Phase out fossil fuel in energy intensive industries through the efficient integration of renewable energy sources

Opened

Code: 38265 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-06 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

Proposals are expected to demonstrate an innovative solution for the efficient, long lasting and cost-effective local integration of one or a combination of renewable thermal, electrical, bioenergy and other renewable energy sources in industrial processes, for heating, cooling and power generation, while optimising process efficiency and reuse, possibly upgrade of excess heat, with the aim of avoiding or drastically reducing fossil fuel use.

Optimal combination of low embodied carbon construction products, technical building systems and circularity principles for climate neutral buildings (Built4People Partnership)

Opened

Code: 38261 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-05 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

Buildings result in greenhouse gas emissions over their whole life cycle (operational and embodied emissions). Buildings can also contribute to long-term carbon removals by storing carbon in construction products.

Construction and renovation works must also meet a variety of inter-related requirements such as structural and fire safety, acoustics, and a healthy and comfortable indoor environment.

Although much research has focused on developing materials and products with reduced whole life carbon emissions, the life cycle impacts of buildings depend on a complex interaction between individual products, components and technical building systems, spatial distribution, usage during their lifetime, and other design choices.

There is therefore a need to deliver buildings and renovation works with minimal life cycle impacts, in particular global warming potential, based on circularity principles, also accommodating future building use-change through design for flexibility, and using innovative combinations of products and systems that result in optimal building-level performance.

Call for proposals to contribute to the organisation of conferences and events

Opened

Code: 38258 | Identifier Code: EU4H-2026-SANTE-PJ-09 | Programme name: 10993 | Start submission calls: 23/09/2025 | End submission calls: 06/01/2026

The objective of this action is to support the organisation of not-for-profit, Union-wide highlevel science-policy-society conferences that bring together all interested parties such as citizens, patients, practitioners, scientists, policy makers from local, regional, and Union level. The conferences will cover important health topics that are related to the Union’s health priorities, and thereby contribute to the development and implementation of the European Health Union.

Innovative approaches for the deployment of Positive Energy Districts

Opened

Code: 38257 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

Recent projects have demonstrated the feasibility of PEDs, but there is a need to further demonstrate climate-neutral impact, while developing and demonstrating innovative approaches and solutions for overcoming technical, business, social and organisational constraints in several domains.

Such domains include, for example, climate mitigation, integration of renewable energy sources and energy storage in buildings, grid connections, accommodation of distributed energy generation and storage at district level, permitting, data privacy and security and the application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Presently, these constraints, which inhibit the demonstration of complete and qualified PEDs, require the cooperation of key professionals from the public and private sector, such as municipal and regional authorities and those from the energy and construction sectors, in complex implementation processes.

Innovative pathways for low carbon and climate resilient building stock and built environment (Built4People Partnership)

Opened

Code: 38252 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

EU and associated countries continue to develop innovative building solutions that support the decarbonisation and climate resilience of buildings and the built environment, addressing energy performance, circularity, sustainability, resource efficiency, climate resilience, safety, durability and adaptability of the building stock, and whole life carbon emissions.

A key challenge remains the accelerated uptake of such solutions in building and renovation projects.

Building value chain actors – such as housing association, municipal and regional authorities, or policy makers – require planning methods and procedures that embed the uptake of innovative building solutions and define pathways for the decarbonisation and climate resilience of the building stock and the built environment under their responsibility.

Smarter buildings as part of the energy system for increased efficiency and flexibility – Societal Readiness Pilot

Opened

Code: 38249 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

The construction sector and the building subsector remain among the least digitised.

Smart buildings can contribute to reducing energy demand, curbing operational CO2 emissions, integrating RES and enhancing grid flexibility through optimised energy usage.

At the same time, it is essential that smart buildings are flexible and adaptive to changing needs and usage patterns and are user-friendly to encourage widespread adoption of these technologies by grid operators, construction professionals, building facility managers and users.

Furthermore, to ensure the societal benefits of the smart building technologies there is a need for increased user knowledge, acceptance and satisfaction.

On-site innovative robotic and automated solutions and techniques for more sustainable and less disruptive building renovation and construction

Opened

Code: 38246 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

Buildings need to be sustainable and resource efficient, and the rate of deep renovation needs to be increased.

This can be accelerated by modernising the construction sector and embracing the latest developments in robotics and automated systems.

There is need for further research on innovative on-site robotic and other automated solutions and techniques that make renovation and construction works more sustainable, less disruptive, faster, as well as more accurate, cost effective and resource efficient.

New CO2 capture technologies

Opened

Code: 38243 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-24 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

Development of new or emerging capture technologies with high potential for cost reduction.

Proposals shall address capture of CO₂ either from one of the following areas (and explicitly identify which is being covered):

1. Point sources, or
2. Directly from air (direct air capture, DAC).

Underground Thermal Energy Storage in dense urban areas

Opened

Code: 38239 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-22 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

In scope are novel technologies, interfaces, design methods and organisational concepts that result in the most effective and sustainable use of subsurface space in dense urban areas by Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES) systems such as ATES, CTES and BTES.

