European UnionDeadline PassedNon-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution, Other
NZIA regulatory sandbox exchange forum support
Horizon Europe 2025 Climate, Energy and Mobility - Coordination and Support Actions for Net-Zero Regulatory Sandboxes
Funding Amount
€500K - €500K
Deadline
02/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution, Other
Trusted by
What is the NZIA regulatory sandbox exchange forum support Call?
Grant Description
This call funds coordination and support actions to establish, streamline and coordinate net-zero regulatory sandboxes across Member States. Projects will support the Net Zero Europe Platform by exchanging best practices, conducting comparative analyses of national sandbox frameworks, creating a public repository of schemes and trials, engaging stakeholders (including SMEs, start-ups, authorities and civil society), and developing dissemination, exploitation, data accessibility and sustainabilit...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Projects are expected to deliver:
• In-depth regulatory learning on how existing regulation supports or hinders the deployment of innovative net-zero technologies
• Well-established, streamlined and effectively designed net-zero regulatory sandbox schemes in Member States
• An actively functioning Net Zero Europe Platform facilitating smooth, continuous information exchange among national contact points, competent authorities and stakeholders
• Enhanced cross-border cooperation and coordination of sandbox trials, leading to accelerated deployment of innovative net-zero technologies
• A comprehensive, publicly accessible repository of sandbox schemes and project data, serving as a central resource for policymakers, industry and researchers
• Strong stakeholder engagement—particularly of SMEs and start-ups—fostering innovation and readiness for scaling up net-zero solutions
• Contributions to the European Commission’s reporting on sandbox implementation, including documented good practices, lessons learned and recommendations for future regulatory setups
• Improved regulatory frameworks and experimentation spaces that support the EU’s climate neutrality, energy security and resilience objectives
• In-depth regulatory learning on how existing regulation supports or hinders the deployment of innovative net-zero technologies
• Well-established, streamlined and effectively designed net-zero regulatory sandbox schemes in Member States
• An actively functioning Net Zero Europe Platform facilitating smooth, continuous information exchange among national contact points, competent authorities and stakeholders
• Enhanced cross-border cooperation and coordination of sandbox trials, leading to accelerated deployment of innovative net-zero technologies
• A comprehensive, publicly accessible repository of sandbox schemes and project data, serving as a central resource for policymakers, industry and researchers
• Strong stakeholder engagement—particularly of SMEs and start-ups—fostering innovation and readiness for scaling up net-zero solutions
• Contributions to the European Commission’s reporting on sandbox implementation, including documented good practices, lessons learned and recommendations for future regulatory setups
• Improved regulatory frameworks and experimentation spaces that support the EU’s climate neutrality, energy security and resilience objectives
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must:
1. Provide targeted support to the Net Zero Europe Platform’s objectives regarding net-zero regulatory sandboxes, including stakeholder outreach across Member States
2. Facilitate the exchange of best practices, lessons learned and cooperation between national contact points, competent authorities and other initiatives
3. Conduct thorough comparative analyses and assessments of national legislative frameworks for net-zero sandboxes, covering regulatory barriers, scheme design and application procedures, trial implementation, impacts, regulatory learning and lessons learned
4. Explore and evaluate additional regulatory experimentation instruments for net-zero technologies in the energy sector
5. Create and regularly update a free, publicly available repository of sandbox schemes and pilot projects for net-zero technologies in the Union
6. Actively involve national/regional authorities, industry (including SMEs), social partners, research and civil society organisations, consumers’ associations, universities and relevant sector associations
7. Deploy robust EU-wide outreach and societal engagement strategies to broaden stakeholder participation
8. Include dedicated measures to address the experience and needs of SMEs and start-ups as potential sandbox participants
9. Develop a comprehensive dissemination and exploitation strategy, with concrete networking activities
10. Implement actions ensuring the accessibility and reusability of project data (FAIR principles)
11. Present a finance and sustainability plan for continuity beyond the three-year project duration
1. Provide targeted support to the Net Zero Europe Platform’s objectives regarding net-zero regulatory sandboxes, including stakeholder outreach across Member States
2. Facilitate the exchange of best practices, lessons learned and cooperation between national contact points, competent authorities and other initiatives
3. Conduct thorough comparative analyses and assessments of national legislative frameworks for net-zero sandboxes, covering regulatory barriers, scheme design and application procedures, trial implementation, impacts, regulatory learning and lessons learned
4. Explore and evaluate additional regulatory experimentation instruments for net-zero technologies in the energy sector
5. Create and regularly update a free, publicly available repository of sandbox schemes and pilot projects for net-zero technologies in the Union
6. Actively involve national/regional authorities, industry (including SMEs), social partners, research and civil society organisations, consumers’ associations, universities and relevant sector associations
7. Deploy robust EU-wide outreach and societal engagement strategies to broaden stakeholder participation
8. Include dedicated measures to address the experience and needs of SMEs and start-ups as potential sandbox participants
9. Develop a comprehensive dissemination and exploitation strategy, with concrete networking activities
10. Implement actions ensuring the accessibility and reusability of project data (FAIR principles)
11. Present a finance and sustainability plan for continuity beyond the three-year project duration
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
- Action type: HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA), lump sum grant model (HORIZON-AG-LS)
• Single-stage submission deadline: 2 September 2025, 17:00 Brussels time
• Project duration: up to three years
• Eligible participants: organisations from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries (see Annex B, Work Programme General Annexes)
• Admissibility: comply with page limits and layout rules (Annexes A/E, Part B of Application Form)
• Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria per Annex C, Work Programme General Annexes
• Evaluation criteria, scoring and thresholds per Annex D; procedures per Annex F
• Lump sum funding per Decision of 7 July 2021 on simplified costs under Horizon Europe
• Mandatory data management: ensure accessibility and reusability of data produced
• Must include a finance and sustainability plan ensuring continuation of key outputs post-project
• Compliance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 (Net-Zero Industry Act), EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 and related Horizon Europe MGA provisions
• Single-stage submission deadline: 2 September 2025, 17:00 Brussels time
• Project duration: up to three years
• Eligible participants: organisations from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries (see Annex B, Work Programme General Annexes)
• Admissibility: comply with page limits and layout rules (Annexes A/E, Part B of Application Form)
• Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria per Annex C, Work Programme General Annexes
• Evaluation criteria, scoring and thresholds per Annex D; procedures per Annex F
• Lump sum funding per Decision of 7 July 2021 on simplified costs under Horizon Europe
• Mandatory data management: ensure accessibility and reusability of data produced
• Must include a finance and sustainability plan ensuring continuation of key outputs post-project
• Compliance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 (Net-Zero Industry Act), EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 and related Horizon Europe MGA provisions
Important dates
Open from: 06/05/2025
Deadline:02/09/2025
Application period has ended
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