With 2022 coming to a close, it is time to look ahead at upcoming funding opportunities for sustainable technologies
Emerging from the COVID pandemic, 2022 was a year that saw a return to normalcy for people, businesses, and organizations across the world. However, on the heels of this unprecedented two-year global shutdown, there were economic ramifications, logistical problems, and widespread uncertainty that will likely continue through into 2023.
Despite all this, funding for sustainable initiatives continues to be made available for deserving ideas through a variety of avenues – and arguably more so now than before the pandemic.
Looking ahead to the future, there will be even more funding available for sustainable technologies through the already-successful Horizon Europe program, as well as several other awards that will help deserving technologies get to market.
Below are some of the largest and most important grant funding programs for 2023 and beyond. While there are many more programs available for other areas, these are featured because they focus on sustainable technologies and innovative solutions to climate change, which are the areas that Linq Consulting & Management specializes in with helping organizations secure funding.
Horizon Europe is the ambitious EU research & innovation framework programme for 2021-2027 with a budget of €95.5 billion.
Its overarching goals are to:
Strengthen the EU's scientific and technological bases and the European Research Area (ERA);
Boost Europe's innovation capacity, competitiveness and jobs;
Deliver on citizen's priorities and sustain our socio-economic model and values.
There is also a particular focus on creating impact alongside the European Green Deal, and accelerating the digital and sustainability transition and recovery from the coronavirus-crisis as the successor to Horizon 2020.
Horizon Europe will incorporate research and innovation missions to increase the effectiveness of funding by pursuing clearly defined targets set by policy experts who have developed case studies and reports on how a mission-oriented policy approach will work.
Work programmes set out funding opportunities under Horizon Europe
The main work programme:
Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and research infrastructures under Pillar I
All clusters under Pillar II
European innovation ecosystems under Pillar III
Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area
Other work programmes cover:
European Research Council (ERC)
Joint Research Centre (JRC)
European Innovation Council (EIC)
A significant part of Pillar II of Horizon Europe will be implemented through institutionalised partnerships, particularly in the areas of Mobility, Energy, Digital and Bio-based economy, which will also have separate work programmes.
The activities of the European Institute of Technology (EIT) are set out in separate programming documents.
Horizon Europe is also implemented through another specific programme (the European Defence Fund) and is complemented by the Euratom Research and Training Programme. Each of these will also have a separate work programme.
ERDF (European Regional Development Fund)
The ERDF aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between its regions.
The ERDF focuses its investments on several key priority areas. This is known as 'thematic concentration.' These areas include: Innovation and research, the digital agenda, support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the low-carbon economy.
The ERDF resources allocated to these priorities will depend on the category of region. In more developed regions, at least 80 % of funds must focus on at least two of these priorities, while in transition regions it must be 60%. This is dropped to 50 % in less developed regions.
Furthermore, some ERDF resources must be channelled specifically towards low-carbon economy projects.
Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency, and is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the national funding agency investing in science and research in the UK. Operating across the whole of the UK with a combined budget of more than £6 billion, UKRI brings together the 7 Research Councils, including Innovate UK and Research England. It is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.
The UK government have committed to increasing funding in research and development by a further £4.7 billion over 4 years through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. As part of the government’s Industrial Strategy, the long-term plan aims to raise productivity and earning power and bring together the UK’s world-leading research with business to meet the major industrial and societal challenges of our time.
Questions on Grant Funding?
The landscape for securing funding can be daunting, confusing, and difficult to manoeuvre. From writing proposals to managing the application process, Linq Consulting & Management has years of experience successfully helping organizations secure grant awards in the areas of sustainable technology and innovation.
Our team can help you not only navigate the grant proposal process, but we can also help with project management once funding is awarded – to ensure your idea makes it to market. Our passion for sustainability and working with innovative solutions to climate change runs deep, and we want to help deserving ideas become a reality.
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