Hydrogen Startup and Scaleup Hub

The Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking is procuring a contractor to establish and operate a European Clean Hydrogen Startup and Scaleup Hub to support technology maturation, investor readiness and commercialisation for hydrogen startups and scaleups. The open procedure (CLEANH2/2026/OP/0015, TED notice 745777-2026) has an estimated maximum total value of €10 million and a maximum duration of 48 months, awarded by best price-quality ratio (quality 70%, price 30%). Eligible economic operators may tender as single entities or consortia and must meet selection requirements including average annual turnover > €2.5 million and at least three similar projects of ≥ €500,000 each, with submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission by 25 January 2027 16:00 Brussels time. The contract requires a multidisciplinary delivery team, an Azure-compatible digital platform, compliance with exclusion and integrity rules, and allows the contractor to disburse capped lump-sum support to selected startups (up to €100,000–€200,000 per beneficiary as defined in the technical specifications).

What the tender funds

Purpose in one line

Procurement to set up and operate a European Clean Hydrogen Startup Hub that accelerates translation of research into investable hydrogen startups, supports scaling of startups and scaleups, connects corporates and investors, and creates a cross-border Hydrogen Innovation Corridor.

Key dates

Evaluation and delivery highlights

Tender documents, technical specifications, draft contract and annexes are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; submissions are electronic and require an EU Login account and organisation PIC.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and documents available at the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender page.

Procurement published 28/10/2026 by Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking. Open procedure for a direct service contract to set up and operate a European Hydrogen Startup and Scaleup Hub. Estimated total procedure value €10,000,000. Maximum contract duration 48 months. Submission exclusively via eSubmission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Deadlines: request for additional information 15/01/2027 23:59 Europe/Brussels; tender submission 25/01/2027 16:00 Europe/Brussels; virtual public opening 26/01/2027 10:00 Europe/Brussels.

Purpose and Scope

The tender implements the Clean Hydrogen JU Annual Work Programme 2026 objective to create a European Clean Hydrogen Startup Hub (the Hub). The Hub will accelerate translation of research into investable hydrogen startups, support scaling by connecting investment and corporates, and build European Hydrogen Innovation Corridors. The overall purpose is to support hydrogen startups and scaleups in bridging funding and technology barriers so they mature into commercially viable companies.

Who can apply

Any economic operator complying with the Financial Regulation and access-to-procurement rules may submit a tender. Participation is open to natural and legal persons established in Member States and third countries eligible under Horizon Europe associated country rules, subject to restrictive measures checks and exclusion criteria.

Administrative and contractual details

Procedure identifier CLEANH2/2026/OP/0015. TED reference 745777-2026. Main CPV 73000000 (research & development services and related consultancy services); additional CPV 72000000 (IT services). Award method: best price-quality ratio. Framework: direct service contract, open procedure. Contracting authority: Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, White Atrium building, Avenue de la Toison d'Or 56-60, B-1060 Brussels, Belgium. Contact email: info.procurement@clean-hydrogen.europa.eu.

Evaluation and award

Application and submission

Submission exclusively electronic via eSubmission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Participant Register PIC required. Tenders must be submitted by the deadline 25/01/2027 16:00 Europe/Brussels. Questions to be made via the Portal Questions & Answers section; contracting authority is not bound to reply to Qs submitted less than six working days before the deadline. Tenders cannot be submitted after the deadline. Maximum recommended technical tender length 70 pages (guidance only).

Funding characteristics and beneficiary support

This procurement is a service contract. The contractor will run acceleration and scaleup programmes and may disburse lump-sum financial support to selected startup beneficiaries drawn from the contract price. Lump-sum funding is conditional on grant schemes run by the contractor under transparent selection procedures and EU standards on transparency, equal treatment, conflict of interest and confidentiality.

Consortia, partners and subcontracting

Tenders may be submitted by sole tenderers or groups of economic operators (consortia). Joint tenders must appoint a group leader and sign an Agreement/Power of Attorney (Annex 3). Subcontracting is allowed but identified subcontractors (those >20% of contract or relied upon for selection criteria) must be listed and provide commitment letters (Annex 4 and 5.1). Entities on whose capacity a tenderer relies (not subcontractors) must provide commitment letters (Annex 5.2).

Geographic and beneficiary scope

Beneficiaries of the Hub services (the startups and scaleups supported by the contractor) must be established in EU Member States or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe. The tenderer can propose outreach beyond that scope for corridor services but selection is limited to eligible countries.

Target sector and project stage

Application templates and required documents

Application logistics and system requirements

Electronic submission via eSubmission requires EU Login and PIC registration. eSubmission accepts attachments < 50 MB per file, up to 200 files per tender. Supported browsers: latest Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Documents must be in one of the official EU languages; English is the authoritative language of the procurement documents. The contracting authority will not respond to questions submitted after 15/01/2027 23:59 Europe/Brussels.

