Post by enervis energy advisors GmbH

The first EU Innovation Fund (IF25) Heat Auction left more than half its budget unused, and the reason is worth a closer look. Of the €1 billion available, only around €397 million was awarded. More than €600 million went unspent, in a market with no shortage of decarbonisation potential. The interest was there. What fell short was the number of bids that cleared the bar. Two factors drove that: ▪️ A very short preparation window for an entirely new funding instrument ▪️ High demands on project maturity and application readiness The Commission has acted on that feedback. A second round of the IF heat auction is planned for 2026, with adjustments aimed at exactly these barriers: ▪️ A simplified auction design ▪️ Lower proof requirements for heat off-takers and electricity providers ▪️ More lead time to prepare projects and submissions Now the same €1 billion is back on the table, with a lower hurdle and the same objective: accelerating the decarbonisation of industrial process heat. For energy-intensive industries weighing electrified or renewable process heat, the funding is there. Getting a competitive bid ready for a new process, in time, is the part worth preparing for. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗻 2 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗙26 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. We break down what the admissibility and eligibility requirements actually demand, what the redesign changes, and what to get in place before the call opens. Registration link in the comments.👇️