Clean Energy Transition Co-Funded Partnership

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D2-10, titled Clean Energy Transition Co-Funded Partnership, is designed to enhance and speed up the energy transition as part of the Horizon Europe initiative. This specific co-fund action falls under the Horizon Programme and operates using a grant mechanism that emphasizes pooling resources for clean energy technologies and innovations. The call is currently open for submissions, with a deadline set for September 2, 2025.

The primary aim of this partnership is to support the transition to clean energy in alignment with the EU's climate neutrality goals by 2050. It focuses on a broad array of technologies and solutions necessary for facilitating energy transformation, which includes sectors such as built environments, transport, and industry. The program encourages collaboration among various stakeholders from different member states to create a cohesive innovative ecosystem. It builds on the previous initiatives from 2022 to 2027, fostering joint calls for proposals.

Eligible applicants include the coordinators of the previous Clean Energy Transition projects, with the option to include additional partners. The partnership is accessible to EU Member States, Associated Countries, and may also accommodate specific participants from non-EU countries under certain conditions. The project targets later stages of development, including technology validation and market readiness, thus emphasizing practical application and effective implementation.

While the overall budget for the HORIZON-COFUND action is approximately EUR 69 million, the available funding for each grant can cover up to 30% of eligible costs, with the maximum contribution to individual third-party projects capped at EUR 5 million. The application submission follows a single-stage process.

Furthermore, the initiative encourages constructing a sustainable energy ecosystem, addressing climate objectives, and facilitating technology development. The goal also includes increasing the influence of energy transition research within Europe and promoting effective energy usage that aligns with societal needs.

This funding opportunity seeks to expand upon past efforts and harness existing expertise while allowing for new innovative activities. Overall, it aims to support a sustainable, resilient, and energy-independent Europe through enhanced collaboration in research and innovation.

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D2-10, titled Clean Energy Transition Co-Funded Partnership, is a Horizon Europe initiative aimed at boosting and accelerating the energy transition. It falls under the HORIZON-COFUND, HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions, and uses the HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model grant agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a deadline of September 2, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The opening date was May 6, 2025.

The primary objective of this co-funded partnership is to empower the energy transition and contribute to the EU's goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. This will be achieved by pooling national and regional Research and Innovation (R&I) funding towards a wide array of technologies and system solutions necessary for the transition. The partnership seeks to foster innovation ecosystems from local and regional levels up to the transnational European level, thereby addressing the fragmented European landscape.

The Clean Energy Transition (CET) Partnership enables R&I program owners and managers from Member States and Associated Countries to align their priorities and implement annual joint calls from 2022 to 2027. It also organizes joint accompanying activities to enable a dynamic learning process, extracts strategic knowledge, and accelerates the upscaling, replication, and market diffusion of innovative solutions to maximize impact and foster the uptake of cost-effective clean energy technologies.

The common vision of the CET Partnership is articulated in its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), co-created with involved countries, EU SET Plan Implementation Working Groups, ETIPs, energy-relevant ERA-Nets, and the EERA joint programs. The SRIA aims to (1) build a transnational transformative Joint Programming Platform, (2) develop and demonstrate technology and solutions for the transition of energy systems, and (3) build innovation ecosystems that support capacity building at all levels.

This action aims to continue support for the European Clean Energy Transition Co-fund Partnership, identified in the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024 and first implemented under topic HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04. It seeks to fund additional activities, potentially involving new partners, in line with Article 24(2) of the Horizon Europe Regulation.

In light of new geopolitical and energy market realities, the partnership is expected to explore pathways and develop new actions to reinforce R&I investments and the utilization of R&I results, accelerating the clean energy transition in support of REPowerEU objectives. The partnership should reinforce its ambition considering the revised SET Plan and continue implementing its SRIA by setting up joint calls in 2025, 2026, and 2027, including joint calls without EU co-funding.

The consortium that secured funding under topic HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04 is uniquely positioned to submit a proposal for this continuation. While the grant should be attributed to a proposal from the coordinator of that consortium, the application may include additional partners and new activities, subject to evaluation.

Expected outcomes of the partnership include: increased directionality of clean energy transition research and innovation in EU and Associated Countries in line with the SET Plan; evidence-based energy and climate policy formulation; a wider systemic transition and energy supply required for a climate-neutral economy; an innovation ecosystem for Europe's transition to clean energy; a building block to a zero-emission energy system; increased engagement of consumers and prosumers; and an energy system that meets the needs of different parts of society.

