RENEW-BOOSTER EUROCLUSTER CALL N°1 FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THIRD PARTIES

RENEW-BOOSTER Eurocluster Call No.1 offers €800,000 in cascade grants to support SMEs developing innovations in photovoltaics, offshore wind (including floating) and energy grids, with a per‑SME cap of €60,000. The call is structured in two strands: Strand A is challenge‑driven with a two‑step process (Step 1: €10,000, ~20% private co‑funding; Step 2: €50,000, ~40% private co‑funding) and Strand B is an open single‑stage call offering €10K, €30Kor €60Kwith increasing private cash co‑funding requirements. Eligible applicants are SMEs established in EU‑27 and Single Market Programme participating countries, projects must align with CRMA/NZIA and Do No Significant Harm, and consortia of SMEs are allowed with minimum 20% budget share per partner. Applications must be submitted in English via the EUSurvey form by 28 April 2026, 17:00 CET, with evaluation in May–June 2026 and contracts expected mid‑July 2026.

What it funds

Scope and funding structure (high level)

Cascade funding for SMEs developing innovations in photovoltaics, offshore wind (including floating offshore wind), and energy networks. Actions must contribute to supply chain resilience, critical raw material substitution/recycling, green and/or digital transition and align with CRMA/NZIA priorities.

Two parallel strands:Strand A Challenge-driven: two-step selection (Step 1 proof-of-concept, Step 2 demonstration/scale-up). Strand B Open Call: single-stage bottom-up selection with three grant levels. Projects run 3–6 months. ¹

1. 1Strand A: Step 1 — up to three SMEs per challenge awarded €10,000 (min. 20% private co-funding) to reach TRL 6–7; one winner per challenge progresses to Step 2 and may receive €50,000 (min. 40% private co-funding) to reach TRL 8–9.
2. 2Strand B: Open Call — single-stage awards up to €10,000, €30,000 or €60,000 depending on maturity; co-funding increases with grant size (indicative private co-funding ~50–70% for larger grants); funding can be combined sequentially across stages.
3. 3Total call budget: €800,000. Individual SME ceiling: €60,000.

Who can apply

Only SMEs as defined by the EU SME definition, legally established in EU-27 or other countries participating in the Single Market Programme (SMP). Consortia of SMEs are allowed (each SME may receive up to €60,000). Applications must be in English and submitted via EUSurvey.

1. 1Applicant type: single SME or consortium of SMEs (all must qualify as SMEs).
2. 2Geography: EU-27 plus SMP participating countries.
3. 3Language and submission: English; submit via EUSurvey. One submission per SME per call; required declarations include DNSH compliance and SME self-declaration.

Key deadlines and process

Opening date:27 February 2026. Submission deadline: 28 April 2026, 17:00 CET. Evaluation May–June 2026; results communicated end of June 2026; contracts expected mid-July 2026. Projects start after sub-grant signature and last 3–6 months.

How to apply:Complete and submit the form on EUSurvey (application template and challenge descriptions available there). Contact/helpdesk details are listed in the call text. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full call text, challenge descriptions, eligibility rules, co-funding details and the EUSurvey submission form are available in the official call documents: RENEW-BOOSTER call text.

RENEW-BOOSTER provides cascade funding to support SME-led innovation that strengthens European renewable energy value chains in offshore wind (including floating), photovoltaics (PV), and energy networks. The call is financed under the EU Single Market Programme and is implemented by the RENEW-BOOSTER Eurocluster consortium.

Core facts:Opening date: 27 February 2026. Deadline: 28 April 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage deadline model). Total funding available: €800,000. Expected project duration: 3 to 6 months. Per-SME funding cap: up to €60,000. Programme reference: SMP-COSME (Euroclusters). Project acronym: RENEW-BOOSTER; Grant Agreement No. 101234706. Application portal: EUSurvey.

Where to apply and key documents:Apply via EUSurvey: RENEW-BOOSTER EUSurvey submission form. Official call text and detailed guidance: RENEW-BOOSTER Call Text (PDF) and Challenge Description: Alternative Uses for Offshore Wind Infrastructure (PDF). General call page: EU Funding & Tenders Portal listing. ¹

Call Structure and Funding Strands

The call is implemented through two distinct strands. Applicants must select one strand when applying.

Additional funding logic for Strand B:Options can be combined sequentially over time (e.g., prototype to demonstration to deployment), leading to a Proof of Concept or deployment phase. Total mobilised budget per POC typically ranges from €33,000 to €120,000, factoring in co-funding.

