The European Investment Bank – through EIB Advisory – and the European Commission offer project development assistance (PDA) to facilitate access for innovative projects for funding from the Innovation Fund and other EU funding schemes, national grants and private financing. Eligible projects for receiving tailored support to increase their financial or technical maturity must demonstrate a high potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest funding programs for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies. The fund aims to bring to market industrial solutions that decarbonise Europe and support the transition to climate neutrality while fostering its competitiveness. We will provide around €40 billion of support over 2020-2030 (at carbon price of €75/tCO2).
The European Commission implements the Fund with the assistance of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).
What we offer
The project development assistance (PDA) is designed to help promoters improve their investment readiness and prepare for Innovation Fund calls for proposals. With our tailored services, promoters can address specific gaps in the technical or financial maturity of their projects:
Due diligence assessment
- Project maturity assessment
- Technical due diligence
- Financial pre-due diligence
Financial services
- Business plan and market analysis
- Financial forecasts, planning and modelling
- Capital structuring, financing roadmap or bankability assessment
Technical services
- Technical studies to support an Innovation Fund application
- Economic analysis
- Concept development support, engineering, procurement and implementation support
How to apply
Sign up for a contact account to send all inquiries directly to our Innovation Fund team. Once signed up, your company can get in touch with us and apply for project development assistance.
When sending your request, you will need to fill the Innovation Fund PDA request form and provide, if available:
- a business plan and initial financial model,
- a feasibility study and related technical studies,
- a contracting strategy or related agreements,
- other supporting studies demonstrating project innovation, greenhouse gas emission savings potential and replicability.
Please note that due to the high volume of applications, we are only able to contact selected candidates. If you haven't received a response within 90 days of submitting your application, please consider that your proposal has not been selected for this round.
Eligibility
Before applying, please make sure your project falls under the scope of the Innovation Fund and fulfils the eligibility criteria:
- Located in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway.
- Innovative with reasonable expectations for successful demonstration or pre-commercialisation.
- Have the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Replicable and scalable.
- Able to show good prospects of achieving breakeven financial results within four years from grant preparation.
Sectors include renewable energy, carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), innovative low-carbon technologies and processes in energy-intensive industries, energy storage plants, net-zero and low-carbon mobility (maritime, aviation, rail and road transport), and buildings, as defined in Annex I and Annex III to the EU ETS Directive 2003/87.
Project development assistance is given on a first-come, first served basis to selected eligible projects, regardless of whether they have previously applied in concluded calls or intend to apply for another form of Innovation Fund support.
Please note that projects that have applied to a recent Innovation Fund call and are currently being evaluated for or have received a grant support are not eligible. Projects can receive project development assistance from the Innovation Fund only once.
Project promoters have the option to consent for project development assistance consideration on their Innovation Fund application. In this case, the designated service will forward automatically their project documentation to the EIB, if they fulfil the required conditions, after the finalisation of the evaluation for each call for proposals.
Selection and application process
A dedicated EIB advisor will review your application to verify the project’s eligibility and fit with the PDA service offering. The assessment criteria also include indicators for reaching geographical balance to support EU Member States with low effective participation, sectoral balance, and high potential for maturity improvement.
Requests that meet the criteria for PDA are sent to the European Commission for final decision.
Once your project has been selected to receive PDA, we will jointly define the specific scope of services and timeline for delivery.
After finalising the scope of services and timelines, we formalize the engagement with a service agreement.
EIB experts work with you to deliver the agreed services with your full engagement essential for achieving the best results. Depending on the scope of work, we may engage external consultants to support the delivery of the PDA. The service will be provided free of charge to the promoters.
By the numbers
Projects benefitting from the Innovation Fund
We have provided project development assistance to projects in Europe through large and small-scale calls for proposals in 2020-2022.
Country: Greece
Sector: Wind energy
Project promoter: ITSAS WIND S.L.
The GEROA project is an ambitious floating offshore wind energy initiative aimed at addressing the limitations of existing technologies, which are only effective and economically viable in shallow coastal waters. GEROA seeks to overcome these constraints by demonstrating a floating wind farm within the Greek maritime zone, in a location situated between the coast of Alexandroupolis and the island of Samothrace.
Building on the innovative SATH (Swinging Around Twin Hull) floating platform technology, GEROA will demonstrate a pre-commercial floating wind farm integrating three to five units, each with a rated capacity between 10 to 15 MW turbines (45 - 50 MW total capacity). The project aims to validate the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of deploying large-scale floating offshore wind farms in deep waters.
