Innovative technologies and solutions to improve wind energy systems supporting the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan on wind
Overview
The grant opportunity titled "Innovative technologies and solutions to improve wind energy systems supporting the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan on wind" is part of the Horizon Europe program under the topic identifier HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D3-03. It is categorized as a Horizon Innovation Action (IA) with an opening date of May 5, 2026, and a submission deadline of September 15, 2026. The total budget allocated for this initiative is €93 million, with a single grant expected to be awarded.
Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities such as research organizations, universities, start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, large industries, public authorities, and other relevant entities. The primary funding type is grant-based, specifically designed to support various research and innovation activities, including Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) for development and validation.
A consortium of multiple applicants is required to manage the project, including responsibilities for research activities and FSTP mechanisms. Geographic eligibility covers EU member states and associated countries, with notable exclusions for legal entities established in China. Projects should align with the renewable energy sector, particularly focusing on wind energy systems and related fields.
The funding will facilitate projects that address nine priority research and innovation areas, such as industrialization, digitalization, sustainability, and floating offshore wind technologies. Projects must operate at technology readiness levels (TRL) 4-8, with a focus on practical applications and commercialization within approximately five years.
Successful applicants will receive direct grants for their activities as well as funding for third-party beneficiaries through the FSTP mechanism, which emphasizes a tiered approach to engaging smaller organizations that may not have direct access to large EU funds.
The application process follows a single-stage submission model, with a page limit of 60 pages for proposals. The criteria for evaluation will focus on project management capacity and governance, including the establishment of an independent Advisory Board comprised of experts from both public and private sectors.
Co-funding for demonstration activities may be required, and applicants must articulate clear pathways for permit acquisition and project implementation. The initiative aims to enhance the EU’s wind energy contribution and supports the overarching goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The timeline includes an expected evaluation and grant agreement signature within eight months following the application deadline.
This opportunity stands as a significant investment towards advancing Europe's green energy transition and enhancing competitiveness in the wind energy sector, aligning with EU policies and the global agenda for sustainable energy practices.
Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities such as research organizations, universities, start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, large industries, public authorities, and other relevant entities. The primary funding type is grant-based, specifically designed to support various research and innovation activities, including Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) for development and validation.
A consortium of multiple applicants is required to manage the project, including responsibilities for research activities and FSTP mechanisms. Geographic eligibility covers EU member states and associated countries, with notable exclusions for legal entities established in China. Projects should align with the renewable energy sector, particularly focusing on wind energy systems and related fields.
The funding will facilitate projects that address nine priority research and innovation areas, such as industrialization, digitalization, sustainability, and floating offshore wind technologies. Projects must operate at technology readiness levels (TRL) 4-8, with a focus on practical applications and commercialization within approximately five years.
Successful applicants will receive direct grants for their activities as well as funding for third-party beneficiaries through the FSTP mechanism, which emphasizes a tiered approach to engaging smaller organizations that may not have direct access to large EU funds.
The application process follows a single-stage submission model, with a page limit of 60 pages for proposals. The criteria for evaluation will focus on project management capacity and governance, including the establishment of an independent Advisory Board comprised of experts from both public and private sectors.
Co-funding for demonstration activities may be required, and applicants must articulate clear pathways for permit acquisition and project implementation. The initiative aims to enhance the EU’s wind energy contribution and supports the overarching goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The timeline includes an expected evaluation and grant agreement signature within eight months following the application deadline.
This opportunity stands as a significant investment towards advancing Europe's green energy transition and enhancing competitiveness in the wind energy sector, aligning with EU policies and the global agenda for sustainable energy practices.
Detail
This EU funding opportunity focuses on innovative technologies and solutions to improve wind energy systems, supporting the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan on wind energy. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the BATTERIES and ENERGY (HORIZON-CL5-2026-09) call. The type of action is HORIZON-IA (HORIZON Innovation Actions) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. This is a forthcoming call with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 05 May 2026, and the deadline date is 15 September 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time.
