Demonstration of industrial excess/waste heat conversion to mechanical or electrical power
Horizon Europe · Grant topic
Summary
A Polish company can use this call for R&D.
Funds industrial companies and researchers demonstrating conversion of excess heat into mechanical or electrical power, improving efficiency, flexibility, safety and profitability.
- Who can apply
- Companies can lead: SME, large company, startup, research org, university.
- Amount
- €6.8M per projectTotal budget €13,500,000
- Deadline
- 15 Sept 2027 02:00 CESTin 326 days
- Status
- Forthcomingopens 5 May 2027
Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source.
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, thereby reducing their energy costs.
• 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 and cost 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 and cost-competitive 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.
Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL.
Who can apply, in detail
- Applicant types
- SME, Large company, Startup, Research org, University
- Purpose
- Research and innovation
- R&D relevance
- 3 of 3
- Poland eligible
- Yes
- Country limit
- —
- Region
- Any
- Consortium
- Unclear
- Readiness level (TRL)
- —
- Topics
- Industrial waste heat recovery
- Heat-to-power conversion
- Energy storage integration
- Industrial energy efficiency
Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source. 23 Oct 2026
Conditions
Typed facts extracted from the source documents by Scindu's grant-data review. Each value keeps its own conditions. Unknown means unstated, not zero or unlimited.
- Consortium requiredBeneficiaries; affiliated entities do not count toward minimum
- Yes
Unless the topic provides otherwise, at least three independent legal-entity beneficiaries from three different countries: one from a Member State and two others each from different Member States or Associated Countries.
- Other condition
- The Work Programme classifies this exact topic as an Innovation Action.
- Other condition
- General Annex B excludes legal entities established in China from Innovation Actions. The specific Work Programme condition additionally excludes entities established in an eligible country but directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China only where that topic states the critical-technology restriction.
- Other condition
- Horizon Europe projects must focus exclusively on civil applications.
- Other condition
- If the project uses satellite-based Earth-observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data or services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS; other data and services may also be used.
- Other condition
- Where a Type 2 detailed budget is required, estimates may include subcontracting, purchases, and other cost categories per beneficiary/affiliated entity and work package. Subcontracting must cover action tasks and meet the MGA eligibility and best-value/no-conflict conditions; purchases follow the beneficiary’s usual purchasing practices and best value for money or lowest price, with no conflict of interest. These are estimated-cost rules, not separate LS reimbursement promises.
- Other condition
- Expected outcomes include EU/Associated-Country industrial sectors with significant heating demand developing pathways/business models to expand industrial waste-heat recovery and power conversion and reduce energy costs; and improved recovery/conversion solutions (possibly with storage) on efficiency, flexibility, climate/environment, reliability, safety, security, and profitability.
- Other condition
- The call overview indicates around 2 project(s) expected to be funded under this topic. This is a planning estimate, not a guaranteed award count or consortium-size rule.
- Other condition
- The specific topic conditions state that eligible costs take the form of a lump sum under the Horizon Europe lump-sum decision. This is not direct reimbursement of each actual payroll or invoice.
- Other condition
- The call Work Programme specifies lump-sum funding but does not identify its subtype. For project-based Type 2 lump sums, the Commission’s guidance calls for realistic estimates by cost category, beneficiary/affiliated entity, and work package, using costs eligible under the programme’s actual-cost rules, in line with normal practices, reasonable and necessary for the activities. Confirm the subtype in the call’s submission system before treating that Type 2 estimate table as call-specific.
- Other condition
- Public universities (higher education establishments) established in China and administered by or under the supervision of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology are ineligible to participate in any action under all parts of this Work Programme.
- Other condition
- The granting authority may, for up to four years after the action ends, object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results under the specific Annex 5 provision.
- Other condition
- Maximise replicability across EU and Associated Countries plants in the same industrial sector; survey and analyse the needs of most such factories before design; identify common components and define a standardised, cost-competitive version.
- Other condition
- Develop and validate novel industrial excess/waste-heat recovery and conversion systems; physically demonstrate them at one or more operational industrial sites, with recovery potentially combined with energy storage and conversion to mechanical or electrical power.
- Other condition
- Develop open technical/economic guidelines and tools for integrating systems into plant SCADA and EMS, supporting business models for flexible electricity generation and grid stabilisation; disseminate to relevant Cluster 4 private-public partnerships.
- Other condition
- The Work Programme expects activity to reach TRL 7–8 by project end. This is an expected range, not a guarantee or a separately imposed funding entitlement.
