Resource assessment for deep sedimentary and basement reservoirs

This is a Horizon Europe grant opportunity titled "Resource assessment for deep sedimentary and basement reservoirs" under the call HORIZON-CL5. It falls under the type of action known as Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and will use a lump sum grant funding mechanism (HORIZON Lump Sum Grant). The call is set to open on August 4, 2026, with a deadline for applications on December 1, 2026. The total funding available for this call is €18,000,000, divided into four grants of €4,500,000 each. Eligible applicants include legal entities based in EU Member States and associated countries, such as universities, research institutes, companies (including SMEs), and other legal entities that demonstrate the required operational and financial capacity. The grant encourages consortium applications, requiring at least three partner organizations from different countries. The focus of the call is on the assessment of geothermal resources, particularly in deep sedimentary and basement reservoirs. Projects should develop methods for identifying geothermal resources and enhancing geothermal systems, addressing challenges like data scarcity and environmental impact. This includes considerations of sustainability, social engagement, and impacts on local communities and ecosystems. The projects should target Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 2-6, suggesting a mix of development, validation, and demonstration activities. The funding will cover 100% of eligible costs without a co-funding requirement. The submission process is straightforward, with applicants required to submit full proposals in a single stage rather than in multiple phases. While specific success rates for this grant have not been mentioned, Horizon Europe generally exhibits competitive success rates ranging between 10% and 39%. The application process involves creating profiles in the Funding and Tenders Portal, followed by the submission of detailed proposals during the specified timeline. The overarching aim of this call is to enhance scientific and technical knowledge in geothermal energy, contributing to Europe's clean energy transition by advancing exploration techniques and methodologies. Successful proposals will also be expected to consider socio-economic impacts and engage local communities to ensure support for geothermal energy initiatives.

This is a Horizon Europe call focusing on resource assessment for deep sedimentary and basement reservoirs to unlock unexploited geothermal resources. The call, ENERGY (HORIZON-CL5-2026-11), is part of the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program. The type of action is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The deadline model is single-stage, with a planned opening date of August 4, 2026, and a deadline of December 1, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of the projects funded under this call is to increase the knowledge base for developers to unlock unexploited geothermal resources, increase drilling success rate, increase geothermal sources performance, reduce the risk of induced seismicity, and deploy geothermal energy in a sustainable way in environmental (notably on biodiversity and pollution) and socioeconomic terms. The projects should also ensure that citizens and local communities are engaged and benefit from local, more secure, and affordable renewable energy sources.

The scope of the call includes advanced methods, technologies, and conceptual models for different geological settings to identify suitable conditions for geothermal resource exploitation, tackling the issue of data scarcity and leveraging the information available. Proposals are expected to contribute to the assessment of environmental and social impacts and to unlock geothermal resources marked by low natural permeability at depths between 2000-€6000M. The scope covers advances beyond the state of the art in equipment, methods, and models capable of providing in-depth understanding and predictive power for properties and processes beyond conventional depths. The proposals are expected to take into account the impact of reservoir conditions and parameters (i.e. in-situ stress, temperature, geo-mechanical, chemical properties) on the development and performance of the geothermal resources, covering, when relevant, aspects such as the suitability for different stimulation techniques, well designs and completion technologies, the possibilities for the coproduction of raw materials, and wellbore stability. The proposals are expected to validate the benefit of the proposed solution in the context of state-of-the-art decision and risk analysis methods.

To ensure trust building and communities’ support, partners are expected to practice inclusive societal engagement, which is early, continuous, and sensitive to the technical specificities (e.g., impact on biodiversity, water balance, pollution, land occupation, visual impact, noise as well as geo-mechanical changes (e.g., seismicity) and underground changes (e.g., disturbance of non-targeted aquifers)) that could affect local communities and ecosystems. This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts and institutions to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

The general conditions for admissibility include proposal page limits and layout as 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. 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, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. 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. Evaluation and 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.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of July 7, 2021, authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal. Legal and financial set-up of the grants are 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 the model grant agreement (MGA) are available in the Submission System. The standard application form is HE RIA, IA, and the standard evaluation form is HE RIA, IA. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, and the Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

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 includes several topics:HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-04 (Pre-commercial Procurement) with a budget of €40,000,000, HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-05 (Innovation Actions) with a budget of €13,500,000, HORIZON-CL5 (Research and Innovation Actions) with a budget of €18,000,000, HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-14 (Innovation Actions) with a budget of €30,000,000, and HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-23 (Innovation Actions) with a budget of €30,000,000.

