Innovative manufacturing of wind energy technologies

The EU funding opportunity titled "Innovative manufacturing of wind energy technologies," identified as HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D3-06 under Horizon Europe, focuses on enhancing the manufacturing processes related to wind energy. This initiative is a part of the Horizon Innovation Actions and is currently open for submissions with a single-stage application process. The application period started on May 6, 2025, and will end on September 2, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

Eligible applicants include startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, universities, research institutes, and public-private partnerships. All projects must comply with Horizon Europe's requirements, which typically favor collaborative efforts involving multiple partners. The geographical scope covers EU member states, EEA countries, and select nations associated with the Horizon Europe program.

The funding model is based on a lump sum grant, providing non-repayable financial support at a defined fixed amount. The expected financial contribution for each project is approximately €7 million, categorized as over €5 million. The projects funded under this call aim to produce affordable and secure energy, enhance the strategic autonomy of the European wind supply chain, and contribute to the goals outlined in the Net Zero Industry Act.

Proposals should address multiple specific aspects of wind energy manufacturing, including the development and demonstration of innovative technologies that enhance health and safety, reduce material and energy consumption, increase circularity, lower pollution, and ensure high-quality production. Additionally, proposals should provide a clear pathway to demonstrating these technologies, including necessary engineering plans, sustainability assessments, and all required permits for the projects.

The application process consists of a single submission stage, with no co-funding required, as the grant covers 100% of eligible costs. While specific success rates are not published, historical averages for similar EU calls suggest rates between 10% and 39%.

In summary, this funding opportunity promotes innovation in the wind energy sector through collaborative projects, focusing on sustainability, automation, and increased manufacturing efficiency, with significant financial support available for well-structured proposals.

This is a description of the EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D3-06, titled "Innovative manufacturing of wind energy technologies". It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the Cluster 5 Call 02-2025 (WP 2025) (HORIZON-CL5-2025-02).

The type of action is HORIZON-IA (HORIZON Innovation Actions) and the type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline model. The opening date was 06 May 2025, and the deadline for submission is 02 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this topic are:

Energy consumers having access to affordable, clean, and secure energy with lower environmental impacts and improved health and safety working conditions along the entire value chain.
The European wind energy supply chain strengthening its strategic autonomy, technology leadership, competitiveness, and technology export potential.
Facilitating the deployment of wind energy in Europe through innovations enabling large-volume manufacturing, contributing to the achievement of the Net Zero Industry Act.

The scope of the proposals should address at least three of the following aspects:

Development and demonstration of innovative wind energy manufacturing technologies that improve the health and safety working conditions of staff along the supply chain.
Development and demonstration of innovative wind energy manufacturing technologies that allow for reduced energy and material consumption, increased circularity, lower costs, and decreased pollution.
Development and demonstration of automated and/or semi-automated manufacturing solutions that ensure high-quality products, high productivity, increase the lifetime and the reliability of wind energy systems.
Development and demonstration of manufacturing solutions for wind energy technologies that allow for high production throughput, optimisation of logistics and transport of components, and reduced impacts on the environment, cultural heritage, landscapes, and people.

The project could support the development of innovative manufacturing solutions for onshore and/or offshore wind energy production, including airborne wind energy, focusing on specific components like blades, nacelles, towers, gearboxes, foundations, generators, floaters, mooring systems, anchors, and kites.

Additional requirements include:

Analysis and reporting on the potential for standardisation of the developed solutions and connections with ongoing standardisation efforts.
Inclusion of a clear go/no-go milestone before entering the demonstration phase, with deliverables including detailed engineering plans, a techno-economic assessment, and all needed permits for the demonstrator. The proposal should present a clear pathway and timeline for obtaining the permits.
Assessment of the sustainability of the proposed solutions in environmental and socio-economic terms.
Demonstration at a realistic, representative scale for a continuous interval of at least six months.
Consideration of the gender dimension when developing improvements along the supply chain to improve health and safety working conditions.
An exploitation plan that includes a strategy for scalability, commercialisation, and deployment (feasibility study, business plan), indicating possible funding sources, particularly the Innovation Fund, whenever the expected exploitation involves developing, creating, manufacturing, and marketing a product, process, or service.

