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The programme is expected to allocate some 38 billion euros by 2030 to finance Europe's decarbonisation
Innovation Fund
The consultancy has supported five of the funded projects, which will receive more than 8% of the available funds
A proposal approval rate that doubles the average success rate in Net Zero Technologies, the call under the Innovation Fund programme focused on the implementation of highly innovative clean technologies and large flagship projects capable of achieving significant reductions in emissions and greenhouse gases. This is the result achieved by Zabala Innovation, as highlighted by Igor Idareta, team leader and expert in European Programmes at the consultancy. Through this call, which closed on 9 April and whose results were announced yesterday, the consultancy has managed to secure “a total of €390 million in funding for its clients, representing more than 8% of the available funds,” said Idareta.
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The five projects supported by Zabala Innovation and selected for funding – three in Spain, one in France and one in Portugal – have participated in various areas of the call, such as Large Scale (large-scale projects), Medium Scale (medium-scale projects), or Pilot actions (highly innovative pilot projects). “In the areas of the call in which we have been involved, i.e., larger projects, the proposals we supported represent 10% of those funded, accounting for 12% of the total allocated funds,” explained Idareta.
Additionally, Zabala Innovation also provided support for two other proposals that have been placed on the reserve list, highlighting its strong compliance with the stringent requirements set by the European Commission. The topics covered by these projects range from energy-intensive industries to intraday electricity storage, including chemicals, hydrogen, glass, ceramics, and building materials. Through this call, Brussels will fund 85 projects across the continent, distributing €4.8 billion in funds.
In addition to a “significant increase in available funds, up to 20% more than initially expected”, Idareta pointed out the main novelty of the call, namely “doubling the budget for clean technology manufacturing projects compared to the previous edition, raising it to €1.4 billion”.
“We are very excited, as this is one of the first calls where projects that meet the various thresholds, whether funded or not, will receive the Sovereignty Label,” explained Idareta. This is an EU quality mark awarded to high-interest projects that contribute to the objectives of the newly created Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), an initiative by the European Commission to promote investment in critical technologies.
“STEP is not a new fund but brings together funding from 11 different programmes, managed or co-managed by Brussels, aimed at innovative projects that reduce the EU’s dependence on third countries,” Idareta added. Among these programmes is also the Innovation Fund, whose next Net Zero Technologies call will be published on 3 December.
The Innovation Fund, financed through the EU’s Emissions Trading System, is one of the largest funding programmes in the world for the demonstration of low-carbon innovative technologies. The projects supported by the Innovation Fund cover a wide range of innovative technologies in areas such as energy-intensive industries, renewable energy, energy storage, mobility and net-zero buildings, hydrogen, and carbon capture, use and storage, and are in EU Member States, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway.
With a budget of around €40 billion until 2030, this programme awards grants through calls – as in the case of Net Zero Technologies – and competitive bidding processes (auctions), such as the H2 auction. The results of the first hydrogen auction were announced in April and yielded excellent outcomes for Zabala Innovation, as the consultancy secured €314 million in funding for its clients, representing 44% of the call’s total funds.
News
Innovation Fund
The programme is expected to allocate some 38 billion euros by 2030 to finance Europe's decarbonisation
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Innovation Fund
Juan Sanciñena
Senior Consultant
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Innovation Fund Programme
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