Small-scale Hydrogen Valley

The HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-06-02 opportunity aims to develop and demonstrate small-scale Hydrogen Valleys, as part of the Horizon Europe program, with a total budget of 105 million euros. The call opens for submissions on February 10, 2026, and the deadline for proposals is April 15, 2026.

Eligible applicants include consortiums consisting of enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large companies, research institutions, universities, public authorities, and other legal entities. A significant requirement is that at least one partner in the consortium must belong to Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research. The consortium must consist of at least three legally independent entities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries.

The funding type is a direct grant in the form of a lump sum, with a maximum contribution of 8 million euros for this specific topic. Co-funding is strongly encouraged and expected, requiring applicants to provide a comprehensive funding plan that outlines synergy with other funding sources.

The focus of this opportunity is on developing integrated hydrogen ecosystems within designated regions. Projects must demonstrate the entire hydrogen value chain, including renewable hydrogen production, distribution, storage, and end-use applications in energy, industry, and transport sectors. Each project needs to produce a minimum of 400 tonnes of clean hydrogen annually.

Projects must aim for a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of at least 6 at the project's beginning, with the goal of reaching TRL 8 by completion. This highlights the requirement for maturity in the technologies proposed. Beneficiaries receive monetary contributions to cover eligible project costs and must demonstrate broader impacts, including sector coupling, decarbonization efforts, and financial viability after the EU funding period.

Effective communication strategies are necessary to increase public acceptance of hydrogen technologies, and proposals should include measurable key performance indicators. The initiative encourages cooperation with Clean Hydrogen Mission member countries and requires evidence of commitment from public authorities.

Overall, this funding opportunity intends to accelerate the deployment of regional hydrogen ecosystems in line with EU strategies, targeting integration of hydrogen solutions across diverse sectors and communities. Successful proposals will receive visibility and support for additional funding, enhancing the competitiveness of the European hydrogen economy.

This EU funding opportunity, HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-06-02, aims to develop and demonstrate small-scale Hydrogen Valleys. It falls under the Horizon Europe program and is categorized as a HORIZON JU Innovation Action (HORIZON-JU-IA). The call utilizes the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model.

The planned opening date for submissions is February 10, 2026, with a deadline of April 15, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total budget allocated to this call is 105,000,000 EUR.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this topic include:

Anchorage of new demand for renewable hydrogen.
Interaction and synergies among initial test beds.
Full integration into the broader cross-sectoral energy ecosystem.
Improvement of public perception towards hydrogen technologies through high visibility and synergies with existing energy infrastructure.
Emergence of new hydrogen valleys through dissemination of learnings.

The scope of the topic focuses on developing and demonstrating a small-scale Hydrogen Valley, potentially showcasing a combination of technologies in existing or new markets for clean hydrogen. Proposals should demonstrate innovative approaches at the system level, emphasizing systemic and synergetic integration of hydrogen production (not restricted to electrolysis), distribution, and end-use technologies. Interoperability and cause-effect stability of the overall system should also be investigated. The technologies demonstrated should be state-of-the-art, building upon previous developments funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership.

Proposals must meet the following requirements:

Produce at least 400 tonnes of clean hydrogen per year using new hydrogen production capacity (for at least the last 2 years of project demonstration). Production plants may be distributed across the territories involved but should share a common hydrogen supply infrastructure.
Use the produced hydrogen to supply one or more end sectors or applications in the energy, industry, and transport sectors.
Include monitoring and assessment activities for at least two years of operations.
Provide a clear, professional, and ambitious communication plan to ensure high visibility to the public, including clear, measurable, and ambitious Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Demonstrate how hydrogen enables sector coupling, allows for H2 storage and/or large integration of renewable energy, and provides an optimum techno-economic solution for the decarbonization of activities in the addressed geographical area.
Reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality related to the end-uses compared to incumbent technologies.
Demonstrate how financial viability is expected to be reached after two years of operation.

Proposals should also:

Provide concrete project implementation plans with a clear calendar, defining key phases (specifications, manufacturing, permitting, deployment, and operation) and their duration.
Provide a funding plan to ensure project implementation in synergy with other funding sources. If no other funding is required, this should be clearly stated with a commitment from the partners to provide own funding. If additional funding is required, a clear plan identifying targeted EU and/or national funding programs and their expected time of commitment should be presented.
Clearly and coherently present the Hydrogen Valley, including investments/actions supported directly by this topic and other investments/actions supported by other funding/financing sources.
Provide evidence of commitment and the role of public authorities (Member States, Regions, and Cities) and other necessary stakeholders (e.g., hydrogen off-takers) in the form of Letters of Intent (LOI).
Provide a preliminary ‘hydrogen safety planning and management plan’ at the project level.
Ensure coverage of aspects such as replicability and (cross-border) cooperation between regions to facilitate knowledge transfer across the EU.
Demonstrate how synergies with existing hydrogen demonstration projects or hydrogen valleys will be ensured.
Provide a scalability analysis that includes the broader energy system.
Highlight sustainability aspects.

Collaboration with successful applicants under topic HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2025-05-03 on ‘Knowledge transfer and training of civil servants, safety officials, and permitting staff to improve safety assessment and licensing procedures across Europe’ is expected.

Eligible costs include the construction and commissioning phase of hydrogen production technologies, connection costs (e.g., electricity grid), and other hydrogen infrastructure (e.g., HRS, storage, pipelines). Costs of renewable energy plants (e.g., PV or wind plant) or related operational costs (e.g., electricity for electrolyzers) are not funded.