The submission session is now available for this topic and other related topics.

General conditions for participation include:

Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits 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.
Eligibility of countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, noting that some non-EU/non-Associated Countries have specific provisions for funding.
Other eligibility conditions as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and 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 setup of the grants, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme and Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

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

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

Additional documents include:

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

The budget overview lists various HORIZON-CL5-2025-02 topics, their corresponding budget in EUR for the year 2025, the type of action (HORIZON-IA, HORIZON-CSA, HORIZON-RIA, HORIZON-COFUND), the stage (single-stage), the opening date (2025-05-06), the deadline (2025-09-02), and the indicative number of grants. The budget for HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D3-06 is 28,000,000 EUR, with an indicative number of 4 grants.

There are partner search announcements available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests.

To start the submission process, applicants need to access the Electronic Submission Service and select the appropriate type of action and model grant agreement.

Various support resources are available, including 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, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks.

In summary, this Horizon Europe funding opportunity aims to foster innovation in the manufacturing of wind energy technologies. It seeks projects that can demonstrate improvements in health and safety, reduce environmental impact, enhance productivity, and promote the strategic autonomy of the European wind energy supply chain. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and projects are expected to have a clear path to demonstration and exploitation, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and standardisation. The call is open to a wide range of participants, and the EU provides extensive support and guidance throughout the application and project lifecycle.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of Horizon Europe calls, eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations involved in research and innovation. The specific eligibility criteria are detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) being HORIZON-AG-LS. The calls also include HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, Horizon Europe projects often involve consortia, especially for Innovation Actions and Research and Innovation Actions. Applicants should consult the specific call conditions for details.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. The opportunity also mentions that 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.

Target Sector: The program targets the energy sector, specifically wind energy, and innovative manufacturing solutions. It focuses on improving the European wind energy supply chain, promoting clean energy, and contributing to the Net Zero Industry Act.

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to EU member states and associated countries, as well as non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for funding. The primary region is Europe, with potential involvement from other countries based on specific agreements.

Project Stage: The project stage ranges from development to demonstration. The call emphasizes the development and demonstration of innovative manufacturing technologies, including a clear go/no-go milestone before entering the demonstration phase.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action. The budget overview provides the following ranges:
HORIZON-IA: €14,000,000 to €28,000,000, with some topics at €18,000,000 or €20,000,000
HORIZON-RIA: €5,000,000 to €12,000,000, with some topics at €10,000,000
HORIZON-CSA: €500,000 to €7,500,000, with some topics at €1,000,000, €3,000,000, or €4,000,000
HORIZON-COFUND: €69,000,000

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

Nature of Support: 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 in the text.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned, but for HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND), co-funding is generally expected.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe Cluster 5 call focuses on "Innovative manufacturing of wind energy technologies." The call aims to enhance the European wind energy supply chain, promote clean energy, and support the Net Zero Industry Act. It seeks proposals that develop and demonstrate innovative manufacturing technologies for wind energy, focusing on improving health and safety, reducing costs and pollution, increasing circularity, and automating manufacturing processes. The call is structured around several topics, including Innovation Actions (IA), Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), and Programme Cofund Actions, each with varying budget allocations. Eligible applicants include a range of entities from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries with specific funding provisions. Projects should address multiple aspects of wind energy manufacturing, including technology development, sustainability assessment, and standardization potential. The application process involves a single-stage submission, with funding provided as lump sum grants. Applicants are encouraged to consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and other resources for detailed guidance on eligibility, evaluation criteria, and submission procedures. The call emphasizes the importance of a clear go/no-go milestone before the demonstration phase, requiring detailed engineering plans, techno-economic assessments, and permit acquisition strategies.