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HORIZON EUROPE TOPIC · Cluster 5 · Climate, Energy and Mobility

Novel approaches towards next-generation battery concepts, leveraging the enabling role of innovative advanced materials (BATT4EU and IAM4EU Partnerships)

HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage-D2-07 — the expected outcomes as checkable statements, what evaluators look for in this topic, and the conditions that shape the proposal.

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ForthcomingRIA · lump sumDeadline 14 April 2027around EUR 4.8 million per project

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TopicHORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage-D2-07
StatusForthcoming
CallHORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage — BATTERIES and MOBILITY
DestinationFacilitating the clean and sustainable transition of the energy and transport sectors towards climate neutrality through cross-cutting solutions (2026-27)
Type of actionResearch and Innovation Actions · lump sum · two-stage
Opening15 December 2026
Deadlines14 April 2027 (stage 1) · 7 October 2027 (stage 2)
Budgetaround EUR 4.8 million per project · 10 projects expected · EUR 48 million in total
TRL at the endTRL 4–5
Part B page limit45 pages (standard application form; check your call)
TemplateWork Programme 2026–2027 application form

Expected outcomes

The topic does not say whether all outcomes must be addressed; treat them all as relevant. The topic says: “Proposals are expected to contribute to the generation of innovative battery concepts to safeguard future European competitiveness through innovative battery advanced materials and technologies contributing to green energy usage through enhanced energy storage and management capabilities. Depending on the areas listed in the scope, proposals are expected to cover all the respective bullet…”

  1. EO1 Proposals are expected to provide the state-of-the-art benchmark for the performance of Design-to-Performance lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries and compare the project’s improvements of performance targets to said benchmark.
  2. EO2 Main component (active and main inactive materials) cost of below €35 per kWh.
  3. EO3 Validation of advanced battery concepts achieving energy density exceeding 500 Wh/kg and/or Power density exceeding the state-of-the-art benchmark based on the selected application(s).

Expected impacts named in the destination

The wider, long-term effects the destination seeks. Your outcomes feed them; they are not project deliverables.

  1. EI1 Increased competitiveness and strategic autonomy of a complete EU value chain while maximizing sustainability.
  2. EI2 Reducing dependency on raw materials and upscaling processing capacity, also for recycled materials.
  3. EI3 Creating an integrated European battery sector for next generation batteries, from design to manufacturing and all the way to end of life, reducing environmental impact.
  4. EI4 Improving energy storage technologies to enhance the resilience of EU’s energy system, facilitating integration of renewable energy sources.

What evaluators will look for in this topic

Expected outcomes

  • The topic does not say whether all outcomes must be addressed; treat them all as relevant.
  • For each outcome (EO1 to EO3), name who will use or adopt your results (a specific group, not “industry” or “society”), how they get them, and the indicator that shows the change, with baseline, target and date.
  • Use the topic's own words for each outcome, so the evaluator can tick it off.

What the scope asks for

Evaluators check the proposal against these sentences of the scope. Answer each one visibly, in the call's own words.

  • “Projects are expected to contribute to one of the following battery concepts that meet different end-user needs and applications, going beyond state-of-the-art:.”
  • “Cost reduction through use of smart functionalities, as well as lightweight, functionalised and/or simplified casing or cooling concepts etc is encouraged.”
  • “If applied for grid storage, solutions should demonstrate potential for cost-effective integration at system level (targeting system-level cost below €50/kWh) and provide support for multi-hour storage durations to enhance renewable energy uptake and grid flexibility.”
  • “If applied for energy-intensive industrial applications, battery materials and designs should address continuous high-load operation, cycling under harsh conditions, and reliability over long operational periods, contributing to the electrification and decarbonisation of specific industrial processes under study.”
  • “All projects are expected to provide an assessment on all following aspects:.”
  • “The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework should be considered as a reference for project proposals to guide the innovation process towards safer and more sustainable chemicals and advanced materials.”

