Full-scale demonstration of heat upgrade solutions in industrial processes

The Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08 focuses on the full-scale demonstration of heat upgrade solutions in industrial processes. This initiative aims to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and phase out fossil fuel use within the industrial sector. The targeted set of solutions includes recovering and upgrading waste heat, integrating renewable heat sources, and employing energy storage technologies. The project is designed for applicants from EU member states and associated countries, while organizations from China are ineligible to apply.

This funding opportunity is a lump sum grant under the Horizon Innovation Actions scheme. A total budget of €18 million is designated for this call, with two grants available, each expected to yield approximately €9 million. The application process is a single-stage open call, scheduled to begin on May 5, 2026, and close on September 15, 2026.

Projects are required to demonstrate innovative energy solutions within operational industrial sites, maximizing replicability across the EU and associated countries. The grants are focused on technology readiness levels seven to eight, indicating that the projects should demonstrate solutions at full operational scale rather than at pilot stages.

The nature of the required collaborations suggests that consortia of various stakeholders, including technology developers, industrial operators, and research institutions, will enhance the potential for successful project execution. Furthermore, the call emphasizes the importance of disseminating results to relevant communities when projects are completed.

Funding is characterized as a lump sum, which simplifies financial management by allowing beneficiaries to receive fixed amounts instead of reimbursement of incurred costs. While co-funding requirements are typical in Horizon projects, specific details regarding this aspect are not expressly outlined. The primary aim of the call aligns with the overarching EU objectives for energy transition and industrial competitiveness.

In summary, the HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08 initiative seeks to foster innovative projects that enhance energy efficiency in industrial processes through the deployment of advanced heat recovery and upgrade technologies, part of the EU’s broader strategy for climate action and sustainable energy use.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically under the BATTERIES and ENERGY (HORIZON-CL5-2026-09) call. The topic is "Full-scale demonstration of heat upgrade solutions in industrial processes" with topic ID HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08. It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) and uses the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement.

The call is forthcoming with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 05 May 2026, and the deadline for submission is 15 September 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects are:
1. At least one industrial sector with a significant heating demand in the EU and Associated Countries develops pathways and business models to measurably increase the recovery and upgrade of locally available heat for covering process needs and significantly or totally phasing out of fossil fuel use, while preserving or enhancing its global competitiveness.
2. Measurable improvement of renewable and/or industrial excess/waste heat recovery and upgrade solutions, possibly combined with thermal and/or electrical energy storage, in terms of energy efficiency, flexibility of electrical demand, climate and environment protection, reliability and safety, physical and cyber security, and profitability.

The scope of this topic is to address the need for process heat in industrial sectors by upgrading excess/waste heat, potentially combined with local renewable heat, to improve energy efficiency, reduce GHG emissions, air pollutants, and fossil fuel use. Integration of thermal and/or electrical energy storage is encouraged to better match heat sources with process needs and offer flexible electricity consumption. The temperature of the heat supplied is not specified, but proposals will be evaluated on their potential to enable deployment of heat upgrade solutions in more sectors and processes.

Projects must address the following:
1. Optimize and demonstrate physically within one or more operational industrial sites the transformation of processes by recovering excess/waste heat, possibly combined with local renewable heat or heat recovered nearby, and local thermal and/or electrical energy storage, and by upgrading the heat (e.g., with a heat pump) for use in the processes.
2. Maximize the replicability and deployment of the concept/solution in EU and Associated Countries’ plants in the same industrial sector. A survey and analysis of the needs of most EU and Associated Countries’ factories in the same industrial sector(s) should be conducted before the design phase to create adaptable solutions.
3. Identify common components, optimize, and define a standardized version of them.
4. Develop open technical and economical guidelines and open tools for system design and business case development.
5. If the targeted industrial sector(s) and process(es) have been covered by actions under the topic LIFE-2024-CET-HEATPUMPS, the proposal should build on the results of these actions and cooperate with them for the definition of the solution to demonstrate and the dissemination channels.
6. Disseminate results to relevant communities in cluster 4 ‘Digital, Industry and Space’ private-public partnerships and to JRC Sevilla and INCITE for work on BREFs in the context of the IED2.0.

This call contributes to the destination of "Using energy in buildings and industry in an efficient, affordable and sustainable way (2026-27)". This destination targets the energy demand side, focusing on efficient energy use in buildings and industry, and contributes to the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan). It aligns with the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic Orientations ‘Green transition’, ‘Digital transition’ and ‘A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe’.

The main impacts to be generated by topics under this Destination are:
1. Highly energy-efficient and climate neutral European building stock: Improved energy performance of the European building stock, contributing to EU energy security and reduced climate and environmental impact. Cost-efficient, affordable, and less disruptive energy renovation and construction. Buildings increasingly interacting with users, the energy system, and their environment in an integrated, resilient, secure, smart, and flexible manner. Buildings and the built environment are more climate-resilient, accessible, inclusive, and deliver multiple benefits improving the quality of life, health, and well-being for all users.
2. Industry: Improved energy efficiency of EU energy-intensive industries, reduced consumption of fossil fuels and GHG emissions through cost-effective electrification, renewable energy use, and heat recovery, while preserving/enhancing global competitiveness.

Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination.

General conditions include:
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
2. Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.
3. Other Eligible Conditions: If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the action's end. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates are available in the Submission System (Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)). Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions and a detailed budget table (HE LS) are available, along with guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising 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 indicates the following topics:
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 28,300,000 EUR, opening on 05/05/2026 and closing on 15/09/2026, expecting around 4 grants with a contribution of around 7,100,000 EUR each.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-04 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 9,400,000 EUR, opening on 05/05/2026 and closing on 15/09/2026, expecting 1 grant with a contribution of around 9,400,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D3-03 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 93,000,000 EUR, opening on 05/05/2026 and closing on 15/09/2026, expecting 1 grant with a contribution of around 93,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 15,750,000 EUR, opening on 05/05/2026 and closing on 15/09/2026, expecting around 3 grants with a contribution of around 5,250,000 EUR each.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-02 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 28,000,000 EUR, opening on 05/05/2026 and closing on 15/09/2026, expecting around 4 grants with a contribution of around 7,000,000 EUR each.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-03 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 15,750,000 EUR, opening on 05/05/2026 and closing on 15/09/2026, expecting around 3 grants with a contribution of around 5,250,000 EUR each.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 15,000,000 EUR, opening on 05/05/2026 and closing on 15/09/2026, expecting around 3 grants with a contribution of around 5,000,000 EUR each.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 18,000,000 EUR, opening on 05/05/2026 and closing on 15/09/2026, expecting around 2 grants with a contribution of around 9,000,000 EUR each.

Partner search announcements are available for those looking to collaborate. The submission system will open on the date stated in the topic header. General FAQs and support are available through the provided links and contact points.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on demonstrating full-scale heat upgrade solutions in industrial processes to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and phase out fossil fuels. It encourages projects that recover and upgrade waste heat, integrate energy storage, and develop replicable solutions for various industrial sectors across the EU and Associated Countries. The call aims to foster a green and digital transition, contributing to a more resilient and competitive European industry.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the context of Horizon Europe, eligible applicants can include: startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofit organizations, governmental bodies, and other legal entities from eligible countries. Notably, legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under the specified destination.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the Type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) being HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The calls also include both HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the scope and nature of Horizon Europe projects, a consortium is often preferred, if not required, to bring together diverse expertise and resources.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes the EU 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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The target sectors are primarily energy and industry, with a focus on: Energy efficiency in buildings and industry, Renewable energy, Heat recovery, Climate and environmental protection, Thermal and electrical energy storage, Industrial processes, Digital technologies, and Space technologies (if projects use satellite-based earth observation).

Mentioned Countries: China, EU countries, Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project for this opportunity includes: Research, Innovation, Demonstration, and Deployment. The call specifically targets full-scale demonstration of heat upgrade solutions in industrial processes, suggesting a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 or higher.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview provides the following ranges:
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-01: EUR 28,300,000 (approximately EUR 7,100,000 per grant, 4 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-04: EUR 9,400,000 (approximately EUR 9,400,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D3-03: EUR 93,000,000 (approximately EUR 93,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-01: EUR 15,750,000 (approximately EUR 5,250,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-02: EUR 28,000,000 (approximately EUR 7,000,000 per grant, 4 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-03: EUR 15,750,000 (approximately EUR 5,250,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-04: EUR 15,000,000 (approximately EUR 5,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08: EUR 18,000,000 (approximately EUR 9,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant to cover eligible costs.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but can be inferred from the budget overview, which provides the indicative number of grants for each topic. For example, HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08 has an indicative number of 2 grants, so the success rate will depend on the number of applications received.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, Horizon Europe projects often encourage or require some level of co-funding from the applicants or other parties.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the BATTERIES and ENERGY (HORIZON-CL5-2026-09) program, aims to foster innovation and research in energy efficiency and renewable energy integration within the industrial sector. The call seeks projects that can demonstrate full-scale heat upgrade solutions in industrial processes, focusing on recovering and upgrading waste heat, integrating renewable heat sources, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Eligible applicants, primarily from the EU and Associated Countries, can apply for lump sum grants to support Innovation Actions (IAs) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs). The call targets various aspects of energy use in buildings and industry, contributing to the EU's Green Transition and climate neutrality goals. The application process involves a single stage, with a planned opening date in May 2026 and a deadline in September 2026. The funding amounts vary by topic, with indicative grant numbers provided to help applicants gauge their chances of success. This initiative is designed to drive the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies that enhance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and boost the competitiveness of European industries.