The EIC 2026 call “Advanced Materials for Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Systems” targets startups and SMEs developing advanced materials with improved functionalities and performance specifically for renewable energy generation and mid-to-long-term energy storage systems. This includes materials for solar cells, wind turbines, and energy harvesting technologies across Europe. The program supports the entire development chain—from material design and synthesis to characterization, up-scaling, and industrial production—while emphasizing sustainability, resource efficiency, and minimizing the use of critical raw materials. Environmental impact is assessed through life-cycle analysis, considering economic and social factors alongside technical performance.

The call aims to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in the energy sector by reducing industrial dependency on imported materials and fostering a more diversified, digitally-enabled, and risk-aware advanced materials value chain. Participating companies will be integrated into the broader European ecosystem of advanced materials, benefiting from synergies with initiatives such as the IAM4EU co-programmed partnership. Expected outcomes include accelerated market adoption of innovative materials, enhanced integration of advanced materials into renewable energy and storage systems, and overall reinforcement of Europe’s industrial leadership in sustainable energy technologies.

Proposals will be batched for evaluation at 5pm Brussels time on the following dates:

• 7/01/2026
• 04/03/2026
• 06/05/2026
• 08/07/2026
• 02/09/2026
• 04/11/2026