Supporting the clean energy transition of European industry and businesses

About the call

In 2023, industry accounted for 25% of final energy consumption in the EU-27, of which almost 40% was consumed by energy-intensive companies. The call aims to close the gap between demand and supply of zero-emission technologies and to develop cooperative approaches between companies located close to one another. The EU Ports Strategy, adopted on 4 March 2026, explicitly announced support through this very call - for partnerships with ports and industrial clusters promoting the deployment of renewables, energy sharing, waste heat reuse, energy storage and the development of port-centric energy communities. Applications must choose one of the two strands.

Strand A - cooperation between industrial sectors and technology suppliers

• New collaborations between one or more industrial sectors with similar processes and energy needs and manufacturers/suppliers of sustainable energy technologies.
• Technologies: integration of local renewable energy, waste heat recovery, heat electrification (including heat pumps), energy efficiency, storage, energy-efficient electric motors, and technologies covered by the Net-Zero Industry Act.
• Technology readiness level: TRL 8-9, i.e. commercially available and ready for market deployment.
• Rationale: moving from an individual project-by-project approach to standardised solutions and project tools for industrial customers with similar processes.
• Mandatory - participation of European sector organisations in the consortium, from both end-user and technology supplier sides.
• Demonstration of solutions is outside the scope of the call; equipment costs are eligible only to a very limited extent and must be justified.

Strand B - energy cooperation between industries in geographic proximity

• Shared use of energy assets (generation, storage), exchange of energy services, and energy exchanges (waste heat recovery, flexible electricity demand, complementary consumption profiles).
• Voluntary interaction of industrial prosumers with system operators (electricity, heat, hydrogen, CO₂) for infrastructure planning.
• Locations: local and regional industrial clusters, industrial parks and sites, and sea and river ports.
• Removing barriers: organisational (coordination, trust, liability, data management, risk sharing), legal and social.
• Key outcome: investment plans containing a list of realistic projects, endorsed by key stakeholders - businesses, authorities (including port authorities), industrial park managers, investors, TSOs, DSOs and ESCOs.

Conditions

• Consortium: at least 3 applicants from 3 different countries.
• Indicative grant amount: up to €2 million.
• Engagement with financial players and with the national hubs of the European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition is encouraged.

Deadline

16 September 2026, 17:00 CEST