Innovative technologies and solutions to improve wave and tidal energy systems

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity focuses on advancing innovative technologies and solutions for wave and tidal energy systems under the topic title "HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-09." The total funding available for this initiative is €43 million, aimed specifically at enhancing ocean energy technologies while contributing to the European Union's goal of achieving a total capacity of 40 gigawatts (GW) from such energy sources by 2050.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities such as research organizations, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups, large companies, technology developers, and various public and private organizations. The structure requires a core consortium responsible for the project management and distribution of funds to third parties through Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP). Each third party can receive a maximum grant of €800,000.

The funding is provided primarily in the form of grants categorized into HORIZON Innovation Actions and Coordination and Support Actions. The initiative is structured around three integrated challenges: breakthrough innovation, validation, and demonstration, targeting technology readiness levels (TRL) ranging from early-stage research to real-world deployment. The project aims to demonstrate at least three distinct technologies and requires milestones for approval before advancing to deployment phases.

The program operates with a single-stage application process, opening on December 3, 2026, and closing on March 31, 2027. Proposals should detail comprehensive methodologies and risk mitigation strategies to meet the expected high standards for demonstrating novel technologies.

Geographically, eligibility is open to all EU member states and associated countries, with encouragement for cross-border collaborations. The overall ambition is to move ocean energy from theoretical research toward practical commercialization, with a significant emphasis on sustainable practices and minimal environmental impact.

In summary, this competitive opportunity seeks well-resourced consortia with extensive experience in managing large-scale projects to propose innovative solutions that enhance the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and practicality of ocean energy systems while ensuring robust governance and stakeholder engagement throughout the project lifecycle.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call under the BATTERIES and ENERGY (HORIZON-CL5-2027-02) program, specifically topic HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-09, which focuses on innovative technologies and solutions to improve wave and tidal energy systems. It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The deadline model is single-stage. The planned opening date is 03 December 2026, and the deadline date is 31 March 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The topic budget for the year 2027 is 43,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 1.

The expected outcomes of the project are to advance the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan’s research and innovation priorities and targets for ocean energy, increase the performance of wave and tidal energy technologies, provide efficient support to ocean energy research and innovation, and increase the contribution of ocean energy to the energy system with minimal environmental impact and at the lowest possible cost.

The scope of the action includes the development and demonstration of cost-effective wave and tidal energy systems that can survive in harsh ocean environments. Specific areas of focus include:

Development and demonstration of innovative wave energy devices in a controlled environment.
Development and demonstration of innovative next-generation tidal energy devices in a controlled environment.
Development and demonstration of new sustainable materials in ocean energy converters, moorings, and foundations.
Development and demonstration of sustainable tailored mooring and connection of electrical or other power transmission systems.
Advancement of combined mooring and electrical connectors or hydraulic power transmission.
Development of novel systems for safe and quick connection/disconnection.
Instrumentation for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance of ocean energy devices and structures, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Advanced manufacturing of ocean energy devices and structures.
Development of technologies and solutions for the installation, maintenance, and decommissioning of wave and tidal energy devices.

The action consists of activities directly implemented by the consortium and activities implemented through financial support to third parties (FSTP). The R&I activities are divided into three challenges: breakthrough, validation, and demonstration. The breakthrough and validation challenges can be carried out through activities directly implemented by the core consortium and through FSTP activities, while the demonstration challenge will solely be implemented by the core consortium.

The breakthrough challenge involves developing new solutions, tools, and knowledge to increase the competitiveness of the ocean energy sector. The validation challenge involves validating technologies, tools, and innovative solutions in a laboratory and in a relevant environment. The demonstration challenge involves carrying out demonstration activities up to TRL 7.

The activities of the core consortium are expected to include direct research and innovation activities in any of the areas listed in scope and in any of the challenges. The core consortium will be responsible for the management of the whole project, including the actions carried out through financial support to third parties. The budget dedicated to project management should not exceed 7% of the EU funding. The project is expected to carry out at least three demonstration activities, each with a different focus. A go/no-go milestone is required for each demonstration activity before entering the deployment phase, with evidence of permits, engineering plans, and a business and implementation plan in place. The total maximum amount of EU funding for the activities in the demonstration challenge is expected to be 24 million Euros.