The expected outcomes of this funding opportunity are:
Advance in the achievement of the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan’s research and innovation priorities and targets for wind energy.
Efficient and effective support to wind energy research and innovation through alignment and cooperation among different actors, avoiding fragmentation of efforts.
Energy producers and consumers benefit from increased performance of wind energy technologies with the focus on efficiency and flexibility, reduced cost, improved reliability and sustainability, operation and maintenance, safety, robustness and security during all stages of the lifetime of a wind energy farm from installation, operation and maintenance to decommissioning.
Increased contribution of wind energy to the energy system, with minimal impacts on health and the environment (notably biodiversity and pollution) and at the lowest possible cost.
The scope of this action includes activities that contribute to the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan’s research and innovation priorities and targets for wind energy, as defined by the Implementation Working Group (IWG) on wind energy, the European Technology and Innovation Platform on wind energy (ETIP Wind), and the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) joint programme on wind energy.
The activities carried out by the project will pertain to the following priority R&I areas:
Industrialisation, scale-up and competitiveness: mass production supported by automation and reliable supply chains, design for large volume manufacturing and deployment, design for reliable and lasting products and improved construction and installation methods, digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) in industrial environment.
Optimisation and further digitalisation of operation and maintenance: integration of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, advanced repair methodologies and new sensor technologies, interoperability among wind farm sub-systems, advanced communication technologies and cybersecurity, innovative component replacement solutions and quick connect/disconnect systems for mooring lines and inter-array cables.
Wind energy system integration: definition and modelling of future system needs, advanced grid capabilities, interoperability, solutions to effectively manage curtailment, integration with energy storage technologies and hybrid plants, distributed wind energy.
Sustainability and circularity: material substitution for decarbonisation, material reduction, recycling methods, lifetime extension via re-using, refurbishing and re-purposing, new decommissioning tools and methods and solutions to minimise the environmental and biodiversity impacts and optimise the socio-economic impacts.
Floating offshore wind: development and demonstration of innovative technologies for offshore floating wind. Development of optimised floating wind energy systems through the integrated design of the different elements of the system, including the floater and the generation part.
Research and technology infrastructures for wind energy: upgrade of existing and establishment of new infrastructures and test centres for the sector. An area of particular interest in this domain are large-scale testing facilities for offshore floating wind energy systems.
Wind energy systems interactions with climate, atmosphere, ocean and geophysics: geophysical characteristics measuring and modelling, wake effect model development, climate change impact analysis
Environmental and social aspects, coexistence: evolution of environmental impact assessments, spatial planning, biodiversity solutions, reduced pollution (e.g. noise and vibration, pollution due to erosion of the blades), design and implementation of practices and platforms that facilitate inclusive communication and stakeholders’ involvement, tools to map stakeholder concerns and development of practical approaches to lifecycle public participation, socialisation of wind rights, relationship between people, technology and places for all relevant social issues
Emerging technologies: new concept assessment and development (e.g. multirotor concepts, tip rotor designs, ducted turbines), improved performance and efficiency of emerging/innovative wind energy systems
The action consists of activities directly implemented by the consortium and activities implemented through financial support to third parties. The R&I activities are divided into three challenges:
Breakthrough challenge
Validation challenge
Demonstration challenge
The breakthrough and the validation challenge can be carried out both through activities directly implemented by the core consortium and through FSTP activities.
The breakthrough challenge entails actions to develop new and potentially disruptive solutions, tools and new knowledge to increase the competitiveness of the wind energy sector and on the acceleration of wind energy deployment at scale both off- and onshore, including with experimental proof of concept, as well as with validation both in laboratory and relevant environment, as appropriate. Concepts and technologies initially developed through the breakthrough challenge could be further matured through the validation challenge.
The validation challenge entails actions to validate technologies, tools and innovative solutions, both in a laboratory and in a relevant environment that have been developed in the project but also developed previously and separately in other European and national projects. For the validation, the project can consider different use cases (e.g. onshore, offshore).