Scope, Objectives and Eligible Innovation Domains

Funded projects must deliver tangible outcomes in 3–6 months that contribute to resilient and diversified European clean energy supply chains, aligned with the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA). Proposals must clearly reference how they support CRMA and/or NZIA through metrics such as CO2/resource reduction or relocation/reshoring of value chain steps into the EU.

Target value chains and indicative eligible activities

• Offshore wind energy, in particular floating offshore wind: development of technologies and components (generators, blades, floating platforms) with improved sustainability, circularity, and reduced critical raw material content; electrical, transmission and power system solutions (cables, substations, offshore grid technologies) reducing CRM dependency; innovations in materials, design, manufacturing, and processes enabling substitution, material efficiency, reuse or recycling; integrated deployment, O&M and deep-water solutions for floating offshore wind.
• Photovoltaics (PV): development of high-efficiency cells, modules, and materials (e.g. composite substitution for aluminium; reducing tin/lead in interconnections; glass substitution); PV power plant architectures and hybrid electricity/heat technologies; improved PV module recyclability; innovation in power electronics; cross-sectoral synergies leveraging EU manufacturing capacities (e.g. microelectronics) for PV.
• Energy networks: SF6-free equipment; advanced power cables using recycled materials; tools for optimising energy infrastructure; systems to model, monitor, and forecast cable health; smart grid solutions, such as dynamic line rating and predictive maintenance.
• Cross-sectoral innovations applicable to the above sectors: advanced digital solutions (AI, quantum computing, blockchain, digital twins) to optimise energy and environmental performance, including biodiversity considerations; technologies enhancing business processes (energy management, predictive analytics, environmental impact assessment tools).
• Examples of eligible innovation results: products/services enabling CRM substitution; supply chain diversification validated through pilots; process innovations improving manufacturing efficiency, quality, and resilience; digital solutions for supply chain monitoring, optimisation, traceability, performance; technologies reducing environmental impacts in production and sourcing.

Eligibility and Compliance Requirements

• Applicant type: SMEs only, as per EU SME definition (Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC). Staff headcount under 250; turnover up to €50 million or balance sheet total up to €43 million. SMEs part of larger groups must consolidate data per EU rules. SME self-assessment tool is available.
• Geographic eligibility: Applicants must be established in EU-27 plus all countries participating in the Single Market Programme (SMP).
• Scope fit: Proposal activities must fall clearly within PV, offshore wind, or energy grids value chains.
• Language and format: Applications must be in English and comply with character limits for each text box on EUSurvey. Only requested annexes may be submitted (e.g., financial identification).
• Submission: One proposal per SME per call. Multiple submissions by the same SME lead to automatic rejection.
• DNSH compliance: All activities must respect the Do No Significant Harm principle; proposals causing significant environmental harm may be excluded.
• EU funding principles: No double funding; transparency and accuracy of information; capacity to sign and comply with the third-party funding agreement.
• Fund allocation rule: At least 10% of the funded SMEs must be established outside the countries of the Eurocluster consortium partners (Denmark, Norway, Poland, France, Bulgaria).
• Consortia: SME consortia are eligible; each SME within a consortium may receive up to €60,000; members may be jointly liable for obligations under the funding agreement. In consortia, no single partner may receive less than 20% of the total project budget.

Evaluation, Selection, and Timetable

Evaluation criteria and thresholds:Three criteria scored 0–10 each, with minimum 6/10 per criterion required: Excellence; Impact; Quality and efficiency of implementation. Maximum total: 30 points. Funding decisions are based on ranking by total score, thresholds, and budget availability. Tie-breakers: Impact score, then Excellence, then Implementation, then geographical balance, followed by final Evaluation Committee decision.

Evaluation workflow:Eligibility check; evaluation by two independent evaluators; third evaluator if needed; input from challenge owners for Strand A; final ranking established per scores and budget.

Indicative timetable:Call publication: 27 February 2026. Deadline: 28 April 2026 (17:00 CET). Evaluation: May–June 2026. Results: end June 2026. Sub-grant signature: mid-July 2026. Projects run 3–6 months from sub-grant signature.

Deliverables and payment conditions:Final milestone must include an impact assessment with measured and/or well-justified estimated results, and quantified earnings/savings tied to KPIs (e.g., cost reduction, efficiency, reduced dependency, time-to-market gains). A template is provided by RENEW-BOOSTER. Completion of the Single Market Programme feedback survey and its inclusion in the final report is mandatory. Payments may be suspended in case of non-compliance, delayed deliverables, or eligibility breaches.

