Clean Energy Transition Co-Funded Partnership

Expected Outcome:This topic is a continuation of the Clean Energy Transition Co-fund partnership (CET Partnership) and constitutes the EU contribution for the period 2025-2027.

The third instalment of the partnership will contribute to the expected outcomes specified in topic HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04: Clean Energy Transition, for continuation and development of new activities.

The partnership is expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Increased directionality of clean energy transition research and innovation in EU and Associated Countries in line with the SET Plan thanks to a shared pan-European vision on the goal and direction of required system transformation processes, adapted to regional needs and availability of renewable energy resources;
• Evidence based energy and climate policy formulation;
• A wider systemic transition and energy supply required for a climate neutral economy in all sectors of society; enabling the transition of the built environment, transport, industry and other sectors to clean, low carbon energy;
• An innovation ecosystem for Europe's transition to clean energy and contribution to a resource and energy efficient system, both from an ecological and economic standpoint;
• A building block to a zero-emission energy system for the decarbonisation of transport, buildings, industry, agriculture in the specific European environment;
• Increased engagement of consumers and prosumers as well as fair and appropriate demand-response mechanisms integrated in the energy system;
• An energy system that meets the needs of different parts of society, in different geographical locations (urban and rural) and different groups.

Scope:The Clean Energy Transition co-funded Partnership (CET Partnership) is a transnational initiative on joint R&I programming to boost and accelerate the energy transition, building upon regional and national R&I funding programmes.

It aims at empowering the energy transition and contributing to the EU goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, by pooling national and regional R&I funding for a broad variety of technologies and system solutions required to achieve the transition. It will foster innovation ecosystems from the very local and regional level, up to the transnational European level, thus overcoming a fragmented European landscape. The CET Partnership enables national and regional R&I programme owners and managers from Member States and Associated Countries to align their priorities and implement annual joint calls from 2022 to 2027. The Partnership also organises joint accompanying activities to enable a dynamic learning process, extracts strategic knowledge and accelerates the upscaling, replication, and market diffusion of innovative solutions to maximise impact and foster the uptake of cost-effective clean energy technologies.

The common vision of the CET Partnership is already expressed in its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) that has been co-created with the involved countries, the EU SET Plan Implementation Working Groups and ETIPs, all energy relevant ERA-Nets as well as the EERA joint programmes (over 500 editors, co-authors, commenters, and discussants). The SRIA articulates the common goal of (1) building a transnational transformative Joint Programming Platform, (2) developing and demonstrating technology and solutions for the transition of energy systems, and finally (3) building innovation ecosystems that support capacity building at all levels.

The objective of this action is to continue to provide support to the European Clean Energy Transition Co-fund Partnership identified in the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024 and first implemented under topic HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04, and in particular to fund additional activities (which may also be undertaken by additional partners) in view of its intended scope and duration, and in accordance with Article 24(2) of the Horizon Europe Regulation.

The new geopolitical and energy market realities require to drastically accelerate the clean energy transition and increase energy independence from unreliable suppliers and volatile fossil fuels. In support to the objectives of REPowerEU[1] it is expected that the partnership explores pathways and develops new actions to reinforce R&I investments (and utilisation of R&I results) accelerating the clean energy transition.

It is expected that the European Clean Energy Transition Co-Fund Partnership reinforces its ambition considering the revised SET Plan and continues the implementation of its SRIA by setting up joint calls in 2025, 2026 and 2027. In addition, the partnership is invited to setup joint calls without co-funding from the European Union.

The consortium that won the grant under topic HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04 is uniquely placed to submit a proposal to continue the envisioned partnership. With regards to the various activities already undertaken in previous years, no other consortium is able to continue the activities of the Partnership underway without a significant disruption of the ongoing activities.

While the grant under this topic should be attributed to a proposal submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under topic HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-01-04, the consortium applying to the present topic may include additional partners and new activities, to be funded by the grant subject to an evaluation, which will take into account the existing context and the scope of the initial evaluation (as relevant), and related obligations enshrined in the grant agreement.

[1] REPowerEU: affordable, secure and sustainable energy for Europe | European Commission (europa.eu)