The demonstration challenge entails demonstration activities to accelerate the take up of innovation by the industry, in line with the priorities set by the SET Plan (activities up to TRL 7-8). It will solely be implemented by the core consortium.
The total maximum amount of EU funding for the demonstration activities is expected to be 50 million Euros.
The project is expected to implement at least 3 demonstration activities. The focus of each demonstration activity should be clearly different from each other. The proposed solutions should be demonstrated for a continuous period of at least 6 months.
The project is expected to include a clear go/no go milestone, for each demonstration activity, before entering the deployment phase. Before each go/no-go milestone, the project is expected to show evidence of having in place i) all needed permits for deployment, ii) complete, detailed and realistic engineering plans, compliant with the applicable standards and iii) a complete business and implementation plan. The project proposal is expected to present a clear and convincing pathway to obtain necessary permits for the demonstration activities and allow for appropriate timelines to achieve these. The project proposal is also expected to demonstrate how it will get a financial close for each demonstration activity. For this, the use of other EU/national/regional support mechanisms can be considered.
Privileged research and innovation areas for the demonstration challenge are the ones listed from a. to f. in the scope: a. industrialisation, scale-up and competitiveness, b. optimisation and further digitalisation of operation and maintenance, c. wind energy system integration, d. sustainability and circularity, e. floating offshore wind and f. research and technology infrastructures for wind energy.
Activities directly implemented by the core consortium
The activities of the core consortium are expected to include the implementation of direct research and innovation activities in any of the areas listed in scope and in any of the challenges (breakthrough, validation, demonstration). 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). It is expected that the budget dedicated to the project management will not exceed 7% of the EU funding.
Activities implemented through Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP)
A share of the EU funding will be implemented through financial support to third parties and used to support research organizations, academia, start-ups, scale-ups, SME’s, industries and other entities and to enable use-cases that are not yet identified in the proposal stage.
The use of financial support to third parties should allow a faster implementation of research and innovation activities, attracting different stakeholders and innovators to develop and validate new technological solutions in the wind sector and respond quickly to new challenges. A tiered approach to address complex R&I challenges should be adopted via FSTP calls, meaning that projects with a relatively short duration should be supported (e.g. 12-18 months). A given action supported by FSTP can be implemented by one third party or by a (small) consortium of entities. Subsequent FSTP calls can be used to give further support to successful initiatives. The calls should be planned carefully and ensure that successful R&I work can continue without major interruption.
The demonstration challenge is excluded from FSTP calls.
For the FSTP calls, the following should be taken into account:
Breakthrough challenge: The proposal should include consecutive FSTP calls for the development of breakthrough technologies and innovative solutions in support of the long-term R&I challenges. Up to 8 million EUR of the EU requested contribution should be used to set up this ‘Breakthrough technologies’ challenge for third parties. The FSTP breakthrough challenge should aim at attracting innovative entities that does not necessarily have the capacity to apply directly for EU grants.
Validation challenge: The proposal should include consecutive FSTP calls for the validation of innovative technologies/solutions developed in the breakthrough challenge or from earlier R&I projects. Up to 16 million EUR of the EU requested contribution 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 calls for the validation challenge must be published in a later stage considering the experience and the results of the breakthrough challenge and/or the core project R&I activities. The duration of the actions supported by FSTP should not be longer than 18 months.
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.
For the FSTP calls, 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. The consortium should consider specifically 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.
Applicants are advised to consult the European Commission’s guidance on FSTP activities.
Governance of the project
The project will have to set out how and with what frequency 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 sets up an Advisory Board, composed of experts in wind 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 Wind Energy, the Clean Energy Transition Cofund Partnership related initiative and of the European Commission should be as well part of the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board advises the project to ensure coherence and alignment with the SET Plan activities and goals. The consortium will ensure that the advice of the Advisory Board is appropriately taken into account in the project’s implementation. This will be monitored by the granting authority.