Application Process and Templates

Applications are submitted exclusively via EUSurvey. You can save progress and modify until the deadline. Upon submission, an email confirmation is sent; if not received, contact the helpdesk. SMEs applying as a consortium submit a single proposal with one SME as coordinator.

Application type and stages:Open call via EUSurvey. Strand A is a two-step competition under predefined challenges. Strand B is a single-stage open call with bottom-up topics.

Application form structure (EUSurvey template outline):Administrative and eligibility information: country of establishment; proposal type (Open Call or Challenge-driven); value chain selection (PV, Offshore wind, Energy grids); SME status declaration; duration (3–6 months); requested grant; financial identification upload; turnover and balance sheet data. Project summary: objectives, approach, expected results. Excellence: innovation maturity/readiness (evidence of TRL, pilots, tests, customer validation), novelty and state-of-the-art improvements, fit with current products/services/processes, expected outputs and technical results. Market need or industrial process and value proposition: specific need or process addressed; competitive advantage vs. existing solutions. Impact: commercialisation/scale-up/deployment plan; target markets and customers; expected economic impacts (revenue, jobs, productivity, exports); contribution to resilience, green, and/or digital transitions; selection of at least two measurable indicators (e.g., productivity, quality, safety, waste reduction in tonnes, energy saved in kWh, CO2eq reduction, annual savings/ROI). Implementation: roles and skills of participants/partners/service providers; cross-border partnership value and complementarity; risk identification and mitigation; work plan with up to 5 tasks (task name, schedule, resources, brief description, deliverable/output, KPI addressed). Budget overview: costs per partner-SME; requested funding per SME (max €60,000); in consortia, each partner must receive at least 20% of the total project budget. Declarations and compliance: GDPR/privacy; ethics and research integrity; DNSH; SME status; financial and operational capacity; partner eligibility (EU-27 + SMP). Cluster affiliation: membership details (RENEW-BOOSTER clusters and other clusters). Organisation address and contact details.

Submission and support:Submission portal: EUSurvey form. Guidance and call text: Call Text PDF. General portal listing: EU Funding & Tenders page. Helpdesk emails: general and eligibility queries: bes@energycluster.dk; challenge-related: ge@norwegianoffshorewind.no; open-call-related: nicolas.lemonnier@capenergies.fr. Complaints procedure: submit to bes@energycluster.dk within 14 days of results communication (include SME/application name, contact details, complaint object, and supporting evidence).

Answers to the requested categorisation questions

Eligible Applicant Types:SMEs only, as defined by the European Commission (micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises meeting staff headcount and turnover or balance sheet thresholds). Eligible SMEs can apply alone or in SME-only consortia. Large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofits, and individuals are not eligible as beneficiaries.

Funding Type:Cascade funding in the form of grants (financial support to third parties) under the Single Market Programme (Euroclusters).

Consortium Requirement:Single SME applications are eligible. SME consortia are also eligible. When applying as a consortium, one SME acts as coordinator; each SME may request up to €60,000; in consortia, one partner cannot receive less than 20% of the total project budget.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU-27 plus all countries participating in the Single Market Programme (SMP). At least 10% of selected SMEs must be established outside the consortium partners’ countries (Denmark, Norway, Poland, France, Bulgaria).

Target Sector:Energy and clean technologies across offshore wind (including floating), photovoltaics, and energy networks, with strong links to digital innovation (AI, blockchain, digital twins, quantum computing), advanced materials, recycling and circularity, power electronics, smart grids, and supply chain resilience (critical raw material substitution and process innovation).

Mentioned Countries:Denmark; Norway; Poland; France; Bulgaria. Regional eligibility: EU-27 + all SMP participating countries.

Project Stage:Development through demonstration and near-to-market deployment. Strand A targets TRL 6–7 in Step 1 (proof of concept) and TRL 8–9 in Step 2 (demonstration/scale-up). Strand B covers prototype, demonstration, and deployment within up to six months.

Funding Amount:Up to €60,000 per SME. Strand A: €10,000 in Step 1 and €50,000 in Step 2 for the winning SME per challenge. Strand B: SMEs request €10,000 or €30,000 or €60,000. Total call budget: €800,000. Strand B expects to support around 12 to 72 SMEs overall, depending on award sizes.

