Apply for Innovation Fund
Leading EU Programme for Low-Carbon Tech
With our support, secure funding from one of the world’s largest grant schemes for net-zero and innovative technologies. In 2025, we assisted numerous clients in preparing competitive proposals, resulting in €842.6 million in funding requested and projects with the potential to avoid 42.63 megatons of CO₂e.
The Innovation Fund (IF), managed by CINEA, is a €4 billion programme supporting the deployment of innovative low-carbon technologies to decarbonise Europe and advance climate neutrality. It is financed through the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), the world’s largest carbon pricing mechanism.
The application should address one of the following sectors:
1. Energy Intensive Industries (EII)
2. Carbon capture, transport and storage
3. Renewable energy and storage
4. Mobility (Maritime, aviation and road)
5. Buildings.
Project Lifecycle
Innovation Fund projects typically progress through three phases:
1. Up to Financial Close: Complete engineering, permitting, commercial, and financial setup
2. Construction: Project execution phase
3. Operation: Minimum of 5 years for medium/large-scale projects, 3 years for small/pilot projects.
Deadline for Innovation Fund in 2026
Submission deadline is on 23 April 2026.
Evaluation results will come out in Q3 2026 and award of the grants and PDA are expected Q1 2027.
Developing proposals for the EU Innovation Fund is highly time-consuming. Reach out to secure our expert assistance.
More Details on Innovation Fund
Financial assistance
Projects can request up to 60% of the Relevant Costs (discounted CAPEX + OPEX – Revenue) for the whole project duration. There is not a minimum grant that can be requested for large- and medium-scale projects, with smaller projects having a ceiling of 40 million euros.
Eligibility criteria
At least one company based on any country in the world, aiming to deploy a project in EU member states or EEA countries (Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein). Beneficiaries must demonstrate their financial and operational capacity before signing the Grant Agreement with CINEA.
Projects of All Sizes
There are five different types of projects, depending on the topic and the total CAPEX:
1. Manufacturing: more than € 2.5M
2. Pilots: more than € 2.5M
3. Small-scale: up to € 20M
4. Medium-scale: from € 20 to 100M
5. Large-scale: more than € 100M
Is Your Project a Fit? Selection Criteria:
1. Degree of innovation
2. Demonstate high GHG emission avoidance
3. High technical maturity
4. Scalability - robust business plan
5. Cost efficiency
Secured €75 Million Grant from IF
The Biozin case is one of our largest Innovation Fund successes. We acted as their trusted advisor throughout their successful grant application process.
Get the Overview of Innovation Fund
The 1-pager gives you a clear and concise overview of the programme's purpose, funding, project types and eligibility.