The proposal should define mechanisms to assess and demonstrate progress (with qualitative and quantitative key performance indicators (KPIs), benchmarking and progress monitoring). Besides defining and tracking progress of technology-specific KPIs in the technology areas specifically covered, the project should monitor and report on the contribution towards the high-level SET Plan KPIs defined by the SET Plan community in the wind energy sector. The project should report the progress of all its R&I activities according to these mechanisms and KPIs with an annual deliverable and milestone for the project execution according to plan.
The consortium will have to present a clear risk and mitigation plan. In this plan special attention should be paid to the risk that the chosen demonstration actions will not reach a go-decision.
In the project proposal, the consortium will have to describe all challenges and 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). A given action supported by such FSTP scheme can be implemented by one third party or a by consortium of entities.
As regards data management, in addition to fulfilling the standard research data management and open access requirements in line with the Grant Agreement provisions, the project is expected to set up a platform, possibly re-using an already existing one, to ensure the accessibility and maintenance of the data generated by the project. The platform should be able to organise and host data generated by other research and innovation projects on wind energy. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable)
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.
Cooperation with International Energy Agency (IEA) Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP) on wind energy systems
For activities carried out that are also covered by relevant initiatives under the International Energy Agency Technology Cooperation Programme for wind energy systems, proposals should envisage liaising with these initiatives to consider possible synergies, cooperation and mutual sharing of knowledge.
Duration
The estimated project duration is around 5 years.
The budget overview for the year 2026 is as follows:
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: 28,300,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 4
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-04 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 9,400,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D3-03 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 93,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: 15,750,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-02 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 28,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 4
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-03 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 15,750,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: 15,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 18,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2
There are partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.
This funding opportunity aims to foster research and innovation in wind energy technologies, aligning with the EU's Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. It encourages collaborative projects that address key challenges in the wind energy sector, from breakthrough innovations to demonstration activities. The program is structured around three main challenges: breakthrough, validation, and demonstration, with a significant portion of the funding allocated to financial support for third parties (FSTP). The goal is to enhance the competitiveness, sustainability, and integration of wind energy into the broader energy system, ultimately contributing to the EU's climate neutrality objectives. The program emphasizes the importance of involving various stakeholders, including SMEs, and promoting geographical balance in the distribution of funds.
The expected outcomes of this funding opportunity are:
Advance in the achievement of the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan’s research and innovation priorities and targets for wind energy.
Efficient and effective support to wind energy research and innovation through alignment and cooperation among different actors, avoiding fragmentation of efforts.
Energy producers and consumers benefit from increased performance of wind energy technologies with the focus on efficiency and flexibility, reduced cost, improved reliability and sustainability, operation and maintenance, safety, robustness and security during all stages of the lifetime of a wind energy farm from installation, operation and maintenance to decommissioning.
Increased contribution of wind energy to the energy system, with minimal impacts on health and the environment (notably biodiversity and pollution) and at the lowest possible cost.
The scope of this action includes activities that contribute to the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan’s research and innovation priorities and targets for wind energy, as defined by the Implementation Working Group (IWG) on wind energy, the European Technology and Innovation Platform on wind energy (ETIP Wind), and the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) joint programme on wind energy.
The activities carried out by the project will pertain to the following priority R&I areas:
Industrialisation, scale-up and competitiveness: mass production supported by automation and reliable supply chains, design for large volume manufacturing and deployment, design for reliable and lasting products and improved construction and installation methods, digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) in industrial environment.
Optimisation and further digitalisation of operation and maintenance: integration of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, advanced repair methodologies and new sensor technologies, interoperability among wind farm sub-systems, advanced communication technologies and cybersecurity, innovative component replacement solutions and quick connect/disconnect systems for mooring lines and inter-array cables.
Wind energy system integration: definition and modelling of future system needs, advanced grid capabilities, interoperability, solutions to effectively manage curtailment, integration with energy storage technologies and hybrid plants, distributed wind energy.
