EU Innovation Fund 2025 — Net-Zero Technologies Pilot Projects (INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-PILOTS)
Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-15 08:27
EUR 300M for pilot-scale demonstrations of net-zero technologies including chemical recycling of plastics. Open until April 23 2026. Minimum capital expenditure EUR 2.5M, maximum grant EUR 40M.
Funding Details
- Funder
- CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) — EU Innovation Fund
- Funding Goal
- Demonstrate innovative net-zero technologies at pilot scale including chemical and advanced mechanical recycling of plastics, supporting decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries
- Funding Amount
- Pilot projects: min capital expenditure EUR 2.5M; max grant EUR 40M; Total pilot budget EUR 300M. Co-funding rate varies (up to 60%) (2.500.000 € – 40.000.000 €)
- Deadline
- 2026-04-23 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Submit via EU F&T Portal. Topic: INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-PILOTS. Opened December 2025. Deadline 23 April 2026. Register at cinea.ec.europa.eu.
- Target Region
- EU Member States and EU Emissions Trading System countries
- Contact
- CINEA Innovation Fund team: cinea.ec.europa.eu/funding-opportunities/calls-proposals/innovation-fund-2025-net-zero-technologies-call_en
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-15 08:28
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
The EU Innovation Fund 2025 Net-Zero Technologies Call includes a EUR 300 million pilot project strand funding early-stage technology demonstrations before commercial-scale deployment. Pilot projects bridge laboratory-scale results and full industrial demonstration, requiring minimum capital expenditure of EUR 2.5M and maximum grants of EUR 40M per project. Plastic recycling is explicitly cited as an eligible innovation area: chemical recycling, advanced sorting, and circular plastics value chains qualify provided they deliver measurable greenhouse gas emission reductions compared to baseline (typically compared to fossil-based virgin plastics production). The example LARS project funded under previous Innovation Fund calls demonstrated chemical recycling of mixed plastic waste to pyrolysis oil as an alternative to fossil feedstocks. For a Danish organisation with plastic recycling operations, the Innovation Fund pilot strand requires a concrete technology demonstration project at capital expenditure above EUR 2.5M. This means either owning or partnering with a recycling facility that is scaling up a specific technology. A project to demonstrate and scale a marine plastic collection-to-chemical recycling pilot in Denmark, with measured CO2 reductions, could qualify. The deadline of 23 April 2026 leaves approximately 39 days from today. The call requires a detailed technical description of the technology, GHG accounting methodology, and business plan for progression to commercial scale. This is a technically demanding application.
Historical Context
Innovation Fund launched 2020. Annual calls. 2025 NZT call opened December 2025. Previous calls funded LARS (chemical recycling) and other plastic recycling projects. 2026 call expected late 2026.
Why it was added
grant-scan-eu-ft-2026-03-15