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The CETPartnership Joint Call 2026

CETPartnership is proud to launch its fifth annual Joint Call, bringing together funding organisations and programme owners from across Europe and beyond. The call creates opportunities for researchers, businesses, public organisations, and other stakeholders to collaborate across borders and develop innovative solutions for the clean energy transition.

By bringing together national and regional funding programmes, the Joint Call strengthens international cooperation and accelerates the development of sustainable energy technologies, systems, and services.

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Joint Call 2026

How to apply

Joint Call 2026 is structured into eleven call modules, each covering a specific thematic area, scope, Research, Development, Technology and Innovation (RDTI) type and Technology Readiness Level (TRL). Full details are available in the call documents.

Read about Funding organisations and call modules here

The application process has two stages: a pre-proposal submission, followed by an invitation to submit a full proposal.

Stage 1: Submission of a pre-proposal

A project consortium chooses one Call Module for the pre-proposal (scroll further to find the name of this year’s Call Modules). If the pre-proposal is selected, the project consortium is invited to submit a full proposal.

Stage 2: Submission of a full proposal

Only if the pre-proposal is invited to participate in Stage 2 can the applicants begin preparing a full proposal.

Funding for Joint Call 2026 is a collaboration with funding organisations and programme owners, who will fund eligible costs directly to Beneficiary Partners based in their country/region.

Applicants must therefore comply with the specific national/regional eligibility criteria and requirements, which can be found in the call text. Several funding organisations can require submission of a proposal at national/regional level.

After the selection of projects from the full proposal stage, the funding organisations are responsible for contracting and processing payments.

Eligibility criteria and requirements

Joint Call 2026 has three levels of eligibility requirements:

  • Transnational eligibility criteria, applicable for all project consortia applying to the Call.
  • Call Module requirements, applicable for project consortia applying to Call Modules with specific thematic requirements.
  • National/regional requirements, applicable for Partners applying for funding from Funding Agencies in the Call.

Eligibility varies between call modules and funding agencies. Check the call text carefully before applying. Requirements cover entity types, TRLs and national or regional conditions.

 

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More Information

Call calendar

Joint Call 2026 launch event 26 May 2026 10:00-12:30 (CEST) Watch the event
Opening for pre-proposal submission (Stage 1) 8 June 2026 14:00 (CEST) See more
Joint Call 2026 – Q&A Session 9 September 2026 10:00 (CEST)
Deadline for pre-proposal submission (Stage 1) 8 October 2026 14:00 (CEST)
Opening for full proposal submission (Stage 2) 8 January 2027 14:00 (CET)
Deadline for full proposal submission 11 March 2027 14:00 (CET)
Funding decision communicated 28 June 2027
Project start 1 September 2027

Contact

If you have questions on the general call process and proposal submission, please contact the Call Secretariat at callmanagement@cetpartnership.eu

FAQ

Can you elaborate on how the expected output is to be achieved? Are for example feasibility studies, literature studies, desktop studies, lab testing, field testing and demonstration

Depending on the Call Module you aim for there can be different way to achieve outputs. Please read the specific Call Module sections carefully. For each Call Module description there is a section named Expected Outcomes of Projects.

Also note that there are different TRL requested for the different Call Modules and some methods may be excluded because they are too early-stage or too mature.

Is there a minimum starting TRL?

The JC2026 generally aims to support Projects that increase their TRL and target medium to high TRLs (4–8). However, there may be Call Module specific requirements, see the Target RDI approaches/TRLs section of the respective Call Module section in Chapter 7 of the call text. Activities at lower or higher TRLs may be included where justified by Project objectives or required under national/regional rules.

What about resubmissions from last year, but now the countries are not funding those CM anymore. Any suggestions?

The earlier partners may join as self-financed partners. Maybe you can restructure the budget. Alternatively find new partners e.g. through B2Match and /or EEN.

Can the need owners participate in the project as an advisory board member and not as a partner? Will this fulfil the condition to involve the need owners/end user in the project?

Need owners can participate in several ways, however it is strongly recommended to include them as active consortium partners rather than only external advisors where appropriate.

For some Call Modules participation of at least one Need Owner as a Project Consortium Partner is mandatory.

Is having an industrial partner required at the current or later stages of the proposal/project, or is it considered an added value?

Industrial partners may be mandatory for some Call modules and/or Funding Organisations. Please see Chapter 7 of the Call text and the national requirements. Several Call Modules encourage cross-sector collaboration and user uptake, which industrial participation can support.

What types of applicants are funded (SME, large companies, research orgs)?

The call supports participation from a wide range of organisations, including SMEs, large companies, universities, research organisations, public sector actors, and other relevant stakeholders. Eligibility and funding conditions are ultimately determined by each participating national/regional funding organisation, so the exact applicant types and funding rates may vary by country/region. Applicants must verify eligibility with their national/regional funding organisation.

The budgets for the individual projects are rather small. How many projects are planned per topic?

The CETPartnership Joint Call 2026 does not define a fixed number of projects per topic/module. Since the programme is funded through pooled national and regional budgets, the number of funded projects depends on the available funding in each Call Module, the participating countries, and the requested project budgets.

Could you please per each Module share the information regarding the duration of project?

Across the CETPartnership Joint Call 2026 Call Modules, projects are generally expected to run for a maximum of 36 months. Shorter durations are possible depending on project scope, Call Module expectations, and national funding rules. Applicants should verify whether their national funding organisation applies additional duration limitations.

Where can I find more information regarding each call module?

You can find more detailed information about each CETPartnership Call Modules in Chapter 7 of the call text and an overview here: The CETPartnership Joint Call 2026 | CETPartnership

Is there any limit for Nuclear Fusion projects/technologies? Even for technologies being primarily used for Nuclear Fusion but applicable in other industries (extreme heat flux resistent materials)?

Projects focused exclusively on nuclear fusion are likely to be outside the main scope of the CETPartnership, since the programme primarily targets clean energy transition technologies.

What is so far success rate (proposed vs. supported projects) of previous calls? In phase 1 and in phase 2.

The success rate has differed a lot between call depending on number of proposals and available funding. Generally, the success rate has decreased as the number of proposals increase but has so far always been above 15% from pre-proposal to selected for funding.

Can several submissions be made?

Yes, you may resubmit your proposal as many times as needed until deadline. Each new submission will automatically replace the previous version. Ideally, the final version is submitted at least 24 hours before the deadline. Early submission helps you avoid potential technical issues such as system compatibility problems, local configuration errors, or platform congestion.

Moreover, under the CETPartnership Joint Call, an organisation may participate in multiple proposals, and there is generally no overall limit on the number of proposals that can be submitted by an organisation or consortium partner.

However, there are some important caveats: National funding rules may impose restrictions; The same work cannot be funded twice; Capacity and commitment are evaluated; and Module-specific rules may apply.