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Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies

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The Innovation Fund supports first-of-a-kind, highly innovative net-zero and low-carbon projects that accelerate Europe’s transition to climate neutrality, strengthen industrial competitiveness, and scale breakthrough clean technologies.

Open till 2027-06-30

  • Deadline 30 June 2027
  • Category Industrial Decarbonisation | Net-Zero Technologies | Clean-Tech Manufacturing | Renewable Energy | Energy Storage | Hydrogen | CCUS | Climate Innovation
  • Funding Competitive grants managed by CINEA under the EU Innovation Fund, financed through the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)
  • Max grant amount Up to 60% of relevant project costs. No fixed maximum grant amount, except Pilot Projects where the grant is capped at €40 million per project
  • Company size SME | Large companies
  • Location Projects must be located in EU Member States, EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), or eligible Northern Ireland electricity projects
  • Duration Typically 3–15 years, including implementation and operational monitoring periods

Purpose

  • – Accelerate industrial decarbonisation and climate neutrality.
    – Support commercial deployment of innovative low-carbon technologies.
    – Strengthen Europe’s clean-tech manufacturing capacity and strategic autonomy.
    – Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support EU climate targets.

Potential applicants

  • – Industrial companies and project developers.
    – Clean-tech manufacturers.
    – Energy, hydrogen, storage and CCUS project promoters.
    – Public and private legal entities.
    – Single applicants or consortia.

Funding

  • – Grants covering up to 60% of relevant costs.
    – Support for construction and operation of innovative projects.
    – Funding available for large-scale, medium-scale, small-scale, clean-tech manufacturing and pilot projects.

Intensity

  • – Up to 60% of relevant costs.
    – Lump-sum grant mechanism based on approved relevant costs and GHG emission avoidance calculations.

Technologies

  • – Industrial decarbonisation technologies.
    – Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS).
    – Renewable energy technologies.
    – Energy storage systems.
    – Hydrogen production and use.
    – Batteries, electrolysers, fuel cells and heat pumps.
    – Maritime and aviation decarbonisation technologies.
    – Innovative clean-tech manufacturing.

Eligibility

  • – Applicants must be legal entities.
    – Projects must demonstrate innovation beyond the state of the art.
    – Projects must achieve significant GHG emission reductions.
    – Projects must comply with the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle.
    – Projects must not have reached financial close before proposal submission.

Additional information

  • – Total 2025 call budget: €2.9 billion.
    – Topics include Large-Scale (€1.2bn), Medium-Scale (€300m), Small-Scale (€100m), Clean-Tech Manufacturing (€1bn), and Pilots (€300m).

  • – Evaluation focuses on innovation, GHG reduction, project maturity, replicability and cost efficiency.
    – Projects that exceed evaluation thresholds may receive the STEP Seal and/or Project Development Assistance (PDA) from the EIB.

Apply here

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Viktória Angeli

Associate Partner, Budapest, Hungary