The European Commission, through the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), has launched a €2.5 million procurement programme to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative renewable energy technologies developed under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. The initiative will provide technical, financial and business advisory services to SMEs, start-ups and spin-offs, helping them move their innovations from the demonstration phase to large-scale market deployment.

The programme aims to tackle one of Europe's biggest innovation challenges: converting research outcomes into commercially viable projects. According to the European Commission, although the EU has invested more than €10 billion in renewable energy research through Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, many technologies remain trapped between the prototype stage and commercial deployment due to difficulties in securing investment, developing robust business models and attracting private finance.

The contract will support a portfolio of approximately 370 renewable energy projects funded under both research programmes. It will cover a broad range of technologies, including solar photovoltaics, concentrated solar power (CSP), onshore and offshore wind, bioenergy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, renewable fuels (RFNBOs), hydropower, renewable heating and cooling, and battery energy storage, excluding hydrogen.

Pilot phase to support five companies before expanding to at least 30 more

The programme will begin with a pilot phase involving five SMEs, start-ups or spin-offs, which will be used to validate the advisory methodology. Following the pilot, the services will be expanded to a focus group of at least 30 additional companies, representing at least seven different renewable energy technology areas. Each selected company is expected to receive 15 to 18 days of dedicated technical support to strengthen both its technological and commercial readiness.

The advisory services will include investment readiness training, financial modelling, business planning, investor engagement, commercialisation strategies, industrial scale-up support, regulatory guidance and access to both public and private financing opportunities. The programme will also strengthen links between participating companies and large industrial players, utilities, investors and financial institutions.

Bridging Europe's renewable energy "valley of death"

The Commission acknowledges that one of the main barriers facing innovative renewable energy companies is crossing the so-called "valley of death"—the stage where technologies have been technically demonstrated but are not yet mature enough to secure commercial investment and reach industrial deployment.

According to the tender specifications, the Commission's Innovation Radar has identified more than 1,200 high-potential innovations emerging from EU-funded projects, yet fewer than 30% have succeeded in securing commercial partnerships or significant private investment. The new programme is designed to close this gap by improving companies' investment readiness and facilitating access to financing instruments capable of supporting large-scale deployment.

The initiative is aligned with the objectives of the European Green Deal, REPowerEU, the Net-Zero Industry Act, the Global Gateway Strategy and the EU's broader industrial competitiveness agenda, aiming to strengthen Europe's leadership in clean energy technologies while supporting decarbonisation and energy security.

The procurement procedure, CINEA/2026/OP/0015, will remain open until 27 August 2026, has a maximum duration of 36 months, and will be awarded on the basis of the best price-quality ratio.