Sustainability and circularity: material substitution for decarbonisation, material reduction, recycling methods, lifetime extension via re-using, refurbishing and re-purposing, new decommissioning tools and methods and solutions to minimise the environmental and biodiversity impacts and optimise the socio-economic impacts.
Floating offshore wind: development and demonstration of innovative technologies for offshore floating wind. Development of optimised floating wind energy systems through the integrated design of the different elements of the system, including the floater and the generation part.
Research and technology infrastructures for wind energy: upgrade of existing and establishment of new infrastructures and test centres for the sector. An area of particular interest in this domain are large-scale testing facilities for offshore floating wind energy systems.
Wind energy systems interactions with climate, atmosphere, ocean and geophysics: geophysical characteristics measuring and modelling, wake effect model development, climate change impact analysis
Environmental and social aspects, coexistence: evolution of environmental impact assessments, spatial planning, biodiversity solutions, reduced pollution (e.g. noise and vibration, pollution due to erosion of the blades), design and implementation of practices and platforms that facilitate inclusive communication and stakeholders’ involvement, tools to map stakeholder concerns and development of practical approaches to lifecycle public participation, socialisation of wind rights, relationship between people, technology and places for all relevant social issues
Emerging technologies: new concept assessment and development (e.g. multirotor concepts, tip rotor designs, ducted turbines), improved performance and efficiency of emerging/innovative wind energy systems
The action consists of activities directly implemented by the consortium and activities implemented through financial support to third parties. The R&I activities are divided into three challenges:
Breakthrough challenge
Validation challenge
Demonstration challenge
The breakthrough and the validation challenge can be carried out both through activities directly implemented by the core consortium and through FSTP activities.
The breakthrough challenge entails actions to develop new and potentially disruptive solutions, tools and new knowledge to increase the competitiveness of the wind energy sector and on the acceleration of wind energy deployment at scale both off- and onshore, including with experimental proof of concept, as well as with validation both in laboratory and relevant environment, as appropriate. Concepts and technologies initially developed through the breakthrough challenge could be further matured through the validation challenge.
The validation challenge entails actions to validate technologies, tools and innovative solutions, both in a laboratory and in a relevant environment that have been developed in the project but also developed previously and separately in other European and national projects. For the validation, the project can consider different use cases (e.g. onshore, offshore).
The demonstration challenge entails demonstration activities to accelerate the take up of innovation by the industry, in line with the priorities set by the SET Plan (activities up to TRL 7-8). It will solely be implemented by the core consortium.
The total maximum amount of EU funding for the demonstration activities is expected to be 50 million Euros.
The project is expected to implement at least 3 demonstration activities. The focus of each demonstration activity should be clearly different from each other. The proposed solutions should be demonstrated for a continuous period of at least 6 months.
The project is expected to include a clear go/no go milestone, for each demonstration activity, before entering the deployment phase. Before each go/no-go milestone, the project is expected to show evidence of having in place i) all needed permits for deployment, ii) complete, detailed and realistic engineering plans, compliant with the applicable standards and iii) a complete business and implementation plan. The project proposal is expected to present a clear and convincing pathway to obtain necessary permits for the demonstration activities and allow for appropriate timelines to achieve these. The project proposal is also expected to demonstrate how it will get a financial close for each demonstration activity. For this, the use of other EU/national/regional support mechanisms can be considered.
Privileged research and innovation areas for the demonstration challenge are the ones listed from a. to f. in the scope: a. industrialisation, scale-up and competitiveness, b. optimisation and further digitalisation of operation and maintenance, c. wind energy system integration, d. sustainability and circularity, e. floating offshore wind and f. research and technology infrastructures for wind energy.
Activities directly implemented by the core consortium
The activities of the core consortium are expected to include the implementation of direct research and innovation activities in any of the areas listed in scope and in any of the challenges (breakthrough, validation, demonstration). 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). It is expected that the budget dedicated to the project management will not exceed 7% of the EU funding.
