Key enabling technologies for fusion power plants (European Partnership on Fusion Energy)

The European Commission has opened call HORIZON-EURATOM under the co-programmed European Partnership on Fusion Energy with an indicative budget of €32 million to fund innovation actions targeting TRL 6-8 demonstrations. Projects must address one of three key areas: plasma heating and current drive, high-temperature superconducting magnets, or diagnostics and control, and provide close-to-real-life testing and credible commercialization plans. Eligible participants are legal entities established in EU Member States and countries associated to the Euratom programme (at publication: Ukraine and Switzerland), with funding typically around €10 million per project and a funding rate of 60% (up to 100% for non-profit entities). The call is single-stage via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, opening 15 September 2026 and closing 04 March 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time.

Key enabling technologies for fusion power plants

Call: Innovation actions under the co-programmed European Partnership on Fusion Energy (1st call)

What it funds

Innovation actions to mature and demonstrate technologies at TRL 6-8 for components and integrated systems that perform key functions of fusion power plants. Projects must target one of three technology areas: plasma heating and current drive; high-temperature superconducting magnets; diagnostics and control (including AI-driven control, advanced sensors and modelling). Activities should include close-to-real-life testing, demonstration of fusion-grade performance and a credible business/commercialisation case.

Typical award scale:Call budget €32,000,000; indicative EU contribution per project around €10,000,000. Funding rate: 60% of eligible costs (up to 100% for non-profit legal entities). Eligible costs are paid as lump sums under the Euratom rules ¹.

Who can apply

Consortia of legal entities established in EU Member States and countries associated to the Euratom programme (at publication: Ukraine and Switzerland). Proposals must show close cooperation between public research organisations and private companies (start-ups, SMEs, industry). Participation of entities established outside the eligible countries renders a proposal ineligible.

How and when to apply

1. 1Call opens 15 September 2026; single-stage deadline 4 March 2027 (17:00 Brussels time).
2. 2Type of action: EURATOM Innovation Actions (EURATOM-IA).
3. 3Application and submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Funding & Tenders Portal.

Key eligibility and selection points

Projects must target TRL 6-8 and address critical technology gaps in the chosen area, include testing in realistic conditions, demonstrate commercial potential and align with the forthcoming Partnership SRIA. Evaluation uses standard Euratom award criteria and the Commission aims to fund a balanced portfolio covering all three key areas.

This call implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Fusion Energy; proposals should explain alignment with the Partnership’s SRIA and include activities to liaise with the Partnership and contribute to its monitoring and dissemination.

Footnotes

1. 1Lump sum funding and rules are authorised for Horizon/Euratom actions; see the EU guidance on lump sum contributions and templates on the Funding & Tenders Portal Lump sum decision.

Key enabling technologies for fusion power plants (European Partnership on Fusion Energy) — Call HORIZON-EURATOM-2027-01-01

Call at a glance

Administrative and procedural information

Call identifier: HORIZON-EURATOM. Programme: Euratom Research and Training Programme (EURATOM). Type of action: EURATOM Innovation Actions (EURATOM-IA). Type of Model Grant Agreement: EURATOM Action Grant Budget-Based [EURATOM-AG]. Opening date: 15 September 2026. Deadline (single-stage): 04 March 2027, 17:00 Brussels time. Planned submission model: single-stage electronic submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The call implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Fusion Energy and is the first Innovation Actions call under that Partnership.

Planned budget and funding rate:The overall indicative budget for this topic in 2026 is €32 000 000. The Commission estimates an indicative EU contribution per selected project around €10 000 000. The call expects to fund around 3 grants. The funding rate for eligible costs is 60% for for-profit legal entities and up to 100% for non-profit legal entities. Eligible costs will be reimbursed in the form of lump sums per the authorising decision on lump sum use in Horizon/Euratom ¹.

