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

Enriched EU · Found: 2026-04-20 16:41

EU Innovation Fund 2025 call for first-of-a-kind technology pilot projects at meaningful scale supporting clean energy and net-zero technologies. Deadline 23 April 2026 (3 days). Maximum EUR 40M per project from EUR 2.9B total envelope.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-PILOTS

Funding Details

Funder

European Commission / CINEA (Innovation Fund)

Funding Goal

De-risk first-of-a-kind technology pilots at meaningful scale that demonstrate net-zero technologies, advanced clean manufacturing, or innovative clean processes, ahead of full commercial deployment.

Funding Amount

Pilot topic maximum: EUR 40M per project. Total NZT call budget: EUR 2.9 billion (across all topics). Grant rate varies by project. (2.500.000 € – 40.000.000 €)

Deadline

2026-04-23 (periodic)

How to Apply

Submit via EU Funding and Tenders Portal before 23 April 2026 17:00 CEST. Self-check questionnaire available on climate.ec.europa.eu. Grant agreements expected Q1 2027.

Target Region

EU Member States and EEA countries (project locations). Applicants may be from any country worldwide.

Contact

CINEA Innovation Fund helpdesk: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/innovation-fund_en

Official Page

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

Last Checked

2026-04-20 16:42

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Project must be located in EU Member State or EEA country (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein)
• Applicant entity can be established anywhere worldwide

Project Scope

• Technology must be first-of-a-kind at meaningful scale — not lab demonstrations
• Must demonstrate significant net GHG emission reduction pathway
• Recycling, advanced sorting, and circular economy technologies explicitly in scope

Required Documents

• Submit via EU F&T Portal before 23 April 2026 17:00 CEST
• Use self-check questionnaire before applying: climate.ec.europa.eu Innovation Fund

Constraints

• Maximum EUR 40M per pilot project
• Pilot must be at meaningful commercial scale — significant capital investment expected

Summary

The Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies (NZT) call offers EUR 2.9 billion in total for innovative clean-technology projects across Europe. The Pilot topic (INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-PILOTS) specifically targets first-of-a-kind pilots at meaningful scale that help technology developers and R&D-intensive SMEs de-risk concepts before full commercial deployment. Maximum funding per pilot project is EUR 40 million. Thematic scope covers all net-zero and clean industrial technologies including: advanced recycling and circular economy processes; carbon capture, utilisation and storage; clean hydrogen production; innovative battery manufacturing; fuel switching in energy-intensive industries; and production of net-zero-enabling materials. Recycling technologies — including chemical recycling, advanced mechanical recycling, and novel sorting systems — are explicitly eligible under the circular economy and advanced manufacturing scope. Eligible activities include: construction and operation of first-of-a-kind pilot facilities; validation and demonstration of novel clean industrial processes at scale; technology de-risking before commercial scale-up; integration of innovative clean manufacturing approaches. Projects must achieve meaningful scale (not laboratory demonstrations) and demonstrate clear GHG emission reduction pathways. Geographic scope: Project sites must be located in EU Member States or EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein). However, applicant entities (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) can be established in any country worldwide, making this accessible to non-EU organisations with EU-based project sites or partners. Eligible applicants include companies (SMEs and large), research organisations, and consortia. Single entity applications are possible. Technology developers with prototype-stage innovations seeking scale-up capital are the primary target. Target beneficiaries are clean tech industries, energy-intensive sector operators, and downstream users of clean technologies. Budget: Total NZT call EUR 2.9B. Pilot topic capped at EUR 40M per project to enable broad participation. Co-funding not mandatory but projects must demonstrate viability. Grant agreements expected Q1 2027.

Historical Context

Annual Innovation Fund cycle. Previous calls: IF2023, IF2024. Recycling and advanced circular economy technologies have been funded in prior rounds. IF2025 is the largest call to date at EUR 2.9B total.

Why it was added

dana-enricher-api-eu-ft-2026-04-20

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