Sustainable and Competitive Cell Production Techniques for Lithium-ion And Sodium-ion Batteries (BATT4EU Partnership)
Overview
The EU grant opportunity titled "Sustainable and Competitive Cell Production Techniques for Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion Batteries" focuses on enhancing European battery manufacturing through advanced production techniques. It is part of the Horizon Europe program under the call reference HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D2-06.
The anticipated opening date for applications is December 3, 2026, with a submission deadline of March 31, 2027. The total budget available for this action is €37.8 million, with each of the expected two grants allocated up to €18.9 million. This call is classified under Horizon Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), emphasizing a single-stage submission process.
The primary objectives include improving the competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability of European battery cell manufacturing. Proposals should aim to reduce capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX), lower energy consumption, and decrease the environmental footprint. The expected outcomes involve the development of more efficient manufacturing processes and modular production lines capable of handling lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.
Eligible applicants include research institutions, universities, large and small-medium enterprises, and public-private partnerships from EU member states and associated countries. A consortium is required, typically involving at least three independent entities from three different countries.
Proposals should demonstrate innovations in areas such as machinery for flexible battery production, mixing systems, electrode manufacturing techniques, and digitalization of production lines. Rigorous assessments of techno-economics and lifecycle impacts of the proposed technologies are also required.
The nature of support is monetary, with direct grants for eligible project costs. The application process is a single stage without prior concept submissions but is comprehensive, necessitating all documentation upon submission.
While specific success rates for this call are not provided, the typical range for Horizon Europe Innovation Actions falls between 10% and 39%. Co-funding is not mandatory but may enhance project sustainability and commercialization strategies.
This funding initiative aims to solidify the EU’s leadership in battery technology, aligning with significant strategic goals such as the European Green Deal and enhancing the competitiveness of the European battery value chain. Proposals are expected to include plans for scalability and future commercial exploitation of the developed technologies.
The anticipated opening date for applications is December 3, 2026, with a submission deadline of March 31, 2027. The total budget available for this action is €37.8 million, with each of the expected two grants allocated up to €18.9 million. This call is classified under Horizon Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), emphasizing a single-stage submission process.
The primary objectives include improving the competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability of European battery cell manufacturing. Proposals should aim to reduce capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX), lower energy consumption, and decrease the environmental footprint. The expected outcomes involve the development of more efficient manufacturing processes and modular production lines capable of handling lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.
Eligible applicants include research institutions, universities, large and small-medium enterprises, and public-private partnerships from EU member states and associated countries. A consortium is required, typically involving at least three independent entities from three different countries.
Proposals should demonstrate innovations in areas such as machinery for flexible battery production, mixing systems, electrode manufacturing techniques, and digitalization of production lines. Rigorous assessments of techno-economics and lifecycle impacts of the proposed technologies are also required.
The nature of support is monetary, with direct grants for eligible project costs. The application process is a single stage without prior concept submissions but is comprehensive, necessitating all documentation upon submission.
While specific success rates for this call are not provided, the typical range for Horizon Europe Innovation Actions falls between 10% and 39%. Co-funding is not mandatory but may enhance project sustainability and commercialization strategies.
This funding initiative aims to solidify the EU’s leadership in battery technology, aligning with significant strategic goals such as the European Green Deal and enhancing the competitiveness of the European battery value chain. Proposals are expected to include plans for scalability and future commercial exploitation of the developed technologies.
Detail
This EU grant opportunity, HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D2-06, focuses on Sustainable and Competitive Cell Production Techniques for Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion Batteries under the BATT4EU Partnership. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the BATTERIES and ENERGY (HORIZON-CL5-2027-02) call. The action type is a HORIZON-IA (Innovation Action) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. This is a forthcoming, single-stage application process. The planned opening date is December 3, 2026, and the deadline for submission is March 31, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.
The expected outcome of successful proposals is a significantly enhanced competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability of the European battery cell manufacturing industry. This includes measurable reductions in capital expenditure (CAPEX), operational expenditure (OPEX), energy consumption, and environmental footprint compared to state-of-the-art processes. Proposals should demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and equipment that substantially decrease battery production costs and improve overall production efficiency and battery quality. Furthermore, they should establish flexible and modular pilot production lines capable of efficiently transitioning between various battery chemistries and compositions, with demonstrated reduction in cross-contamination and effective management of sensitive materials.
