Funding Opportunities for Innovative Projects in Sustainable Energy Supply and Use
Horizon Europe Cluster 5 Pioneers Sustainable Energy, Clean Tech & Climate Solutions
The European Commission has launched an exciting set of calls under Horizon Europe Cluster 5 focusing on groundbreaking projects in sustainable energy, clean technologies, and climate change mitigation. These calls under offer significant opportunities to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions to support the transition to sustainable energy production and climate-neutral building construction, respectively.
Each call has a submission deadline on 4 February 2025 making this the perfect time to start your strategic preparation.
Who Can Apply
Cluster 5 calls are essential for companies, research institutions and consortiums to secure funding in groundbreaking projects and advance innovative solutions. The benefits also include collaboration with leading experts, boosting visibility and competitiveness on the global stage, and the opportunity to shape Europe’s energy future.
These calls finance mainly two types of actions:
RIA (Research and Innovation Action) projects typically work with TRLs 1-5, focusing on early-stage research and technology development. They are funded at 100% for all participants.
Read more about RIA
IA (Innovation Action) projects usually cover TRLs 6-8, emphasizing prototype development and market-readiness. These are funded at 100% for non-profits and 70% for profit-making entities.
Read more about IA
Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply Total funding: €138.6 million
-
Digital Tools for CSP and Solar Thermal Plants (IA) Develop innovative digital tools using AI and advanced software to optimize the performance, cost-efficiency, and operational flexibility of concentrated solar power (CSP) and solar thermal plants.
-
Development of Next-Generation Synthetic Renewable Fuel Technologies (RIA) Advance technologies for producing carbon-neutral synthetic fuels with high conversion efficiency using renewable resources like CO2, hydrogen, and renewable energy sources.
-
Development of Smart Concepts of Integrated Energy-Driven Bio-Refineries (RIA) Design innovative, zero-waste biorefineries that co-produce advanced biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials, optimizing mass and energy flows for cost-competitive production.
-
Critical Technologies for Future Ocean Energy Farms (RIA): Innovate sustainable materials, mooring, connection systems, and maintenance strategies to improve the performance and cost-efficiency of ocean energy technologies.
-
PV-Integrated Electric Mobility Applications (IA) Enhance vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) and develop PV charging station solutions to reduce grid dependency, improve energy efficiency, and extend the range of electric vehicles - Possible connection with Innovation Fund
-
Innovative, Community-Integrated PV Systems (IA) Demonstrate collective, community-focused PV systems that incorporate storage and electric mobility to support energy democracy, optimize economic performance, and address energy poverty.
-
Minimisation of Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts in Offshore Wind (RIA) Create holistic tools and assessment methods to minimize environmental impacts and optimize socio-economic benefits throughout the lifecycle of offshore wind farms.
-
Demonstrations of Innovative Floating Wind Concepts (IA) Showcase new floating wind system designs that lower costs and facilitate rapid, sustainable deployment with real-world demonstrations in sea conditions - Possible connection with Innovation Fund.
-
CCU for the Production of Fuels (IA) Develop energy-efficient and viable CO2 conversion technologies for fuel production with a focus on scalability and comprehensive life cycle assessments - Possible connection with Innovation Fund.
-
DACCS and BECCS for CO2 Removal/Negative Emissions (IA) Advance Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) technologies, emphasizing integration with industrial clusters and socio-economic viability - Possible connection with Innovation Fund.
Efficient, sustainable and inclusive energy use
Total funding: €50 million
-
Industrialisation of Sustainable and Circular Renovation Workflows (IA) Streamline and industrialize nearly zero-energy building renovations, integrating circular workflows from design to end-of-life, using digital tools and prefabrication for scalable solutions across diverse climates.
-
Robotics and Automated Solutions for Sustainable Construction (RIA) Advance robotic and automated solutions (e.g., 3D printing) for construction, renovation, and maintenance, reducing time, costs, and environmental impact while improving safety and energy efficiency.
- BIM-Based Processes and Digital Twins for Circular Renovation (IA) Enhance BIM and Digital Twins to improve energy efficiency and sustainability across building lifecycles. Integrate data monitoring and ensure interoperability, with demonstrations in real-life projects across diverse climates.
-
Design for Reuse and Deconstruction of Buildings (RIA) Develop tools and methods to enable building reuse and deconstruction, focusing on sustainability and adaptability, with testing in diverse climates and involvement of social sciences and humanities experts.
-
Digital Solutions for Participative Design and Management of Buildings (IA) Create digital tools to involve the public in climate-neutral renovation, enabling scenario modeling to assess energy, environmental, and socio-economic impacts, with testing in multiple real-life projects.