A share of the EU funding will be implemented through financial support to third parties (FSTP) to engage research organizations, academia, start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, industries, and other entities. A tiered approach should be adopted via FSTP calls, with projects of relatively short duration (e.g., 12-18 months) being supported.

For the FSTP calls related to the breakthrough and validation challenges, the following considerations should be taken into account:

Breakthrough challenge: The proposal should foresee consecutive FSTP calls for the development of breakthrough technologies and innovative solutions in support of demonstrating and upscaling wave and tidal energy considering the full supply chain. Up to 3 million EU requested contribution should be used to set up this ‘Breakthrough technologies’ challenge for third parties. The challenge should aim at attracting new partners (academia, SMEs, scale ups) and solutions.
Validation challenge: The proposal should foresee consecutive FSTP calls for the validation of innovative technologies/solutions developed in the breakthrough challenge or from earlier R&I projects. Up to 6 million EUR EU funding is expected to be used for subsequent FSTP calls. FSTP will be used to engage other entities not earlier identified.

The first FSTP call for the breakthrough challenge should be published in the first year of the project. The FSTP call for the validation challenge should be published in a later stage of the project. The activities carried out through FSTP calls can pertain to any of the research and innovation areas listed in scope. The applicants must clearly describe in their proposal the objectives and the expected results of the FSTP call. The consortium is expected to take into account the provisions on ‘financial support to third parties’ set out in Annex B of the General Annexes and incorporate them into the proposal, considering elements within the FSTP schemes to address broad EU geographical balance. The FSTP calls should be open to any public or private entities, including SMEs.

The action will require a strong internal governance and strong procedures. The consortium will have to describe all challenges/actions for the whole duration of the project, including the activities to be carried out directly by the core consortium and the ones carried out through financial support to third parties (FSTP). It will have to set out how the calls for proposals to be funded through financial support to third parties (FSTP) are organised and how the evaluation of these proposals is carried out. The core project consortium needs to define the selection criteria and the process and criteria of organisations, for which financial support may be granted, ensuring compliance with the FSTP rules under Horizon Europe. The proposal should describe clearly the methodology to implement the various steps of the FSTP calls, define the specifications of the stages of the competitions, timelines, targets, KPIs and a solid evaluation methodology including evaluation criteria. The consortium is also responsible for ensuring high visibility of the FSTP calls.

The core consortium is expected to demonstrate proven experience in sound financial management of large projects, including public procurement and/or calls and grants to support third parties, in particular for the beneficiaries that will manage the FSTP calls. The project must embed mechanisms to assess and demonstrate progress following the stage gate metrics developed by Task 12 of the IEA Ocean Energy System Technology Collaboration Platform, and report the progress of all its R&I activities according to these mechanisms and KPIs. The consortium will have to present a comprehensive risk and mitigation plan, paying special attention to the risk that the chosen demonstration actions will not reach a go-decision. The project should monitor and report on the contribution towards the high-level SET Plan KPIs defined by the SET Plan community in the ocean energy sector. The project sets up an Advisory Board, composed of experts in ocean energy systems’ research and innovation, representing public and private entities that are independent from the beneficiaries of the project. A representation of the SET Plan Implementation Working Group (IWG) on Ocean Energy, the Clean Energy Transition Cofund Partnership (CET Partnership) related initiative, and of the European Commission should be as well part of the Advisory Board. The consortium should define measures to maximise the impact of the successful project and for that will contribute to the relevant Knowledge Community and Impact Network of the Clean Energy Transition Partnership and share communicable results with the European R&D community. Proposals are encouraged to consider services offered by European research infrastructures, especially the Marinerg-i distributed infrastructure specialising in sea applications, and liaise with initiatives under the International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Programme on Ocean Energy Systems (IEA TCP OES).