Topic scope and expected outcomes

Objective: mature and demonstrate (target TRL 6-8) innovative technologies that serve key functions of future fusion power plants (FPPs). The call funds Innovation Actions that develop individual components and/or integrated systems, test them in close-to-real-life conditions, demonstrate ability to deliver fusion-grade components/systems and provide credible business cases for commercialisation, showing benefits for EU companies and European competitiveness.

Key technology areas (applicants must clearly indicate which one they address): 1) Plasma heating and current drive, 2) High-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets, 3) Diagnostics and control. Project proposals must address critical gaps in the chosen area, demonstrate quantitative performance targets and KPIs, detail testing and demonstration approaches including TRL targets and maturation monitoring, show close cooperation between public research and private companies (start-ups, SMEs, industry), and present the business potential and safety understanding relevant to FPP deployment. Proposals should align with the Fusion Partnership SRIA (Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda) and include activities contributing to the Partnership governance and monitoring.

Technical focus by key area (scope specifics)

1. 1Plasma heating and current drive: develop and demonstrate high-performance, compact, efficient and cost-effective heating and current-drive technologies suitable for harsh reactor environments (examples: gyrotrons, neutral-beam injectors). Emphasis on reliability under high neutron flux and heat loads, compactness, efficiency and cost reduction.
2. 2HTS magnets: deliver and demonstrate high-temperature superconducting magnet technologies that enable stronger, smaller and more efficient magnetic confinement; demonstrate mechanical robustness, resistance to neutron irradiation degradation, and approaches enabling large-scale, cost-effective manufacturing.
3. 3Diagnostics and control: deliver and demonstrate hardware and software components and systems for enhanced monitoring and management of FPP operation (e.g., magnetic confinement control, mitigation of edge-localised modes and runaway electrons). This includes AI-driven control systems, advanced modelling and simulation, innovative sensors, real-time diagnostics and integrated control architectures.

Eligibility, national restrictions and participation rules

Geographic eligibility: participation and funding are limited to legal entities established in EU Member States and countries associated to the Euratom Research and Training Programme. At the date of publication of the topic, the only countries associated to the Euratom programme are Ukraine and Switzerland. Entities established outside Member States or associated countries are ineligible and proposals including them will be declared ineligible. Detailed eligibility and admissibility conditions are set out in General Annex B and General Annex A of the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027.

1. 1Applicant legal entity type: Participation is open to legal entities established in EU Member States and Euratom-associated countries (Ukraine and Switzerland as of publication).
2. 2Ineligible participants: Entities established outside the EU Member States or Euratom-associated countries are not eligible for participation or EU funding under this topic.
3. 3Joint Research Centre (JRC): The JRC may participate as a member of a consortium selected for funding. When participating, the JRC bears its operational costs and does not receive project funding from indirect actions budget.

Eligible applicant types and consortium requirements

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types (detailed): universities and higher education establishments with fusion-related research capabilities (plasma physics, superconducting materials, sensors and control, modelling and simulation); public research organisations and national labs active in fusion or nuclear technology (including EUROfusion members and operators of tokamaks/test facilities); SMEs and start-ups developing fusion enabling technologies (e.g., gyrotron developers, high-field magnet SMEs, advanced sensor developers, AI/control system providers); large industry and prime contractors (companies with capability to industrialise, manufacture and scale magnet systems, heating systems or diagnostics); non-profit research organisations; technical service organisations and test facilities; research infrastructures (operators of irradiation facilities, hot cells, test rigs) that are legal entities established in eligible countries; and public-private partnership consortia combining the above.
2. 2Consortium requirement: This call is single-stage and expects multi-partner Innovation Actions. Proposals should enable close cooperation between public research and private companies (start-ups, SMEs and industry). The evaluation and award procedure will allocate grants to ensure a balanced portfolio across the three key areas. There is no explicit minimum number of participants stated in the topic text, but the requirement to materialise close cooperation between public research and private companies indicates that consortia should include both research organisations and private industry partners. Proposals including entities established outside the eligible scope are ineligible.
3. 3Applicant responsibilities and legal status: Participation is limited to legal entities. Natural persons or individuals cannot apply as beneficiaries. Public-private consortia and projects with financial support to third parties are possible only where explicitly allowed by the topic (this topic does not specify a financial support to third parties mechanism).

