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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