- Other condition
- The Work Programme allows the responsible Director-General to open the call up to one month before or after its planned opening and to delay its deadline by up to two months. These are call-programme flexibilities, not a claim that a change occurred.
- Other condition
- The Work Programme schedules this call to open 2027-05-05 and sets the deadline as 2027-09-15 at 17:00 Brussels local time.
- Technology readiness level at end, maximum
- 8 TRL
Both endpoints are an expected end-of-project target range, not separate eligibility floors or ceilings. The Work Programme says activities may start at any TRL.
- Technology readiness level at end, minimum
- 7 TRL
Both endpoints are an expected end-of-project target range, not separate eligibility floors or ceilings. The Work Programme says activities may start at any TRL.
Amounts and costs
- Indicative budget
- €13,500,000
Topic budget as stated in the portal's budget table. Lump-sum and per-project limits are in the call conditions.
- Eligible cost limitEligible direct costs in MGA categories A–D, with stated exclusions
- 25 percent of eligible direct costs
The HE MGA flat-rate calculation excludes volunteer costs, subcontracting, financial support to third parties, and exempted specific cost categories. For these topics the grant is a lump sum; this is an underlying estimate/eligibility rule, not a separately reimbursed 25% payment. Operating-grant restrictions may also make indirect costs ineligible under the lump-sum guide.
- Funding intensity, maximumNon-profit legal entity beneficiaries only
- 100 percent of eligible costs per beneficiary
General Annex G permits a rate up to 100% for non-profit Innovation Action beneficiaries. The rate is not an award guarantee and for lump sums is applied through the amount-setting methodology.
- Funding intensity, maximumBeneficiary category under this action type
- 70 percent of eligible costs per beneficiary
General Annex G maximum for this Horizon Europe action type; not an award guarantee. For lump-sum grants, the rate is applied through the amount-setting methodology rather than shown separately in the grant agreement.
- Expected contribution per projectCommission estimated EU contribution for this topic
- €6,750,000
The overview identifies this as an amount around which outcomes could be addressed; different proposal amounts are not precluded. This is not a fixed minimum, maximum, or award guarantee.
- Topic allocationTopic-specific indicative allocation in the 2027 Work Programme call table
- €13,500,000
The Work Programme labels the amount indicative; call footnote says the budget is subject to Union budget appropriations. It is a topic allocation, not a per-beneficiary grant amount.
Personnel and services
Other role
Staff cost the grant can fund
These are cost-category estimate inputs only if this call uses a project-based Type 2 lump-sum detailed budget. The Work Programme only identifies lump-sum funding and does not identify the lump-sum subtype. A role row does not advertise a vacancy, fix a headcount, salary, or hiring entitlement; the lump sum is paid for action implementation, not separately as actual payroll. MGA A.2/A.3 requires assignment to the action, employee-like working conditions, and (unless agreed otherwise) the result belonging to the beneficiary; the calculated rate must correspond to actual costs and not be significantly different from similar employee tasks.
Other role
Staff cost the grant can fund
These are cost-category estimate inputs only if this call uses a project-based Type 2 lump-sum detailed budget. The Work Programme only identifies lump-sum funding and does not identify the lump-sum subtype. A role row does not advertise a vacancy, fix a headcount, salary, or hiring entitlement; the lump sum is paid for action implementation, not separately as actual payroll. Under the HE MGA, employee costs may qualify when the person works for the beneficiary under an employment contract/equivalent appointing act and is assigned to the action; eligible remuneration components and calculation follow Article 6.2 A.1.
Other role
Staff cost the grant can fund
These are cost-category estimate inputs only if this call uses a project-based Type 2 lump-sum detailed budget. The Work Programme only identifies lump-sum funding and does not identify the lump-sum subtype. A role row does not advertise a vacancy, fix a headcount, salary, or hiring entitlement; the lump sum is paid for action implementation, not separately as actual payroll. MGA A.4 permits such action work to be declared as personnel costs only where the person is an SME owner or natural-person beneficiary not receiving a salary and the amount is calculated as the applicable unit cost under Annex 2a.
Source documents
Call facts
- Opens
- 5 May 2027
- Deadline model
- Single-stage
- Programme
- Horizon Europe · 2021 - 2027
- Call
- HORIZON-CL5-2027-05 · BATTERIES and ENERGY
- Types of action
- HORIZON Innovation Actions
- Source
- ec.europa.eu
- Checked
- 24 Oct 2026
- Portal updated
- 7 Oct 2026
- Review status
- Partial review
- Reviewed
- 23 Oct 2026
This is a summary of the source page, not the official text. Eligibility, conditions and the submission system are at the source.