Innovation Fund Large Scale Projects: Clean-tech Manufacturing

Deadline: 16-Mar-23

The European Commission (EC) is seeking applications for the Innovation Fund Large Scale Projects: Clean-tech Manufacturing.

The objective of this topic is to support projects on innovative clean-tech manufacturing of components for hydrogen production, renewable energy and energy storage in order to build industrial capacity, technology leadership, supply chain resilience and strategic autonomy on these decarbonisation technologies within the EU.

Funding Information

• The available call budget is EUR 3 000 000 000 for grants and EUR 6 000 000 for project development assistance (PDA) support.
• Clean-Tech Manufacturing: EUR 700 000 000
• Operate at least 5 years after entry into operation

Activities that can be Funded

• The following activities can be funded under this topic:
  • Construction of manufacturing facilities and their operation to produce specific components for:
    • renewable energy installations (in photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, on-shore and offshore wind power, ocean energy, geothermal, solar thermal, and others), including their connection to the electricity/heat grid;
    • electrolysers and fuel cells;
    • energy storage solutions for stationary and mobile use for intra-day and long duration storage;
    • heat pumps
  • This topic is targeted at the innovation in manufacturing of components. Components, in line with GHG methodology guidance, are to be understood to include also final equipment such as wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, heat pumps or electrolysers.
  • As regards components, the topic is targeting those components that are a significant factor in the performance and/or cost of the final equipment. Activities relating to the recycling of critical materials to be used in the above equipment categories or components thereof may also be funded under this topic.
  • Equipment and components can be sold on the EU market and in third countries.
  • The topic seeks to enhance the Union’s innovation and technological leadership in clean tech manufacturing. Activities that can be funded include those where the main innovation lies in the product (e.g. achieving lower cost when fully mature, higher performance, more energy efficient, better system integration, higher durability, flexibility, reliability and/or convenience as compared to the state-of-the-art product) as well as in the production processes (e.g. higher use of recycled materials, less/improved/ more efficient use of critical materials, lower environmental/carbon footprint, improved automation and use of digital technologies, etc.). Innovation can concern one or several steps of the manufacturing process.

Geographic Location

Proposals must relate to activities taking place in EU Member States, Norway or Iceland. Projects may also be located in Northern Ireland on the condition that the project concerns the generation, transmission, distribution or supply of electricity.

Eligibility Criteria

• In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
  • be legal entities (public or private bodies)
  • be established in one of the eligible countries: any country in the world.
• Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register before submitting the proposal.
• Specific cases:
  • Natural persons: Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of selfemployed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).
  • International organisations: International organisations are eligible. The rules on eligible countries do not apply to them.
  • Entities without legal personality: Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons.
• Projects must comply with EU policy interests and priorities (such as environment, social, security, industrial and trade policy, etc).
• Only projects with a total capital expenditure above EUR 7 500 000 will be eligible under this call. The grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested.
• Project duration normally ranges between 3 and 15 years, from grant signature to the final payment.
• The project must reach financial close within four years after grant signature.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3Dz0fe9