Innovation Fund

The budget is from the European Emissions Trading System’s income (ETS). The European Commission published further details of the scheme on 3 July 2020. A further broadening of the scope of the Innovation Fund towards aviation and maritime industries as well as a revised Call for proposals including prescribed methodologies is expected by 23 November 2023.

Conditions (expected from current revision)

Companies and partnerships can apply with their projects. An applicant must belong to one of the sectors mentioned in the text of the call. The Innovation Fund has annual calls which combine 3 topics:

1. General, with small, medium and large scale projects
2. Clean-tech manufacturing
3. Pilot projects on validating and testing highly-innovative and deep decarbonization solutions. In addition, the IF2023 call includes an Auction on new production of RFNBO hydrogen.

The Innovation Fund focuses on:

• Innovative low-carbon technologies and processes in energy-intensive industries
• Products that replace carbon-intensive products
• Carbon capture and utilisation (CCU)
• Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
• Renewable energy generation
• Energy storage

Applications (expected from current revision)

The IF2023 Call for proposals and IF2023 Auction on RFNBO hydrogen is expected to open on 23 November 2023. The Call will close on 9 April 2024 (estimated) and the Auction on 8 February 2024 (estimated).”

Webinar about how to succesfully apply for the IF

The European Commission/CINEA will organize an IF2023 Info Day on 7 December 2023. On 4 and 5 July 2023 CINEA organised a two-day event along with the Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA). Although the focus of the event was to help applicants to submit a successful application for a previous call, many of the issues discussed are still useful for the IF2023 Call. Did you miss the webinar or do you want to rewatch it? Watch the webinar.

Role of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency

If you have serious plans to apply, please contact us. We can help you with your questions, such as combining subsidies. For example, an application for the Innovation Fund and a national scheme such as SDE ++. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has, however, no role in the preparation or the assessment of an application for the Innovation Fund.

You can contact us via innovationfund@rvo.nl. Companies working on initiatives that contribute to a sustainable industry or large companies subject to ETS in the Netherlands have a contact person at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). You can also contact this regular contact person. We will treat all information as confidential.

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