Horizon Europe European Union
Neutral-Atom Platform Technologies
This action aims to establish European leadership in neutral-atom quantum simulation and digital quantum computing by delivering: • Fully programmable industry-ready quan…
Horizon Europe · European Union
Innovative microgrids for improved energy system integration and efficiency in urban contexts
Opens 9 Feb 2027
The EU's Horizon Europe programme expects to make 3 awards of €7 million each, from a total budget of €20 million. Applications close on 7 Oct 2027 (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time). Organisations in EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries such as Türkiye can usually take part; the topic conditions control.
- Deadline
- 7 Oct 2027 (in 326 days)
- Opens
- 9 Feb 2027
- Grant amount
- €7 million per project
- Total budget
- €20 million
- Funding rate
- 70% for companies, 100% for non-profits Standard rule for this programme; the call can differ.
- Total budget
- €20 million
- Expected awards
- 3
- Type of action
- HORIZON Innovation Actions · HORIZON Lump Sum Grant
- Likely applicant types
- Companies, SMEs / start-ups, Non-profits, Universities & research, Public bodies From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
- Funder
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- Reference
- HORIZON-MISS-2027-04-CIT-01
- Call
- HORIZON-MISS-2027-04
- Last checked
- 14 Nov 2026
Expected outcome
Projects are expected to contribute to all the following outcomes:
• Improved awareness of the potential of Low Voltage Direct Current (LVDC) microgrids to support the goals of the European Green Deal and the Clean Industrial Deal, including as defined under the SET Plan [1] and the Solar Strategy [2] .
• Increased acceptance of LVDC microgrids in Europe, with significant and measurable contributions to human and building safety (notably with respect to DC faults), energy and resource efficiency, integration of renewables & storage and demand response, peak power shaving, resilience, and (where applicable) established proof of concept on how LVDC microgrids can enable energy communities [3] to share energy assets and increase self-consumption of local renewables sources.
• Increased uptake in European cities, facilitated by technical guidelines for installation of LVDC microgrids and recommendations on regulatory alignment to European, national, regional and local authorities, as well as power distribution operators.
Read the full text
• Increased number of regulatory options and standards supporting EU industry leadership in the supply of LVDC solutions, in line with the Competitiveness Compass guidelines for fostering innovation and growth.
Scope
Most electric appliances in buildings are based on Direct Current (DC): PV panels, stationary and e-vehicle batteries, LED lighting, IT equipment, heat pumps and other appliances. Their connection to a LVDC microgrid inside the building would significantly improve energy and materials efficiency (replacing AC/DC converters by simpler DC/DC converters) and optimise local electrical and/or thermal energy storage and self-consumption of local renewables, contribute to (AC) grids stability through demand response and ancillary services (incl. reactive power support), and increase resilience by enabling islanded operation. The required power capacity of the connection of the LVDC microgrid to the AC (Alternating Current) distribution grid via a central AC/DC converter would be significantly lower than a traditional AC installation, thereby reducing pressure on city grid.
The LVDC microgrid could also be implemented at small neighbourhood level (e.g. a street), possibly in parallel to an existing AC grid, enabling more efficient and easier sharing of common energy assets and self-consumption in an energy community.
Read the full text
In order to reach this goal, proposals are expected to address all of the following aspects:
• Develop innovative, safe and sustainable LVDC microgrids design methods and tools, ensuring notably grid monitoring, control and safe handling of DC faults at affordable cost; develop methodologies and assess the life-cycle costs/benefits of LVDC microgrids (compared to traditional AC installations), for the application itself and the overall energy system (including the impacts on the AC distribution grid, for example, due to the injection of harmonics, or contribution to grid stability through ancillary services and demand response over the current and next day), from technical, environmental, economic and social aspects (notably on vulnerable consumers energy bill).
• Demonstrate in real life an LVDC microgrid, connecting all electrical applications in at least one residential, office or commercial building, or in one neighbourhood. The proposal must already include a review of the local regulatory framework(s) and grid codes and a demonstration that the real-life implementation(s) of the LVDC microgrid will be possible in the local context(s) (possibly through pre-agreed regulatory relaxation or ‘innovation sandbox’).
• Beyond the real demonstration(s), the installation of LVDC microgrid must be demonstrated virtually in other types of buildings, including at least one building under renovation, in the environment of different cities and countries, including at least one vulnerable urban area if possible, by numerical simulation using digital twins [4] , with the objective of assessing the regulatory feasibility and life-cycle costs/benefits (detailed in the first bullet) in these different environments. The total number of real and virtual demonstrations must be at least 3.
• Identify regulatory barriers at European, national and distribution…
Who can apply
Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule).
Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.
Topics
Civil engineering Climate change mitigation Electricity grid systems Energy Efficiency Environmental engineering Renewable energy sources - general Demand response Low Voltage Direct Current Material efficiency Renewable energy sources SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities) Self-consumption
Timing
Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-10-07. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).
How to apply
- Read the full topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal: expected outcome, scope, type of action and the topic conditions, including any country restrictions.
- Register each participating organisation in the Funding & Tenders Portal to get a PIC.
- Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries (Horizon Europe standard rule; Türkiye is associated). Confirm in the topic conditions.
- Prepare Part A (administrative forms and budget, completed in the portal) and Part B (the technical description on the official template for this type of action).
- Submit in the portal before the cut-off time on the deadline day. Late submissions are not accepted.
From the call text
- Who can apply
- Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
- Company stage
- Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
- Single applicant or consortium
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
- Where applicants must be based
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
- Where to apply
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
Where these facts come from
| Fact | Value | How we know | Taken from the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | 7 October 2027 “Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-10-07. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).” | official data field | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Amount per applicant | Unknown — not stated in the source we hold | unknown | — |
| Total budget | €20 million | official data field | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Funding rate | 70% for companies, 100% for non-profits | programme standard rule | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Who can apply | Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule). | programme standard rule | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Where to apply | Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route. | read from the official text | 15 Nov 2026 |
Official sources
Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 14 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.
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