Novel approaches towards next-generation battery concepts, leveraging the enabling role of innovative advanced materials (BATT4EU and IAM4EU Partnersh...

The funding opportunity titled "Novel approaches towards next-generation battery concepts, leveraging the enabling role of innovative advanced materials" falls under the Horizon Europe program, specifically within the BATT4EU and IAM4EU Partnerships. The call identifier is HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage-D2-07 and it emphasizes Research and Innovation Actions (RIA).

The opportunity opens for applications on December 15, 2026, with two critical deadlines for submissions: April 14, 2027, and October 7, 2027. The total budget allocated is €53,000,000, distributed across two topics. The first topic, with an expected budget of €48,000,000, aims to fund approximately 10 grants of around €4,800,000 each. The second topic has a budget of €5,000,000 for approximately 2 grants, each worth around €2,500,000.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, companies, universities, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate as a consortium member without funding. Geographic eligibility is confined to EU Member States and Associated Countries, with specific provisions for non-EU countries under certain conditions.

The focus areas for project proposals are divided into three categories:
1. Area A targets the development and validation of low-cost battery chemistries for electric mobility, striving for cost reductions and improved performance benchmarks.
2. Area B emphasizes high-performance batteries suitable for industries like aviation and maritime, requiring advanced energy densities.
3. Area C focuses on durable battery materials for stationary storage applications, addressing energy-intensive industrial needs and grid applications.

Proposals must demonstrate scalability, manufacturability, sustainability, safety, and the ability to improve performance monitoring of battery technologies. The projects are expected to follow the Safe and Sustainable by Design principles, contributing to the EU's clean energy usage goals.

The application process includes a two-stage submission model. The first stage involves a blind evaluation of concept proposals, ensuring impartiality by not revealing applicant identities. The second stage requires full proposals from selected candidates based on initial assessments.

While success rates are not explicitly provided, it is noted that competitive funding will be awarded based on the quality and relevance of the proposals across the targeted areas. Co-funding requirements are not stated, although applicants are encouraged to explore synergies with other funding sources.

Overall, this Horizon Europe call represents a significant investment in advancing battery technology within Europe, aiming to enhance competitiveness in clean energy and sustainable mobility sectors. Projects falling within this scope are positioned to make meaningful contributions to energy transition and innovation in battery materials.

The funding opportunity is titled "Novel approaches towards next-generation battery concepts, leveraging the enabling role of innovative advanced materials (BATT4EU and IAM4EU Partnerships)" with the call identifier HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage-D2-07. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the BATTERIES and MOBILITY (HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage) call. The action type is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), and the Model Grant Agreement (MGA) type is HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. This is a forthcoming opportunity with a two-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 15 December 2026, with deadline dates of 14 April 2027 (17:00:00 Brussels time) and 07 October 2027 (17:00:00 Brussels time).

The expected outcome of this opportunity is to generate innovative battery concepts that will safeguard future European competitiveness. This will be achieved through innovative battery advanced materials and technologies that contribute to green energy usage via enhanced energy storage and management capabilities.

The scope of the projects should contribute to one of the following battery concepts:

Area A: Development and validation of low-cost battery chemistries particularly suited for electric mobility supporting a reliable and flexible energy flow to meet fluctuating demand by enabling better integration of diverse energy sources. Proposals are expected to provide the state-of-the-art benchmark for the performance of Design-to-Performance lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries and compare the project’s improvements of performance targets to said benchmark. Main component (active and main inactive materials) cost of below €35 per kWh.

Area B: Development of high-performance battery, particularly suited for aviation and high-performance mobility boosting green energy adoption by leveraging advanced energy carriers and storage solutions to support demanding applications. Validation of advanced battery concepts achieving energy density exceeding 500 Wh/kg and/or Power density exceeding the state-of-the-art benchmark based on the selected application(s).

Area C: Development of durable and reliable battery advanced materials and cell-level concepts specifically suited to stationary storage for either grid and/or energy-intensive industry applications.

Projects are expected to contribute to one of the following battery concepts that meet different end-user needs and applications, going beyond state-of-the-art:

Area A: Low-cost batteries designed primarily for passenger electric vehicles and/or stationary storage: Development of battery chemistries utilizing minimised amount of Critical Raw Materials Cost reduction through use of smart functionalities, as well as lightweight, functionalised and/or simplified casing or cooling concepts etc is encouraged.

Area B: High-performance battery chemistries intended for applications requiring superior energy density, power density, and safety standards, such as aviation and maritime sectors: Innovative approaches to battery structural integration and multifunctional materials to significantly boost gravimetric and volumetric performance.

Area C: Novel battery advanced materials and cell-level concepts, for stationary energy storage for grid storage and/or energy-intensive industrial applications: If applied for grid storage, solutions should demonstrate potential for cost-effective integration at system level (targeting system-level cost below €50/kWh) and provide support for multi-hour storage durations to enhance renewable energy uptake and grid flexibility. If applied for energy-intensive industrial applications, battery materials and designs should address continuous high-load operation, cycling under harsh conditions, and reliability over long operational periods, contributing to the electrification and decarbonisation of specific industrial processes under study.