Proposals are expected to demonstrate the contribution to EU competitiveness and industrial leadership, including the origin of equipment and components.

The use of Guarantees of Origin (GOs) is expected to prove the renewable character of the produced/used hydrogen.

Proposals should contribute to the activities of the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, Mission Innovation 2.0 - Clean Hydrogen Mission, and the H2V platform. Cooperation with entities from Clean Hydrogen Mission member countries (non-EU/non-Associated Countries) is encouraged.

The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of applications should be at least 6 at the beginning of the project, targeting TRL 8 at the end.

At least one partner in the consortium must be a member of either Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research.

The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution is EUR 8.00 million.

The application page limit is 70 pages, as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Additional eligibility criteria include the membership of at least one partner in Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research, and the maximum requested contribution of EUR 8.00 million.

For Hydrogen Valleys topics, the STEP (Sovereignty) Seal will be awarded to proposals exceeding all evaluation thresholds.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum. Purchases of specific equipment, infrastructure, or other assets can exceptionally be declared as full capitalised costs.

Subcontracting work may only be performed in target countries (EU Member States and Associated Countries).

Beneficiaries must inform the granting authority if the results could contribute to European or international standards up to 4 years after the action's end.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System.

This funding opportunity seeks to promote the development of small-scale Hydrogen Valleys, which are regional ecosystems integrating hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and various end-use applications. The goal is to create testbeds for piloting global hydrogen markets, contributing to the EU's broader hydrogen strategy, the Green Deal, and Fit for 55 objectives. The projects should demonstrate innovative approaches, ensure financial viability, and contribute to the EU's competitiveness in the hydrogen sector. Successful projects will receive a STEP Seal, increasing their visibility and attractiveness for further funding. The funding is provided as a lump sum, with specific provisions for capitalised costs of key infrastructure.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the context of Horizon Europe, Clean Hydrogen Partnership, Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), eligible applicants are likely to include a combination of entities such as: research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, industry stakeholders, public authorities (Member States, Regions, and Cities), and other relevant stakeholders (e.g., hydrogen off-takers). The requirement for at least one partner to be a member of Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research further suggests that industry and research organizations are key applicants.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the Type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) being "HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]". The call also involves Innovation Actions (IA), Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. This is evident from the repeated emphasis on "proposals," "partners," and the eligibility criterion that "at least one partner in the consortium must be a member of either Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research."

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility primarily includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. This is explicitly stated in the "Subcontracting" section: "The target countries are all Member States of the European Union and all Associated Countries." While cooperation with entities from Clean Hydrogen Mission member countries (which are neither EU Member States nor Horizon Europe Associated countries) is encouraged, it doesn't imply direct funding eligibility for those entities.

Target Sector: The program targets the hydrogen sector, specifically focusing on the development and demonstration of small-scale Hydrogen Valleys. This includes the entire hydrogen value chain, from production (including renewable hydrogen production), storage, distribution, and end-use applications across various sectors like energy, industry, and transport. The program also targets sector coupling, renewable energy integration, and decarbonization.

Mentioned Countries: The text does not explicitly mention specific countries, but it refers to EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries as the primary geographic focus. It also mentions Clean Hydrogen Mission member countries, which may include countries outside the EU and Associated Countries, but their involvement is limited to cooperation rather than direct funding.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily demonstration and validation. The call aims to "develop and demonstrate a small-scale Hydrogen Valley." The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) requirement specifies a starting TRL of at least 6 and a target TRL of 8 at the end of the project, indicating a focus on demonstrating technologies in a relevant environment and progressing towards system prototype demonstration in an operational environment.

Funding Amount: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested for this specific topic (HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-06-02) is EUR 8.00 million. However, the overall call (HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026) has a total budget of EUR 105 million distributed across various topics with different funding ranges (e.g., around EUR 5 million, EUR 4 million, EUR 8 million, EUR 3 million, EUR 17 million, etc.).

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the "Forthcoming" and "Deadline model: single-stage" information. Applicants are invited to submit proposals through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant. The funding can cover costs for the construction and commissioning phase of hydrogen production technologies and infrastructure, but not for renewable energy plants or the operation of the Hydrogen Valley.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process, as indicated by "Deadline model: single-stage". This means applicants submit a full proposal by the deadline, and there is no preliminary selection phase.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is strongly encouraged and expected. The call states that actions performed at high TRL level are expected to leverage co-funding as commitment from stakeholders. Proposals should provide a funding plan to ensure implementation of the project in synergies with other sources of funding, and demonstrate the commitment and role of public authorities and other stakeholders.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, managed by the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, aims to foster the development and demonstration of small-scale Hydrogen Valleys across EU Member States and Associated Countries. The call seeks to integrate hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and end-use applications within specific geographic areas, creating regional hydrogen economies. Projects should demonstrate innovative approaches, contribute to sector coupling and renewable energy integration, reduce carbon emissions, and ensure financial viability. Consortia must include at least one member of Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research and are expected to collaborate with other relevant projects. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with a maximum contribution of EUR 8.00 million for this specific topic, and co-funding from other sources is highly encouraged. The call supports Innovation Actions with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of at least 6 at the start, targeting TRL 8 by project completion. The overall goal is to accelerate the deployment of Hydrogen Valleys, contribute to the EU's hydrogen strategy, and promote the Green Deal and Fit for 55 objectives.