Support to the SET Plan community

The main goal of this opportunity is to help advance the clean energy transition by supporting the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) stakeholder fora. It aims to facilitate the implementation of the SET Plan and its contribution to major European climate and energy policies, including the Green Deal Industrial Plan and the Net Zero Industry Act. Key focus areas include the societal and economic impacts of clean energy, supporting research and innovation roadmaps, and aligning activities with European priorities in renewable energy, energy efficiency, hydrogen, carbon capture, and energy systems. The opportunity covers the European Union and associated countries, with encouragement to broaden participation across these regions.

• Projects must follow specific proposal page limits and layout requirements.
• Applicants must be from eligible countries (EU, associated, and some non-EU/non-associated countries with special provisions).
• Projects must address at least one sector: geothermal, hydropower, ocean energy, photovoltaics, renewable fuels, bioenergy, solar thermal, renewable heating/cooling, direct solar fuels, wind energy, energy efficiency in buildings, sustainable industry energy use, direct current technologies, carbon capture, hydrogen, or energy systems.
• Proposals are evaluated based on defined scoring and submission criteria.
• Eligible costs must be structured as a lump sum.
• Projects should align with the strategic objectives of the SET Plan and EU climate and energy policies.

Examples:

• A project developing innovative hydrogen storage solutions in partnership with EU and associated country organizations.
• A consortium improving energy efficiency in industrial processes through new technologies in renewable heating and cooling.
• An initiative supporting research roadmaps for offshore wind energy, involving participants from several eligible countries.

• Personnel costs for project staff
• Costs for equipment and materials
• Travel and accommodation expenses for project activities
• Subcontracting of specific tasks
• Costs for dissemination and communication of project results
• Costs for organizing stakeholder meetings and workshops
• Consultancy and expert services
• Data collection and analysis expenses
• Administrative and management costs related to the project
• Costs for developing and updating research and innovation roadmaps

All expenses must fit the lump sum model as defined by the Horizon Europe Programme. Restrictions may apply based on the detailed rules in the official documentation.

• Budget for this Call: 7.500.000€
• Number of Grants attributed: 15
• Budget per project: 500.000€

• Must be a consortium of at least three independent legal entities based in three different eligible countries (EU Member States or Horizon-associated countries), with at least one partner from an EU Member State.
• All participants must be established in eligible countries and demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity in line with Horizon Europe Annex B and C.
• Project must support one specific energy-related sector under the SET Plan (e.g. photovoltaics, wind, hydrogen, CCUS, energy systems, etc.), by hosting stakeholder fora (e.g. ETIPs/IWGs), producing research roadmaps or strategic analyses, and aligning with EU policy goals like the Green Deal, Net Zero Industry Act, and Research and Innovation agendas.
• The action is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) implemented under lump-sum rules.
• Projects should foster outreach, societal considerations, and contribute evidence to SETIS and the Commission’s clean energy observatories.
• Standard Horizon Europe ethics, integrity, exclusion, conflict‑of‑interest, and legal compliance rules apply .