Clean Industrial Deal Calls for proposals for fit-for-deployment Horizon projects

The Clean Industrial Deal (CID) is the EU’s new strategy to strengthen industrial competitiveness while accelerating decarbonisation. It aims to support clean manufacturing, affordable energy, circularity and the scale-up of low-carbon technologies across Europe.

And, as a tool for EU competitiveness, the CID comes with funding opportunities. In particular, two dedicated Horizon Europe Calls for proposals are still open (until September 2026) and target the following sectors:

• Clean technologies for climate action: focused on net-zero energy systems, zero-emission power generation and advanced energy storage solutions, including batteries and renewable hydrogen;
• Decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries: targeting industrial sectors where emissions are hardest to abate, with a focus on carbon cycle management, clean energy integration and circular industrial processes.

The CID aims to support fit-for-deployment technologies, building a pipeline from R&I to commercial deployment, effectively addressing the same issues that H2IF targets and incentivising industry-led solutions with a clear route from innovation to market that can support Europe’s clean energy transition at scale.

These topics place greater emphasis on:
i) industrial uptake and scalability,
ii) business cases and bankability,
iii) resilience and strategic autonomy,
iv) faster market deployment and impact in Europe.

The 2026 Calls have a total budget of ~€275 million, funding projects with expected EU contribution in the range of €15-25 million.

The same Call will also be available in 2027, opening in January 2027 and with a deadline in September 2027, with an expected budget of ~€325 million.