Funding mechanism and financial modalities

Primary funding mechanism: direct grants (EU contribution) awarded under Innovation Actions (EURATOM-IA) and reimbursed as lump sum contributions for eligible costs. The lump sum approach requires applicants to provide a detailed budget table (detailed budget per work package and beneficiary) as an approximation of actual costs. Payments will be made against achievement of work package milestones and deliverables as specified in the grant agreement; no ex-post cost reporting is required for lump sums but work package conditions must be met for payment ¹.

Funding rate and eligible cost rules:Funding rate: 60% of eligible costs for for-profit legal entities; up to 100% of eligible costs for non-profit legal entities. Eligible costs are reimbursed as lump sums according to the Decision authorising the use of lump sums for Horizon Europe and Euratom actions. Lump sum calculation must be based on the beneficiaries’ usual accounting practices and broken down by work package and cost category (personnel, subcontracting, purchases, other cost categories, and 25% flat rate for indirect costs where applicable) ¹.

Application and evaluation process

Submission and evaluation: single-stage electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. The evaluation committee will include representatives of EU institutions and external experts. To ensure a balanced portfolio across the three key technology areas, the Commission will not only fund the highest-ranked proposals overall but will also award at least one grant to the highest-ranked proposal within each key area (plasma heating and current drive; HTS magnets; diagnostics and control), provided the proposals attain all thresholds. Award criteria, scoring scales and thresholds are as described in General Annex D of the Euratom Work Programme; standard evaluation form (HE RIA IA) will be used with necessary adaptations. The standard award thresholds apply: minimum 3/5 per criterion and overall minimum 10/15, unless the work programme specifies otherwise.

Project maturity and expected TRL

Expected project stage at start and end: Projects are expected to target technology readiness levels TRL 6 to TRL 8 by the end of the action. The topic explicitly asks for demonstration and testing in close-to-real-life conditions (integrated systems or representative components) and for a clear plan to monitor and report technology maturation. Where lower TRL elements are included, they must form part of a credible pathway to reach TRL 6-8 within the project duration.

Project duration, deliverables and monitoring

Projects funded under Innovation Actions are expected to propose a work plan with concrete work packages, milestones and measurable deliverables. Lump sum payment is linked to fulfilment of work package conditions; the final grant agreement will specify the work package-level conditions for releasing lump-sum payments. Successful proposers must provide a data management plan (DMP) and a detailed plan for dissemination, exploitation and communication within 6 months of grant signature. The evaluation process will assess the feasibility and relevance of planned tests, demonstration activities and TRL progression.

Indicative budget and number of grants

Key dates and logistics

Evaluation, award and portfolio management details

Evaluation committee composition: partly composed of representatives of EU institutions. The portfolio approach means funding is directed to high-quality proposals but also to ensure at least one awarded project in each of the three key technology areas, subject to threshold attainment. Detailed award criteria, scoring, thresholds and the indicative evaluation timeline are described in General Annexes D and F of the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027 and in the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.

Legal, security and strategic constraints

To protect EU strategic interests, participation is restricted to legal entities established in EU Member States and Euratom-associated countries only. Proposals will be reviewed for potential dual-use, security-sensitive technologies and for compliance with EU safety, export control and non-proliferation rules. Where relevant, proposers should demonstrate understanding of safety constraints for FPP deployment, and provide appropriate handling, testing and security arrangements for materials, components and data that may be considered dual-use or sensitive.

Eligibility of countries (additional detail)

As of publication, Ukraine and Switzerland are the only countries associated to the Euratom programme and therefore eligible to receive funding under this topic on the same basis as Member States. Applicants must consult General Annex B and the Funding & Tenders Portal list of participating countries for updates. Any participation or proposed funding for entities established in countries not included in that list will be ineligible.

