EU Innovation Fund 2025 — Net-Zero Technologies Pilot Projects (INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-PILOTS)

Expired 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.

Source: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/funding-opportunities/calls-proposals/innovation-fund-2025-net-zero-technologies-call_en

Funding Details

Funder

European Commission – Innovation Fund (managed by CINEA)

Funding Goal

Support the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies through pilot projects in net-zero technology sectors. Eligible sectors: renewable energy sources (RES), energy storage (ES), energy-intensive industries (EII), carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), and mobility including maritime, road, and aviation (MOB).

Funding Amount

Total budget EUR 2.9 billion for the 2025 NZT Call. Individual grant amounts not specified on the main page; see F&T Portal for specific topic allocations. Funded under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) revenues.

Deadline

2026-04-23 (Fixed)

How to Apply

Applications submitted through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Call identifier: INNOVFUND-2025-NZT. Apply at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/calls-for-proposals?callIdentifier=INNOVFUND-2025-NZT. Support via Innovation Fund Helpdesk on F&T Portal.

Target Region

European Union and ETS-participating countries globally eligible.

Contact

Innovation Fund Helpdesk via EU Funding & Tenders Portal contact form.

Last Checked

2026-04-20 13:37

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Complete self-check questionnaire to verify eligibility before applying

Project Scope

• Project must be in one of the eligible sectors: RES, ES, EII, CCUS, or MOB (including maritime)

Required Documents

• Submit through EU Funding & Tenders Portal (call ID: INNOVFUND-2025-NZT)
• Prepare Business Plan as required application document
• Prepare Financial Information File (FIF)
• Complete GHG calculation using official Innovation Fund methodology for your sector

Constraints

• Deadline: 23 April 2026 at 17:00 CEST
• Project must be at pilot scale demonstrating innovative, not commercially available technology

Summary

The EU Innovation Fund 2025 Net-Zero Technologies (NZT) Call is one of the world's largest dedicated funding programmes for innovative clean energy and industrial decarbonization technologies. The call was opened on December 4, 2025 by the European Commission, with a total budget of EUR 2.9 billion funded through EU ETS auction revenues. Programme objectives focus on scaling first-of-kind and breakthrough net-zero technology solutions at pilot project scale. The call addresses five major technology categories: (1) Renewable Energy Sources (RES) including manufacturing of components; (2) Energy Storage (ES); (3) Energy-Intensive Industries (EII) such as steel, cement, and chemicals; (4) Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS); and (5) Mobility (MOB) including maritime, road transport, and aviation. Each category has dedicated GHG methodology guides and calculation tools. Eligible activities are pilot-scale demonstration projects that prove the technical and commercial viability of the proposed technology, with a focus on significant greenhouse gas emission reductions. Projects must demonstrate innovation beyond the state-of-the-art and provide rigorous GHG calculations using the official Innovation Fund methodology. Geographic scope covers EU Member States and countries participating in the EU ETS. The call is open globally for project promoters established in eligible countries. Eligible applicants include private and public entities — companies, research institutions, and others — capable of demonstrating financial and operational capacity. Projects must submit a Business Plan and Financial Information File. Applicants are encouraged to use the self-check questionnaire to assess eligibility before applying. Deadline for applications is April 23, 2026 at 17:00 CEST. Support materials including tutorials, GHG calculation templates, and a Q&A document are available on the CINEA website.

Historical Context

The EU Innovation Fund is one of the world's largest funding programmes for innovative low-carbon technologies, financed by ETS revenues. The 2025 NZT Call opened December 4, 2025 with a total budget of EUR 2.9 billion. Previous calls (IF2020, IF21, IF23, IF24) have funded projects across RES, EII, CCUS, and MOB sectors.

Why it was added

grant-scan-eu-ft-2026-03-15

Sources

• https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/funding-opportunities/calls-proposals/innovation-fund-2025-net-zero-technologies-call_en

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