Earlier this month, the European Commission launched two calls for proposals under the Innovation Fund, with a total budget of €3.4 billion. At the same time, the second auction of the European Hydrogen Bank was announced, aiming to accelerate the production of renewable hydrogen within the European Economic Area (EEA). This initiative is backed by €1.2 billion in EU funding.
The general call for proposals, worth €2.4 billion (IF24 Call), is focused on supporting net-zero technologies. It seeks to fund defossilisation projects of varying scales, as well as initiatives targeting the manufacturing of components for renewable energy, energy storage, heat pumps, and hydrogen production.
Applications to the Net-Zero Technologies Call will be evaluated on their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, degree of innovation, project maturity, replicability, and cost efficiency. For the first time, Member States can complement the Net-Zero IF24 Call with their own national funding schemes under a new option called ‘Grants-as-a-Service’. This approach leverages the Innovation Fund’s evaluation and streamlined State aid approval processes.
Project promoters for the Net-Zero Technologies and Battery Calls have until 24 April 2025, 5 pm CET, to submit applications. Details are available here.
The second auction under the European Hydrogen Bank will allocate €1.2 billion, sourced from EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) revenues, to support producers of renewable hydrogen categorised as Renewable Fuel of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) within the EEA. Interested participants have until 20 February 2025 to apply here.
Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the online Info Day, taking place from 17–18 December 2024. Please register here.
The EU Innovation Fund programme is among the world’s largest grant schemes supporting first-of-a-kind low-carbon technologies. From 2020 to 2030, it is expected to provide approximately €40 billion to accelerate the commercial demonstration of innovative low-carbon solutions, enabling industries to reduce their carbon footprints and transition towards climate neutrality.