The scope of this grant targets the development and demonstration of innovative, next-generation battery cell manufacturing processes and machinery. These solutions should explicitly focus on simultaneously achieving significant cost reductions and considerable decreases in energy consumption over the battery lifecycle, while maintaining or improving battery cell quality and sustainability metrics.
Proposals are expected to address all of the following key areas:
Demonstration of flexible, modular, and reconfigurable machinery to be integrated in manufacturing pilot lines that effectively accommodate transitions between various lithium-ion chemistries/compositions and sodium-ion chemistries. This involves designing machinery that can handle different battery types with minimal downtime and adjustments.
Development and demonstration of novel mixing systems and novel electrode manufacturing techniques with advanced inline quality control. This includes innovations in how battery materials are mixed and how electrodes are produced, with real-time quality checks integrated into the manufacturing process.
Optimization of dry-room cell assembly processes, including the development and validation of advanced assembly equipment and techniques to significantly increase cell assembly throughput rates, reduce overall energy consumption associated with maintaining dry-room conditions, and enhance environmental controls. Dry rooms are energy-intensive, so innovations to reduce energy use and improve efficiency are crucial.
Establishment of rapid and energy-efficient cell formation processes, significantly shortening formation and aging times compared to state of the art and enhancing quality assurance. Cell formation is a time-consuming step, and faster, more efficient methods are needed.
Digitalization of the production line, including in-line quality testing and identification of defects. This involves using digital technologies to monitor and control the production process, ensuring high quality and identifying any issues early on.
Inclusion of comprehensive techno-economic assessments (TEA) and life-cycle analyses (LCA) to demonstrate clear environmental, economic, and scalability advantages over existing, state-of-the-art battery cell manufacturing practices. This requires a thorough analysis of the costs and environmental impacts of the proposed technologies.
The Commission initiative for Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) sets a framework for assessing the safety and sustainability of chemicals and materials, which should be considered as a reference for project proposals.
Whenever the expected exploitation of project results entails developing, creating, manufacturing and marketing a product or process, or in creating and providing a service, the plan for the exploitation and dissemination of results must include a strategy for such exploitation. The exploitation plans are expected to include preliminary plans for scalability, commercialisation, and deployment (feasibility study, business plan) indicating the possible funding sources to be potentially used (in particular the Innovation Fund).
Proposals could consider the involvement of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), whose contribution could consist of performing experimental or desk-top research on battery performance or safety. The JRC will assure that all the other applicants receive the same information on the JRC’s possible contribution to the project (e.g., via the topic-specific FAQs under the Funding and Tenders Portal).
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on the results to the European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.
The general conditions for this grant include:
Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout are 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: 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.
Other Eligible Conditions: 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. 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. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal - see General Annex B.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award: 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.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants: 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. This is 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):
Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA).
Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).
Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include 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 in 2027 includes several topics:
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D2-05 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 18,800,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D2-06 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 37,800,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-07 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-08 - HORIZON-COFUND: Budget 30,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-09 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 43,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-10 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 9,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-15 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 36,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-24 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 20,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-30 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 16,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-31 - HORIZON-CSA: Budget 5,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
Partner search announcements are available for those looking 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.
For support, applicants are encouraged to read all provisions carefully 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 on proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management. The Research Enquiry Service can answer questions about European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular. National Contact Points (NCPs) offer guidance, practical information, and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, including NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries. The Enterprise Europe Network can advise businesses, especially SMEs, and includes guidance on EU research funding. The IT Helpdesk addresses questions about forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, and technical aspects of proposal submission. The European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk advise on tackling 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 organisations for proposals.
In summary, this Horizon Europe grant opportunity aims to foster innovation in battery cell manufacturing by funding projects that develop and demonstrate next-generation processes and machinery. The focus is on reducing costs and energy consumption while improving battery quality and sustainability. The grant encourages collaboration, the use of digital technologies, and a comprehensive assessment of the environmental and economic impacts of proposed solutions. It is designed to support the European battery industry in becoming more competitive and sustainable on a global scale, aligning with the goals of the Batt4EU partnership.
The expected outcome of successful proposals is a significantly enhanced competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability of the European battery cell manufacturing industry. This includes measurable reductions in capital expenditure (CAPEX), operational expenditure (OPEX), energy consumption, and environmental footprint compared to state-of-the-art processes. Proposals should demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and equipment that substantially decrease battery production costs and improve overall production efficiency and battery quality. Furthermore, they should establish flexible and modular pilot production lines capable of efficiently transitioning between various battery chemistries and compositions, with demonstrated reduction in cross-contamination and effective management of sensitive materials.