Application forms, templates and administrative requirements

Applicants must use the standard application form (HE RIA IA) Part A and Part B available in the Submission System. For lump-sum projects a detailed budget table (HE LS) must be provided in the format requested by the portal so the granting authority can assess the lump-sum calculation. Page limits: Part B page limit for Innovation Actions using lump sum funding is 45 pages (Part B: Excellence, Impact and Implementation narrative combined). Admissibility, eligibility and evaluation procedures and annexes are described in the Euratom Work Programme and the Funding & Tenders Portal guidance documents and Online Manual.

1. 1Application type: open single-stage call through the Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants must upload Part B PDF and complete Part A web forms.
2. 2Templates: Standard application form (HE RIA IA), detailed budget table for lump sums (HE LS), evaluation forms and model grant agreement templates are available through the Submission System and Funding & Tenders Portal reference documents.
3. 3Page limits and layout: specified in Part B of the application form in the Submission System; for lump sum Innovation actions, Part B limit is 45 pages.

Evaluation and success likelihood

Evaluation stages: single-stage evaluation (one submission and full evaluation). Proposed scoring thresholds are the standard ones described in General Annex D: at least 3/5 per criterion (Excellence, Impact, Implementation), overall minimum 10/15. Selection will consider ranking and portfolio balancing across the three key areas. No official overall success rate is provided in the call documents; success rates depend on the number and quality of proposals received. However the call budget indicates around three awards and an indicative EU contribution per project of around €10 million, so competition will be strong.

Co-funding and cost sharing

Co-funding requirement: standard Euratom Innovation Actions rules apply. The EU contribution covers 60% of eligible costs except for non-profit legal entities which can receive up to 100% of eligible costs. The detailed budget must demonstrate that the total estimated costs of the action exceed the requested EU contribution (co-financing principle). The lump-sum amount must be a credible approximation of actual costs; applicants must provide a detailed cost breakdown per work package to justify the lump sum estimate ¹.

Nature of support and permitted use of funds

Beneficiaries will receive monetary support in the form of EU grant contributions paid as lump sums tied to achievement of predefined work package deliverables and milestones. Lump sums remove need for ex-post actual cost reporting but require rigorous technical verification that work package conditions have been met before payment. The grant may include funding for personnel, subcontracting, equipment (purchase or depreciation depending on rules), consumables, travel, and other eligible cost categories where appropriate and justified in the lump sum calculation.

Success rates and selection portfolio considerations

No published historical success rates are given for this specific topic. The call will allocate awards to the highest-ranked proposals and ensure that at least one highly ranked project in each key technology area is funded if thresholds are met. The indicative number of grants is around three based on the €32 million budget, indicating high competition and selective funding.

Application structure and templates guidance

Required forms and structure: complete Part A administrative forms in the Submission System; prepare Part B technical proposal using the HE RIA/IA Part B template (sections: Excellence, Impact, Implementation). For lump sum proposals: include the detailed budget table (HE LS) to justify the lump sum (personnel, subcontracting, purchase costs, other categories and calculation of 25% flat rate for indirect costs where applicable). Applicants should also include a plan for dissemination, exploitation and communication, and a data management plan (DMP) to be delivered as a project deliverable within 6 months of grant signature.

Risk management, safety and standards alignment

Proposals must include risk registers with critical risks, likelihood and impact estimates, and mitigation measures. For components intended to operate in fusion environments, proposals must demonstrate understanding of safety constraints, materials behaviour under neutron irradiation, remote handling requirements, licensing interfaces and compliance with relevant standards. Where possible applicants should show complementarity with EUROfusion, Fusion4Energy, ITER and other EU initiatives and infrastructures.

