Fixed Premium Auction for RFNBO hydrogen production

The Innovation Fund 2025 Auction for hydrogen production is a significant EU funding opportunity aimed at fostering the development of Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) hydrogen and electrolytic low-carbon hydrogen projects across Europe. This initiative boasts a budget of €1.1 billion and falls under the European Hydrogen Bank's strategic efforts to promote climate neutrality by 2050.

Eligible applicants primarily include project developers and companies engaged in hydrogen production capable of establishing new production capacity. The funding is provided as a fixed premium grant awarded through a competitive auction process, structured as output-based support where payments are contingent on verified production levels over a maximum 10-year period.

Geographically, the auction is open to applicants within the European Economic Area (EEA), which comprises EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The primary focus is on hydrogen production, specifically targeting the maritime and energy-intensive industrial sectors.

Projects must be at the commercialization and demonstration stage, requiring operational status within five years of the grant agreement. The auction features three distinct funding topics, with €400 million allocated each for RFNBO and low-carbon hydrogen, and €200 million specifically for the maritime sector.

The application process employs a single-stage submission model, with proposals accepted until February 19, 2026. Historical data suggests that success rates vary, with recent auctions showing competitive selection leading to awards for a limited number of projects from a high pool of bids.

Applicants are advised to adhere to detailed eligibility criteria and submission guidelines outlined in the call documentation, including requirements for feasibility studies and financial assessments. Each winning bid will receive support proportional to their proposed production and funding needs.

In essence, this funding opportunity serves as a crucial mechanism for advancing Europe's hydrogen economy, aiming to bolster innovative projects that align with the EU's broader climate objectives while establishing the continent as a global leader in renewable hydrogen production.

The EU Funding & Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals under the Innovation Fund (INNOVFUND) program, specifically the Innovation Fund 2025 Auction Hydrogen (INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2). The type of action is INNOVFUND Fixed Premium Auction Unit Grants (INNOVFUND-FPAUC-UN), and the Model Grant Agreement (MGA) type is INNOVFUND Unit Grant [INNOVFUND-AG-UN].

The call is open for submission as of December 4, 2025, with a deadline of February 19, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. It employs a single-stage submission model.

The submission session is available for the following topics: INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2-RFNBO-GENERAL, INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2-RFNBOLOWCARB-GENERAL, and INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2-RFNBOLOWCARB-MAR-AVI.

The call conditions are detailed in various sections of the call document:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout are described in Section 5.
2. Eligible Countries are described in Section 6.
3. Other Eligible Conditions are described in Section 6.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Section 7.
5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Sections 8 and 11.
5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Sections 8 and 9.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are described in Section 4.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Section 10.

The call document includes the following:

Call document
Application form templates (for information only; submission via forms in the Submission System under "Part B templates")
Application form (available in the Submission System under "Part B templates")
Calculator ("Financial information file" with the bid)
Completion guarantee letter of intent
Feasibility study
Participant information
Timetable/Gantt chart
Extended Part C form (for statistical data collection, available in the Submission System under "Part B templates")
Completion guarantee (for information only at submission stage; requested only for projects invited to grant preparation)
Model Grant Agreements (MGA): INNOVFUND Unit MGA

The legal framework for the call includes:

Legal basis: Decision C(2025)7674 and Annex
Decision on unit contributions for the Innovation Fund
INNOVFUND Legal Framework
INNOVFUND Regulation 2019/856
ETS Directive 2003/87
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

Additional documents include:

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 indicates a total budget of EUR 1,100,000,000 for the year 2025. This budget supports the following topics:

INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2-RFNBO-GENERAL INNOVFUND Fixed Premium Auction Unit Grants
INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2-RFNBOLOWCARB-GENERAL INNOVFUND Fixed Premium Auction Unit Grants
INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2-RFNBOLOWCARB-MAR-AVI INNOVFUND Fixed Premium Auction Unit Grants

The call utilizes a single-stage submission process, with the opening date on December 4, 2025, and the deadline on February 19, 2026.

To start the submission process, applicants must access the Electronic Submission Service by clicking the submission button next to the relevant type of action and model grant agreement. Applicants can access existing draft proposals by logging into the Funding & Tenders Portal and selecting the "My Proposals" page in the "My Area" section. Applicants must select the type of submission: INNOVFUND Fixed Premium Auction Unit Grants [INNOVFUND-FPAUC-UN] or INNOVFUND Unit Grant [INNOVFUND-AG-UN].

For assistance, applicants can contact the InnovFund helpdesk for call-specific questions, the IT Helpdesk for technical issues, or consult the Online Manual for step-by-step guidance.

In summary, this Innovation Fund call focuses on supporting projects related to hydrogen production through a fixed premium auction mechanism. The call is structured around three main topics: general RFNBO hydrogen production, low-carbon hydrogen production, and hydrogen production for the maritime and aviation sectors. With a substantial budget of EUR 1.1 billion, the call aims to foster innovative projects that contribute to the EU's climate goals. Applicants need to carefully review the call documents, including the legal framework and additional guidelines, and prepare their proposals according to the specified admissibility conditions, evaluation criteria, and submission procedures. The Funding & Tenders Portal provides the necessary tools and support services to facilitate the application process.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. Further review of the call documentation, specifically section 6, would be needed to determine the eligible applicant types.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically an INNOVFUND Fixed Premium Auction Unit Grant (INNOVFUND-FPAUC-UN) or an INNOVFUND Unit Grant (INNOVFUND-AG-UN).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. Further review of the call documentation is needed to determine this.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The eligible countries are described in section 6 of the call document, but are not specified in the provided text. Further review of the call documentation is needed to determine the geographic eligibility for applicants.

Target Sector: The program targets the hydrogen sector, specifically renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production. It includes topics related to RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) hydrogen production and low-carbon hydrogen production for general applications, as well as for the maritime and aviation sectors.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned in the provided text. The eligible countries are referenced but not listed.

Project Stage: The project stage is not explicitly mentioned, but the inclusion of a feasibility study in the application documents suggests that the projects should be at least at the development or validation stage.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the call is EUR 1,100,000,000 (1.1 billion EUR). The contribution per project is variable, depending on the auction results for the fixed premium.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process. The call utilizes a fixed premium auction mechanism for determining the grant amount.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text, so the success rate cannot be determined.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. Further review of the call documentation is needed to determine this.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Innovation Fund (INNOVFUND) 2025 Auction, specifically focused on hydrogen production. The call, titled "Innovation Fund 2025 Auction Hydrogen (INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2)", aims to support projects related to renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production through fixed premium auction unit grants. The total budget for this call is EUR 1.1 billion. The call includes three specific topics: INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2-RFNBO-GENERAL, INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2-RFNBOLOWCARB-GENERAL, and INNOVFUND-2025-AUC-H2-RFNBOLOWCARB-MAR-AVI, covering general RFNBO hydrogen production, general low-carbon hydrogen production, and low-carbon hydrogen production for the maritime and aviation sectors, respectively. The application process is a single-stage submission, with the deadline for submissions on February 19, 2026. Applicants must submit their proposals electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The evaluation process and eligibility criteria are detailed in the call document, specifically in sections 5 through 11. Applicants are advised to carefully review all provisions and consult the provided helpdesks for assistance. The legal basis for this call is Decision C(2025)7674 and Annex, along with other relevant EU regulations and directives. Required documents for the application include an application form, a calculator for financial information, a feasibility study, participant information, a timetable/Gantt chart, and an extended Part C form for statistical data collection. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) are also provided for reference. The call utilizes a fixed premium auction mechanism to determine the grant amount for successful projects.