (IOA)
CM2025-04: Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)
CM2025-05: Hydrogen and renewable fuels
CM2025-06: Heating and cooling technologies
CM2025-07: Integrated regional energy systems
CM2025-08: Integrated industrial energy systems
CM2025-09: Clean energy integration in the built environment

Applicants must select and apply to a specific call module. Evaluation and ranking will be performed separately for each module.

The submission process is a two-stage procedure: pre-proposal followed by a full proposal upon invitation. Submissions are accepted through the CETPartnership Application System online only. The pre-proposal deadline is October 9, 2025, at 14:00 CEST, and the full proposal deadline is March 12, 2026, at 14:00 CEST.

As part of the submission process:

Choose one Call Module per proposal.
The Project Coordinator invites Project Partners through the submission system.
Information about participants, budget, etc., is inserted directly into the system.
A project description in English must be uploaded as a PDF.
Additional documents and/or national/regional proposal submissions may be required by some Funding Partners.

Proposals will be evaluated based on three main criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of the implementation. Each criterion is scored from 0 to 5, with equal weighting. To proceed to the second stage or be considered for funding, proposals must achieve an average score of 3 or above in each criterion and a total average score of 10 or above.

The sub-criteria used for evaluation are:

Excellence:

Clarity and pertinence of the project’s objectives in relation to the Call and Call Module.
Extent to which the proposed work is ambitious and goes beyond the state-of-the-art in terms of research/innovation for the clean energy transition.
Soundness of the proposed methodology, including the underlying concepts, models, assumptions, and interdisciplinary approaches.
Appropriate consideration of the diversity and gender dimension in research/innovation content (Stage 2 only).
The quality of open science practices including sharing and management of research/innovation outputs and engagement of citizens, civil society and end users where appropriate (Stage 2 only).

Impact:

Credibility of the pathways to achieve the expected outcomes and impacts for the clean energy transition specified in the Call and Call Module.
Likely scale and significance of the contributions due to the project, through appropriate involvement of end-users and other relevant target groups.
The added value of the transnational collaboration.
Suitability and quality of the measures to maximise expected outcomes and impacts, as set out in the dissemination and exploitation plan, including communication activities.

Quality and efficiency of the implementation:

Quality and effectiveness of the work plan.
Assessment of risks (Stage 2 only).
Appropriateness of the effort assigned to work packages and the resources overall (Stage 2 only).
Capacity and role of each participant, and extent to which the Project Consortium as a whole brings together the necessary expertise.

Eligibility criteria include:

A minimum of three legal entities from at least three different countries participating in the CETPartnership Joint Call 2025, with at least two being EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
The total effort of one partner cannot exceed 60% of the total project efforts (Efforts = person months).
The total effort of partners from one country/region cannot exceed 75% of the total project efforts.
Specific Call Module requirements may apply regarding the Project Consortia.
Specific National/regional requirements may apply regarding the Project Consortia; see respective national/regional requirements in Annex B.

The expected duration of participation is 36 months. The total funding available is 80,000,000.00 EUR. The project acronym is CETP, and the full name of the EU-funded project is the Clean Energy Transition Partnership. The grant agreement number is 101069750, and the topic is HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04 - Clean Energy Transition.

The CETPartnership Joint Call 2025 aims to address challenges for the energy transition identified in the SRIA. It targets a broad range of companies, solution providers, innovators, and researchers. Successful applicants will not only receive funding but also become members of a supportive network and knowledge community. This call provides a complementary funding format to Horizon Europe, supporting transnational projects of small to medium size with partners from a minimum of 3 countries.

In summary, the CETPartnership Joint Call 2025 is a significant funding opportunity for projects focused on clean energy transition. It encourages transnational collaboration and aims to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative clean energy technologies and solutions. The call is structured around specific thematic modules, requiring applicants to align their proposals with the identified challenges and priorities. The two-stage submission process, rigorous evaluation criteria, and eligibility requirements ensure that funded projects will contribute significantly to Europe's climate and energy goals. The initiative seeks to create a dynamic ecosystem of researchers, innovators, and industry stakeholders working together to achieve a climate-neutral society by 2050.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include industry, public institutions, academia, citizens groups, companies, solution providers, innovators, and researchers. The call targets a broad group of applicants.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, co-funded by the European Commission via the CETPartnership under the Horizon Europe Partnership scheme. It is also described as cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. A minimum of three legal entities from a minimum of three different countries participating in the CETPartnership Joint Call 2025 is required, of which at least two must be EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and non-EU/EEA Partner Countries participating in the CETPartnership Joint Call 2025.

Target Sector: The target sector is clean energy transition, covering various technologies and system aspects. Specific areas include integrated net-zero-emissions energy systems, enhanced zero emission power technologies, enabling climate neutrality with storage technologies, renewable fuels and CCU/CCS, efficient zero emission heating and cooling solutions, integrated regional energy systems, integrated industrial energy systems, and integration in the built environment. The call modules further specify the areas of focus.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. It also refers to non-EU/EEA Partner Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is broad, encompassing research, development, and innovation (RDI) activities that contribute to the clean energy transition. The call aims to support projects that go beyond the state-of-the-art.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 80,000,000 EUR. The funding amount per project is variable, depending on the call module and the project scope. The call aims to support transnational projects of small to medium size.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a 2-stage procedure: submission of a pre-proposal followed by an invitation to submit a full proposal.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants. They will also become members of a large and supportive network and knowledge community.

Application Stages: There are two application stages: pre-proposal and full proposal.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the cut-off for being invited to the second stage or considered for funding is an average or consensus score at or above 3 for all three evaluation criteria (Excellence, Impact, Quality and efficiency of the implementation) and a total average or consensus score of or above 10.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements may exist at the national or regional level. Specific National/regional requirements may apply regarding the Project Consortia; see respective national/regional requirements in Annex B.

Summary:

The Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETPartnership) Joint Call 2025 is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe Partnership scheme, designed to foster transnational innovation in clean energy technologies and systems. With a total budget of 80 million EUR, the call aims to support projects that contribute to the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) and the broader goals of achieving a climate-neutral society by 2050.

The call is structured around 10 thematic modules, each addressing specific challenges in the clean energy transition, ranging from integrated energy systems and renewable energy technologies to carbon capture, hydrogen, and energy efficiency in buildings and industry. Applicants must form a consortium of at least three legal entities from three different countries, with at least two being from EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

The application process involves a two-stage procedure, starting with a pre-proposal and followed by a full proposal for selected applicants. Proposals will be evaluated based on excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. The call is open to a wide range of applicants, including industry, research institutions, public bodies, and citizen groups. Successful applicants will not only receive funding but also become part of a supportive network and knowledge community. The call aims to complement Horizon Europe by supporting small to medium-sized transnational projects. The pre-proposal deadline is October 9, 2025, and the full proposal deadline is March 12, 2026.