Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies - General decarbonisation - Large-Scale Projects

The Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies call (INNOVFUND-2025-NZT) is a significant EU funding opportunity aimed at promoting the deployment of net-zero technologies and contributing to general decarbonization efforts. This call is structured around large-scale projects, with a total budget of 2.9 billion euros. It officially opened for proposals on December 4, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is April 23, 2026.

Eligible applicants include legal entities such as public or private bodies, which means a wide range of organizations, including large firms, SMEs, universities, research institutions, and non-profits, can apply. Projects must be based in EU member states or EEA countries, although applicants can be from any country worldwide.

The funding type offered is a lump sum grant, termed "INNOVFUND Lump Sum Grants." This approach provides fixed payments upon meeting specific milestones rather than reimbursing project costs, simplifying financial processes for beneficiaries.

While applications can be submitted individually or as part of a consortium, there is no mandatory consortium requirement. Projects should focus on innovative net-zero and low-carbon technologies across various sectors such as clean-tech manufacturing, carbon capture, energy storage, and circular economy solutions.

The program supports projects at different stages of development, including pilot projects that are highly innovative and aim for significant reductions in greenhouse gases. There are minimum financial thresholds for large-scale projects, set above 100 million euros, while individual project grants may cover up to 60% of relevant costs, requiring a minimum of 40% co-funding from external sources like investment or public financing.

The application process consists of a single submission stage via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, with no prior expression of interest needed. The evaluation timeline is extended due to the complexity of projects, taking up to 11 months from the submission deadline to grant agreement signing.

While no specific success rates for this call have been published, historical EU funding programs typically see rates between 10% and 39%. Applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review the call documents for detailed criteria on admissibility, eligibility, and evaluation processes.

This funding initiative aims to stimulate investment in climate-critical infrastructure and innovative technologies, positioning Europe as a leader in the transition towards sustainable practices and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies call (INNOVFUND-2025-NZT) is an EU funding opportunity under the Innovation Fund program. The call focuses on supporting projects that contribute to net-zero technologies and general decarbonization. The type of action is InnovFund-LS INNOVFUND Lump Sum Grants, and the type of Model Grant Agreement is INNOVFUND Lump Sum Grant [InnovFund-AG-LS].

The call is open for submission with a single-stage deadline model. The opening date is December 4, 2025, and the deadline for submission is April 23, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The submission session is available for the following topics: INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-GENERAL-MSP, INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-GENERAL-LSP, INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-CLEAN-TECH-MANUFACTURING, INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-GENERAL-SSP, and INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-PILOTS.

The total budget for the call is EUR 2,900,000,000.

The conditions for the call include:

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

The call document and annexes include:

Call document
Methodology for calculation of GHG emission avoidance
Methodology for calculation of relevant costs
Application form and templates for information only for submission, use the forms provided inside the Submission System (under "Part B templates")
Application form the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System (under "Part B templates")
Detailed budget table/relevant cost calculator (‘financial information file’)
GHG emission avoidance calculators (they include an example calculation) Choose the calculator that corresponds to your project (see Methodology for calculation of relevant costs) (only one can be submitted):
GHG calculator renewable electricity and heating
GHG calculator energy storage
GHG calculator energy intensive industries (EII)
GHG calculator mobility
Feasibility study
Business plan
Participant information
Timetable/Gantt chart
Extended Part C form (for statistical data collection) available in the Submission System (under "Part B templates")
Knowledge Sharing report template for information only at submission stage
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
INNOVFUND Lump Sum MGA

The legal framework and additional documents include:

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

To access the Electronic Submission Service, applicants should click on the submission button next to the type of action and the type of model grant agreement that corresponds to their proposal. To access existing draft proposals, applicants can log in to the Funding & Tenders Portal and select the My Proposals page of the My Area section.

Applicants can select the type of their submission: INNOVFUND Lump Sum Grants [InnovFund-LS] or INNOVFUND Lump Sum Grant [InnovFund-AG-LS].

For help related to this call, applicants can contact the InnovFund helpdesk for questions specifically related to the call documentation, application, and evaluation process, or the IT Helpdesk for technical questions. The Online Manual provides a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes.

In summary, this Innovation Fund call aims to support projects that contribute to the EU's net-zero emissions targets by providing lump sum grants for innovative technologies and solutions. The call covers a range of topics, including general decarbonization, clean technology manufacturing, and pilot projects. Applicants need to carefully review the call documents, eligibility criteria, and submission guidelines to prepare a strong proposal. The provided helpdesks and online resources are available to assist applicants throughout the application process. The call is structured as a single-stage submission with a deadline in April 2026, and it offers a substantial budget to support impactful projects in the field of net-zero technologies.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that it is the Innovation Fund and the topics include large-scale projects, clean tech manufacturing, and pilots, it can be inferred that eligible applicants could include SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, universities, and other relevant organizations involved in developing and deploying innovative clean technologies. Further details would be available in section 6 of the call document, as indicated.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically "INNOVFUND Lump Sum Grants".

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. This information is likely detailed in the call document, specifically in sections 5 and 6. Given the scale of the projects mentioned (large-scale projects, pilots), consortia are likely to be common, but single applicants might also be eligible depending on the specific topic.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly mentioned in the provided text. However, since it is an EU funding opportunity, it is highly likely that applicants from EU member states and potentially associated countries are eligible. Section 6 of the call document should provide the specific details on eligible countries.

Target Sector: The program targets several sectors related to Net Zero Technologies. These include general decarbonization, clean tech manufacturing, and pilot projects. The specific topics mentioned are: INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-GENERAL-MSP, INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-GENERAL-LSP, INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-CLEAN-TECH-MANUFACTURING, INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-GENERAL-SSP, and INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-PILOTS. These suggest a focus on manufacturing, energy, and potentially other sectors contributing to greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned in the provided text. The opportunity is an EU funding initiative, so it is implied that EU member states are likely to be the primary beneficiaries.

Project Stage: The projects targeted appear to be at various stages, including pilot projects, large-scale projects, and projects focused on clean technology manufacturing. This suggests that the program supports projects from the demonstration phase through to commercialization or scale-up. The inclusion of feasibility studies and business plans as required documents indicates that projects in the development and validation stages are also relevant.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the call is EUR 2,900,000,000. However, the funding range for individual projects is not specified in the provided text. The different topics (MSP, LSP, etc.) likely have different funding ranges, which would be detailed in the call document.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by "Open For Submission". The submission is electronic, via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage, as indicated by "single-stage" under the "Stages" column in the budget overview.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention whether co-funding is required. This information would likely be detailed in the call document.

Summary:

This is a call for proposals under the Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies (INNOVFUND-2025-NZT), offering lump sum grants for projects contributing to general decarbonization and the development and deployment of net-zero technologies. The call is structured around several topics, including general projects (MSP, LSP, SSP), clean tech manufacturing, and pilot projects. The total budget is EUR 2.9 billion. The application process is a single-stage electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, with a deadline of April 23, 2026. Applicants need to carefully review the call document and related annexes for detailed information on eligibility criteria, evaluation processes, and required documentation, including methodologies for calculating GHG emission avoidance and relevant costs. The call aims to support projects across various stages of development, from feasibility studies to large-scale deployment, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting innovative clean technologies. Several calculators are available to help applicants assess the GHG emission avoidance potential of their projects in areas such as renewable electricity and heating, energy storage, energy-intensive industries, and mobility. The legal framework for the call is based on several EU decisions, regulations, and directives, including the ETS Directive and the EU Financial Regulation.