Partner search announcements are available for those seeking partners to collaborate on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics after logging into the Portal, as well as any user having an active public Person profile.

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

Support is available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and Partner Search.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to improve the assessment and exploitation of deep geothermal resources by funding research and innovation projects that develop advanced methods and technologies. It emphasizes the importance of environmental sustainability, community engagement, and the integration of social sciences and humanities expertise. The call provides detailed guidelines on eligibility, proposal submission, evaluation, and funding mechanisms, along with various support resources for applicants.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA) and Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP), the eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations with the capacity to conduct research and innovation activities. The text mentions the Enterprise Europe Network which provides advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs, suggesting that SMEs are encouraged to apply.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. There are also Pre-commercial Procurement actions.

Consortium Requirement:The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the mention of "Partner Search" and the need for effective contribution of SSH disciplines suggests that consortia are encouraged, if not required, to bring together diverse expertise.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The text refers to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes for eligible countries. It also mentions that non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific provisions for funding. Therefore, the geographic eligibility includes EU member states, associated countries, and potentially certain non-EU/non-associated countries as specified in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector:The program targets the energy sector, specifically geothermal energy. It focuses on resource assessment for deep sedimentary and basement reservoirs, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), and closed-loop geothermal systems. The scope also includes environmental and social impact assessments, sustainable deployment of geothermal energy, and the coproduction of raw materials. The program also requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines.

Mentioned Countries:The text mentions EU member states, non-EU countries, and associated countries in the context of eligibility. It also mentions "third countries". No specific countries are named.

Project Stage:The project stage appears to be focused on research, development, and validation, potentially leading to demonstration. The call includes both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), suggesting a range from research-oriented projects to those closer to deployment. The Pre-commercial Procurement actions suggest a focus on projects that are closer to demonstration and market uptake.

Funding Amount:The budget overview provides specific budget allocations for different topics:

HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-04:€40,000,000

HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-05:€13,500,000

HORIZON-CL5:€18,000,000

HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-14:€30,000,000

HORIZON-CL5-2026-11-D3-23:€30,000,000

These figures represent the total budget for each topic, and the indicative number of grants suggests the average funding per project. For example, HORIZON-CL5 with a budget of €18,000,000 and an indicative number of 4 grants suggests an average funding of €4,500,000 per project.

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

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

Application Stages:The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned. However, the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate, which would depend on the number of applications received.

Co-funding Requirement:The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe grants often require some level of co-funding, which may be detailed in the specific call conditions or work programme.

Summary:This Horizon Europe call focuses on resource assessment for deep sedimentary and basement reservoirs to unlock unexploited geothermal resources. The call aims to improve the knowledge base for geothermal energy development, increase drilling success rates, enhance geothermal source performance, reduce induced seismicity risks, and promote sustainable deployment in environmental and socioeconomic terms. The call is structured around several topics, including pre-commercial procurement, innovation actions, and research and innovation actions, with a total budget of €131,500,000. The call encourages the involvement of diverse expertise, including social sciences and humanities, and promotes inclusive societal engagement to ensure community support. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other relevant organizations from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially certain non-EU/non-associated countries. The application process is a single-stage open call, with funding provided as lump sum grants. The call seeks to advance the state of the art in equipment, methods, and models for predicting deep reservoir properties and processes, taking into account reservoir conditions and parameters, and validating the benefits of proposed solutions using state-of-the-art decision and risk analysis methods.