Categorisation and extraction of structured information

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: universities and research institutes; public research organisations; SMEs and start-ups; large enterprises and industry; non-profit legal entities; research infrastructure operators; public authorities (where relevant); public-private partnerships. Individual natural persons are not eligible as applicants: only legal entities established in eligible countries.
2. 2Funding Type: grant (direct grant under Euratom Innovation Actions), reimbursed as lump sums (lump-sum contributions per work package).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: consortium expected (multi-partner Innovation Actions). The call requires close cooperation between public research and private companies; no single-entity award route is provided. Single-stage single-step submission. Proposals including entities outside eligible countries are ineligible.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): EU Member States and countries associated to the Euratom Research and Training Programme. As of call publication, associated countries eligible for funding under Euratom are Ukraine and Switzerland. Participation by entities established elsewhere is ineligible.
5. 5Target Sector: fusion energy technology; specific technology sectors targeted: plasma heating and current drive; high-temperature superconducting magnets; diagnostics and control (AI-driven control, modelling and simulation, sensors). Cross-cutting sectors include advanced manufacturing, robotics, high-power RF, superconducting materials, AI and digitalisation.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: the topic text explicitly references EU Member States, Ukraine and Switzerland (as associated to Euratom). The text references EU initiatives and international projects (ITER, EUROfusion, Fusion for Energy) but the only countries explicitly named in eligibility context are Ukraine and Switzerland, and EU Member States collectively.
7. 7Project Stage: expected maturity is development to demonstration, target TRL 6-8 (demonstration in relevant/close-to-real-life conditions). Projects must present a credible pathway to reach these TRLs within the project.
8. 8Funding Amount: indicative grant per project around €10 000 000; total topic budget €32 000 000; around 3 grants expected. Note: applicants may request different amounts; final grant amounts set during grant preparation.
9. 9Application Type: open call; single-stage submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal (electronic); planned opening 15 September 2026 and deadline 04 March 2027.
10. 10Nature of Support: monetary support in the form of EU grants paid as lump-sum contributions tied to delivery of work package outputs; beneficiaries receive money (no direct service provision by the Commission beyond evaluation and administrative support).
11. 11Application Stages: 1 stage (single-stage call).
12. 12Success Rates: not provided specifically; indicative number of grants (approx. 3) compared to expected number of applicants suggests low success rate; success depends on meeting thresholds and portfolio-balancing across the three key areas.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: yes. Applicants must co-finance their projects according to the funding rate (EU covers 60% of eligible costs for profit entities; up to 100% for non-profit legal entities). Lump-sum calculation must demonstrate total eligible costs and co-funding; external co-funding may be required to cover remaining eligible costs where the EU share is 60%.
14. 14Templates: application forms and templates include Standard application form (HE RIA IA) Part A/Part B, detailed budget table for lump sum contributions (HE LS), evaluation forms (standard evaluation form adapted), model grant agreement templates (EURATOM-AG) and other reference documents. Applicants must provide Part B narrative structured by Excellence, Impact and Implementation and upload required annexes (e.g. DMP, dissemination and exploitation plan). For lump sum actions applicants must provide a detailed per work package cost breakdown that the evaluators will use as the basis for the lump sum calculation.

Useful documents and links

Primary official sources: Funding & Tenders Portal topic page and documents, Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027 (call documents and General Annexes), lump sum decision and guidance documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants should consult the topic-specific page in the Portal for the application templates and submission system. Applicants are advised to coordinate with national contact points, EUROfusion participants and the Fusion Partnership SRIA when preparing proposals.

For an introduction to ITER and European fusion actors see ITER, EUROfusion and Fusion for Energy websites (ITER: iter.org; EUROfusion: euro-fusion.org; Fusion for Energy: fusionforenergy.europa.eu).

Long summary — What this opportunity is about and how to explain it

This call is the first Innovation Actions call under the newly co-programmed European Partnership on Fusion Energy and aims to accelerate the commercial readiness of key enabling technologies for future fusion power plants. It targets demonstration-level work (TRL 6-8) in three priority areas: plasma heating and current drive, high-temperature superconducting magnets and diagnostics and control systems. The intention is to fund projects that will advance individual components or integrated systems and demonstrate performance in representative or close-to-real-life environments, while also providing a credible business case for commercialisation and benefits for the EU industrial base.