Activities implemented through Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP)
A share of the EU funding will be implemented through financial support to third parties and used to support research organizations, academia, start-ups, scale-ups, SME’s, industries and other entities and to enable use-cases that are not yet identified in the proposal stage.
The use of financial support to third parties should allow a faster implementation of research and innovation activities, attracting different stakeholders and innovators to develop and validate new technological solutions in the wind sector and respond quickly to new challenges. A tiered approach to address complex R&I challenges should be adopted via FSTP calls, meaning that projects with a relatively short duration should be supported (e.g. 12-18 months). A given action supported by FSTP can be implemented by one third party or by a (small) consortium of entities. Subsequent FSTP calls can be used to give further support to successful initiatives. The calls should be planned carefully and ensure that successful R&I work can continue without major interruption.
The demonstration challenge is excluded from FSTP calls.
For the FSTP calls, the following should be taken into account:
Breakthrough challenge: The proposal should include consecutive FSTP calls for the development of breakthrough technologies and innovative solutions in support of the long-term R&I challenges. Up to 8 million EUR of the EU requested contribution should be used to set up this ‘Breakthrough technologies’ challenge for third parties. The FSTP breakthrough challenge should aim at attracting innovative entities that does not necessarily have the capacity to apply directly for EU grants.
Validation challenge: The proposal should include consecutive FSTP calls for the validation of innovative technologies/solutions developed in the breakthrough challenge or from earlier R&I projects. Up to 16 million EUR of the EU requested contribution 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 calls for the validation challenge must be published in a later stage considering the experience and the results of the breakthrough challenge and/or the core project R&I activities. The duration of the actions supported by FSTP should not be longer than 18 months.
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.
For the FSTP calls, 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. The consortium should consider specifically 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.
Applicants are advised to consult the European Commission’s guidance on FSTP activities.
Governance of the project
The project will have to set out how and with what frequency 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 sets up an Advisory Board, composed of experts in wind 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 Wind Energy, the Clean Energy Transition Cofund Partnership related initiative and of the European Commission should be as well part of the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board advises the project to ensure coherence and alignment with the SET Plan activities and goals. The consortium will ensure that the advice of the Advisory Board is appropriately taken into account in the project’s implementation. This will be monitored by the granting authority.
The proposal should define mechanisms to assess and demonstrate progress (with qualitative and quantitative key performance indicators (KPIs), benchmarking and progress monitoring). Besides defining and tracking progress of technology-specific KPIs in the technology areas specifically covered, the project should monitor and report on the contribution towards the high-level SET Plan KPIs defined by the SET Plan community in the wind energy sector. The project should report the progress of all its R&I activities according to these mechanisms and KPIs with an annual deliverable and milestone for the project execution according to plan.
The consortium will have to present a clear risk and mitigation plan. In this plan special attention should be paid to the risk that the chosen demonstration actions will not reach a go-decision.
In the project proposal, the consortium will have to describe all challenges and 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). A given action supported by such FSTP scheme can be implemented by one third party or a by consortium of entities.
As regards data management, in addition to fulfilling the standard research data management and open access requirements in line with the Grant Agreement provisions, the project is expected to set up a platform, possibly re-using an already existing one, to ensure the accessibility and maintenance of the data generated by the project. The platform should be able to organise and host data generated by other research and innovation projects on wind energy. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable)
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.
Cooperation with International Energy Agency (IEA) Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP) on wind energy systems
For activities carried out that are also covered by relevant initiatives under the International Energy Agency Technology Cooperation Programme for wind energy systems, proposals should envisage liaising with these initiatives to consider possible synergies, cooperation and mutual sharing of knowledge.
Duration
The estimated project duration is around 5 years.
The budget overview for the year 2026 is as follows:
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: 28,300,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 4
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-04 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 9,400,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D3-03 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 93,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: 15,750,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-02 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 28,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 4
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-03 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 15,750,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: 15,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 18,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2
There are partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.
