The European industrial landscape is at a turning point. With the introduction of the Clean Industrial Deal (CID), the European Commission has signaled that decarbonization and industrial competitiveness must advance together. To help stakeholders navigate this new landscape, NCP4Industry Plus has released a dedicated Factsheet acting as a strategic roadmap for the upcoming Horizon Europe funding opportunities.
The Funding Engine: Innovation Actions for 2026-2027
The Factsheet provides an in-depth look at the upcoming calls designed to move clean technologies from the lab to real-world industrial deployment. These Innovation Actions target high maturity levels (TRL 6-8) and offer substantial grants, typically between €15 million and €25 million per project. The opportunities are centered around two main pillars:
1. Decarbonization of Energy-Intensive Industries - Focusing on "hard-to-abate" sectors like steel, chemicals, and cement, these calls support large-scale demonstrators for carbon capture (CCUS) and hydrogen-based production.
- 2026 Call (HORIZON-CID-2026-01-01): Opens 18 Dec 2025 | Deadline 15 Sep 2026.
- 2027 Call (HORIZON-CID-2027-01-01): Scaling and replication phase. Opens 12 Jan 2027 | Deadline 15 Sep 2027.
2. Clean Technologies for Climate Action - This pillar aims to secure Europe’s leadership in net-zero technologies, focusing on electrification, renewable fuels, and "next-generation" digital optimization.
- 2026 Call (HORIZON-CID-2026-01-02): Opens 18 Dec 2025 | Deadline 15 Sep 2026.
- 2027 Call (HORIZON-CID-2027-01-02): Next-gen hydrogen processes. Opens 12 Jan 2027 | Deadline 15 Sep 2027.