Key admissibility conditions include adhering to proposal page limits and layout guidelines as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. Eligible countries are listed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04 Clean Energy Transition.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are outlined in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. The evaluation committee may include representatives of EU institutions. If successful, the coordinator of the HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04 consortium will be invited to submit an amendment to the grant agreement.

Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also detailed in Annex F.

The legal and financial setup involves an amendment to the grant agreement concluded under topics HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04 and HORIZON-CL5-2023-D3-01-18. The funding rate is up to 30% of eligible costs. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum of EUR 5,000,000 per third party. The starting date of the grant may be retroactive to the submission date, subject to justification.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including a standard application form (HE COFUND), which may differ slightly due to its COFUND top-up nature. Evaluation form templates and guidance documents such as the HE Programme Guide and Model Grant Agreements (MGA) are also provided.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and various guidelines and regulations related to legal entity validation, financial capacity assessment, and grant management.

The budget overview for 2025 includes several HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), and Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA), with varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants.

This funding opportunity aims to continue and expand the Clean Energy Transition Co-fund partnership, supporting research, innovation, and coordination activities to accelerate the energy transition and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It is designed to build upon existing efforts and encourage transnational collaboration to develop and implement clean energy solutions across Europe. The program is structured to provide financial support to third parties, enabling a broad range of stakeholders to contribute to the energy transition. The call is specifically targeted towards the consortium that previously won the grant under HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04, ensuring continuity and leveraging existing expertise, while also allowing for the inclusion of new partners and activities. The overall goal is to create a more sustainable, resilient, and energy-independent Europe through collaborative research and innovation efforts.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, it is implied that national and regional R&I programme owners and managers from Member States and Associated Countries are eligible. The coordinator of the consortium funded under HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04 Clean Energy Transition must submit the proposal, but additional partners can be included. Therefore, eligible applicant types could include research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other entities involved in clean energy research and innovation.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a co-fund action under the Horizon Europe Programme (HORIZON-COFUND). It is designed as a top-up to existing funding. The action is intended to be implemented in the form of an amendment to the grant agreement concluded pursuant to topics HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04 and HORIZON-CL5-2023-D3-01-18. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, but with a specific condition. The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04 Clean Energy Transition. Additional partners can be included in the consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. 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.

Target Sector: The program targets the clean energy sector, focusing on accelerating the energy transition, boosting research and innovation in clean energy technologies and system solutions, and contributing to the EU's goal of climate neutrality by 2050. It covers a broad variety of technologies and system solutions required to achieve the transition, including the built environment, transport, industry, agriculture, and other sectors.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries as geographically eligible. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on continuation and development of new activities within the Clean Energy Transition Co-fund partnership (CET Partnership). This suggests a focus on development, demonstration, and upscaling of existing research and innovation efforts. The SRIA articulates the common goal of (1) building a transnational transformative Joint Programming Platform, (2) developing and demonstrating technology and solutions for the transition of energy systems, and finally (3) building innovation ecosystems that support capacity building at all levels.

Funding Amount: The budget for the HORIZON-COFUND action is EUR 69,000,000. The funding rate is up to 30% of the eligible costs. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP). The maximum amount of FSTP to be granted to an individual third party is EUR 5,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage open call.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant. They may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

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

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants for the HORIZON-COFUND action is 1. The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: This is a co-fund action, so co-funding is required. The funding rate is up to 30% of the eligible costs, implying that the remaining 70% needs to be covered by other sources.

Summary: This Horizon Europe funding opportunity, HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D2-10, is a co-fund action aimed at supporting the Clean Energy Transition (CET) Partnership for the period 2025-2027. It seeks to continue and expand the activities of the existing CET Partnership, focusing on accelerating the clean energy transition in line with the EU's climate goals and the REPowerEU objectives. The funding is specifically targeted towards the consortium that previously won the grant under HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04, but allows for the inclusion of additional partners and new activities. The initiative aims to pool national and regional R&I funding to foster innovation ecosystems, develop clean energy technologies, and promote the upscaling and market diffusion of innovative solutions. The geographic scope includes EU Member States and Associated Countries, with potential participation from non-EU/non-Associated Countries under specific provisions. The funding rate is up to 30% of eligible costs, with beneficiaries able to provide financial support to third parties up to EUR 5,000,000. The application process is a single-stage open call, with the coordinator of the existing CET Partnership consortium being the primary applicant. The program targets the clean energy sector, focusing on research, innovation, and the development of technologies and system solutions for a climate-neutral economy.