EU Innovation Fund - general decarbonisation calls
Innovation Fund (general decarbonisation calls)
Usually opens in December and April
Projected from the months this call usually opens — not a date the funder has confirmed.
Projected from the pattern of past calls — confirm on the funder's page before planning around it.
Grants cover up to 60% of the relevant costs (additional capital and operating expenditure versus a conventional plant). Projects are grouped by capital expenditure size: small-scale (below EUR 20m capex), medium-scale (EUR 20-100m) and large-scale (above EUR 100m). Individual awards have ranged from a few million to over EUR 200 million.
You must co-fund 40%. Work out the cash you need
European Commission (DG CLIMA / CINEA), financed by EU ETS revenues
public · supranational
Deadline: One call a year — There are currently no open Innovation Fund calls. Calls typically open at the end of the year. Five IF26 calls will open in December 2026.
This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.
Major bid — written case, budget, possibly partners.
You fund 40% yourself.
Who can apply
- Sectors: climate, energy, manufacturing
- Stage: growth
- Locally registered entity required
Projects must be located in an EU Member State (or Norway/Iceland). Applicants can be any legal entity including SMEs and start-ups, but projects must be first-of-a-kind commercial-scale demonstrations of innovative low-carbon technology.
How to apply
- Check the capex band your project falls into
- Register on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal
- Prepare the single-stage application: GHG avoidance calculation, degree of innovation, maturity, scalability and cost efficiency
- Submit before the call deadline
- Evaluation and, for selected projects, grant agreement with CINEA
What you will need
- Application form Part A and Part B
- GHG emission avoidance calculation
- Financial model and business plan
- Evidence of permits and site control (if applicable)
Related reading: How grant deadlines actually work
Source. https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-funding-climate-action/innovation-fund/calls-proposals_en
"5 calls for proposals will open in December 2026 ... IF26 NZT Call, IF26 SME Call, IF26 Maritime Call, IF26 Heat Auction, IF26 Hydrogen Auction"
Last checked against the official page on 5 October 2026
Source: climate.ec.europa.eu
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