This grant supports projects that develop and validate advanced AI tools for real-time grid operations and consumer empowerment within distributed energy systems. Projects must demonstrate an AI development environment, scaled learning capabilities, and proper governance frameworks while aligning with EU energy policies.
General information
- Programme
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)2021–2027
- Call
- BATTERIES and ENERGY HORIZON-CL5-2027-02
- Programme part
- Pillar II · Global Challenges & CompetitivenessCluster 5 · Climate, Energy and Mobility
- Destination
- Ensuring more efficient, sustainable, secure, and competitive renewable and decarbonised energy supply (2026-27)
- Type of action
- HORIZON-IA Innovation Actions
- Type of MGA
- HORIZON-AG HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based
- Status
- Forthcoming
- Deadline model
- Single-stage
- Opening date
- 03.12.2026
- Deadline date
- 31.03.2027, 17:00 Brussels time
- Cross-cutting priorities
Budget overview
| Type of action | Budget 2027 | EU contribution per project | Grants | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HORIZON-IAInnovation Actions | €20M | €10M | 2 | 31.03.2027 |
Expected outcome
Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:
- Advanced, secure frugal (energy-, resource-, data- and cost-efficient, sustainable) AI tools for real-time grid operations (including protection), market operations (if relevant) and consumer empowerment in distributed energy systems.
- A demonstrated AI development environment integrated with the upgraded digital spine of the energy system and energy-saving consumer applications.
- Scaled-up capabilities for learning at edge nodes and federated systems using agent-based architectures.
- A governance framework and operating model for the Gen(AI)-powered digital spine.
Scope
Building up on previous actions in Horizon Europe (e.g. the digital spine of the energy system in cluster 5 as well as cloud and edge continuum and AI data processing activities in cluster 4) and Digital Europe (Common Reference Framework for energy consumer applications across the EU, Common Energy Data Space), projects are expected to:
- Validate (demo site and operational grid) and scale secure state-of-the-art specialised frugal (energy- and resource-efficient, data- and cost-efficient, locally deployed and sustainable) open-source (Generative-)AI tools and models for real-time grid (and market, if relevant) monitoring, balancing, forecasting and consumer empowerment in a distributed energy system.
- Demonstrate an AI development environment within the enhanced digital spine of the energy system, including its digital twin, which should incorporate the functionality of the Common Reference Framework for energy saving applications.
- Prototype and validate at scale machine learning at the edge node level and federated at swarm level in an agent-based architecture, leveraging new mechanisms for scaling down AI models as well as incremental and reinforcement learning.
- The project's deliverables should be compatible with the principles of the Common European Energy Data Space and consistent with the EU's Apply AI and Competitiveness Compass, ensuring that they promote AI adoption and competitiveness in line with EU policies, as well as the EU Digitalisation of the energy sector initiatives.
- Where relevant and possible, the selected projects are expected to make use of the European AI factories and AI gigafactories.
- The selected projects are expected, where available, to make use of and further develop commonly agreed European standards and to actively collaborate and contribute to the work of established and de facto European standards developing organisations and open-source communities and platforms.
Selected projects are expected to contribute to the BRIDGE initiative and actively participate in its activities.
Who can apply
- A consortium of at least three independent organisations from three different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, at least one from an EU Member State.
- Ukraine has been associated to the programme since 2022: Ukrainian organisations can coordinate and receive funding on equal terms.
- Universities, research organisations, companies (including SMEs), public authorities and NGOs can take part.
Topic-specific condition: In line with the “restriction on control in innovation actions in critical technology areas” delineated in General Annex B of the General Annexes, entities established in an eligible country but which are directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China are not eligible to participate in the action.If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
Applicant types in our database: Higher Education Institutions (HEI), Research Institute or Organization (RnD), Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), Start-Up, Non-governmental organization (NGO).
How to apply
- Register your organisation on the Funding & Tenders portal and get a PIC (9 digits).
- Build a consortium or join one: use Partner Search on the topic page.
- Download the proposal template (Part A forms, Part B narrative) in the submission system on the topic page.
- Submit by 31.03.2027, 17:00 Brussels time. The system opens on 03.12.2026.
The official topic text, templates and submission are on the Funding & Tenders topic page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the deadline for HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-24?
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Become a partner in a proposal
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