The scope of this grant targets the development and demonstration of innovative, next-generation battery cell manufacturing processes and machinery. These solutions should explicitly focus on simultaneously achieving significant cost reductions and considerable decreases in energy consumption over the battery lifecycle, while maintaining or improving battery cell quality and sustainability metrics.
Proposals are expected to address all of the following key areas:
Demonstration of flexible, modular, and reconfigurable machinery to be integrated in manufacturing pilot lines that effectively accommodate transitions between various lithium-ion chemistries/compositions and sodium-ion chemistries. This involves designing machinery that can handle different battery types with minimal downtime and adjustments.
Development and demonstration of novel mixing systems and novel electrode manufacturing techniques with advanced inline quality control. This includes innovations in how battery materials are mixed and how electrodes are produced, with real-time quality checks integrated into the manufacturing process.
Optimization of dry-room cell assembly processes, including the development and validation of advanced assembly equipment and techniques to significantly increase cell assembly throughput rates, reduce overall energy consumption associated with maintaining dry-room conditions, and enhance environmental controls. Dry rooms are energy-intensive, so innovations to reduce energy use and improve efficiency are crucial.
Establishment of rapid and energy-efficient cell formation processes, significantly shortening formation and aging times compared to state of the art and enhancing quality assurance. Cell formation is a time-consuming step, and faster, more efficient methods are needed.
Digitalization of the production line, including in-line quality testing and identification of defects. This involves using digital technologies to monitor and control the production process, ensuring high quality and identifying any issues early on.
Inclusion of comprehensive techno-economic assessments (TEA) and life-cycle analyses (LCA) to demonstrate clear environmental, economic, and scalability advantages over existing, state-of-the-art battery cell manufacturing practices. This requires a thorough analysis of the costs and environmental impacts of the proposed technologies.
The Commission initiative for Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) sets a framework for assessing the safety and sustainability of chemicals and materials, which should be considered as a reference for project proposals.
Whenever the expected exploitation of project results entails developing, creating, manufacturing and marketing a product or process, or in creating and providing a service, the plan for the exploitation and dissemination of results must include a strategy for such exploitation. The exploitation plans are expected to include preliminary plans for scalability, commercialisation, and deployment (feasibility study, business plan) indicating the possible funding sources to be potentially used (in particular the Innovation Fund).
Proposals could consider the involvement of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), whose contribution could consist of performing experimental or desk-top research on battery performance or safety. The JRC will assure that all the other applicants receive the same information on the JRC’s possible contribution to the project (e.g., via the topic-specific FAQs under the Funding and Tenders Portal).
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on the results to the European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.
The general conditions for this grant include:
Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout are 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: 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.
Other Eligible Conditions: 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. 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. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal - see General Annex B.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award: 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.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants: 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. This is 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):
Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA).
Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).
Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include 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 in 2027 includes several topics:
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D2-05 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 18,800,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D2-06 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 37,800,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-07 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-08 - HORIZON-COFUND: Budget 30,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-09 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 43,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-10 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 9,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-15 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 36,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-24 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 20,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-30 - HORIZON-IA: Budget 16,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-31 - HORIZON-CSA: Budget 5,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
Partner search announcements are available for those looking 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.
For support, applicants are encouraged to read all provisions carefully 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 on proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management. The Research Enquiry Service can answer questions about European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular. National Contact Points (NCPs) offer guidance, practical information, and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, including NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries. The Enterprise Europe Network can advise businesses, especially SMEs, and includes guidance on EU research funding. The IT Helpdesk addresses questions about forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, and technical aspects of proposal submission. The European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk advise on tackling 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 organisations for proposals.
In summary, this Horizon Europe grant opportunity aims to foster innovation in battery cell manufacturing by funding projects that develop and demonstrate next-generation processes and machinery. The focus is on reducing costs and energy consumption while improving battery quality and sustainability. The grant encourages collaboration, the use of digital technologies, and a comprehensive assessment of the environmental and economic impacts of proposed solutions. It is designed to support the European battery industry in becoming more competitive and sustainable on a global scale, aligning with the goals of the Batt4EU partnership.
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Breakdown
Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the Horizon Europe program and the nature of Innovation Actions and Coordination and Support Actions, eligible applicants could include: startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofit organizations, and other relevant legal entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities in the battery technology domain. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate as a member of the consortium.
