Improved system design for innovative PV applications (EUPI-PV Partnership)

The EU grant opportunity designated as HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-14 aims to improve system designs for innovative photovoltaic applications under the Horizon Europe framework. It falls under the "Horizon Innovation Actions," specifically focusing on renewable energy solutions in agrivoltaics and offshore/nearshore photovoltaic systems. The call is expected to allocate a total budget of €30 million for 2026, aiming to fund approximately four demonstration projects, each receiving €7.5 million.

Eligible applicants include a diverse array of stakeholders such as research institutions, universities, SMEs, large companies, technology providers, and organizations involved in renewable energy. It is crucial that proposals include participation from the Social Sciences and Humanities to address societal acceptance and stakeholder engagement.

The funding type is a lump sum grant designed to simplify the financial management process, avoiding reimbursement for actual costs incurred. A consortium of multiple applicants is required, facilitating contributions from various sectors to enhance technical innovation and social integration.

Geographically, eligibility primarily covers EU Member States and associated countries, with provisions for certain non-EU countries based on specific bilateral agreements. The target sectors encompass renewable energy and photovoltaic technology, addressing both agricultural interactions and innovative coastal installations.

Projects should be in the demonstration stage, with a focus on large-scale system components (minimum 5 MW) and multiple sites across diverse EU environments. The application process is single-stage, opening on August 4, 2026, and closing on December 1, 2026. Proposals must include detailed plans for exploitation and business models, highlighting strategies for scalability and market entry.

Success rates for this call are estimated at below 10% to approximately 15%, reflective of competitive landscapes commonly seen in Horizon Europe funding opportunities. Notably, co-funding is not mandatory, but strategic use of complementary funding sources is encouraged.

Overall, this initiative intends to foster innovation in photovoltaics while encouraging sustainable land and sea use, enhancing energy security, and promoting environmental stewardship. Successful projects are expected to contribute to the EU's solar energy strategy and report on outcomes to the European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics, thereby enhancing the region's competitive edge in renewable technologies.

This is a Horizon Europe call focusing on improved system designs for innovative photovoltaic (PV) applications, specifically within the EUPI-PV Partnership. The call, designated as HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-14, falls under the ENERGY (HORIZON-CL5-2026-11) call within the Horizon Europe program. It supports HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) using a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

The call adopts a single-stage deadline model, with a planned opening date of August 4, 2026, and a deadline of December 1, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this call are centered around agrivoltaics (co-location of agriculture and PV electricity production) and offshore/nearshore PV systems. Project results should contribute to:

Harvesting of crops and photovoltaic electricity, providing sustainable solutions for energy production/use/efficiency, soil and biodiversity protection, and water conservation.
Reinforcing the European PV value chain, introducing new business models, and opening new markets for novel, bankable agri- or offshore/nearshore PV systems.
Minimizing the impact of PV on landscape/sea and environment by exploiting its modularity and synergies of use, promoting offshore wind and PV co-location and system integration.
Significant improvement of designs that reduce both CAPEX and OPEX, maximize energy output, and thus reduce Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE).
Promoting integrated and multi-dimensional policy design to overcome socio-technical challenges for agri- and offshore/nearshore PV deployment.

The scope of the proposals requires addressing only one of the two areas: agriPV or offshore/nearshore PV. Proposals are expected to demonstrate:

Comprehensive system modeling for accurate and reliable energy yield assessment, with comparable methodologies for biodiversity, plant-yield, and quality in the case of agriPV, as well as power generation.
Advanced system components and system concepts/architectures of adequate scale that minimize impact on land/sea/environment while maximizing energy output and optimizing connection to the grid.
Resilience and adaptation of the systems to climate change impacts, such as extreme events, or changing agricultural practices and/or crop choices in the case of agriPV.
Standardization for module and structure design for these applications.
Permitting process definition.
System demonstrators of adequate scale (minimum 5 MW altogether) at different EU climate/sea zones.

Societal acceptance and sustainability in agriPV development require clarity in permitting procedures, promoting energy justice principles, mitigating agronomic risks, and balancing economic development with environmental conservation (notably biodiversity). These dimensions need to be addressed holistically with the involvement of policymakers, industry stakeholders, and local communities working towards a just and equitable deployment of agriPV. For offshore/nearshore PV, aesthetic appreciation and possible conflicts of interest related to water areas (e.g., commercial shipping, fishing, sand extraction, military use, and recreational sailing) or colocation should be considered.