Proposals should consider the integration in the existing energy grids and interaction with other urban uses of the subsurface (e.g., subways, underground utilities, buildings), including energy geostructures of buildings, tunnels, slabs, energy sheet pile walls, etc., with potential geothermal heating, cooling, and sinks or storage opportunities.

Proposals should address the uncertainties in the seasonal energy demand to increase the predictability of the required subsurface space, the interactions among systems for the sake of optimal use of subsurface and thermal efficiency.

Innovative tools and services to manage and empower energy communities

Opened

Code: 38236 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-20 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

The project should:

• Develop innovative and open-source tools for managing shared energy community assets (e.g., energy storage facilities) and optimising energy community management (e.g., selection and switching of aggregators, preparation and trading of smart contracts, peer-to-peer and energy sharing, self-consumption);
• Develop open-source tools for forecasting, prediction and advanced data analysis using AI tools and in-depth data analysis for customers and prosumers for autonomous optimisation of consumption, production, storage, smart devices (appliances), and electric vehicle (EV) both at household and energy community levels;
• Extend DSO SCADA and substation systems for autonomous control of grid assets and seamlessly integrate these systems with home and building energy management systems for direct and fast control and data acquisition to implement local (distribution) grid services (constrain alleviation, grid reconfiguration, restoration of supply, maintenance, and enhancement of energy quality), real-time assessment and monetisation of the use of grid resources;
• Integrate the three elements above as a basis to establish a platform for cooperation between individual customers or prosumers, entire energy communities, wide area aggregators, and DSOs to provide, acquire, and settle energy system-oriented services (system-wide balancing, support of frequency regulation). The cooperation platform should be based on a plug-and-play integration of the energy community eco-system components (hardware and software), using and extending relevant communication standards and data models. The integration mechanism should be embedded within the core systems used by customers/prosumers, DSO (and TSO), aggregators and market operators, fully aligned with SGAM;
• Develop tailored security solutions for private and public communication networks used by IoT apps and devices (smart appliances) across energy carriers;
• Ensure the follow-up and implementation of EU policy measures, including by conducting quality assessments and introducing national community energy targets;
• Foster institutional allies at local and regional levels;
• Provide access to and capacities for using digital planning tools;
• Identify the barriers for network operators (e.g. legal, economic, regulatory etc.) who want to introduce smart consumption options for their customers.

Innovative solutions for a generative AI-powered digital spine of the EU energy system

Opened

Code: 38233 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-19 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

To achieve the Green Deal objectives for 2030 and 2050, substantial investments are required in a smart and digitally enabled energy system capable of integrating higher shares of renewable energy and electrification of demand and electricity storage.

This encompasses various sectors such as transport (notably electric vehicles), industry (heating and hydrogen production) and residential heating.

Next generation distribution substation for increasing the system resilience

Opened

Code: 38228 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-18 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

Projects are expected to:

• Demonstrate the integration of power electronics, intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), and software solutions in the distribution substations or in their proximity;
• Demonstrate real-time monitoring and analysis of grid conditions (including power quality, voltage levels, grid component monitoring, and overall system performance) that allow operators to quickly identify and address any potential issues or disturbances, help to prevent outages and minimise the impact of service disruptions;
• Consolidate data streams from otherwise dispersed sources to create unified visualisations and consolidated analytics that offer insights into the performance of distributions substations;
• Develop the concept of a flexible and programmable electricity distribution grid in which the substation is a centre of intelligence that facilitates optimal power routing while ensuring the resilience of the electricity grid.

Development of innovative solutions strengthening the security of renewable energy value chains

Opened

Code: 38225 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-14 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

Proposals are expected to provide in-depth assessments that will lead to novel solutions improving critical aspects of specific renewable energy technologies and their respective value chains impacting EU’s energy security.

De-risking wave energy technology development through transnational pre-commercial procurement of wave energy research and development

Opened

Code: 38222 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-13 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

The challenge is the development and demonstration of cost-effective wave energy converters that can survive in a harsh and unpredictable ocean or sea environment through demand-driven pre-commercial procurement (PCP). The challenge is open to proposals seeking to steer wave energy development in an effective way at a European level and to bring these technologies to the market.

The operation of wave energy prototypes in real sea conditions is a critical step to establish confidence in the devices and to facilitate the large-scale roll-out of this renewable technology. Pre-commercial procurement has been shown to be an effective tool to de-risk such activities.

Extending the lifetime of crystalline silicon PV modules (EUPI-PV Partnership)

Opened

Code: 38217 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-12 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

The degradation rate might vary depending on many factors such as material properties, environmental stress (solar irradiance, humidity, temperature, wind speed, dust, etc.), installation, design and type of components and connections, with some components deteriorating on their own and others impacting additional PV components, leading to more severe failures. 

Towards commercialisation of Perovskite PV and development of dedicated manufacturing equipment (EUPI-PV Partnership)

Opened

Code: 38214 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-10 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

Metal halide perovskite solar cells have attracted much attention because of their low-cost fabrication and high efficiency. In addition, tandem devices, especially perovskite-Si tandems, are expected to play an important role in perovskite commercialisation.