Application Type:Open call via EUSurvey with a single submission deadline. Strand A is a two-step competitive process within the strand; Strand B is a single-stage selection.

Nature of Support:Money in the form of grants (financial support to third parties). Non-financial support is not described as part of the sub-grant, though the Eurocluster accelerator provides guidance and monitoring.

Application Stages:Strand A: 2 stages (Step 1 and Step 2). Strand B: 1 stage. The call deadline is single-stage at portal level (one submission per application).

Success Rates:No success rate statistics are provided in the call documentation.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. Private co-funding from other financial sources (debt or own resources) is mandatory. In-kind contributions (e.g., staff costs) do not count. Strand A: Step 1 minimum 20%; Step 2 minimum 40%. Strand B: approximately 50% to 70% private co-funding, with higher co-funding ratios for larger grant requests.

Templates: How the application forms look:The EUSurvey template requires: Administrative and eligibility data (country, SME status, value chain, strand selection, duration, grant request, turnover and balance sheet, financial identification upload); Project summary (objectives, approach, expected results); Excellence (innovation maturity level and evidence such as TRL, pilot/test results, customer validation; novelty and state-of-the-art; fit with current offering; expected technical outputs/results); Market need or industrial process and value proposition (problem addressed; competitive advantage); Impact (commercialisation/scale-up plan; target markets/customers; measurable economic impacts; contribution to resilience, green, and/or digital transitions; quantified indicators such as productivity, quality, safety, waste reduction, energy saved, CO2eq reduction, annual savings/ROI); Implementation (roles and skills; cross-border complementarity; risks and mitigation; work plan with up to 5 tasks including task name, schedule, resources, brief description, deliverable/output, KPIs); Budget per partner-SME (each SME up to €60,000; in consortia, minimum 20% of total budget per partner); Declarations and compliance (GDPR/privacy, ethics, DNSH, SME status, financial/operational capacity, partners’ eligibility); Cluster membership information; Organisation address and partner descriptions.

Additional Operational Details

• Language: English only; partial use of other languages renders the application ineligible.
• Modification: Applications can be saved and edited until the deadline; the platform closes automatically at the stated time.
• Confirmation: Applicants receive an email upon successful upload; if not received, contact bes@energycluster.dk and copy your local contact point.
• One proposal per SME per call: Multiple submissions by the same SME lead to rejection.
• No annexes except those explicitly requested on EUSurvey (e.g., financial identification).
• Challenge owner involvement: For Strand A, challenge owners may contribute to relevance and feasibility assessment and monitor progress.
• Example predefined challenge: Alternative Uses for Offshore Wind Infrastructure (owner: METCentre, Norway), seeking SME solutions that leverage existing offshore wind assets (e.g., cables, foundations, substations, moorings) for additional monitoring, digital services, or multi-use applications across marine sectors, with testing/demonstration readiness at or with METCentre.

Comprehensive Summary

This open Eurocluster cascade-funding call supports SMEs innovating in offshore wind (with a focus on floating), photovoltaics, and energy networks, to increase resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability of European renewable energy supply chains. Two funding strands are offered. Strand A is a challenge-driven, two-step competition that provides €10,000 to three SMEs per challenge for rapid proof-of-concept (TRL 6–7), followed by a final pitch selecting one SME per challenge for €50,000 to scale the solution to TRL 8–9. Strand B is a bottom-up, single-stage open call offering grants of €10,000, €30,000, or €60,000 for projects up to six months, with private co-funding ratios increasing with the grant amount; options can be sequenced to move from prototype to demonstration to deployment. All grants require private co-funding in cash (not in-kind). Projects must explicitly align with the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRM substitution, EU extraction/processing/recycling, supply chain diversification) and the Net-Zero Industry Act (reshoring/manufacturing in the EU, contribution to EU net-zero technology capacity), as well as comply with the Do No Significant Harm principle. Eligible applicants are SMEs established in the EU-27 or SMP-participating countries; single SMEs or SME consortia may apply, with a per-SME cap of €60,000 and a minimum 20% budget share per partner in consortia. Evaluation is based on Excellence, Impact, and Implementation, each with a 6/10 threshold. The total available budget is €800,000, and at least 10% of funded SMEs must be based outside Denmark, Norway, Poland, France, and Bulgaria. Applications are submitted in English via EUSurvey by 28 April 2026, 17:00 Brussels time, following a structured template covering eligibility, excellence, impact, implementation, KPIs, and budget. Deliverables include a final impact assessment with quantified benefits (e.g., cost, energy, CO2) and the Single Market Programme feedback survey. This is a fast, focused instrument to help European SMEs validate, demonstrate, and deploy innovations that reduce critical material dependencies, strengthen manufacturing and grid technologies, leverage digital solutions, and accelerate Europe’s green and digital transitions.

