The ‘TSE Industry O&O’ grant module focuses on energy and climate innovation projects within industry. The tender opens for applications in April and offers attractive opportunities for innovative research projects in areas including process efficiency, electrification, CCS, hydrogen, recycling, biobased raw materials or the reuse of waste streams.
About the TSE industry programme
The ‘TSE Industry’ programme forms part of the Top Sector Energy grants (also known as Energy Innovation NL or the TSE grant toolbox); a collection of grant programmes that aim to stimulate important new energy innovations.
The ‘TSE Industry’ programme comprises two sub-programmes. One focuses on studies (see this article), while the other sub-programme deals specifically with R&D projects and is also referred to as ‘the O&O tender’, in which O&O stands for (industrial) research and (experimental technological) development.
For whom is this relevant?
The new round of grants is interesting for companies working on new innovations that ensure cheaper, climate neutral and/or circular products, processes and services. Various important conditions apply here. For instance, a grant is only possible for innovations in line with designated themes (see below). The impact must also be considerable: the innovation must lead to a first market application in significant industrial sectors in the Netherlands by no later than 2030.
Grants for innovation projects
The programme targets ‘innovation projects’ that result in cheaper, climate-neutral and/or circular products, processes and services that lead to a first market application in the Netherlands. Such an innovation project will usually comprise industrial research and experimental technological development (R&D). A project may run for up to four years. Experimental pilot projects are not excluded but are a better match for the DEI+ grant. In other cases it may be better to apply for the HER grant (for innovations that focus on cost price reduction) or the MOOI grant (for large-scale innovation projects).
Grant themes
Grants are available in 2022 for projects that are a match for the following themes:
Theme 1 – Closing industrial chains (MMIP 6):
- circular plastics
- biobased raw materials for products and transport fuels
- circular non-ferrous metals
- CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilisation)
- CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage).
Theme 2 – A carbon-free industrial heat system (MMIP7):
- maximising process efficiency
- heat reuse, upgrading and storage
- deep and ultra-deep geothermal energy for industry
- use of climate-neutral fuels
- system concepts for heat and cold.
Theme 3 – Maximum electrification and radical innovative processes (MMIP 8):
- production hydrogen, molecules and innovative renewable fuels
- flexibility and digitalisation
- radical process innovation
- social implications of industrial electrification
Grant amount, budget application period
The ‘TSE Industry O&O’ round of grants runs from 1 April to 17 May (5.00 pm). All applications will be compared after the deadline, with the best projects receiving a grant. Only partnerships comprising at least one company (and, for example, a research organisation or knowledge institute) can submit a grant application. The grant reimburses between 25-80% of the project costs and can amount to 500,000 euro per project. The total grant budget for this round amounts to 1.9 million euro. As an indication, the grant issuer is expecting to receive around 17 applications, of which the best five can be honoured.
How can EGEN help?
Is your company involved in R&D projects relating to the above themes and would you like to know whether there are opportunities for you within this ‘O&O tender’? The EGEN consultants have vast experience with these kinds of processes and will be delighted to help you. They can tell you more about the grant conditions, help you form a good consortium and optimise your grant application. We’re looking forward to receiving your plans!