All projects are expected to provide an assessment on all following aspects: Scalability potential, manufacturability, and market relevance. Solutions for extended cycle life, cost-efficient recyclability, and sustainability by design (implementing Safe and Sustainable by Design principles) Solutions for enhanced safety, thermal management, performance monitoring, and predictive diagnostics.

The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework should be considered as a reference for project proposals to guide the innovation process towards safer and more sustainable chemicals and advanced materials.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may be involved in the projects, contributing experimental or desk-top research on battery performance or safety.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU) and the co-programmed Partnership Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU (IAM4EU). Projects will be expected to report on the results to these partnerships. This topic also contributes to the industrial action plan for the automotive sector.

Regarding admissibility conditions, applicants submitting a proposal for a blind evaluation must not disclose their organisation names, acronyms, logos nor names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System and Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

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

The first-stage proposals of this topic will be evaluated blindly. To ensure a balanced portfolio covering different sectors, grants will be awarded to proposals not only in order of ranking but at least also to one proposal that is the highest ranked within each of the three areas, provided that the proposals attain all thresholds. Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme. Legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are not applicable.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System. The standard application form is HE RIA IA Stage 1 BLIND. Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations. The standard evaluation form is HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1 BLIND.

Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, detailed budget table (HE LS), and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction, Climate, Energy and Mobility, and General Annexes), the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, the EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are two topics with funding available under this call:

HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage-D2-07: Budget of EUR 48,000,000, indicative number of grants is 10, contributions around EUR 4,800,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage-D5-09: Budget of EUR 5,000,000, indicative number of grants is 2, contributions around EUR 2,500,000.

There is one partner search announcement available.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

Applicants are advised to carefully read all provisions before preparing their application. The Online Manual serves as a guide on procedures from proposal submission to grant management. The Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains detailed guidance on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ provides answers to frequently asked questions. The Research Enquiry Service can answer questions about European research. National Contact Points (NCPs) offer guidance and assistance. The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) provides advice to businesses, especially SMEs. The IT Helpdesk addresses technical questions. The European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property issues. The CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk advise on standardisation. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment outline the roles and responsibilities of researchers. Partner Search helps find partner organisations.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks to fund research and innovation actions focused on developing next-generation battery concepts using advanced materials and technologies. The goal is to enhance European competitiveness in the battery sector and contribute to green energy usage. The call is structured around three main areas: low-cost batteries for electric mobility and stationary storage, high-performance batteries for aviation and high-performance mobility, and durable batteries for stationary storage in grid and industrial applications. Projects should address scalability, manufacturability, sustainability, safety, and performance monitoring. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process involves a two-stage submission with a blind evaluation in the first stage. The call encourages the involvement of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and requires projects to report results to the European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU) and the Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU (IAM4EU).

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the Horizon Europe program and the nature of Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] under the HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium. Partner search announcements are available, suggesting that multiple entities collaborate.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is energy, specifically focusing on battery technology, advanced materials, electric mobility, aviation, maritime, grid storage, and energy-intensive industry applications. It also contributes to the industrial action plan for the automotive sector.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is open to EU member states and associated countries. The possibility exists for non-EU/non-Associated Countries to participate if they have made specific provisions for funding.

Project Stage: The project stage is research and innovation actions, implying that projects should be in the development, validation, or demonstration phase, going beyond the state-of-the-art.

Funding Amount: For topic HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage-D2-07, the budget is EUR 48,000,000 with an indicative number of 10 grants, suggesting around EUR 4,800,000 per grant. For topic HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage-D5-09, the budget is EUR 5,000,000 with an indicative number of 2 grants, suggesting around EUR 2,500,000 per grant.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a two-stage submission process. The first stage proposals of this topic will be evaluated blindly.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves two stages. The first-stage proposals of this topic will be evaluated blindly.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage-D2-07, 10 grants are expected from a EUR 48,000,000 budget. For HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage-D5-09, 2 grants are expected from a EUR 5,000,000 budget.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly mentioned as a requirement. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

This opportunity is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA) call focused on "Novel approaches towards next-generation battery concepts, leveraging the enabling role of innovative advanced materials" under the BATT4EU and IAM4EU Partnerships. The call aims to foster innovative battery technologies and materials to enhance European competitiveness and promote green energy usage. The call is structured into three main areas: Area A focuses on low-cost battery chemistries for electric mobility, Area B on high-performance batteries for aviation and high-performance mobility, and Area C on durable and reliable battery materials for stationary storage. Projects are expected to contribute to one of these areas, addressing scalability, manufacturability, recyclability, safety, and performance monitoring. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a two-stage submission with a blind evaluation in the first stage. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can be involved in projects, and the call encourages the consideration of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework. The call is relevant to the automotive sector and contributes to the goals of the European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU) and the Partnership Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU (IAM4EU). The call is open to EU member states and associated countries, with potential participation from non-EU countries under specific conditions.