Shallow Geothermal and Aerothermal Energy Investment 2026 Grant
Agence de la transition écologique (ADEME)
In context
This call is open to small and medium-sized businesses, large companies and non-profits and 2 others, at scale-up and mature. Funding is a grant. Coverage is read from the notice itself: France.
ADEME offers case-by-case financial support for installing shallow geothermal or air-to-water heat pump systems for heating and cooling, provided a preliminary feasibility study has been completed. It targets project owners and operators who have a study in hand and are ready to invest in the installation.
About this grant
This ADEME aid, funded through the Fonds Chaleur, supports the construction of renewable heating and cooling production installations that draw on shallow geothermal energy, aerothermal energy, or thalassothermal energy. It is designed to help organisations switch from fossil-fuel heating and cooling to renewable systems, giving them more predictable energy costs, access to proven high-efficiency technology, and the ability to produce both heat and cooling from the same equipment. The aid covers eligible operations with a minimum renewable heat output of 25 MWh per year. Supported technologies include ground-source heat pumps using shallow aquifers, borehole fields, energy geostructures, compact or horizontal ground exchangers, and thermo-active pavements. It also covers heat pumps that extract energy from wastewater, seawater, surface water, or thermal waters. For aerothermal systems, only air-to-water heat pumps are eligible. Installations below the 25 MWh/year threshold are supported only through renewable heat contracts. Applicants must first show they have considered energy efficiency and sobriety measures, the possibility of connecting to an existing or new heating network, the availability of recoverable waste heat, and the local potential of other renewables such as geothermal and solar thermal. The aid can be dedicated to a single building or process, or linked to a heating and/or cooling network. Funding amounts depend on the project study, the quantity of heat and cooling produced, and the energy and environmental performance. ADEME also supports upstream phases such as opportunity notes, feasibility studies, and project management assistance. Aid is mainly granted through ADEME regional directorates, and prior contact is strongly recommended to confirm eligibility, including heat pump performance criteria. Applications are filed on the AGIR platform, which requires an account.
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Eligibility
Open to local authorities and administrations, companies, public institutions, and associations. Projects must produce at least 25 MWh per year of renewable heat from an eligible shallow geothermal, aerothermal (air-to-water heat pumps only), or thalassothermal system. Installations below this threshold are only supported under renewable heat contracts. Applicants must demonstrate prior consideration of sobriety, network connection, waste heat recovery, and other local renewables. The page indicates the aid is open across all French regions for the period 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026, and an online application requires an AGIR account.
How it's scored
Funding depends on technical conditions: the quality of the project study (including the renewable resource capture component), the quantity of heat and cooling produced, and the energy and environmental performance of the installation, including heat pump performance criteria. Scoring weights and panel composition are not disclosed on the page.
Key requirements
- ✓A preliminary study (étude préalable) for the heating/cooling project must already exist as an eligibility condition
- ✓Eligible technologies include shallow geothermal heat pumps (aquifer, boreholes, energy geostructures, compact exchangers, thermoactive pavements) and heat pumps using wastewater, sea, surface or thermal waters
- ✓Air-source heat pumps are eligible only for air/water systems; aid is calculated case by case
Frequently asked questions
- How much funding does Agence de la transition écologique (ADEME) offer?
- Shallow Geothermal and Aerothermal Energy Investment offers Aide calculée au cas par cas.
- When is the Shallow Geothermal and Aerothermal Energy Investment deadline?
- Applications close 31 Dec 2026.
- Who can apply for Shallow Geothermal and Aerothermal Energy Investment?
- Eligibility covers organisations in FR; sme, large-company, nonprofit, local-authority, engineering-contractor. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.
Relevant sectors
How this compares
- Compared with 17 similar grants (renewables in France) listed in the last 12 months.
- Similar grants that state a value range from $550k to $11m, with a median of $1.9m (5 grants).
- The same organisation listed 3 other similar grants here in the last 12 months.
Closest open grants
Figures are computed from notices listed on Raise Lens in the same sector and country over the last 12 months.
About this sector
Renewable energy funding covers solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and bioenergy, from early research to grid-scale deployment. Public money tends to back demonstration, grid connection and access to energy in emerging markets, while procurement notices buy installation, operation and maintenance. Calls often ask for proof of resource assessment, permitting progress and local partners.
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