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Grant

Funding Guideline Energy and Climate – Application-Oriented Energy and Climate Research

If you conduct research in the fields of energy, climate, and circular economy, you may be eligible for a grant under certain conditions.

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Grant criteria

Application level: Complex
Region: Saxony
Funding amount: €1,000,000
Funding rate: 100%
Project duration: 48 months
Only for non-profit organizations

Funding objective

The Free State of Saxony supports application-oriented pre-competitive research projects in the fields of energy, climate, and circular economy to enhance competitiveness and achieve climate policy objectives, particularly through the use of energy efficiency technologies, renewable energies, and digital networking.

Eligible expenses

  • Expenditures for project-specific equipment and devices
  • Rental/leasing of equipment
  • Expenditures for external services
  • Personnel expenses
  • Expenditures for the registration and acquisition of intellectual property rights
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Eligible to apply

  • Educational Institutions

Funding requirements

  • Eligible to apply are universities, non-university, non-profit research institutions as well as the Berufsakademie Sachsen in the Free State of Saxony.
  • The project must go beyond the state of the art or science and make a significant contribution to achieving energy and climate policy objectives.
  • It must be based on a conceptual foundation (project description).
  • The technological readiness level must at least include validation at laboratory scale or aim for demonstration under relevant operational conditions.
  • Support by the Competence Center for Energy Research of the Saxon Energy Agency (SAENA) is provided free of charge.
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Documents required for application

  1. Project description
  2. Project description
  3. Financing plan
  4. Supporting documents on the technological maturity level
  5. Proof of compliance with the funding requirements

Evaluation criteria

  • Innovative content of the project
  • Sustainability aspects
  • Technological maturity level
  • Validation of the technology at laboratory scale

Description

Energy and Climate Funding Guideline – Application-Oriented Energy and Climate Research is an innovative funding program of the Free State of Saxony, aimed at universities, non-university, non-profit research institutions, and the Saxony Vocational Academy. The program supports application-oriented and pre-competitive research projects in the fields of energy, climate, and circular economy, with a particular focus on energy efficiency technologies, renewable energies, digitalization, intelligent networking, and sustainable circular economy. By providing a non-repayable grant of up to €1,000,000 at a funding rate of 100 percent, project sponsors are given the opportunity to implement their innovative ideas to achieve climate policy objectives. A central criterion is that the project goes beyond the current state of technology or science and is based on a well-founded conceptual framework.

The funding aims to enhance the competitiveness of research initiatives and make a significant contribution to addressing the challenges of climate change. Within the framework of the program, not only the procurement of project-specific equipment, services, and personnel expenses are financed, but also costs for the registration and acquisition of intellectual property rights as well as other operational business expenses. The technological maturity of the proposed process is of central importance – at least in the form of laboratory measurement, ideally also as a demonstration under real operating conditions. To further ensure successful exploitation, the projects are supported free of charge by the Energy Research Competence Center of the Saxon Energy Agency (SAENA).

Applications are submitted via the portal of the Saxon Development Bank – Förderbank (SAB). The documents to be submitted include, in addition to a detailed project and proposal description, a comprehensive financing plan as well as evidence documents regarding the technological maturity level. Furthermore, it must be ensured that the results of the research work are made accessible to third parties within the European Union under non-discriminatory conditions. With a maximum duration of 48 months, this funding measure offers an attractive instrument to advance transfer-oriented and interdisciplinary projects that pave the way as key innovations toward a climate-neutral and sustainable future. Potential project sponsors are thus encouraged to present their innovative approaches in detail and thereby make a significant contribution to the implementation of the energy and climate policy of the Free State of Saxony.

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