Open

Towards commercialisation of Perovskite PV and development of dedicated manufacturing equipment (EUPI-PV Partnership)

HORIZON Innovation Actions

Basic Information

Identifier
HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-10
Programme
Cluster 5 Call 02-2026 (WP 2025)
Programme Period
2021 - 2027
Status
Open (31094502)
Opening Date
September 16, 2025
Deadline
February 17, 2026
Deadline Model
single-stage
Budget
€15,000,000
Min Grant Amount
€5,000,000
Max Grant Amount
€5,000,000
Expected Number of Grants
3
Keywords
HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-10HORIZON-CL5-2026-02

Description

Expected Outcome:

The rapid development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) over the past decade makes it the most promising next generation photovoltaic technology, owing to its prominent advantages such as tuneable bandgap, high absorption coefficients, uncomplicated preparation process and considerable power conversion efficiency which has reached a certified 26.7% at cell level. Tremendous efforts in material and device engineering have also increased moisture, heat, and light-related stability. All these features render perovskite solar modules suitable for terawatt-scale energy production with a low levelised cost of electricity (LCOE). A number of companies are working on PSCs and some of them, have been establishing new pilot production lines and/or expanding production capacity. Still, the greatest challenges toward commercialisation are scaling up (including ambient manufacturing), achieving long-term stability, reducing, or eliminating the use of toxic solvents, and preventing Pb leakage into the environment.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

  • Increase the potential for commercialisation of perovskite PV creating competitive technological know-how for the European PV industrial base;
  • Support a European economic base which is stronger, more resilient, competitive, and fit for the green and digital transitions, by reducing strategic dependencies for critical raw materials and components;
  • Support the execution of the solar energy joint research and innovation agenda[1].
Scope:

Metal halide perovskite solar cells have attracted much attention because of their low-cost fabrication and high efficiency. In addition, tandem devices, especially perovskite-Si tandems, are expected to play an important role in perovskite commercialisation. Poor stability of these devices remains however the key challenge in their path toward commercialisation. To overcome this issue, a robust encapsulation technique by employing suitable materials and structures with high barrier performance against the external environment must be developed to protect perovskite devices. Dedicated manufacturing processes and equipment need also be demonstrated. Therefore, proposals are expected to address all of the following aspects:

  • Demonstrate effective strategies to enhance the optoelectronic properties, performance and stability, and minimise the environmental impact of perovskite devices;
  • Scale-up reliable deposition of high-quality perovskite films over large areas, (overcoming the degradation of efficiency as device/module areas scale up) but also patterning and interconnections to connect individual cells into modules;
  • Demonstrate internal and external encapsulation structures as protection from extrinsic environmental stressors, such as moisture, oxygen, heat, and illumination;
  • Develop module designs considering recyclability requirements and restrictions as to the control and management of toxic Pb2+ that could be produced by the irreversible deterioration of the perovskite materials;
  • Assess performance and reliability according to international standards and compared with well-established PV technologies; develop and apply test protocols for performance and reliability tailored to the features of perovskite and/or perovskite-Si tandem technology.
  • Demonstrate suitable equipment adapted to the specific requirements of perovskite (or perovskite-Si tandem) production process.

Proposals are expected to involve multidisciplinary consortia including at least one perovskite or equipment manufacturer.

Whenever the expected exploitation of project results entails developing, creating, manufacturing and marketing a product or process, or in creating and providing a service, the plan for the exploitation and dissemination of results must include a strategy for such exploitation. The exploitation plan should include preliminary plans for scalability, commercialisation, and deployment (feasibility study, business plan) indicating the possible funding sources to be potentially used (in particular the Innovation Fund).

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics (EUPI-PV). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on the results to the European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics (EUPI-PV) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.

[1] Commission Staff Working Document "Solar energy joint research and innovation agenda with Member States in the context of the European Research Area (ERA)"

Destination & Scope

This Destination includes activities targeting a sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply. In line with the scope of cluster 5, this includes activities in the areas of renewable energy; energy system, grids and storage; as well as Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS).

This Destination contributes directly to the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic OrientationsGreen transition’, ‘Digital transition’ and ‘A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe’.

In line with the Strategic Plan, the overall expected impact of this Destination is to contribute to the ‘Ensuring more sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply through solutions for smart energy systems based on renewable energy solutions’.

This destination contributes to the activities of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) and its implementation working groups.

The main impacts to be generated by topics under this Destination are:

Renewable energy

  1. Energy producers have access to competitive European renewable energy and renewable fuel technologies and deploy them to enhance the EU’s energy security. This will contribute to the 2030 “Fit for 55” targets (in particular, at least 42.5% renewable energy share and aiming for 45% in the EU energy consumption, 5.5% advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin share in EU fuel consumption). It will also contribute to the indicative target of at least 5% innovative renewable energy technology for the newly installed renewable energy capacity. By 2050, climate neutrality in the energy sector will be achieved in a sustainable way in environmental (e.g., biodiversity, multiple uses of land and water, natural resources, pollution) and socioeconomic terms, and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
  2. Technology providers have access to European, reliable, sustainable, and affordable value chains of renewable energy and renewable fuel technologies.
  3. Economic sectors benefit from better integration of renewable energy and renewable fuel-based solutions that are among others cost-effective, efficient, flexible, reliable, and sustainable. Such integration is facilitated by digital technologies and by renewable energy technologies that provide network stability and reliability.
  4. European researchers benefit from a stronger community and from a reinforced scientific basis on renewable energy and renewable fuel technologies, also through international collaborations.
  5. European industries benefit from a reinforced export potential of renewable energy and renewable fuel technologies, also through international collaborations.
  6. European industries become frontrunners and maintain technological leadership in innovative renewable energy technologies in line with the energy union strategy.
  7. European citizens, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, have access to an energy market that is affordable, fair and equitable, more resilient, uses all different types of local renewable energy resources, and is less dependent on fossil fuels. Local communities benefit from a more decentralised and secure energy system and from multiple uses of land and water. Less citizens experience fuel and energy poverty.
  8. Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) implementation working groups on solar photovoltaics, solar thermal technologies, renewable fuels and bioenergy, wind energy, geothermal energy, and ocean energy benefit from a reinforced scientific basis and collaboration on renewable energy and renewable fuel technologies towards meeting the ambitious targets of the European Green Deal.

Energy systems, grids & storage

R&I actions will support the just digital and green transformation of the energy system through advanced solutions for accelerating the energy systems integration and decarbonisation. The developed clean, sustainable solutions will contribute to making the energy system and supply more reliable, resilient, and secure. The solutions will contribute to increase flexibility and grid hosting capacity for renewables through optimising cross sector integration and grid scale storage. They will enhance the competitiveness of the European value chain, reduce pressure on resources (also by making technologies ‘circular by design’) and decrease dependencies.

Innovative and cost-effective energy storage (integration) solutions are developed, that provide flexibility to the energy system, reduce total cost of grid operation and enhancement and that minimise the use of critical raw materials and ensure, to the best extent possible, their reuse and recycling, are key elements of the energy system.

Carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR)

  1. Accelerated development of carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) as a CO2 emission mitigation option in electricity generation, in industry applications and carbon dioxide removal technologies (including conversion of CO2 to energy products).
  2. Reduced EU’s dependency on imported fossil fuels and increased energy security, reduced energy system’s vulnerability to the impacts of the changing climate.

Eligibility & Conditions

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion

described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds

are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes

are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement

described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants

described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions

described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]

Support & Resources

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