Poor stability of these devices remains however the key challenge in their path toward commercialisation.

To overcome this issue, a robust encapsulation technique by employing suitable materials and structures with high barrier performance against the external environment must be developed to protect perovskite devices.

Understand and minimise the environmental impacts of offshore wind energy

Opened

Code: 38211 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-08 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

Proposals are expected to address at least five of the following aspects:

• Provide better knowledge and understanding of the cumulative environmental impacts of the offshore wind energy deployment according to the EU targets, when added to the current and planned human activities carried out in the same areas;
• Expand existing studies, field monitoring, and analysis from local to larger areas, and from site- or species-specific impacts to more general ones. Further develop and deploy field monitoring activities, measuring multiple pressures and impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems and their services, as well as pollution, from installation to decommissioning and possible repowering, including operational phase and maintenance activities;
• Test and demonstrate field monitoring and modelling technologies that allow to go beyond state-of-knowledge, regarding life-cycle environmental impacts of offshore wind energy deployments;
• Improve instruments and models for Maritime Spatial Planning, and environmental assessments at plan and project level that are in alignment with public authorities’ needs;
• Improve modelling capacity and environmental impact assessments of future offshore wind deployment;
• Support the identification of areas where wind energy deployment is particularly suitable without significant environmental impact and areas where on the contrary, it should be avoided;
• Identify strategies, test, and demonstrate technologies that avoid, minimise, mitigate and compensate the environmental impact of bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind energy systems, propose mitigation and restoration measures and if feasible, provide net-positive environmental impacts. The activities carried out under this point are expected to achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project.

Particular attention must be dedicated to ensuring that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable) and to leveraging existing community practices for data sharing especially those in the relevant European common data spaces and in the European Research infrastructures.

iNNO SED Open Call for Associated Regions: Innovative Sediment Management in the Danube River Basin

Opened

Code: 38207 | Identifier Code: iNNO SED | Programme name: 20613 | Start submission calls: 15/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/11/2025

iNNO SED aims to advance and showcase sediment assessment methodologies while demonstrating management solutions for specific sediment-related challenges. Examples of these challenges include river sections exposed to severe erosion, impoundments undergoing continuous sedimentation, or areas with polluted sediments. Such sediment issues are not confined to the Danube River Basin. Many large river systems worldwide encounter similar concerns due to human activities like river regulation, hydropower generation, and flood protection measures.

ERC Consolidator Grants

Opened

Code: 38205 | Identifier Code: ERC-2026-COG | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: European Research Council (ERC) | Start submission calls: 25/09/2025 | End submission calls: 13/01/2026

The ERC Consolidator Grants are designed to support excellent Principal Investigators at the career stage at which they may still be consolidating their own independent research team or programme. Principal Investigators must demonstrate the ground-breaking nature, ambition and feasibility of their scientific proposal.

Improved reliability and optimised operations and maintenance for wind energy systems

Opened

Code: 38202 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-07 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 16/09/2025 | End submission calls: 17/02/2026

Proposals are expected to address at least four of the following aspects:

• Develop and validate solutions to increase the reliability of wind energy systems and their components, thus ensuring security of supply and further reducing the environmental impacts;
• Develop new methods, computational techniques and tools to analyse and predict the reliability of wind energy systems, considering the analysis of the failure modes of existing systems and including a focus on new analytical approaches, technologies and materials;
• Develop new methods and tools for condition and health monitoring of wind energy systems and their components;
• Develop and validate solutions to optimise the operation and maintenance of wind energy systems and their components, for example through improved scheduling and predictive maintenance, autonomous tools, robots and vehicles, semi-automated inspection methods or advanced repair methods;
• Develop and validate new components to be incorporated in structures’ designs to improve the safety and efficiency on-site during maintenance activities in wind farms;
• Develop and validate innovative digital tools to facilitate wind farm operation and maintenance, for instance through improved interoperability, decision-making support tools, condition and health monitoring techniques and innovative sensors, while ensuring increased cybersecurity and data sharing.

• Develop and validate solutions to increase the reliability of wind energy systems and their components, thus ensuring security of supply and further reducing the environmental impacts;
• Develop new methods, computational techniques and tools to analyse and predict the reliability of wind energy systems, considering the analysis of the failure modes of existing systems and including a focus on new analytical approaches, technologies and materials;
• Develop new methods and tools for condition and health monitoring of wind energy systems and their components;
• Develop and validate solutions to optimise the operation and maintenance of wind energy systems and their components, for example through improved scheduling and predictive maintenance, autonomous tools, robots and vehicles, semi-automated inspection methods or advanced repair methods;
• Develop and validate new components to be incorporated in structures’ designs to improve the safety and efficiency on-site during maintenance activities in wind farms;
• Develop and validate innovative digital tools to facilitate wind farm operation and maintenance, for instance through improved interoperability, decision-making support tools, condition and health monitoring techniques and innovative sensors, while ensuring increased cybersecurity and data sharing.