Production technologies for solar photovoltaics beyond the state-of-the-art (EUPI-PV Partnership)

The Horizon Europe opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-15 focuses on production technologies for solar photovoltaics that go beyond the current state-of-the-art. This initiative is part of the EUPI-PV Partnership, aimed at enhancing European solar PV manufacturing, reducing dependence on imports, and meeting climate targets. A total budget of €36 million is allocated for this call, with an expected three grants of €12 million each.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, SMEs, innovative start-ups and scale-ups, and public bodies from EU member states and associated countries. Projects must demonstrate advanced solar cells/modules with improved conversion efficiencies and reliable performance, alongside pilot production lines that are energy-efficient and automated.

The application process is single-stage, with submissions opening on December 3, 2026, and closing on March 31, 2027. Proposals should include robust exploitation and dissemination plans, detailing business cases and pathways for commercialization, potentially utilizing funding sources like the EU Innovation Fund.

Success rates are not explicitly stated, but the competitive nature of the funding suggests typical rates for Horizon Europe opportunities, which may range between 10% and 39%. Co-funding is likely required in line with standard Horizon rules.

The overarching goal of this program is to foster the EU PV value chain, enhance its competitiveness, and contribute to the objectives set by the EU Solar Energy Strategy and REPowerEU plans, aiming for an annual manufacturing capacity of 30 GW by 2030. The approach encourages the collaboration of diverse expertise from multiple entities, signaling a strong emphasis on innovation and technological advancement in renewable energy manufacturing.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-15, focusing on production technologies for solar photovoltaics beyond the state-of-the-art, under the EUPI-PV Partnership. It falls under the BATTERIES and ENERGY call (HORIZON-CL5-2027-02) of the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program. It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

The call adopts a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 03 December 2026, and the deadline for submission is 31 March 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this topic are: increasing the potential for commercialization of innovative PV technologies, creating competitive technological know-how for the European PV industrial base, contributing to the objectives of the EU Solar PV Industry Alliance, and supporting the execution of the solar energy joint research and innovation agenda.

The scope of the proposals should demonstrate: solar cells/modules with conversion efficiencies beyond those commercially available and degradation/reliability and performance at least on par with the most reliable commercially available technologies, a multi-MWp-ready resilient, energy efficient, defect-free production technology for cells/modules, and production equipment & pilot line, including digitalized and automated processing.

Proposals should include a plan for the exploitation and dissemination of results, including a strong business case and sound exploitation strategy, preliminary plans for scalability, commercialization, and deployment (feasibility study, business plan) indicating the possible funding sources to be potentially used (in particular the Innovation Fund). Projects are expected to report on the results to the European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics (EUPI-PV) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.

General conditions for participation include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries, detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligible Conditions: Projects using satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the action's end, as per Annex 5. Legal and financial set-up described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details: Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA). Evaluation form templates will be used with adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is the HE MGA.

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for the call indicates that HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-15 has a budget of 36,000,000 EUR for the year 2027. It is a single-stage application process, opening on 2026-12-03 and closing on 2027-03-31. The indicative number of grants is around 3, with an estimated contribution of around 12,000,000 EUR per grant. Other related topics under the same call include: HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D2-05 (18,800,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D2-06 (37,800,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-07 (12,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-08 (30,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-09 (43,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-10 (9,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-24 (20,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-30 (16,000,000 EUR), and HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-31 (5,000,000 EUR).

Partner search announcements are available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests after logging into the Portal. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

Applicants are encouraged to read all provisions carefully before preparing their application. The Online Manual guides 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 on proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management. The Research Enquiry Service can answer questions about European research and the EU Research Framework Programmes. National Contact Points (NCPs) offer guidance, practical information, and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, including in non-EU countries. The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) provides advice to businesses, especially SMEs, including guidance on EU research funding. The IT Helpdesk addresses questions about forgotten passwords, access rights, technical aspects of proposal submission, etc. The European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk advise on standardisation in project proposals. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment outline the roles, responsibilities, and entitlements of researchers, employers, and funders. Partner Search helps find partner organizations for proposals.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to bolster the European solar PV manufacturing sector by funding innovation actions that develop advanced production technologies for solar cells and modules. The goal is to increase manufacturing capacity, improve the competitiveness of European PV products, and reduce reliance on imports, contributing to the EU's climate targets and energy independence. Successful projects will need to demonstrate high conversion efficiencies, resilient production technologies, and a clear plan for commercialization and scalability. The call encourages collaboration and provides extensive support resources for applicants.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the context of Horizon Europe and the focus on innovation and manufacturing, eligible applicants could include startups, SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, and universities. The mention of "scale-ups" suggests that entities ready for commercialization are particularly relevant.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a "HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]". The call specifies "HORIZON Innovation Actions" (HORIZON-IA) and "HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions" (HORIZON-COFUND) and "HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions" (HORIZON-CSA) as types of action.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, the Partner Search functionality and the nature of innovation actions suggest that consortia are likely to be common and potentially encouraged, but single applicants may also be possible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be focused on EU member states and associated countries, as indicated by the reference to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the mention of "non-EU/non-Associated Countries." However, specific provisions may exist for participants from other countries, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector, specifically focusing on production technologies, manufacturing, and innovation within the solar PV value chain. This includes areas like solar cells, modules, production equipment, and pilot lines.

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to the European Union (EU) and "non-EU/non-Associated Countries".

Project Stage: The expected maturity of projects should be at the development, validation, demonstration, and potentially commercialization stages. The emphasis on "multi-MWp-ready production technology," "production equipment & pilot line," and "scalability, commercialisation, and deployment" indicates a preference for projects that are beyond basic research and ready for industrial-scale validation.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic, ranging from €5,000,000 to €43,000,000. Specific funding amounts and the indicative number of grants for each topic are detailed in the "Budget overview" section. For example, HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-15 has a budget of €36,000,000 and aims to award around 3 grants, suggesting an average grant size of €12,000,000.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but can be inferred from the "Budget overview" section, which provides the "Indicative number of grants" for each topic. For example, a topic with a budget of €18,800,000 and an indicative number of 2 grants suggests a more competitive environment than a topic with a budget of €43,000,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the "BATTERIES and ENERGY" program (HORIZON-CL5-2027-02), focuses on "Production technologies for solar photovoltaics beyond the state-of-the-art" under the EUPI-PV Partnership. It aims to bolster the European solar PV manufacturing sector, reduce import dependency on fossil fuels, and achieve climate targets by supporting innovative projects that can increase manufacturing capacity and commercialize advanced PV technologies. The call is structured around Horizon Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), with a single-stage application process and varying funding levels depending on the specific topic. Eligible applicants include startups, SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, and universities from EU member states and associated countries, with potential opportunities for participants from non-EU/non-associated countries. Projects should focus on demonstrating solar cells/modules with improved conversion efficiencies, resilient production technologies, and plans for scalability and commercialization. The call encourages applicants to develop a strong business case and exploitation strategy, including preliminary plans for scalability, commercialization, and deployment, and to consider funding sources like the Innovation Fund. The overall goal is to strengthen the EU PV value chain, enhance its competitiveness, and increase energy security through innovation and technological advancement.