European UnionNon-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Large-scale production of liquid advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin
Horizon Europe Cluster 5 6 Climate, Energy and Mobility
Funding Amount
Amount not specified
Deadline
17/02/2026
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Large-scale production of liquid advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin Call?
Grant Description
Demonstration of innovative large-scale production plants for liquid advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin to prove economic viability, involving sustainable feedstock supply, full value chain stakeholders, life cycle analysis and business planning, to support deployment, reduce costs and inform policy
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Projects are expected to contribute to all of the following:
• Energy producers and consumers in transport and energy-intensive industries benefit from newly mobilised industrial capacity for advanced biofuels and RFNBOs
• Technology developers secure support for first-of-a-kind plants that become precursors to commercial facilities
• Technology providers de-risk innovative technologies, reduce CAPEX and production costs, accelerate scale-up and enhance market uptake
• Public authorities, citizens, researchers and industrial stakeholders gain improved sustainability, reliability, robustness and security across the value chain
• National authorities receive evidence to support Renewable Energy Directive targets (≥5% innovative renewable capacity by 2030) and ReFuelEU Aviation/Maritime objectives
• Policy-makers and regulators obtain factual evidence to streamline permitting, optimise multi-use land and water resources, and ensure R&I responsiveness to societal interests
• Implementation and facilitation of the SET Plan Action on Renewable Fuels and Bioenergy are reinforced
• Energy producers and consumers in transport and energy-intensive industries benefit from newly mobilised industrial capacity for advanced biofuels and RFNBOs
• Technology developers secure support for first-of-a-kind plants that become precursors to commercial facilities
• Technology providers de-risk innovative technologies, reduce CAPEX and production costs, accelerate scale-up and enhance market uptake
• Public authorities, citizens, researchers and industrial stakeholders gain improved sustainability, reliability, robustness and security across the value chain
• National authorities receive evidence to support Renewable Energy Directive targets (≥5% innovative renewable capacity by 2030) and ReFuelEU Aviation/Maritime objectives
• Policy-makers and regulators obtain factual evidence to streamline permitting, optimise multi-use land and water resources, and ensure R&I responsiveness to societal interests
• Implementation and facilitation of the SET Plan Action on Renewable Fuels and Bioenergy are reinforced
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
1. Demonstrate innovative, large-scale production of liquid advanced biofuels and/or RFNBOs targeted at aviation, shipping and energy-intensive industries.
2. Use EU sustainable biomass feedstocks (residues, wastes, slurries, industrial by-products) and/or non-biological feedstocks (renewable H₂, CO₂ streams, renewable C/N compounds) via chemical, biochemical, biological, thermochemical or hybrid pathways.
3. Engage the full value chain: feedstock suppliers, technology developers, fuel suppliers, end users, public/private funding authorities.
4. Assess real-size feedstock characteristics and their effects on plant design, pretreatment, wastewater treatment; evaluate upstream feedstock conditioning (torrefaction, homogenisation, standardisation).
5. Produce a comprehensive lifetime LCA for the production route, addressing input intermittency for RFNBOs.
6. Exclude production of renewable hydrogen as a stand-alone end product.
7. Deliver reference cases for ready-to-build or revamp/reuse full-scale plants, with optimisation measures that de-risk technologies and reduce CAPEX/OPEX.
8. Develop an exploitation plan with clear investment/business cases, scalability, commercialisation, deployment paths, permitting strategies, value chain business plan, take-off agreements, and mapped funding sources.
9. Link funding strategies to EU instruments (InvestEU, EU Catalyst, Innovation Fund, ERDF).
10. Include at least one local economic business case (local value/supply chain mapping, job creation estimates).
11. Assess land and water use, soil and biodiversity impacts, and plan public awareness and stakeholder engagement.
12. Deliver a GHG reduction assessment vs fossil equivalents using recognised LCA methodology.
2. Use EU sustainable biomass feedstocks (residues, wastes, slurries, industrial by-products) and/or non-biological feedstocks (renewable H₂, CO₂ streams, renewable C/N compounds) via chemical, biochemical, biological, thermochemical or hybrid pathways.
3. Engage the full value chain: feedstock suppliers, technology developers, fuel suppliers, end users, public/private funding authorities.
4. Assess real-size feedstock characteristics and their effects on plant design, pretreatment, wastewater treatment; evaluate upstream feedstock conditioning (torrefaction, homogenisation, standardisation).
5. Produce a comprehensive lifetime LCA for the production route, addressing input intermittency for RFNBOs.
6. Exclude production of renewable hydrogen as a stand-alone end product.
7. Deliver reference cases for ready-to-build or revamp/reuse full-scale plants, with optimisation measures that de-risk technologies and reduce CAPEX/OPEX.
8. Develop an exploitation plan with clear investment/business cases, scalability, commercialisation, deployment paths, permitting strategies, value chain business plan, take-off agreements, and mapped funding sources.
9. Link funding strategies to EU instruments (InvestEU, EU Catalyst, Innovation Fund, ERDF).
10. Include at least one local economic business case (local value/supply chain mapping, job creation estimates).
11. Assess land and water use, soil and biodiversity impacts, and plan public awareness and stakeholder engagement.
12. Deliver a GHG reduction assessment vs fossil equivalents using recognised LCA methodology.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
• Call type: Horizon Innovation Actions (IA), single-stage, Horizon Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]
• Opening: 16 September 2025; Deadline: 17 February 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
• Total indicative budget for this topic: €33 000 000; expected number of grants: ~11
• Projects must not aim to produce renewable hydrogen as the final product (it may only be an intermediate feedstock)
• LCA must explicitly address intermittent availability of renewable H₂, CO₂ and N inputs and estimate GHG emission reduction potential, preferably using Innovation Fund methodology
• Exploitation plans must identify and link to specific financing instruments (private equity, loans, guarantees, grants, InvestEU, EU Catalyst Partnership, Innovation Fund, ERDF)
• At least one local economic business case is mandatory (local jobs, value chains)
• Alignment with the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) Action on Renewable Fuels and Bioenergy is required
• Contributions to Renewable Energy Directive 2030 indicative targets and to ReFuelEU Aviation and Fuel EU Maritime targets should be demonstrable
• Opening: 16 September 2025; Deadline: 17 February 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
• Total indicative budget for this topic: €33 000 000; expected number of grants: ~11
• Projects must not aim to produce renewable hydrogen as the final product (it may only be an intermediate feedstock)
• LCA must explicitly address intermittent availability of renewable H₂, CO₂ and N inputs and estimate GHG emission reduction potential, preferably using Innovation Fund methodology
• Exploitation plans must identify and link to specific financing instruments (private equity, loans, guarantees, grants, InvestEU, EU Catalyst Partnership, Innovation Fund, ERDF)
• At least one local economic business case is mandatory (local jobs, value chains)
• Alignment with the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) Action on Renewable Fuels and Bioenergy is required
• Contributions to Renewable Energy Directive 2030 indicative targets and to ReFuelEU Aviation and Fuel EU Maritime targets should be demonstrable
Important dates
Open from: 16/09/2025
Deadline:17/02/2026
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