The call is restricted to legal entities established in EU Member States and countries associated to the Euratom programme (Ukraine and Switzerland at publication). Funding is provided as grants under Innovation Actions and reimbursed as lump sum contributions, subject to the lump-sum methodology and payment conditions. The indicative total budget for the topic is €32 million with an indicative EU contribution around €10 million per project and an expected three projects to be funded. Projects must present clear TRL progression to demonstration, quantitative KPIs, testing and monitoring plans, partnership compositions that combine public research and private industry (including SMEs and start-ups), and exploitation/dissemination plans.

Applications are submitted electronically in a single-stage process. Proposals are evaluated against standard criteria (Excellence, Impact, Implementation) and must meet minimum thresholds. The evaluation will also ensure a balanced portfolio across the three technology areas; the highest-ranked proposals in each key area that meet thresholds will be considered for funding. Applicants should use the official templates, include a detailed budget table for lump-sum assessment, and align proposed work with the Fusion Partnership SRIA. The call offers a substantive opportunity for industry-research consortia to demonstrate transformative fusion enabling technologies and to position EU companies for future fusion power plant supply chains.

Footnotes

1. 1Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme and in actions under the Euratom Programme and associated guidance are available via the Funding & Tenders Portal reference documents and the call’s annexes (see Lump Sum Decision document and templates in the Portal).

Funding Opportunity Analysis: Key Enabling Technologies for Fusion Power Plants

Executive Summary

The European Commission is launching the first call under the co-programmed European Partnership on Fusion Energy, allocating €32 million to support innovation actions focused on key enabling technologies for fusion power plants. This call represents a strategic investment in advancing fusion energy from laboratory research to commercial deployment, with emphasis on three critical technology areas: plasma heating and current drive, high-temperature superconducting magnets, and diagnostics and control systems.

Funding Overview

Total Budget Allocation:€32 million is available for the 2026-2027 period under call HORIZON-EURATOM. The budget is allocated as a single-stage call with an expected contribution of approximately €10 million per project, with around 3 projects anticipated to receive funding ¹.

Call Timeline:The call opens on 15 September 2026 and closes on 04 March 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time. This is a single-stage submission procedure, meaning applicants submit their full proposals directly without a preliminary stage ².

Opportunity Description and Scope

This call is part of the European Partnership on Fusion Energy, a co-programmed public-private partnership designed to accelerate the transition to commercially viable fusion power plants. The partnership maximizes convergence between publicly funded research and privately led initiatives, contributing to EU strategic autonomy and competitiveness in the fusion sector.

The call focuses on innovation actions that will mature and demonstrate innovative technologies at Technology Readiness Levels 6-8. Projects must develop and advance the technology readiness of innovative individual components or integrated systems that perform key functions in fusion power plants, test these components in close-to-real-life conditions, and provide credible business cases demonstrating commercialization potential and benefits for EU company competitiveness.

Key Technology Areas

Proposals must address one of three designated key technology areas. The call emphasizes that a balanced portfolio covering all three areas is desired, with at least one highest-ranked proposal from each area expected to receive funding, provided proposals meet all thresholds.

• Plasma Heating and Current Drive: Development of high-performance, compact, efficient and cost-effective heating and current-drive technologies such as gyrotrons and neutral-beam injectors that operate reliably in harsh reactor environments with high neutron flux and heat loads
• High-Temperature Superconducting Magnets: Development and demonstration of HTS magnet technologies enabling stronger, smaller and more efficient magnetic confinement with high resistance to mechanical stress and neutron irradiation degradation, supporting large-scale cost-effective manufacturing
• Diagnostics and Control: Development of hardware and software components and systems for enhanced monitoring and management of fusion power plant operations, including AI-driven control systems, advanced modelling and simulation, and innovative sensors

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Participants:Participation is limited to legal entities established in EU Member States and countries associated to the Euratom Research and Training Programme. As of the call publication date, Ukraine and Switzerland are the only associated countries eligible for funding. Proposals including entities from countries outside this scope will be ineligible ³.

