Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The Innovation Fund program that helps reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
“Large-scale” projects are projects with a capital expenditure of over € 7.5 million.
“Small scale” projects are projects with a total capital cost of less than € 7.5 million.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The objective of this topic is to support highly innovative, disruptive or breakthrough technologies that enable deep decarbonisation needed for achieving climate neutrality.
Detailed Call Description
The following activities can be funded under this topic: construction and operation of pilot projects that focus on validating, testing and optimising highly innovative, deep decarbonisation solutions in all sectors eligible for Innovation Fund support.
Pilot projects can thus concern:
- Sectors listed in Annex I and Annex III to the EU ETS Directive 2003/87, including environmentally safe carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) that contributes substantially to mitigating climate change, and products substituting carbonintensive ones produced in sectors listed in Annex I to the EU ETS Directive.
- Construction and operation of innovative energy storage systems.
- Development of CO2 storage solutions.
- Renewable energy installations, in photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, onshore and offshore wind power, ocean energy, geothermal, solar thermal, and other renewable energy technologies, including innovative systems for grid connection (electricity/heat).
A higher degree of innovation is expected than in the other topics under this call.
Funded activities should address technical risks associated with the demonstration of innovative technologies and solutions, such as optimising technology processes and operational parameters and/or improving the characteristics of the final products. Pilot projects should demonstrate an innovative, deep decarbonisation or net carbon removal technology or solution in an operational environment but are not expected yet to reach large scale demonstration or commercial production. Nevertheless, limited production or operation for testing purposes, including delivery to/from potential customers for validation is expected. These projects typically have a limited lifetime of 3 to 5 years.
If successful, the technology should progress to large-scale demonstration or first-ofa-kind commercial production.
Deep decarbonisation technology means technology that has the potential to be fully compatible with a 2050 climate neutrality objective. The pilot installation should have a very low level of residual emissions or result in net carbon removals. See more details in the minimum requirements under the GHG emission avoidance criterion.
Projects should contribute to building industrial capacity, technology leadership, supply chain resilience and strategic autonomy within the EU/EEA.
The maximum amount of Innovation Fund grant for an individual project under this topic is limited to €40 million.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
60%
Project eligibility: capital expenditure above €2.500.000
Thematic Categories
- Energy
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Shipping - Marine Transports
- Transport
Eligibility for Participation
- International Organisations
- Investment Funds
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries: any country in the world.
The following activities are not considered as eligible for funding under this call:
- manufacturing of battery cells, that can be used in electric vehicles (also as part of integrated projects)
- projects focused on services, including software, that primarily aim to improve the efficient use of products listed under Annex I and Annex III of the EU ETS.
This exclusion doesn’t concern mobility projects where the activity directly decreases the climate impacts: ship or plane building or refurbishment outside of the EU/EEA
Projects must comply with EU policy interests and priorities (such as environment, social, security, industrial and trade policy, etc). Projects must also respect EU values and European Commission policy regarding reputational matters (e.g. activities involving capacity building, policy support, awareness raising, communication, dissemination, etc).
Financial support to third parties is not allowed.
Geographic location (target countries):
Projects must be located in EU Member States or EEA countries (i.e. Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein).
Projects may also be located in Northern Ireland on the condition that they concern the generation, transmission, distribution or supply of electricity.
For maritime sector projects:
- when the projects concern investments on ships, those ships must carry a flag of an EU Member States or an EEA country and call ports under the jurisdiction of an EU Member State or EEA country (see list here) on a regular basis (at least 15% of their calls on ports over two years); or must call ports under the jurisdiction of an EU Member State or EEA country (see list here) on a regular basis (at least 30% of their calls on ports over two years); or perform service or support activities in ports under the jurisdiction of an EU Member State or EEA country.
- when the projects concern investments in ports infrastructure (e.g. renewable alternative fuel bunkering infrastructures in ports, including container transhipment ports), the ports must be under the jurisdiction of an EU Member States or an EEA country (see list here).
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment
Address: 28th of October Avenue 20-22, 2414 Engomi, Nicosia
Mrs. Maria Loizou
Telephone: +357 22408955
Email: mloizou@environment.moa.gov.cy
Website: www.moa.gov.cy
Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy
Address: 29 Vyronos Avenue, 1096 Nicosia
Ms. Elena Poulli
Telephone: +357 22691921
Email: epoulli@research.org.cy, epoulli@dmrid.gov.cy
Website: www.dmrid.gov.cy
EU Contact Point
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