Stages, timelines and number of selection cycles

Contract award follows the eSubmission tender call (single procurement award). Implementation includes at least three Calls for Expression of Interest to select startups/scaleups during the first 3 years of contract execution. Each selection call must remain open at least 30 days and the contractor shall finalise selection within a maximum of 3 weeks after call closure. The contractor must deliver inception report within 3 months of contract signature and quarterly / annual progress reports with publishable and confidential versions. Key deliverables are defined in the Technical Specifications with payment milestones tied to interim reports and deliverables.

Success rates and co-funding

The procurement notice and supporting documents do not publish a formal success rate for tenders. Selection of startups via the Hub is competitive; the Hub target is to support at least 50 startups/scaleups across Tasks 1-3. Co-funding: no specific compulsory co-funding by applicants to the procurement is required for the tender submission. For startup beneficiaries, the Hub’s lump-sum support comes from the contract price and the contractor may combine contractor-managed funds with leveraged industry contributions. The tenderer should explain any proposed co-funding or leveraged industry investment mechanisms in its methodology.

Technology and platform requirements

If the contractor implements an IT platform, the Technical Specifications and Annex 6 define minimum technical, architectural, security, documentation and handover requirements. The contracting authority expects Azure-compatible architecture, full source code delivery, infrastructure-as-code, documentation enabling third-party takeover, security testing (penetration tests), backup and recovery, data export, and a no-lock-in approach to enable hosting takeover by the JU at handover.

Risk, compliance and audits

Contractor must perform fraud prevention and detection measures, comply with EU environmental, social and labour law obligations, and ensure data protection compliance (Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 and GDPR where applicable). The contracting authority and delegated auditors (including OLAF, Court of Auditors, EPPO and the Commission) retain audit and inspection rights for up to five years after payment of the balance. Evidence and supporting documents may be requested at any stage.

Practical advice for applicants

For any technical problems with eSubmission consult the eSubmission Quick Guide and Helpdesk links in the Portal. Subscribe to the call on the Portal to receive notifications when new procurement documents or Q&A are published.

Quick summary of the structured answers requested

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents and templates are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal under call CLEANH2/2026/OP/0015: Invitation to Tender, Part 1 Administrative Specifications, Part 2 Technical Specifications, Draft Direct Service Contract, Model Annexes 1-5, Annex 6 App development specifications and related files.

Executive summary

This is a public procurement tender, not a grant scheme. The Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking is seeking one contractor to establish and operate a European Clean Hydrogen Startup Hub that helps hydrogen startups and scaleups overcome technology, financing and commercialisation barriers. The contractor will deliver support services to startups, scaleups, investors, corporates and other ecosystem stakeholders. Hydrogen startups and scaleups are therefore intended beneficiaries of the service, but they are not the direct applicants to this tender.

The procurement has an estimated maximum total value of €10 million and a maximum duration of 48 months. It is an open procedure for services, with award based on best price quality ratio. The quality component represents 70 percent of the score and price represents 30 percent.

The Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking describes the initiative as supporting the translation of research into investable startups, preparing companies for scaleup, connecting investors and corporates with hydrogen innovation, and building European Hydrogen Innovation Corridors. The Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking's 2026 work programme materials also identify an indicative budget of €10 million for setting up and running the Hub.1

Opportunity identification

Opportunity title

Hydrogen Startup and Scaleup Hub

Procedure reference

CLEANH2/2026/OP/0015

TED reference

209/2026, notice 745777-2026

Contracting authority

Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking

Contract type

Services, principally research, development and related consultancy services under CPV 73000000. Additional classification includes computer and related services under CPV 72000000.

Procedure

Open procedure under the EU Financial Regulation. The tender is not divided into lots and variants are not allowed.

Framework agreement

No. The procedure is intended to result in one direct service contract.

Official documents

The authoritative opportunity page and procurement documents are available through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal Hydrogen Startup and Scaleup Hub procurement page.

What the procurement is intended to achieve

The successful contractor will be expected to create and operate a European hub that supports the commercial development of hydrogen ventures. The strategic purpose is to reduce the gap between research results and investable businesses, help companies become commercially viable, connect them with finance and industrial partners, and strengthen cooperation between regional hydrogen innovation ecosystems.

The required service is expected to combine technical development support, business case development, commercialisation assistance, investor readiness, access to financing and investment opportunities, corporate engagement, training, communications, digital platform support and the development of hydrogen innovation corridors.

The tender documentation places particular emphasis on identifying and supporting startups and scaleups, establishing suitable selection and support methodologies, building on existing regional hydrogen hubs, creating durable ecosystem connections, and coordinating with the contracting authority, supported companies, other contractors and relevant stakeholders.