Consortium Requirements:Proposals must enable close cooperation between public research and private companies, including start-ups, SMEs and industry. This cooperation must be demonstrated through consortium composition and proposed project activities. The call emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships in achieving commercialization objectives.

Financial and Operational Capacity:Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity to carry out the proposed project. Criteria are described in General Annex C of the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures are not eligible to participate in any capacity.

Funding Conditions and Financial Terms

Funding Rate:The funding rate is 60 percent of eligible costs for most beneficiaries. However, non-profit legal entities may receive up to 100 percent of total eligible costs ⁴.

Cost Structure and Eligible Costs:Eligible costs take the form of lump sum contributions as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorizing the use of lump sum contributions under Horizon Europe and the Euratom Programme. This simplified cost approach reduces administrative burden while maintaining sound financial management principles. Eligible cost categories include personnel costs, subcontracting, travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods and services, and other specified categories ⁵.

Proposal Page Limit:For topics using lump sum funding, the proposal page limit is 45 pages for the technical description (Part B), including all tables, figures, references and other elements. The title, list of participants and three evaluation sections must be included within this limit.

Project Requirements and Expected Outcomes

Projects must address critical gaps in the selected key technology area through specific activities. Proposals should clarify technology gaps and bottlenecks, set out envisioned technology advances with quantitative targets and key performance indicators, describe detailed testing and demonstration approaches, and demonstrate business potential both within and beyond the fusion field.

Expected outcomes include matured and demonstrated innovative technologies at TRL 6-8, tested components in close-to-real-life conditions demonstrating ability to deliver fusion-grade components and systems, and credible business cases clarifying commercialization potential and benefits for EU company competitiveness and growth in the fusion field.

Where relevant, proposals must demonstrate understanding of safety constraints for component deployment in fusion power plants and outline how the work builds on and articulates with results and activities of other relevant EU initiatives such as the EUROfusion partnership and Fusion4Energy joint undertaking.

Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda Alignment

Proposals must explain how the proposed action aligns with the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) of the European Partnership on Fusion Energy. The SRIA is expected to be available at the time the call opens. Projects should include activities contributing to the Partnership, such as contributing to Partnership monitoring, supporting communication and dissemination activities, and ensuring effective liaison with the Partnership Board and European Commission.

Evaluation and Award Procedure

Evaluation Criteria:Proposals are evaluated against three criteria: Excellence (clarity and pertinence of objectives, ambition beyond state-of-the-art, soundness of methodology); Impact (credibility of pathways to achieve expected outcomes, suitability of dissemination and exploitation measures); and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation (quality of work plan, risk assessment, consortium capacity and expertise). Each criterion has a threshold score of 3 out of 5, with an overall threshold of 10 points out of 15 ⁶.

Award Strategy:To ensure a balanced portfolio covering all key technology areas, grants will be awarded not only in order of ranking but at least also to one proposal that is the highest ranked within each key area, provided that proposals attain all thresholds. This strategy ensures that innovation across all three technology areas receives support.

Evaluation Committee Composition:The evaluation committee will be composed partially by representatives of EU institutions, ensuring institutional involvement in the assessment process.

Broader Context: EU Fusion Energy Investment

This call is part of a broader €330 million EU investment in fusion energy and nuclear research under the 2026-2027 Euratom Work Programme ⁷. Of this total, €222 million is dedicated to fusion energy, with €75 million allocated to the pilot phase of the public-private partnership for fusion running until 2027. The remaining €108 million supports nuclear fission research, safety, waste management and radiation protection.

The EU's fusion strategy emphasizes bridging fusion energy from laboratories to the power grid, establishing a European public-private partnership, and supporting emerging fusion start-ups through European Innovation Council instruments. This call represents a key mechanism for achieving these strategic objectives by funding innovation actions that mature critical enabling technologies.