Funding Type: The primary funding mechanism is a grant, specifically through HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND). These are budget-based action grants under the Horizon Europe program.
Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, as indicated by the possibility of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) participating as a member of the consortium and the encouragement of partner searches.
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. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Target Sector: The target sector is energy, specifically focusing on battery technology, including lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. The program targets the development and demonstration of innovative, next-generation battery cell manufacturing processes and machinery, with an emphasis on cost reduction, energy efficiency, sustainability, and improved battery quality.
Mentioned Countries: The opportunity is open to EU member states and associated countries. Non-EU and non-associated countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding.
Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is at the development and demonstration stage, specifically targeting innovation actions. The projects should aim to demonstrate flexible and modular pilot production lines and advanced manufacturing processes.
Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 43,000,000.
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 to support their research, development, and demonstration activities.
Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.
Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate.
Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding may be required for HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions.
Summary: This Horizon Europe funding opportunity, under the Batteries and Energy call (HORIZON-CL5-2027-02), aims to bolster the European battery cell manufacturing industry. It focuses on the development and demonstration of innovative, next-generation battery cell manufacturing processes and machinery for both lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. The key objectives are to enhance the competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability of the European battery industry by reducing costs, energy consumption, and environmental impact, while improving battery quality.
The scope of the call includes several key areas: demonstrating flexible and modular machinery for pilot production lines, developing novel mixing and electrode manufacturing techniques, optimizing dry-room cell assembly processes, establishing rapid and energy-efficient cell formation processes, and digitalizing production lines. Projects are expected to include techno-economic assessments and life-cycle analyses to prove their advantages over existing practices.
Eligible applicants, which may include startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, and research institutes, are expected to form consortia to address these challenges. The funding is provided through Horizon Innovation Actions and Coordination and Support Actions, with grants ranging from EUR 5 million to EUR 43 million depending on the specific topic. The application process is a single-stage open call, and successful projects will contribute to the goals of the co-programmed European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU). The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) may also be involved in projects, offering its expertise in battery performance and safety research.
Funding Type: The primary funding mechanism is a grant, specifically through HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND). These are budget-based action grants under the Horizon Europe program.
Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, as indicated by the possibility of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) participating as a member of the consortium and the encouragement of partner searches.
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. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Target Sector: The target sector is energy, specifically focusing on battery technology, including lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. The program targets the development and demonstration of innovative, next-generation battery cell manufacturing processes and machinery, with an emphasis on cost reduction, energy efficiency, sustainability, and improved battery quality.
Mentioned Countries: The opportunity is open to EU member states and associated countries. Non-EU and non-associated countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding.
Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is at the development and demonstration stage, specifically targeting innovation actions. The projects should aim to demonstrate flexible and modular pilot production lines and advanced manufacturing processes.
Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 43,000,000.
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 to support their research, development, and demonstration activities.
Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.
Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate.
Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding may be required for HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions.
Summary: This Horizon Europe funding opportunity, under the Batteries and Energy call (HORIZON-CL5-2027-02), aims to bolster the European battery cell manufacturing industry. It focuses on the development and demonstration of innovative, next-generation battery cell manufacturing processes and machinery for both lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. The key objectives are to enhance the competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability of the European battery industry by reducing costs, energy consumption, and environmental impact, while improving battery quality.
The scope of the call includes several key areas: demonstrating flexible and modular machinery for pilot production lines, developing novel mixing and electrode manufacturing techniques, optimizing dry-room cell assembly processes, establishing rapid and energy-efficient cell formation processes, and digitalizing production lines. Projects are expected to include techno-economic assessments and life-cycle analyses to prove their advantages over existing practices.
Eligible applicants, which may include startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, and research institutes, are expected to form consortia to address these challenges. The funding is provided through Horizon Innovation Actions and Coordination and Support Actions, with grants ranging from EUR 5 million to EUR 43 million depending on the specific topic. The application process is a single-stage open call, and successful projects will contribute to the goals of the co-programmed European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU). The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) may also be involved in projects, offering its expertise in battery performance and safety research.
