Industrial decarbonization funding
Grants and contracts for heavy-industry transition, steel, cement, chemicals, refining, glass, and pulp & paper.
Industrial decarbonization is where the largest single climate cheques get written. The EU Innovation Fund (€40bn+ through 2030), US DOE Industrial Demonstrations Program ($6.3bn IIJA-funded), UK Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), and the EU Just Transition Fund all target heavy industry, primarily steel, cement, chemicals, refining, and glass. Cheques are large (€20M–€500M typical for a Innovation Fund award) and competitive.
For earlier-stage technology providers, electrification, hydrogen feedstock substitution, low-carbon catalysts, CCU integration, the funding mix is broader: ARPA-E, UKRI Smart Manufacturing, Vinnova, ADEME, EIT InnoEnergy, and a growing list of corporate strategic VC + offtake commitments from the producers themselves (SSAB, ArcelorMittal, Heidelberg, Holcim).
British programmes spell it decarbonisation, and the names matter when you search for them: the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge, the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC), and the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund are all part of this category. Whichever spelling you use, the calls below are the same set.
Live opportunities
- Grant
An Open Innovation Programme for Smart Industry Startups
Deadline 4 Sept 2026••••• organisationThe funder Open Innovation Programme connects early-stage startups with established industrial partners in the Basque ecosystem to validate and commercialize smart industry solutions through paid innovation contracts. The programme funds startups with MVP or market-ready products in sustainability, digitalization, automation, advanced manufacturing, data intelligence, and connectivity to solve real B2B efficiency and competitiveness challenges.
- Contract
Technical assistance services – Critical Raw Materials heatmap
Deadline 9 Sept 2026••••• BankThis tender procures a systematic evidence-based assessment of supply-chain bottlenecks for 34 critical raw materials and 17 strategic raw materials, identifying investment and policy solutions to strengthen EU economic resilience. Bidders should have expertise in supply-chain analysis, raw-materials policy, strategic dependencies, and EU industrial strategy.
- Contract
Support-System Mapping for Sustainability Standards in Pharmaceutical and Natural-Resource Value Chains
Deadline 9 Sept 2026••••• organisationThe funder seeks a consultant or firm to map support systems and institutional frameworks enabling adoption of sustainability standards in pharmaceutical and food/chemical/forestry value chains. Bidders should have expertise in standards implementation, value-chain analysis, and sustainability governance across these sectors.
- Contract
Technical assistance services – Climate Action and Sustainability for Corporate
Deadline 14 Sept 2026••••• BankEIB seeks technical assistance to help corporate beneficiaries develop Climate Alignment Plans and sustainability-linked financing frameworks aligned with EU climate policy. Bidders should be advisory/consulting firms with expertise in corporate decarbonization, climate risk, and sustainable finance.
- Grant
R&I in Support of the Clean Industrial Deal: Decarbonisation of energy intensive industries (IA) (European industrial-decarbonization partnerships)
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• organisation• Up to €125,000,000This is a €125M Horizon Europe innovation action call funding research and development to decarbonize energy-intensive industries, particularly steel and chemical processes, through the Processes4Planet and Clean Steel partnerships. It targets consortia of industry, research, and technology partners developing breakthrough technologies for industrial decarbonization.
- Grant
R&I in Support of Industrial Decarbonization: Clean Technologies for Climate Action
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• organisation• Up to €150,000,000This is a Horizon Europe R&I call funding innovation actions in clean technologies and industrial decarbonization to support the EU's Clean Industrial Deal and climate action goals. It targets research institutions, companies, and consortia developing breakthrough technologies for the clean energy transition.
- Grant
Full-scale demonstration of heat upgrade solutions in industrial processes
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• organisation• Up to €18,000,000This Horizon Europe Innovation Action funds full-scale demonstration projects of heat upgrade and recovery solutions in industrial processes, supporting the transition to energy-efficient and decarbonized manufacturing. Eligible applicants include industrial enterprises, technology providers, research institutions, and consortia across EU member states and associated countries.
- Grant
EU Research and Innovation Support for Clean Industrial Decarbonisation: Energy-Intensive Industry Partnerships
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• Commission• EUR 15000000 - 25000000This funder grant funds research and innovation to decarbonize energy-intensive industries through carbon capture/utilization, clean energy integration, and circular production processes. It targets consortia developing commercially viable technologies for steel, chemicals, and similar sectors to meet EU climate neutrality goals by 2035.
- Grant
EU-2026-Steel: Major funding round under the steel and metals action plan for dual-use technologies
Deadline 16 Sept 2026••••• organisation• Up to €25,000,000This is a large-scale research and innovation grant under the EU's Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), supporting dual-use steel and metals projects aligned with the steel and metals action plan. The grant funds collaborative R&D projects in steel production, materials innovation, and industrial decarbonization, targeting research institutions, companies, and consortia across eligible EU member states.
- Grant
European steel-sector research funding call for circular-economy projects
Deadline 16 Sept 2026••••• organisation• Up to €20,500,000This is a research funding call for steel industry projects focused on circular economy, waste reduction, emissions control, and sustainable steel production and recycling. It targets research institutions, companies, and consortia working on environmental improvements in steel manufacturing and recovery.
Active funders
Cemex Ventures
OpenInnovate UK
OpenUK Climate Change Committee
OpenDeadline calendar
Industrial Decarbonization grants closing in the next 90 days, grouped by urgency. Each card opens the grants listed in that window.
Frequently asked
Are SMEs eligible for the largest industrial programmes, or just incumbents?▾
Most large programmes (Innovation Fund, DOE IDP) require a host industrial site, which usually means partnering with an incumbent. SMEs do win when they're the technology provider in a consortium, but as a lead applicant on a €200M call, you need a deployment partner with a site. EIC Accelerator and ARPA-E are the SME-friendly entry points.
Does software-only industrial decarbonisation (digital twins, MES, energy optimisation) qualify?▾
It can, but rarely as a standalone, Innovation Fund and DOE IDP want a capex deployment alongside the software. EU Horizon Cluster 4 (digital), Innovate UK Smart Grants, and DOE AMO (Advanced Manufacturing Office) are the better fits for software-led applications.
Which heavy industry has the most active funding pipeline in 2026?▾
On dollar volume: steel (driven by H2-DRI projects from SSAB, ArcelorMittal, ThyssenKrupp), then cement (clinker substitutes, CCS retrofits), then chemicals. Refining is large but politically harder. Pulp & paper and glass are smaller but less competitive, worth checking if your tech fits.
How does the EU CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) interact with these grants?▾
CBAM doesn't fund anything directly, it taxes imports. But the revenue is being recycled into the Innovation Fund and Just Transition Fund, so it's increasing the size of the pots. Practically, expect Innovation Fund 2026+ calls to be larger and more frequent than 2024 levels.
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Match scores, alerts when new programmes open, and the complete listing of every industrial decarbonization opportunity, across grants, government contracts, and offtake programmes.