Key Applicant Considerations

• Consortium composition must demonstrate strong public-private collaboration with clear roles for research organizations and commercial entities
• Technology readiness level progression from current state to TRL 6-8 must be clearly demonstrated with realistic timelines and milestones
• Business case development is critical; proposals must show clear pathways to commercialization and market potential
• Alignment with the European Partnership on Fusion Energy SRIA is essential; applicants should monitor SRIA publication for detailed priorities
• Safety and regulatory considerations must be addressed where relevant to component deployment in fusion power plants
• Quantitative performance targets and key performance indicators strengthen proposals by providing measurable success criteria
• Testing and demonstration in close-to-real-life conditions must be planned with sufficient detail and resources
• Dissemination and exploitation plans should address both scientific community and industrial uptake pathways
• Proposals must clearly identify which of the three key technology areas they address to support portfolio balancing objectives

Application Process and Support

Proposals must be submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal using the standard application form for Horizon Europe Innovation Actions. The submission system provides step-by-step guidance through proposal preparation. Part A of the proposal is generated by the IT system based on participant information, while Part B is the narrative technical description uploaded as a PDF document following provided templates.

Applicants should consult the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027 General Annexes for detailed information on admissibility conditions, eligibility requirements, financial and operational capacity criteria, award criteria, evaluation procedures, and legal and financial setup of grant agreements. The Online Manual on the Funding and Tenders Portal provides comprehensive guidance on proposal preparation and submission.

Additional Resources and References

The European Commission has established several supporting structures for fusion research. EUROfusion, the co-funded European Partnership for fusion research, continues to advance foundational science and technology while supporting development and joint exploitation of research infrastructures. Fusion for Energy (F4E) manages Europe's contribution to ITER and the Broader Approach with Japan. The ITER project itself represents the key experimental step between today's fusion research machines and tomorrow's fusion power plants, with significant European involvement ⁸.

Applicants are encouraged to engage with these existing initiatives and consortia to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication. The call explicitly invites proposals to build on and articulate with results from EUROfusion and Fusion4Energy activities.

Footnotes

1. 1Total indicative budget of €32 million with expected EU contribution per project of approximately €10 million and indicative number of grants around 3. Budget amounts are subject to availability of appropriations in the general budget of the Union for 2026 and 2027.
2. 2Call opens 15 September 2026 and closes 04 March 2027 at 17:00 Brussels local time. The Director-General responsible may decide to open the call up to one month prior to or after the envisaged date or delay the deadline by up to two months.
3. 3Participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States and countries associated to the Euratom Research and Training Programme. Ukraine and Switzerland are the only associated countries as of call publication. Proposals including entities from countries outside this scope will be ineligible to safeguard Union strategic assets, interests, autonomy and security.
4. 4Funding rate is 60 percent of eligible costs except for non-profit legal entities where the funding rate is up to 100 percent of total eligible costs. This reflects the need to involve a wider research community and ensure participation of public research organizations.
5. 5Eligible costs take the form of lump sum contributions as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. Eligible cost categories include personnel costs, subcontracting costs, travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods and services, and other specified categories. Indirect costs are calculated as 25 percent flat rate of direct eligible costs.
6. 6Three evaluation criteria each with threshold of 3 out of 5: Excellence (clarity and pertinence of objectives, ambition beyond state-of-the-art, soundness of methodology); Impact (credibility of pathways to outcomes, suitability of dissemination and exploitation measures); Quality and Efficiency of Implementation (quality of work plan, risk assessment, consortium capacity). Overall threshold is 10 points out of 15.
7. 7The 2026-2027 Euratom Work Programme allocates €330 million total to fusion energy and nuclear research. €222 million is dedicated to fusion energy bridging from laboratories to the grid, €75 million to the pilot phase of the public-private partnership for fusion until 2027, and €108 million to nuclear fission research, safety, waste management and radiation protection.
8. 8EUROfusion is the co-funded European Partnership for fusion research. Fusion for Energy (F4E) is the European Joint Undertaking managing Europe's contribution to ITER and the Broader Approach. ITER is an international project to build the world's largest tokamak, designed as the key experimental step between today's fusion research machines and tomorrow's fusion power plants, with participation from China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States.