Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest funding programmes for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies.

The Innovation Fund will provide around EUR 38 billion of support from 2020 to 2030 (at EUR 75 / tCO2), depending on the carbon price, for the commercial demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies, aiming to bring to the market industrial solutions to decarbonise Europe and support its transition to climate neutrality.

The goal is to help businesses invest in clean energy and industry to boost economic growth, create local future-proof jobs and reinforce European technological leadership on a global scale.

This is done through calls for large and small-scale projects focusing on:

  • innovative low-carbon technologies and processes in energy-intensive industries, including products substituting carbon-intensive ones
  • carbon capture and utilisation (CCU)
  • construction and operation of carbon capture and storage (CCS)
  • innovative renewable energy generation
  • energy storage


EUROPEAN CITY FACILITY – EUCF

The EUCF is a European initiative to support municipalities, local authorities and their groupings across Europe to develop investment concepts to accelerate investments in sustainable energy. In form of a € 60k grant, the EUCF finances services and activities to support the development of the investment concept, such as (technical) feasibility studies, market analysis, stakeholder analysis, legal, economic and financial analysis, risk analysis and the coordination and organization activities. The grant is hence not meant to directly finance investments. It is used to access services and develop an investment concept, which might become a door-opener for many follow-up investments.

Successful applicants to the EUCF will use the lump sum to develop their investment concepts, which represents an initial step towards a fully-fledged business and financial plan. The ultimate objecvtive is to build a substantial pipeline of sustainable energy investment projects across municipalities in Europe.


Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of €95.5 billion.

It tackles climate change, helps to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and boosts the EU’s competitiveness and growth.

The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges. It supports creating and better dispersing of excellent knowledge and technologies.

It creates jobs, fully engages the EU’s talent pool, boosts economic growth, promotes industrial competitiveness and optimises investment impact within a strengthened European Research Area.

Legal entities from the EU and associated countries can participate.


LIFE Programme

The LIFE Programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. The budget of the LIFE Programme 2021-2027 increased to €5.4 billion.

The new LIFE programme will cover the following areas:

  • Nature and biodiversity
  • Circular economy and quality of life
  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Clean energy transition.