Footnotes

1. 1Full text and forms: call text PDF and EUSurvey form provide authoritative details on scope, eligibility, evaluation, co-funding, and templates. See the call text at RENEW-BOOSTER Call Text and the EUSurvey portal at Submission Form.

This cascade funding call under the RENEW-BOOSTER project, funded by the EU Single Market Programme SMP-COSME, supports SMEs developing innovations to strengthen renewable energy value chains in photovoltaics (PV), offshore wind (particularly floating), and energy grids. Total budget: €800,000. Grant agreement: 101234706.

Key Dates and Timetable

• Opening date: 27 February 2026
• Deadline: 28 April 2026 at 17:00 CET (single-stage submission)
• Evaluation: May-June 2026
• Results communication: End June 2026
• Contract signature: Mid-July 2026
• Project duration: 3-6 months from sub-grant agreement signature

Funding Strands

Strand A: Challenge-driven (Two-step process)

Linked to predefined industrial challenges (detailed in call text and EUSurvey form). Step 1: Up to 3 SMEs per challenge receive €10,000 (min. 20% private co-funding, TRL 6-7, ~3 weeks). Step 2: 1 SME per challenge advances after pitch, receives €50,000 (min. 40% private co-funding, TRL 8-9, ~12 weeks). Funding rates: 80% Step 1, 60% Step 2.

Strand B: Open Call (Single-stage, bottom-up)

SMEs request up to €10,000 (70% co-funding), €30,000 (60% co-funding), or €60,000 (50% co-funding) based on maturity. Up to 6 months duration. Sequential combination possible (total mobilised up to €120,000 per POC). Payments: 50% pre-financing, 50% after final milestone.

Max per SME:€60,000 (individual or per SME in consortium). Co-funding must be private cash (no in-kind). Reserves right to not award all funds or redistribute.

Eligibility Criteria

• SMEs per EU definition: <250 staff, turnover <= €50M or balance sheet <= €43M (group rules apply). Use SME self-assessment tool.
• Established in EU-27 + SMP participating countries.
• Projects in PV, offshore wind, energy grids, or cross-sectoral (e.g., AI, digital twins). Align with CRMA (extract/process/recycle) and/or NZIA (40% EU net-zero tech manufacturing).
• English only, via EUSurvey, one proposal per SME (multiples rejected). No extra annexes.
• Comply with DNSH, EU values, no double funding, not in difficulty.
• Consortia eligible (one coordinator submits; min. 20% budget per partner; joint liability).

At least 10% of funded SMEs from countries outside Denmark, Norway, Poland, France, Bulgaria¹.

Eligible Activities and Scope

Innovations reducing critical raw material dependency, enhancing resilience, green/digital transition. Examples: sustainable offshore components, high-efficiency PV materials, SF6-free grid tech, digital optimisation. Must show TRL evidence, KPIs, market uptake.

Example Challenge

Alternative Uses for Offshore Wind Infrastructure (METCentre, Norway):Leverage assets for monitoring (e.g., biodiversity, seabed) or multi-use (e.g., fisheries, defence). More challenges in EUSurvey.

Evaluation Criteria (0-10 each, min. 6/10 threshold, total 30)

Ranking by total score; ties broken by Impact > Excellence > Implementation > geographical balance > committee decision.

Application Process

1. 1Submit via EUSurvey: EUSurvey Form (save/modify until deadline; confirmation email).
2. 2Sections: Admin/eligibility, summary, excellence (TRL, outputs), impact (commercialisation, KPIs), implementation (workplan, budget), declarations.
3. 3Upload signed financial ID form; consortium annex if applicable.
4. 4Final deliverable: Impact assessment (results, KPIs, savings), feedback survey.

Support and Contacts

• General/financial: bes@energycluster.dk (cc local contact)
• Challenges: ge@norwegianoffshorewind.no
• Open calls: nicolas.lemonnier@capenergies.fr
• Webinar: 23 March 2026 (How to Apply)
• FAQ: Cluster Collaboration FAQ
• Call text: Call Text
• Portal: EU Portal

Complaints:To bes@energycluster.dk within 14 days of results (decision in 14 working days).

Footnotes

1. 1Per Euroclusters call text requirements.