Key enabling technologies for fusion power plants (European Partnership on Fusion Energy)

Scope: to ensure a successful transition to commercially viable fusion power plants, the Commission is establishing a co-programmed public-private partnership, maximising the convergence of publicly funded action and privately led initiatives. This European Partnership on Fusion Energy is being established with the support of a coordination and support action funded under the Euratom programme. It will contribute to the EU’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness. The EU can build on an extensive record of scientific endeavours and achievements in the field of fusion. The EU’s major contribution to the ITER [1] project and the successful development of the EUROfusion [2] co-funded partnership clearly illustrate this record. However, despite recent advances and encouraging results (notably in the field of magnetic confinement [3] ), further innovation is needed in key areas with a view to the commercial deployment of FPPs. Delivering innovation in these key areas is not only an opportunity to help the fusion sector consolidate in the EU but will also increase the maturity of technologies (e.g. plasma heating and current drive, high-temperature superconducting magnets, advanced monitoring and control solutions, and robotics) that could be applied in other fields. Actions funded under this topic are expected to address one of the following key technology areas [4] : plasma heating and current drive; high-temperature superconducting magnets; diagnostics and control. Proposals should clearly indicate which one of these key areas they address. Actions funded under the topic should perform activities to address critical gaps in the selected key area: heating and current drive: delivering and demonstrating high-performance, compact, efficient and cost-effective heating and current-drive technologies for FPPs (e.g. gyrotrons and neutral-beam injectors) that can operate reliably in a harsh reactor environment (e.g. high neutron flux and heat loads); high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets: delivering and demonstrating HTS magnet technologies that enable stronger, smaller and more efficient magnetic confinement, with high resistance to mechanical stress and degradation under neutron irradiation and also opening the way for large-scale and cost-effective manufacturing. diagnostics and control: delivering and demonstrating (hardware and software) components and systems that enable enhanced monitoring and management of FPPs operation (e.g., for magnetic confinement, mitigation of edge-localised modes and runaway electrons), relying, for example, on AI-driven control systems, advanced modelling and simulation, and innovative sensors. For this purpose, and for the key area targeted, proposals should: clarify the technology gaps / bottlenecks addressed by the proposed projects, demonstrating a thorough understanding both of the needs and drivers towards viable FPPs and of the state of the art for the considered key area; set out the envisioned technology advances, making clear how the proposed innovation would improve the performance of the components and/or systems developed (relying as much as possible on quantitative targets and / or key performance indicators); describe in detail the approaches to testing and demonstrating the components and/or systems developed, clearly indicating both the technology readiness level targeted and the process by which technology maturation will be monitored; enable close cooperation between public research and private companies (start-ups, SMEs and industry). This should materialise in the composition of the consortium and in the proposed project’s activities; demonstrate the business potential of the proposed innovation, within and (where relevant) also beyond the fusion field, including its potential to support EU’s energy security independence and competitiveness, by contributing to the achievement of the commercialisation of fusion energy; where relevant, demonstrate a thorough understanding of the safety constraints pertaining to the deployment in FPPs of the components and/or systems developed; where relevant, outline how the proposed work would build on, and articulate with, the results and activities of other relevant EU initiatives (e.g. the EUROfusion partnership and the Fusion4Energy joint undertaking [5] ). This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Fusion Energy [6] [1] https://www.iter.org/ [2] https://euro-fusion.org/ [3] E.g., world record fusion plasma, https://euro-fusion.org/member-news/cea/world-record-fusion-plasma-in-europe/ [4] The key technology areas targeted in this topics have been selected on the basis of previous studies and consultations (e.g., Analysis on a strategic public-private partnership approach to foster innovation in fusion energy, see https://link.europa.eu/NM9WqM , and the Interim evaluation of the 2021-2025 Euratom research and training programme (Staff Working Document), see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025SC0054 ). They are aligned with early findings in the preparation of the Fusion PPP’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, at the time this Work Programme was finalised. [5] https://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/ [6] It is expected that the co-programmed European Partnership on Fusion Energy will be established and its strategic research and innovation agenda (SRIA) will be available at the time the call opens. Proposals should therefore explain how the proposed action aligns with the SRIA’s technology priorities and proposed projects should include activities to contribute to the European Partnership on Fusion Energy (e.g. contributing to the monitoring of the Partnership, supporting the Partnership’s communication and dissemination activities, and ensuring an effective liaison with the Partnership’s Board and the European Commission).

Eligibility and submission conditions

"> Conditions 1. Admissibility conditions: the conditions are described in General Annex A (Admissibility) of Euratom WP 2026-2027. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. For topics using lump sum funding, the limit for ‘Innovation’ actions is 45 pages . 2. Eligible countries: Elibility conditions are described in General Annex B (Eligibility) of Euratom WP 2026-2027. See the List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe (including Euratom) for up-to-date information on the current list of and the position for Associated Countries. Please note that as of the date of the publication of this call, Ukraine and Switzerland are the only countries associated to the Euratom Programme, therefore eligible for funding. 3. Other eligibility conditions In order to achieve the expected outcomes and safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy and security[[Namely, to support EU competitiveness in achieving commercialisation of fusion energy, to contribute to the achievement of the EU’s energy security and independence and to ensure effective safeguards of dual-use materials, technologies and knowledge used or developed under the Fusion PPP.]], participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States and in countries associated to the Euratom Research and Training Programme (Ukraine and Switzerland). Proposals including entities established in countries outside the scope specified in the call/topic/action will be ineligible. General information about eligibility conditions can be found in General Annex B (Eligibility) of Euratom WP 2026-2027. 4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: the criteria are described in General Annex C (Financial and operational capacity and exclusion) of Euratom WP 2026-2027. 5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes The evaluation committee will be composed partially by representatives of EU institutions. To ensure a balanced portfolio covering all key technology areas set out in the scope, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to one proposal that is the highest ranked within each key area, provided that the proposals attain all thresholds. General information about submission and evaluation processes can be found in General Annexes E (Documents) and F (Procedure) of the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027 and the Online Manual . 5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds Described in General Annex D (Award criteria) of the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027. 5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement Described in General Annex F (Procedure) of the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027. 6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants The funding rate is 60% of the eligible costs, except for non-profit legal entities where the funding rate is up to 100% of the total eligible costs. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [This [decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf ]]. General legal and financial set-up is described in General Annex G (Legal and financial set-up of the grant agreements) of the Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027. Euratom WP 2026-2027 Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027 for nuclear research and training Call document and annexes: Application form templates Standard application form (HE RIA IA) — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System Detailed budget table (HE LS) Information on financial support to third parties (HE)   Evaluation forms Standard evaluation form (HE RIA IA) — will be used with the necessary adaptations  Model Grant Agreements (MGA) Horizon Europe MGA   Lump Sum MGA   Additional documents: Euratom Research & Training Programme 2026-2027 (Council Regulation 2025/1304) EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions   Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

Hivatkozott dokumentumok

List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe Online Manual [This [decision Euratom Work Programme 2026-2027 for nuclear research and training Standard application form (HE RIA IA) Detailed budget table (HE LS) Information on financial support to third parties (HE) Standard evaluation form (HE RIA IA) Horizon Europe MGA Lump Sum MGA Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions