Innovative approaches for the deployment of Positive Energy Districts

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity, titled "Innovative approaches for the deployment of Positive Energy Districts," aims to promote urban energy transition through effective solutions within the Climate, Energy, and Mobility cluster. This call is categorized as a HORIZON Innovation Action and features a budget of 15 million euros, anticipated to fund approximately three projects.

Eligible applicant types include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), universities, research institutes, public-private partnerships, city and regional authorities, and non-governmental organizations. The project encourages consortium applications, especially involving public and private stakeholders, although this requirement is not explicitly stated.

The geographic eligibility primarily encompasses EU member states, the European Economic Area (EEA), and associated countries, with possible provisions for third-country participation. The grant specifically addresses multiple sectors, including energy, environment, climate, information and communications technology, transport, and construction.

Proposals must tackle stages of development, validation, demonstration, and scale-up of Positive Energy Districts. Funding per project ranges from one to five million euros. The application process is a single-stage open call, set to begin on September 16, 2025, with a submission deadline of February 17, 2026.

The support provided through this grant is a lump-sum financial grant, which typically covers 100% of eligible costs, suggesting there may be no co-funding requirement. Success rates for Horizon grants average around 10-39%, although specific success rates for this opportunity remain unspecified.

To qualify, proposals should demonstrate innovative solutions for overcoming barriers to PED implementation, develop supportive local planning frameworks, and be demonstrated in at least three districts. The involvement of social sciences and humanities expertise is a critical component, promoting community engagement and collaboration among diverse stakeholders.

Overall, the call seeks to enhance public acceptance of Positive Energy Districts, ensuring they achieve a positive energy balance at the district level while promoting inclusiveness and replicability across various geographical contexts.

This is a comprehensive description of a Horizon Europe funding opportunity focused on innovative approaches for deploying Positive Energy Districts (PEDs). The call, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-04, falls under Cluster 5 of the Horizon Europe Programme and is designated as a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA). The grant agreement will be a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The call is a single-stage application process with a planned opening date of September 16, 2025, and a deadline of February 17, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The total budget allocated to this topic for the year 2025 is 15,000,000 EUR, and it is anticipated that approximately 3 grants will be awarded.

Project results are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

Increased number of approaches and solutions enabling a net positive yearly energy balance at district level and the export of excess renewable energy to the grid outside its geographical boundaries, with enhanced replicability on a larger scale in other positive energy districts (PEDs) in different contexts.

Measurable increase in inclusiveness and public acceptance of the implementation of PEDs.

Improved user-friendliness and user-awareness of guidelines, tools, and training materials targeting key professionals for overcoming the different types of barriers towards the realisation of PEDs.

The scope of this funding opportunity centers around addressing the existing constraints that inhibit the demonstration of complete and qualified PEDs. It recognizes that while the feasibility of PEDs has been demonstrated, there is a need to further showcase their climate-neutral impact and develop innovative solutions to overcome technical, business, social, and organizational barriers. These barriers span various domains, including:

Climate mitigation strategies

Integration of renewable energy sources

Energy storage solutions in buildings

Grid connections

Accommodation of distributed energy generation and storage at the district level

Permitting processes

Data privacy and security

Application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence

The call emphasizes the necessity for cooperation among key professionals from the public and private sectors, including municipal and regional authorities, as well as stakeholders from the energy and construction sectors, in complex implementation processes.

Proposals submitted under this call are expected to address all of the following:

Demonstrate innovative approaches and solutions for overcoming constraints which prevent the successful implementation of PEDs.

Develop supportive local planning frameworks for the design and realization of PEDs.

Demonstrate the proposed approaches, solutions, and supportive local planning frameworks in at least three districts in diverse geographical areas that implement energy efficiency measures alongside renewable energy installations, storage solutions, digital and smart technologies, and local energy communities.

Develop and/or update existing guidelines, tools, and training materials for key professionals that will enable other cities to successfully replicate these innovative approaches, solutions and supportive local planning frameworks in their district/cities.

Ensure the active involvement of all relevant public and private stakeholders, including citizens, through co-creation processes and community engagement activities.

The call specifically highlights the importance of incorporating Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and expertise to enhance the societal impact of the research activities. This includes the involvement of SSH experts, institutions, and relevant SSH expertise, including social innovation.

General conditions for participation include:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may apply to non-EU/non-Associated Countries, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other Eligible Conditions: Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants: 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 and the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community. Further details are available on the Funding and Tenders Portal. General conditions are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA).

Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, Call-specific instructions, Detailed budget table (HE LS), and Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?".

Additional documents:

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. 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

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

The submission system is planned to open on September 16, 2025.

A Q&A section addresses whether the topic defines a PED as a district that can produce, import, and export energy over a year, with exports exceeding imports, and whether it addresses virtual PEDs. The response clarifies that imports should not compensate for a lack of energy production within the district on a yearly basis.

Support resources include the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment, and a Partner Search tool.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks to foster innovation in the deployment of Positive Energy Districts by addressing the technical, social, and economic barriers that currently hinder their widespread adoption. It encourages projects that demonstrate practical solutions, develop supportive planning frameworks, and actively involve local communities, with a strong emphasis on replicability and the integration of social sciences and humanities expertise. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the call is open to a wide range of stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. The ultimate goal is to increase the number of successful PED implementations and contribute to a climate-neutral future.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the context, they could include a mix of public and private sector entities, such as municipal and regional authorities, energy sector companies, construction sector companies, research institutions, and potentially SMEs and large enterprises. The call also emphasizes the involvement of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) experts and institutions.

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]". There are also HORIZON Innovation Actions, HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions.

Consortium Requirement: The need for a consortium is not explicitly stated, but the call encourages the active involvement of public and private stakeholders, including citizens, suggesting that a consortium approach is preferred, if not required. The call for cooperation of key professionals from the public and private sector also suggests that a consortium is needed.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on EU 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 third-country participation may be possible.

Target Sector: The primary target sectors are climate, energy, mobility, and construction, with a strong emphasis on Positive Energy Districts (PEDs). This includes climate mitigation, renewable energy sources, energy storage, grid connections, digital and smart technologies, and local energy communities. The call also highlights the importance of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and social innovation.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity details do not explicitly mention specific countries. However, it refers to EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some non-EU/non-associated countries that have made specific provisions for funding.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be focused on demonstration and validation, with an emphasis on implementing and demonstrating innovative approaches and solutions in at least three districts. It also includes elements of development, particularly in creating supportive local planning frameworks and updating guidelines and tools.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €6,000,000 to €33,000,000. The indicative number of grants also varies, from 1 to 3 per topic. For example: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-01 has a budget of 33,000,000 EUR and will give around 3 grants. HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-13 has a budget of 20,000,000 EUR and will give around 1 grant.

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 single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates cannot be determined from the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement cannot be determined from the provided text.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on "Innovative approaches for the deployment of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs)". It seeks projects that can demonstrate and validate innovative solutions for overcoming the technical, business, social, and organizational constraints that hinder the successful implementation of PEDs. The call encourages projects to develop supportive local planning frameworks, implement energy efficiency measures, integrate renewable energy sources, storage solutions, and smart technologies, and actively involve local communities. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the call is open to a wide range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors, with a particular emphasis on the inclusion of SSH expertise. Projects are expected to demonstrate their approaches in at least three districts across diverse geographical areas and develop guidelines and tools for replication in other cities. The call aims to increase the number of approaches and solutions enabling a net positive yearly energy balance at district level, enhance public acceptance of PEDs, and improve the user-friendliness of resources for professionals working in this field. The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget and indicative number of grants, ranging from Innovation Actions (IA), Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The submission deadline is February 17, 2026.