Exploitation plans should include a strategy for exploitation, a strong business case, and a sound exploitation strategy, including preliminary plans for scalability, commercialization, and deployment (feasibility study, business plan) indicating possible funding sources (in particular the Innovation Fund).

The call requires the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts and institutions to enhance the societal impact of the related research activities.

Projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on the results to the European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics (EUPI-PV) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.

General conditions for admissibility, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, evaluation and award, and legal and financial setup are detailed in the Annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme and the Online Manual.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme.

Application forms, evaluation forms, and model grant agreements are available in the Submission System. Additional guidance and documents include the HE Programme Guide, HE Main Work Programme, EU Financial Regulation, and various guidelines and FAQs available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the Portal.

The budget overview for 2026 includes:

HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-04 - HORIZON-PCP HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement with a budget of EUR 40,000,000, single-stage, and an indicative number of 1 grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-05 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 13,500,000, single-stage, and an indicative number of 2 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-06 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 18,000,000, single-stage, and an indicative number of 4 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-14 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 30,000,000, single-stage, and an indicative number of 4 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-23 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 30,000,000, single-stage, and an indicative number of 3 grants.

This Horizon Europe call is designed to foster innovation in photovoltaic technology by supporting projects that integrate agriculture with solar energy production (agrivoltaics) or develop offshore solar energy solutions. It aims to optimize land and sea use, reduce costs, and promote the EU's solar energy strategy. The call encourages projects that not only advance technology but also address societal and environmental considerations, ensuring sustainable and equitable deployment of these innovative PV systems. By requiring a strong business case and exploitation strategy, the EU seeks to translate research into real-world applications, contributing to a greener and more sustainable energy future.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls and the focus on innovation and research, eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations. The call also mentions the importance of involving policymakers, industry stakeholders, and local communities, suggesting that these entities could also be part of a consortium.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement (HORIZON-PCP). The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the scope of the projects, which includes system demonstrators and the need for multidisciplinary expertise (including SSH disciplines), a consortium is highly probable. The partner search announcements also suggest that consortia are expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be focused on EU member states and associated countries, as indicated by the reference to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. However, the mention of non-EU/non-Associated Countries with specific provisions suggests that some international participation is possible. The system demonstrators are expected to be at different EU climate/sea zones.

Target Sector: The program targets the energy sector, specifically photovoltaic (PV) technology. It focuses on two main areas: agrivoltaics (co-location of agriculture and PV) and offshore/nearshore PV systems. It also touches on agriculture, climate, and environmental conservation.

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions the European Union (EU) and non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on demonstration and innovation actions, suggesting that the projects should be at the development, validation, and demonstration stages. The call also mentions the importance of scalability, commercialization, and deployment, indicating a desire for projects to move towards commercialization.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-04 - HORIZON-PCP HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement has a budget of EUR 40,000,000.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-05 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions has a budget of EUR 13,500,000.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-06 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions has a budget of EUR 18,000,000.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-14 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions has a budget of EUR 30,000,000.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-23 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions has a budget of EUR 30,000,000.

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.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-04 aims to award 1 grant with a budget of EUR 40,000,000, while HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-05 aims to award 2 grants with a budget of EUR 13,500,000.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, the emphasis on exploitation and commercialization, along with the mention of the Innovation Fund as a potential funding source, suggests that applicants should consider long-term financial sustainability and potential co-funding opportunities.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on improving the system design for innovative photovoltaic (PV) applications, specifically in agrivoltaics and offshore/nearshore PV systems. The call aims to address the challenges and opportunities associated with these novel PV deployment methods, including optimizing system designs, promoting societal acceptance, and ensuring environmental sustainability. Applicants must choose to focus on either agrivoltaics or offshore/nearshore PV and demonstrate comprehensive system modeling, advanced system components, resilience to climate change, standardization, and permitting process definition. The call encourages the involvement of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and experts to enhance the societal impact of the research activities. Successful projects will contribute to the goals of the EU solar energy strategy and report on their results to the European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics (EUPI-PV). The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process is a single-stage open call. The indicative number of grants varies depending on the specific topic, with budgets ranging from EUR 13,500,000 to EUR 40,000,000.