Short Summary
Impact Enhance competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability of European battery cell manufacturing while reducing costs, energy consumption, and environmental footprint. | Impact | Enhance competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability of European battery cell manufacturing while reducing costs, energy consumption, and environmental footprint. |
Applicant Applicants should possess expertise in battery technology, advanced manufacturing processes, and project management within a consortium framework. | Applicant | Applicants should possess expertise in battery technology, advanced manufacturing processes, and project management within a consortium framework. |
Developments Development and demonstration of innovative, next-generation battery cell manufacturing processes and machinery for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. | Developments | Development and demonstration of innovative, next-generation battery cell manufacturing processes and machinery for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. |
Applicant Type This funding is designed for research institutions, universities, large enterprises, SMEs, and public-private partnerships involved in battery technology. | Applicant Type | This funding is designed for research institutions, universities, large enterprises, SMEs, and public-private partnerships involved in battery technology. |
Consortium A consortium of multiple independent legal entities from different countries is required for application. | Consortium | A consortium of multiple independent legal entities from different countries is required for application. |
Funding Amount €37,800,000 total budget, with €18,900,000 available per grant for 2 expected grants. | Funding Amount | €37,800,000 total budget, with €18,900,000 available per grant for 2 expected grants. |
Countries Open to EU Member States and Associated Countries, promoting broad participation across Europe. | Countries | Open to EU Member States and Associated Countries, promoting broad participation across Europe. |
Industry This funding targets the energy and battery technology sectors under the Horizon Europe framework. | Industry | This funding targets the energy and battery technology sectors under the Horizon Europe framework. |
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Development of sustainable and design-to-cost batteries with (energy-)efficient manufacturing processes and based on advanced and safer materials (Batt4EU Partnership)
Call for ProposalOpen
The Horizon Europe Funding & Tenders Portal is announcing a call for proposals titled "Development of sustainable and design-to-cost batteries with (energy-)efficient manufacturing processes and...
January 20th, 2026
Integrated Production and Product Development for Next-Generation Lithium-based Batteries for Mobility (BATT4EU and Made in Europe Partnerships)
Call for ProposalForthcoming
The funding opportunity titled "Integrated Production and Product Development for Next-Generation Lithium-based Batteries for Mobility" (Reference: HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D2-03) is part of the Horizon...
October 8th, 2026
Improvement of Adaptability, Flexibility and Efficiency of Existing Recycling Processes (BATT4EU Partnership)
Call for ProposalForthcoming
The Horizon Europe funding opportunity titled "Improvement of Adaptability, Flexibility and Efficiency of Existing Recycling Processes" under the BATT4EU Partnership is classified as...
March 31st, 2027
Novel approaches towards next-generation battery concepts, leveraging the enabling role of innovative advanced materials (BATT4EU and IAM4EU Partnerships)
Call for ProposalForthcoming
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,...
April 14th, 2027
Integrating advanced materials, cell design and manufacturing development for high-performance batteries aimed at mobility (Batt4EU Partnership)
Call for ProposalOpen
This funding opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe program, focusing on advancing battery technology for mobility applications, specifically under the Batt4EU Partnership. The call addresses...
January 20th, 2026
Cost-effective next-generation batteries for long-duration stationary storage (Batt4EU Partnership)
Call for ProposalOpen
The EU funding opportunity titled HORIZON-CL5-2025-01-Two-Stage-D2-02 aims to enhance next-generation battery technologies for long-duration stationary energy storage under the Batt4EU Partnership....
March 31st, 2026
Production technologies for solar photovoltaics beyond the state-of-the-art (EUPI-PV Partnership)
Call for ProposalForthcoming
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...
March 31st, 2027
Targeting key value chain components for increasing the competitiveness of renewable energy technologies in Europe
Call for ProposalForthcoming
The Horizon Europe call titled "Targeting key value chain components for increasing the competitiveness of renewable energy technologies in Europe," identified as HORIZON-CL5-2026-03-D3-01, aims to...
March 31st, 2026
advanced packaging of chiplets and heterogeneous integration in Europe
Call for ProposalOpen
The digital action grant opportunity titled "DIGITAL-JU-Chips-2025-CSA-LFA" aims to enhance cooperation for the industrial implementation of advanced packaging of chiplets and heterogeneous...
February 25th, 2026
Increasing the circularity of bio-based sector: upcycling and recycling for higher value and environmental benefits
Call for ProposalForthcoming
The Horizon Europe funding opportunity titled "Increasing the circularity of bio-based sector: upcycling and recycling for higher value and environmental benefits" (HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-09) is...
September 22nd, 2027
Open topic: Using the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative to strengthen urban manufacturing in support of the Clean Industrial Deal
Call for ProposalForthcoming
The Horizon Europe grant opportunity titled "HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-02-two-stage" aims to enhance urban manufacturing through the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative, supporting the Clean...
April 8th, 2027