Conditions that shape the proposal

  • Part B, sections 1–3: 45 pages (standard application form). Text beyond the limit is not read; tables and figures count.
  • Lump sum: the budget is fixed per work package and paid when each work package is completed. Every work package needs activities and deliverables an evaluator can verify, and the effort must match the money.
  • Two-stage submission: the first stage uses a shorter proposal and is assessed on Excellence and Impact only. Check the page limit and sections in the stage-one form of your call.
  • TRL: the topic expects TRL 4–5 by the end of the project. State where you start and the evidence for it.
  • Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout: “Applicants submitting a proposal for a blind evaluation (see General Annex F) must not disclose their organisation names, acronyms, logos nor names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application (see General Annex E).”
  • Other Eligible Conditions: “The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal - see General Annex B.”
  • Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds: “The first-stage proposals of this topic will be evaluated blindly.”
  • Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds: “To ensure a balanced portfolio covering different sectors, grants will be awarded to proposals not only in order of ranking but at least also to one proposal that is the highest ranked within each of the three areas, provided that the proposals attain all thresholds.”

Impact pathway and traps

  • Users or citizens are part of the scope. Show how they take part in the design and testing, not only that they are informed.
  • The scope expects pilots or demonstration. Name the sites, the partners who run them and what is measured there.
  • The Joint Research Centre may take part. Decide whether its involvement helps, and say so if you include it.
  • Life-cycle or safe-and-sustainable-by-design assessment is expected. Name the method and where in the work plan it runs.
  • Keep outputs, outcomes and impacts apart: what you deliver, what changes when others use it, and the long-term effect.
  • For each destination impact you claim, show which of your outcomes feeds it. Destination impacts are long-term effects, not project deliverables.
  • Name the barriers outside the project (regulation, markets, user behaviour) that could block uptake, and what you will do if they do.
  • Section 2.3 (the summary canvas) is optional on this call; the old split into scientific, economic and societal impact is no longer required.
The scope, as published

Projects are expected to contribute to one of the following battery concepts that meet different end-user needs and applications, going beyond state-of-the-art: Area A: Low-cost batteries designed primarily for passenger electric vehicles and/or stationary storage: Development of battery chemistries utilizing minimised amount of Critical Raw Materials Cost reduction through use of smart functionalities, as well as lightweight, functionalised and/or simplified casing or cooling concepts etc is encouraged. OR Area B: High-performance battery chemistries intended for applications requiring superior energy density, power density, and safety standards, such as aviation and maritime sectors: Innovative approaches to battery structural integration and multifunctional materials to significantly boost gravimetric and volumetric performance. OR Area C: Novel battery advanced materials and cell-level concepts, for stationary energy storage for grid storage and/or energy-intensive industrial applications: If applied for grid storage, solutions should demonstrate potential for cost-effective integration at system level (targeting system-level cost below €50/kWh) and provide support for multi-hour storage durations to enhance renewable energy uptake and grid flexibility. If applied for energy-intensive industrial applications, battery materials and designs should address continuous high-load operation, cycling under harsh conditions, and reliability over long operational periods, contributing to the electrification and decarbonisation of specific industrial processes under study. All projects are expected to provide an assessment on all following aspects: Scalability potential, manufacturability, and market relevance. Solutions for extended cycle life, cost-efficient recyclability, and sustainability by design (implementing Safe and Sustainable by Design principles) Solutions for enhanced safety, thermal management, performance monitoring, and predictive diagnostics. The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework should be considered as a reference for project proposals to guide the innovation process towards safer and more sustainable chemicals and advanced materials. Proposals could consider the involvement of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) whose contribution could consist of performing experimental or desk-top research on battery performance or safety. For further information on the JRC’s possible contribution to the projects, please, search for additional publicly available information on the JRC’s website (EU Science Hub) on the NCP portal, or request specific information from the JRC ([email protected]) JRC will assure that all the other applicants receive the same information on the JRC’s possible contribution to the project (e.g., via the topic-specific FAQs under the Funding and Tenders Portal). This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU) and the co-programmed Partnership Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU (IAM4EU). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on the results to the European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU) and IAM4EUin support of the monitoring of its KPIs. This topic contributes to the industrial action plan for the automotive sector.

Technology readiness, as published

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL. https://bepassociation.eu/our-work/sria/ https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/key-enabling-technologies/chemicals-and-advanced-materials_en…

Other topics in HORIZON-CL5-2027-04-Two-Stage

Source and attribution

Topic text from the official topic page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, retrieved 19 October 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU (CC BY 4.0). Changes: the expected outcomes and impacts are split into numbered statements, long passages are shortened, and the evaluator checklist is GrantWise's own commentary. Your call and the Work Programme always win; check them before you submit. GrantWise is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the European Commission.