GERDA represents a key step towards the industrialisation and commercialisation of floating wind in Europe, advancing a scalable solution to access deeper offshore wind resources while minimizing environmental impact and lifecycle costs. By leveraging concrete-based floating structures with a Single Point Mooring (SPM) system, the project introduces a durable, cost-effective and easily replicable alternative. In addition to contributing to the EU's Green Deal and Net-Zero by 2050 objectives, GERDA supports regional development by fostering a robust European supply chain, promoting local industrial participation and generating high-quality employment. The knowledge gained through this project will be instrumental for future multi-GW deployments of floating wind farms across Europe and beyond.
Country: Germany
Sector: Geothermal energy
Project promoter: ZeroGeo Energy GmbH
Project SÜD aims to utilise electrical reservoir stimulation (ERS) technology in a sedimentary basin and produce electricity via organic rankine cycle (ORC) technology. ERS is applied by deploying downhole electrodes, anode and cathode, in separate wells. This stimulation is used to enhance natural permeability and achieve higher flow rates. The pilot project will be the first implementation of ERS technology for geothermal projects in Europe and the first use of ERS outside of field tests in the USA and Oman.
Country: Spain
Sector: Use of renewable energy outside Annex I
Project promoter: ENSÖ ESC SL
The B1O4O02 project consists of a large-scale commercial BECCU (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture) plant based on the innovative integration of a cogeneration sustainable biomass power plant and an advanced amine solvent post-combustion technology with a new advanced solvent and lower energy consumption compared to first generation amines processes.
The project, which will be located in Torrelavega (Cantabria, Spain), aims to produce bioheat, bioelectricity and 100% biogenic CO2 as a by-product. Bioenergy will be produced (112 MWt of bioheat and 15.84 ‚We of bioelectricity power), which will be supplied to the internal process units of a chemical plant using process integration strategies, and for self-consumption within the BECCU plant.
B1O4CO2 project will boost the development of new CO2 value chains through a circular economy and, at the same time, it will facilitate new business models in which biogenic captured CO2 can be reused in the chemical (e-fuels manufacturing) or food industry.
Country: France
Sector: Manufacturing of components for renewable energy
Project promoter: Liebherr-Components Colmar SAS
The ADAPT project will establish a new manufacturing line at Liebherr Components Colmar SAS in Colmar, France, to produce and test a high-power (> 2 MW), dual-fuel power generator for off-grid applications. Designed to operate on renewable ammonia and Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), the generator offers a cleaner, dispatchable alternative to diesel-based systems. It targets sectors such as mining, where energy demand is high and grid access is limited, and aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Liebherr Components Colmar SAS is a subsidiary of the Liebherr Group, specialising in large combustion generators for mining and industrial use.
Country: Sweden
Sector: CO2 Transport and Storage
Project promoter: Växjö Energi AB (VEAS)
The objective of POSCLIMB is to capture, transport and permanently store up to 200 kt per year of negative emissions by creating a first-of-a-kind bio energy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) inland value chain to contribute to the commitments of the Paris agreement. POSCLIMB will combine existing and emerging technologies and collaborate with counterparties throughout the value and logistics chain. The logistics chain focuses on minimum emissions by combining train and ship transport from the point source to the storage site. The negative emissions created will be turned into credits and sold to the open market strengthening the European bio economy.
Country: France
Sector: Refineries
Project promoter: Verso Energy
The OrCHyDé project developed by Verso Energy aims at the creation of a modular and flexible plant for the production of e-methanol in Origny-Sainte-Benoite (France), benefiting from the integrated model developed by Verso Energy from renewable energy to synthetic fuels production.
The project seeks to scale up e-methanol production to an industrial level by improving process efficiency and expanding the range of end products. As a sustainable, low-carbon fuel, e-methanol has the potential to support the maritime or chemical industry's transition toward the European Union’s carbon neutrality goals. The fully integrated project is expected to produce around 50ktpa e-methanol per year, designed to process approximately 90ktpa of biogenic CO2.
OrCHyDé, which stands for Origny Carburant et Hydrogène Décarboné (Origny Decarbonised Fuel and Hydrogen), aims to achieve net absolute GHG emission avoidance of approximately 770kt CO2 compared to regular maritime fuel over a 10-year period. This project has a strong potential of replicability in France and in the European Union.
Country: Latvia
Sector: Refineries
Project promoter: SIA BIOREFIC IRG
SPARK ΟΝΕ is a pioneering renewable methanol project developed by Biorefic IRG in partnership with the leading waste operator in the Baltics. Located at Ventspils Freeport, Latvia, the project will produce 65 000 tonnes of renewable methanol annually, targeting the chemical and maritime sectors. It will leverage modular technologies in advanced gasification and green hydrogen production, using unrecyclable municipal waste and forestry residues as feedstock. Designed for high efficiency and operational resilience, SPARK ΟΝΕ aims to deliver industry-leading cost performance in renewable methanol production.
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