Who can apply

Eligible tenderers

Any interested economic operator may submit a tender as a sole tenderer or as a group of economic operators. Economic operators may be natural persons or legal persons and are not required to adopt a specific legal form before submitting a tender.

Joint tenders are permitted. Members of a successful joint tender will assume joint and several liability for performance of the contract. The group must appoint a group leader authorised to act as the single contact point and to bind the group for the procurement and contract.

Subcontracting is permitted. A tenderer may also rely on the capacities of other entities, provided that the required commitment and evidence are supplied. For technical and professional capacity, an entity whose capacity is relied upon must perform the services for which that capacity is required, either as a subcontractor or under the applicable rules for another supporting entity.

Geographical access

Participation is open to persons and entities within the scope of the EU Treaties, international organisations, entities established in third countries covered by a relevant EU public procurement agreement, and entities established in third countries eligible for funding under Horizon Europe, subject to the applicable access rules. Each tenderer must identify its country of establishment and provide supporting evidence when required.

The tenderer and involved entities must not be subject to applicable EU restrictive measures, including asset freezes or prohibitions on making funds or economic resources available. The same restrictions apply throughout contract performance and must also be considered for relevant subcontractors.

Important distinction for startups and scaleups

Hydrogen startups, scaleups, investors and corporates are beneficiaries or stakeholders of the Hub service, not direct recipients of the €10 million procurement budget. A startup can participate directly as a tenderer only if it can satisfy the procurement requirements itself or through a compliant consortium and can provide the required operational capacity. The tender does not itself provide direct grants, equity investments or fixed financial awards to startups.

Mandatory registration and submission conditions

Participant Register and PIC

Every economic operator participating as a sole tenderer or consortium member must be registered in the European Commission Participant Register and have a valid nine digit Participant Identification Code. Existing participants must reuse their existing PIC. The organisation's registration and relevant status information should be checked and updated before submission.

EU Login and electronic submission

Tenders must be submitted exclusively through the eSubmission system available from the Funding and Tenders Portal. Submission by email, post or another method will be disregarded. An EU Login account is required for electronic submission, and each consortium member must complete the required registration steps.

Language

Tenders may be submitted in any official EU language. The procurement documents are published in English, and the English version is the authentic version in case of discrepancy. The proposed delivery team must be able to work in at least two EU official languages, including English at C2 level for the relevant language capacity requirement.

Deadline and timetable

Key dates

The following dates are stated in the procurement notice and portal information.

Tenderers should submit well before the deadline and retain the eSubmission receipt showing the official timestamp. The system does not permit submission after the deadline. A submitted tender may be withdrawn or replaced before the deadline, subject to the procurement rules.

Financial parameters and contract duration

Estimated contract value

The estimated maximum total value is €10 million for the procurement as a whole. This is the amount available for the contracted service and is not a grant budget allocated directly to individual startups.

Additional services

Within three years after contract signature, the contracting authority may use the negotiated procedure permitted by the Financial Regulation to procure repeated similar services from the contractor up to a maximum of 50 percent of the initial contract value. Any such procurement would depend on unforeseen or additional needs and the conditions in the procurement documents.

Duration

The contract may last for up to 48 months. The draft contract determines the initial period, possible renewals, payment arrangements, performance obligations, confidentiality, audits and other contractual conditions.

Funding rate and eligible costs

This is not a grant or co-financing action. There is no grant funding rate, reimbursement percentage or standard eligible cost model for applicants. Tenderers must submit a price for delivering the complete service, covering all requirements in the tender specifications. Tender preparation costs and attendance at the opening session are borne by tenderers and are not reimbursed.

Minimum selection requirements

Financial capacity

The tenderer must demonstrate an average annual turnover above €2.5 million over the last two financial years. This is assessed on a consolidated basis across the involved entities contributing to the criterion.

Evidence may include profit and loss accounts for the last two closed financial years for each relevant entity or, where appropriate, statements from banks. The most recent financial year must have closed within the previous 18 months when the evidence is requested.

Technical and professional experience

The tenderer must demonstrate experience covering startup and scaleup creation, development or growth, startup and scaleup ecosystems, financing and investment, projects involving investors or venture capitalists, and hydrogen technologies.

The minimum experience requirement is at least three similar projects completed during the three years before the submission deadline, with a minimum value of €500,000 for each project. A single project may cover more than one of the required experience areas.

Each project reference should identify the start and end dates, client name and type, total project value, scope, role of the tenderer, and amount invoiced. The contracting authority may request client statements and may contact the clients directly.

Language and reporting experience

The tenderer must demonstrate the capacity to work in at least two official EU languages, including English at C2 level, and experience preparing and delivering high quality reports in English. At least three successfully completed projects in the last three years must demonstrate delivery in English. The procurement documents indicate that project lists and, if requested, substantial examples such as reports or studies may be used as evidence.