This funding opportunity aims to foster research and innovation in wind energy technologies, aligning with the EU's Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. It encourages collaborative projects that address key challenges in the wind energy sector, from breakthrough innovations to demonstration activities. The program is structured around three main challenges: breakthrough, validation, and demonstration, with a significant portion of the funding allocated to financial support for third parties (FSTP). The goal is to enhance the competitiveness, sustainability, and integration of wind energy into the broader energy system, ultimately contributing to the EU's climate neutrality objectives. The program emphasizes the importance of involving various stakeholders, including SMEs, and promoting geographical balance in the distribution of funds.
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Breakdown
Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity are research organizations, academia, start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, industries, and other public or private entities.
Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) under the Horizon Europe program. Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is also a key component, 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. A core consortium is required to manage the project and the FSTP calls.
Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is broad, encompassing EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries with specific provisions for funding, as detailed 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 primary target sector is renewable energy, specifically wind energy. The program also touches on energy systems, grids and storage, industrial processes, digitalization, artificial intelligence, sustainability, circularity, advanced materials, and research and technology infrastructures.
Mentioned Countries: China is explicitly mentioned as legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. The opportunity aims for broad EU geographical balance within the FSTP schemes.
Project Stage: The project stages range from breakthrough research to validation and demonstration, covering Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 7-8 for demonstration activities. The program supports activities from experimental proof of concept to demonstration and industrial scale-up.
Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic. For the demonstration activities, the total maximum EU funding is expected to be 50 million Euros. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party through Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) is EUR 1 000 000. The indicative number of grants and their respective budgets for various topics under the call are:
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-01 - HORIZON-RIA: EUR 28,300,000 (around EUR 7,100,000 per grant, 4 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-04 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 9,400,000 (around EUR 9,400,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D3-03 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 93,000,000 (around EUR 93,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-01 - HORIZON-RIA: EUR 15,750,000 (around EUR 5,250,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-02 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 28,000,000 (around EUR 7,000,000 per grant, 4 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-03 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 15,750,000 (around EUR 5,250,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-04 - HORIZON-RIA: EUR 15,000,000 (around EUR 5,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 18,000,000 (around EUR 9,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
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 grants. Additionally, third parties will receive financial support through the Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) mechanism.
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 provides some insight into the expected competitiveness.
Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement from the applicant. However, it mentions that the project proposal is expected to demonstrate how it will get a financial close for each demonstration activity, and the use of other EU/national/regional support mechanisms can be considered, suggesting that leveraging additional funding sources is encouraged.
Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the BATTERIES and ENERGY cluster, aims to foster innovative technologies and solutions to improve wind energy systems, aligning with the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. The call encourages projects that address various challenges in the wind energy sector, from industrialization and digitalization to sustainability and system integration, supporting both onshore and offshore wind energy development. The funding is distributed through a core consortium that also manages Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP), allowing for a tiered approach to address complex R&I challenges. The call is structured around three challenges: breakthrough, validation, and demonstration, with a significant portion of the funding dedicated to demonstration activities implemented by the core consortium. The call emphasizes the importance of collaboration, alignment with EU policies, and the involvement of diverse stakeholders, including SMEs, research organizations, and industry players. The overall goal is to enhance the competitiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of wind energy, contributing to the EU's climate neutrality objectives and energy security. Legal entities from China are not eligible to participate in this call.
Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) under the Horizon Europe program. Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is also a key component, 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. A core consortium is required to manage the project and the FSTP calls.
Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is broad, encompassing EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries with specific provisions for funding, as detailed 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 primary target sector is renewable energy, specifically wind energy. The program also touches on energy systems, grids and storage, industrial processes, digitalization, artificial intelligence, sustainability, circularity, advanced materials, and research and technology infrastructures.
Mentioned Countries: China is explicitly mentioned as legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. The opportunity aims for broad EU geographical balance within the FSTP schemes.
Project Stage: The project stages range from breakthrough research to validation and demonstration, covering Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 7-8 for demonstration activities. The program supports activities from experimental proof of concept to demonstration and industrial scale-up.
Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic. For the demonstration activities, the total maximum EU funding is expected to be 50 million Euros. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party through Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) is EUR 1 000 000. The indicative number of grants and their respective budgets for various topics under the call are:
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-01 - HORIZON-RIA: EUR 28,300,000 (around EUR 7,100,000 per grant, 4 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-04 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 9,400,000 (around EUR 9,400,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D3-03 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 93,000,000 (around EUR 93,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-01 - HORIZON-RIA: EUR 15,750,000 (around EUR 5,250,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-02 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 28,000,000 (around EUR 7,000,000 per grant, 4 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-03 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 15,750,000 (around EUR 5,250,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-04 - HORIZON-RIA: EUR 15,000,000 (around EUR 5,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 18,000,000 (around EUR 9,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
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 grants. Additionally, third parties will receive financial support through the Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) mechanism.
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 provides some insight into the expected competitiveness.
Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement from the applicant. However, it mentions that the project proposal is expected to demonstrate how it will get a financial close for each demonstration activity, and the use of other EU/national/regional support mechanisms can be considered, suggesting that leveraging additional funding sources is encouraged.
Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the BATTERIES and ENERGY cluster, aims to foster innovative technologies and solutions to improve wind energy systems, aligning with the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. The call encourages projects that address various challenges in the wind energy sector, from industrialization and digitalization to sustainability and system integration, supporting both onshore and offshore wind energy development. The funding is distributed through a core consortium that also manages Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP), allowing for a tiered approach to address complex R&I challenges. The call is structured around three challenges: breakthrough, validation, and demonstration, with a significant portion of the funding dedicated to demonstration activities implemented by the core consortium. The call emphasizes the importance of collaboration, alignment with EU policies, and the involvement of diverse stakeholders, including SMEs, research organizations, and industry players. The overall goal is to enhance the competitiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of wind energy, contributing to the EU's climate neutrality objectives and energy security. Legal entities from China are not eligible to participate in this call.
Short Summary
Impact This funding opportunity aims to foster research and innovation in wind energy technologies, enhancing competitiveness, sustainability, and integration of wind energy into the broader energy system, ultimately contributing to the EU's climate neutrality objectives. | Impact | This funding opportunity aims to foster research and innovation in wind energy technologies, enhancing competitiveness, sustainability, and integration of wind energy into the broader energy system, ultimately contributing to the EU's climate neutrality objectives. |
Applicant Eligible applicants include research organizations, academia, start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, industries, and other public or private entities with proven experience in managing large projects. | Applicant | Eligible applicants include research organizations, academia, start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, industries, and other public or private entities with proven experience in managing large projects. |
Developments The funding will support innovative technologies and solutions to improve wind energy systems, focusing on areas such as industrialization, digitalization, sustainability, and system integration. | Developments | The funding will support innovative technologies and solutions to improve wind energy systems, focusing on areas such as industrialization, digitalization, sustainability, and system integration. |
Applicant Type This funding is designed for research organizations, universities, SMEs, start-ups, scale-ups, large enterprises, and public authorities. | Applicant Type | This funding is designed for research organizations, universities, SMEs, start-ups, scale-ups, large enterprises, and public authorities. |
Consortium A consortium of multiple applicants is required to manage the project and implement activities, including financial support to third parties. | Consortium | A consortium of multiple applicants is required to manage the project and implement activities, including financial support to third parties. |
Funding Amount The total funding for this specific topic is €93,000,000, with a maximum of €1,000,000 per third party grant. | Funding Amount | The total funding for this specific topic is €93,000,000, with a maximum of €1,000,000 per third party grant. |
Countries The funding opportunity is open to EU member states and associated countries, but explicitly excludes legal entities established in China. | Countries | The funding opportunity is open to EU member states and associated countries, but explicitly excludes legal entities established in China. |
Industry This funding targets the renewable energy sector, specifically wind energy systems, under the Horizon Europe program. | Industry | This funding targets the renewable energy sector, specifically wind energy systems, under the Horizon Europe program. |
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