Development of innovative solutions strengthening the security of renewable energy value chains

This is a Horizon Europe grant opportunity focused on the development of innovative solutions to strengthen the security of renewable energy value chains, identified as HORIZON-CL5. It falls under Cluster 5, which deals with climate, energy, and mobility, and is classified as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with a lump-sum funding model. The grant aims to allocate €15 million in 2025 with the application period set from September 16, 2025, to February 17, 2026. Eligible applicants for this grant include a variety of entities such as startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, universities, and research institutes. The call encourages collaboration but does not explicitly require consortia for submission. The geographic eligibility for applicants spans across EU member states, European Economic Area (EEA) countries, and associated countries, with some provisions for non-EU countries. The targeted sectors primarily include renewable energy, focusing on enhancing energy security and addressing cybersecurity challenges. The projects are expected to be in the research, development, and validation stages. Proposals must address one of three specific areas: sustainability and social awareness, skills for renewable energy value chains, or complexity within specific renewable energy technologies. The expected funding for each project ranges from €1 million to €5 million, depending on the specifics of the proposal. The application process is single-stage, classified as an open call. As a lump-sum grant, co-funding is not required, which facilitates access for a wider pool of applicants. The success rate for applications is competitive, typically ranging from 10% to 39%. The grant aims to address critical vulnerabilities in the energy supply chain, strengthen technical solutions, and enhance the availability of skilled labor to improve the sustainability and resilience of European renewable energy industries. Overall, this grant opportunity is designed to bolster the EU's renewable energy sector by funding innovative research and solutions that secure energy systems and contribute to a clean energy transition.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL5, focused on the development of innovative solutions to strengthen the security of renewable energy value chains. It falls under Cluster 5 of the Horizon Europe program and is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The call adopts a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 16 September 2025, and the deadline for submission is 17 February 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this call are:

Strengthened European knowledge base, skills, research and industrial leadership on solutions for energy-security related aspects of renewable energy value chains.

Technical and value chain solutions developed addressing key aspects improving the energy security of renewable energy technologies.

Strengthened availability of skilled labor (crafts, science, and business) to increase the intra-European share of entire value chains.

Improved competitiveness, sustainability including social awareness, and resilience of European renewable energy value chains.

The scope of the call involves proposals that:

Provide in-depth assessments leading to novel solutions improving critical aspects of specific renewable energy technologies and their value chains, impacting EU’s energy security.

Focus on developing solutions for critical aspects that could significantly improve the overall capacity of the specific value chain in contributing to improved energy security for Europe.

Projects must address only one of the following areas:

Area 1:Sustainability and social awareness of specific renewable energy value chains as a limiting factor for their roll-out and performance over time (addressed for either hydropower or bioenergy).

Area 2:Skills for renewable energy value chains as a limiting factor for innovation and deployment of relevant clean energy technologies.

Area 3:Complexity for specific renewable energy value chains (addressed for either grid-based RFNBOs and/or direct solar fuels, including issues like necessary market interactions for substrates or interfaces between different reactions).

Applicants must explicitly indicate which of these three areas their proposal addresses. Proposals are expected to build on the results of the Study on clean energy R&I opportunities to ensure European energy security by targeting challenges of distinct energy value chains for 2030 and beyond.

The general conditions include:

Admissibility Conditions:Proposal page limit and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System.

Eligible Countries:As described 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.

Other Eligible Conditions:As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion:As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award:

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds:Proposals must address only one of the specified areas (1, 2, or 3). Grants will be awarded to ensure a balanced portfolio across these areas, provided applications meet all thresholds. Details are in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission and evaluation processes:As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement:As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants:Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. Further details are in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details:

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, using the Standard application form (HE CSA).

Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, using the Standard evaluation form (HE CSA).

Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.

Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA.

Call-specific instructions include a Detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on "Lump sums - what do I need to know?".

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes

HE Programme Guide

HE Framework Programme 2021/695

HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

Decision authorizing the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme

Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment

EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview for the call in 2025 includes various topics with their respective budgets, stages, opening and deadline dates, contributions, and indicative number of grants.

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests.

The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

General FAQs and support are available through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

This Horizon Europe call aims to bolster the security of Europe's clean energy system by funding research and innovation that addresses critical vulnerabilities in the renewable energy technology value chains. The call seeks proposals that offer in-depth assessments and innovative solutions to improve the energy security of renewable energy technologies. Projects should focus on one of three key areas: sustainability and social awareness, skills development, or complexity reduction within renewable energy value chains. The ultimate goal is to strengthen Europe's knowledge base, enhance the availability of skilled labor, and improve the competitiveness and resilience of European renewable energy industries, contributing to a more secure and sustainable energy future for the continent.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that it is a Horizon Europe call, eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other types of organizations involved in research and innovation. The specific eligibility criteria are detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. There are also HORIZON Innovation Actions, HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement, and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions.

Consortium Requirement:The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, it is common for Horizon Europe calls, especially Innovation Actions and Research and Innovation Actions, to favor or require consortia. The HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions may be suitable for single applicants.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. The opportunity also 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.

Target Sector:The program targets the clean energy sector, specifically focusing on renewable energy technologies and their value chains. The thematic areas include sustainability, social awareness, skills, and complexity related to renewable energy value chains, hydropower, bioenergy, grid-based RFNBOs, and direct solar fuels.

Mentioned Countries:The opportunity mentions EU member states and non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage:The project stage varies depending on the type of action. Innovation Actions (IA) typically target demonstration and commercialization, while Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) focus on research, development, and validation. Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP) focuses on prototype development and validation. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) focus on networking, coordination, and dissemination.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary significantly depending on the specific topic and type of action, ranging from €6,000,000 for Coordination and Support Actions to €33,000,000 for Innovation Actions. The indicative number of grants also varies per topic.

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 mentioned, but can be estimated based on the indicative number of grants and the overall budget.

Co-funding Requirement:The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, depending on the specific type of action, co-funding may be required.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call focuses on "Development of innovative solutions strengthening the security of renewable energy value chains." It aims to enhance the security of Europe's clean energy system by addressing critical issues in renewable energy technology value chains. The call is structured around three main areas: sustainability and social awareness, skills, and complexity within renewable energy. Applicants must clearly indicate which of these areas their proposal addresses. The call is open to a variety of entities, including research institutions, SMEs, and large enterprises, from EU member states and associated countries, with some provisions for non-EU countries. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying amounts depending on the type of action (Innovation Actions, Research and Innovation Actions, Pre-commercial Procurement, and Coordination and Support Actions). The application process involves a single-stage submission, with a planned opening date in September 2025 and a deadline in February 2026. The call seeks to strengthen the European knowledge base, develop technical solutions, improve the availability of skilled labor, and enhance the competitiveness and resilience of European renewable energy value chains. The call is part of the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically under Cluster 5, and aligns with the broader goals of ensuring European energy security and promoting clean energy technologies.