The estimated project duration is around 5 years. The proposal page limit is increased to 60 pages due to the complexity of the topic. Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 800,000 to be granted to each third party.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster innovation and demonstration in wave and tidal energy technologies, with a focus on cost reduction, improved performance, and sustainability. It encourages collaboration between various stakeholders, including research organizations, industry, and SMEs, through a combination of direct funding and financial support to third parties. The call emphasizes the importance of aligning with the SET Plan priorities and targets, as well as ensuring minimal environmental impact and robust project governance.

The EU is offering a grant to a consortium that can develop and demonstrate cost-effective wave and tidal energy systems. The goal is to bring these technologies to market and increase the contribution of ocean energy to the overall energy system. The project involves research, innovation, and demonstration activities, with a significant portion of the funding distributed to third parties through open calls. The EU wants to see new technologies validated and demonstrated in controlled environments, with a focus on sustainability and minimal environmental impact. The consortium needs to have strong management skills and a clear plan for achieving the project's goals, including obtaining necessary permits and securing financial closure for demonstration activities.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include research organizations, academia, start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, industries, and other public or private entities. The FSTP calls should be open to any public or private entities, including SMEs. The core consortium is expected to demonstrate proven experience in sound financial management of large projects, including public procurement and/or calls and grants to support third parties, in particular for the beneficiaries that will manage the FSTP calls.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] under the Horizon Europe Programme. Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is provided in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. The action consists of activities directly implemented by the consortium and activities implemented through financial support to third parties. The core consortium will be responsible for the management of the whole project, including the actions carried out through financial support to third parties (management of the FSTP calls, management of the FSTP projects). A given action supported by FSTP can be implemented by one third party or by a (small) consortium of entities.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be EU, as it falls under the Horizon Europe Programme. However, 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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. The consortium should consider specifically elements within the FSTP schemes to address broad EU geographical balance.

Target Sector: The program targets the ocean energy sector, specifically focusing on wave and tidal energy development. It also involves areas such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, sustainable materials, and power transmission systems related to ocean energy.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on EU and associated countries within the Horizon Europe program.

Project Stage: The project stages range from breakthrough research and innovation to validation and demonstration, with demonstration activities expected up to TRL 7. The breakthrough challenge entails actions to develop new solutions, tools and new knowledge to increase the competitiveness of the ocean energy sector and on the acceleration of ocean energy deployment at scale. The aim is that the innovative technologies have been at least validated towards the end of the project. The validation challenge entail actions to validate technologies, tools and innovative solutions both in a laboratory and in a relevant environment which have been developed in the project or have been developed previously or separately in other European and national projects. In the demonstration challenge the consortium is expected to carry out demonstration activities (up to TRL 7) in line with the priorities set by the SET Plan ocean energy R&I priorities and targets and accelerate the take up of innovation by the industry.

Funding Amount: The total maximum amount of EU funding for the activities in the demonstration challenge is expected to be 24 million Euros. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 800.000. Up to 3 million EUR EU requested contribution should be used to set up this ‘Breakthrough technologies’ challenge for third parties. Up to 6 million EUR EU funding is expected to be used for subsequent FSTP calls.

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 grants. Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties (FSTP). The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided in the budget overview.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly mentioned as a requirement for the core consortium. However, for the demonstration activities, the use of other EU/national/regional support mechanisms can be considered to achieve financial close.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the Batteries and Energy theme, seeks to advance ocean energy technologies, particularly wave and tidal energy systems. It aims to boost the performance, reduce the cost, and improve the sustainability of these technologies, aligning with the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. The call encourages proposals that cover the entire lifecycle of ocean energy farms, from installation to decommissioning, and promotes collaboration among various stakeholders. The funding is structured around three challenges: breakthrough, validation, and demonstration, with a significant portion allocated to financial support for third parties (FSTP) to foster innovation and attract new participants. The selected projects are expected to carry out at least three demonstration activities and contribute to the SET Plan’s KPIs, with a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability and minimal impact on biodiversity. The call is open to a wide range of entities, including research organizations, academia, SMEs, and industries, and requires the formation of a consortium with proven experience in financial management and project governance. The total EU funding for demonstration activities can reach up to 24 million Euros, with individual third-party grants capped at 800,000 Euros. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline in March 2027, and proposals are expected to detail comprehensive risk mitigation plans and methodologies for implementing FSTP calls.