Required delivery team

The proposed team must include at least one project manager with a minimum of five years of experience. The team must collectively cover hydrogen technologies, investor readiness and access to finance, business case development, industry and market alignment, commercialisation pathways, work with startups and scaleups, financial and legal matters, online communication platforms, training materials, media and communications, and language quality checking.

Each relevant expert must have at least three years of professional experience, English proficiency at minimum C1 level and at least graduate level university education. CVs must identify the field or fields for which each team member is proposed. One expert may cover multiple fields where the evidence supports that allocation.

Exclusion and integrity requirements

Tenderers and relevant involved entities must not be bankrupt or subject to insolvency proceedings, in serious breach of tax or social security obligations, guilty of grave professional misconduct, involved in fraud, corruption, criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorism or trafficking offences, guilty of serious contractual deficiencies, or otherwise in an exclusion situation under the Financial Regulation.

The declaration on honour also addresses persons with powers of representation, decision or control, beneficial owners, persons with unlimited liability, conflicts of interest, restrictive measures, established debts to the Union and the independent preparation of the tender.

The initial assessment is based largely on declarations on honour and available information. The presumed successful tenderer may be required to provide recent judicial, administrative, tax, social security, financial and project evidence within a short deadline. Tenderers should prepare this evidence in advance.

Evaluation and award

Award methodology

The contract will be awarded using the best price quality ratio. Quality accounts for 70 percent and price for 30 percent. Tenders must first satisfy the administrative, eligibility, exclusion, selection and mandatory technical requirements.

A minimum score of 50 percent is required for each quality criterion and subcriterion, as well as at least 50 percent overall. Tenders below these thresholds will be rejected and will not be ranked. In a tie, the tender with the higher quality score prevails, followed successively by the scores for methodology, project overview and organisation of work and resources.

Expected content of a competitive tender

A strong tender should provide a complete and operational delivery model rather than a general description of startup support. It should demonstrate how the Hub will select participants, diagnose their technical and commercial needs, provide tailored support, connect them with investors and corporates, and measure progress toward investment readiness and scaleup.

The technical offer should address the following areas:

Consortium and subcontracting considerations

A consortium may be advantageous because the required capability spans hydrogen technology, venture finance, startup support, legal and financial matters, digital platforms, communications and European ecosystem development. The tender should clearly allocate each task and demonstrate that every claimed capacity will be available for delivery.

All consortium members must be identified and must sign the required group agreement or power of attorney. A participant cannot submit as a sole tenderer and simultaneously participate in another group, nor can it participate in two groups in the same procedure.

Subcontractors whose individual share is known to exceed 20 percent, subcontractors relied upon for selection criteria, and other relevant subcontractors must be identified in the tender as required. Commitment letters and declarations may be required. The contractor remains fully liable for the performance of the contract, including subcontracted work.

Contractual and operational conditions

The services may be performed at the contractor's premises and at the contracting authority's premises. The contractor and its personnel must comply with applicable security requirements, with any resulting financial burden borne by the contractor.

The contractor must comply with applicable data protection, environmental, social and labour requirements. Environmental considerations apply throughout the life cycle of the services, and the contractor must support equality, diversity and non-discrimination in contract implementation.

The contractor must support fraud prevention and detection and impose relevant obligations on subcontractors and personnel. The contracting authority may use an electronic exchange system during contract performance, and the contractor may be required to use it without additional cost to the contracting authority.

The contracting authority may offset established debts owed by the successful tenderer or relevant group members to the Union, the European Atomic Energy Community or an executive agency against payments due under the contract.

Key risks for applicants

Recommended preparation plan

Overall assessment

This is a substantial, strategically important service procurement suited to an established consultancy, innovation support organisation, hydrogen ecosystem operator, investment readiness provider or consortium combining those capabilities. The opportunity is not designed as a conventional SME grant and does not offer a fixed funding rate to applicants. Its attractiveness lies in the size and duration of the service contract, the opportunity to become the European-level operator of a hydrogen startup support platform, and the potential to build long-term relationships with startups, investors, corporates, regions and hydrogen technology providers.

The principal success factors are demonstrable recent delivery experience, financial robustness, a credible multidisciplinary team, a precise and scalable methodology, strong investor and corporate access, and a technically complete tender that can achieve the demanding quality thresholds. Applicants should rely on the full administrative specifications, technical specifications, model contract and annexes because the portal summary does not replace those documents.

Source note

The official Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking work programme presentation identifies the European Clean Hydrogen Start-Up Hub as a tender to set up and run the Hub, with an indicative budget of €10 million and an open procedure.1

Footnotes

1. 1Official Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking Annual Work Programme 2026 material: Annual Work Programme 2026 presentation