The Clean Industrial Deal: How to Position Your Project for HE Horizontal Funding
28.01.2027
About
The Clean Industrial Deal is one of the biggest single funding opportunities in the final phase of Horizon Europe and one of the least well understood.
This €540 million horizontal call cuts across traditional cluster boundaries, operates under a different set of rules to standard Horizon Europe calls, and is looking for a specific kind of project: near-market, industry-led, and focused on the deployment of clean technologies and industrial decarbonisation at scale.
Individual projects can attract EU contributions of up to €25 million, but with only around eight projects expected to be funded per topic, knowing how to position competitively is everything.
This €540 million horizontal call cuts across traditional cluster boundaries, operates under a different set of rules to standard Horizon Europe calls, and is looking for a specific kind of project: near-market, industry-led, and focused on the deployment of clean technologies and industrial decarbonisation at scale.
Individual projects can attract EU contributions of up to €25 million, but with only around eight projects expected to be funded per topic, knowing how to position competitively is everything.
This session gives you a clear, practical understanding of what the Clean Industrial Deal calls are really looking for, how horizontal funding works, and what you need to do differently to build a proposal that fits the logic of this call ahead of the 2027 deadlines.
Key takeaways:
- What horizontal calls are, how they differ from standard cluster calls, and what makes the Clean Industrial Deal a distinct funding opportunity within Horizon Europe
- An overview of the two core topics, clean technologies for climate action and decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries and what each requires in terms of scope, TRL, and consortium profile
- How to assess whether your project is genuinely positioned for a horizontal call, including the TRL 6–8 requirement, market readiness expectations, and industry-led consortium logic
- How to frame your proposal narrative around industrial competitiveness and deployment readiness rather than research excellence alone and why this distinction matters to evaluators
- How the Clean Industrial Deal sits alongside other instruments including the Innovation Fund and the Clean Industrial State Aid Framework, and how to identify the right route for your project
- Practical guidance on building the right consortium for a CID bid, including the role of industry partners, the cross-cluster dimension, and how to use the 2027 timeline strategically
Who should attend:
Researchers, project coordinators, and R&I support staff working in clean technology, industrial decarbonisation, energy systems, advanced manufacturing, materials, or circular economy; industry partners and SMEs exploring Horizon Europe as a route to co-funding near-market innovation; and anyone preparing a bid for the 2027 Clean Industrial Deal call who wants a clear, grounded understanding of what horizontal funding requires and how to position competitively
If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact us at events@crowdhelix.comDate & Time
28 January, 2027 at 11 am CET (10 am GMT)
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