Preparations for the next calls for proposals under the Innovation Fund are well underway. As announced at the Innovation Fund Expert Group meeting on 6 July, the Commission plans to launch the second call for large-scale projects on 26 October, while the second call for small-scale projects is expected to be launched in March 2022.
Second call for large-scale projects
Depending on the evolution of the price of carbon, the budget of the second call for large-scale projects will be between EUR 1,3 and 1,5 billion, which is a substantial increase compared to the EUR 1 billion budget of the first call. Taking into account the feedback collected from stakeholders after the closure of the first call, the Commission decided to simplify the call process. The time-to-grant award will be much faster as the application and selection process will only have one stage. The methodology for assessing projects will remain largely similar to the first call but the call documents will be improved to better guide applicants. Besides new applications, resubmissions of projects who applied to the first call and were not successful will also be welcome.
Second call for small-scale projects
The second call for small-scale projects will be launched in March 2022 with a budget of EUR 100 million and will remain open for five months. The call text and application process will remain largely similar to those of the first call.
Timeline
| 2nd call for large-scale projects | |
|---|---|
| Call launch (expected) | 26 October 2021 |
| Call closure (expected) | 1 March 2022 |
| Call results (expected) | July 2022 |
| 2nd call for small-scale projects | |
|---|---|
| Call launch (expected) | March 2022 |
| Call closure (expected) | August 2022 |
| Call results (expected) | Q1 2023 |
Recordings of IFEG meeting
You can watch the recordings of the IFEG meeting to hear more on the state of play of the first calls and the planning of the second calls for projects.
Background
Funded by revenues from the auction of emission allowances from the EU’s Emissions Trading System, the Innovation Fund aims to create the right financial incentives for companies and public authorities to invest now in the next generation of low-carbon technologies and give EU companies a first-mover advantage to become global technology leaders.
The Innovation Fund is implemented by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), while the European Investment Bank provides the project development assistance to promising projects that are not ready for full application.
