Demonstration of industrial excess/waste heat conversion to mechanical or electrical power
Innovate and demonstrate industrial excess/waste heat conversion to mechanical or electrical power at operational sites.
This call seeks projects that develop and validate new systems to recover and convert industrial excess or waste heat into power. Demonstrations must occur at real industrial sites, aiming for energy efficiency and grid flexibility. The goal is to create replicable, standardized solutions with open integration guidelines and business models.
Likely relevant for
- Industrial energy efficiency technology developers
- Energy system integrators
- Industrial process engineers
- Energy storage technology providers
- Companies in energy-intensive industries
- Research organizations in energy conversion
Project signals
What it funds
- Development and validation of novel industrial excess/waste heat recovery and conversion systems
- Physical demonstration at one or more operational industrial sites
- Survey and analysis of needs across EU and Associated Countries’ factories in the same sector
- Identification and standardization of common components
- Development of open technical and economic guidelines and tools for SCADA and EMS integration
- Creation of innovative business models for heat valorisation as flexible electricity generation
- Dissemination of results to relevant communities, especially in cluster 4 partnerships
Expected outcomes
- At least one industrial sector develops pathways and business models to increase industrial excess/waste heat recovery and conversion to power
- Measurable improvements in energy efficiency, flexibility, climate and environment protection, reliability, safety, security, and profitability of heat recovery systems
Who can apply / participate
- Research organizations
- Industrial companies
- SMEs
- Consortia including multiple partners
- Single-stage submission model
- Consortium composition details must be checked in the call documents
- Eligible participants from EU and Associated Countries
- Legal entities established in China are not eligible under this destination
- Compliance with Horizon Europe general and specific eligibility conditions
- Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data if satellite-based earth observation is involved
- Exact consortium size and composition requirements
- Specific eligibility criteria for certain participant types
Must check before shortlisting
- Eligibility of participant countries
- Compliance with lump sum funding model
- Alignment with call's scope and expected outcomes
Money
Total budget for this call is approximately €13.5 million for 2 expected grants, each with a maximum contribution of €6.75 million in 2027.
- Total call budget — 13500000EURBudget for 2 expected grants
- Maximum grant per project — 6750000EURMaximum contribution per grant
Application notes
- Single-stage submission model with proposal page limits and layout as per Horizon Europe General Annexes.
- Proposal page limits and layout described in Annex A and E of Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes
- Eligible countries listed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
- Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data if applicable
- Financial and operational capacity requirements in Annex C
- Evaluation criteria and process in Annex D and F
- Legal and financial set-up including lump sum grants in Annex G
- Prepare proposal according to the specific application form in the Submission System
- Submit proposal by the deadline (15 September 2027)
- Follow evaluation and award procedures as described in the General Annexes and Online Manual
- Legal entities established in China are not eligible under this destination
- Eligible costs are lump sums as defined in the Horizon Europe lump sum decision
- Granting authority may object to transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing up to 4 years after project end
Derived from official EU Funding portal source · updated 22 Jun 2026, 15:40 UTC. Use this as a shortlisting aid; the official call text remains authoritative.
Related calls
These funding calls are closely related and may be worth considering as part of the same funding landscape.
Official source text
Fine print from the EU source record. Expand when you need the original wording.
Topic description
Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Based on the results of the project, at least one industrial sector with a significant heating demand in the EU and Associated Countries develops pathways and business models to measurably increase the industrial excess/waste heat recovery and conversion to power. Measurable improvement of industrial excess/waste heat recovery and conversion to power, possibly combined with energy storage, in terms of energy efficiency, flexibility of electricity production, climate and environment protection, reliability and safety, physical and cyber security, and profitability. Scope: Better use of process excess/waste heat represents a significant source of energy savings for industries. The conversion of excess heat back to electricity, would improve energy efficiency, mitigate the increase of electricity consumption due to industrial electrification, as well as offer flexible electricity generation to stabilise the grid, if combined with thermal and/or electrical energy storage. Projects must address all the following items: Develop and validate novel excess/waste heat recovery and conversion systems. Demonstrate physically within one or more operational industrial site(s), the recovery of industrial excess/waste heat, possibly combined with energy storage, and its conversion to mechanical or electrical power. Maximise the replicability and deployment of the concept/solution in the EU and Associated Countries’ plants in the same industrial sector. Already before starting the design phase, the needs of most EU and Associated Countries’ factories in the same industrial sector(s) should be surveyed and analysed in order to design a solution that can be adapted to meet most of them. Identify common components, optimise and define a standardised version of them. Develop open technical and economical guidelines and open tools for integrating such systems into SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and EMS (Energy Management System) infrastructures of existing plants, and for developing innovative business model of heat valorisation as a flexible electricity generation offered to stabilise the power grid. Disseminate results notably (but not only) to the relevant communities in cluster 4 ‘Digital, Industry and Space’ private-public partnerships. null Activities are expected to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL.
Destination
This Destination targets the energy demand side, notably a more efficient use of energy in buildings and industry. It contributes to the activities of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) and its implementation working groups. This Destination contributes directly to the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic Orientations ‘ Green transition ’, ‘ Digital transition ’ and ‘ A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe ’. In line with the Strategic Plan, the overall expected impact of this Destination is to contribute to the ‘Using energy in buildings and industry in an efficient, affordable and sustainable way’ . The main impacts to be generated by topics under this Destination are: Highly energy-efficient and climate neutral European building stock The energy performance of the European building stock is improved at an accelerated pace, contributing to the EU's energy security, while the buildings and the built environment have reduced climate and environmental impact throughout their life cycle. The energy renovation and construction of buildings are cost-efficient, affordable and less disruptive. The buildings are increasingly interacting with the users, energy system and their environment while operating in an integrated, resilient, secure, smart and flexible manner. The buildings and the built environment are more climate resilient, accessible, inclusive and delivers multiple benefits which improve the quality of life, health and well-being for all users. Industry The energy efficiency of EU energy intensive industries is improved, their consumption of fossil fuel and their GHG and other pollutants emissions are drastically reduced, notably through cost-effective electrification, use of renewable energy, heat recovery, thereby preserving / enhancing their global competitiveness. Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.
Conditions and documents
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
2. Eligible Countries
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligible Conditions
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
Guidance
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Call-specific instructions
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Support information
Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant. Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe. Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management. Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular. National Contact Points (NCPs) – get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’). Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding. IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc. European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk – the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment – consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers. Partner Search help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.
Raw budget overview
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