PROJECT CONSORTIUM

Project proposals require a project consortium consisting of at least three eligible applicants from at least three separate countries/regions participating in CETPartnership. Consortia with partners from other countries are welcome if these organizations are funded by sources other than CETPartnership. This partnership requirement demonstrates international collaboration and is a way for countries to leverage new knowledge, expertise, and resources.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

ERA funding is open to all categories of applicants, including technology developers, industry, industrial associations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research and development (R&D) organizations, universities, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, government research labs, and individuals.

Applicants are not required to be located in Alberta, but all applicants must demonstrate how the proposed project has the potential to support emissions reductions in Alberta.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT STAGE

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are invited for projects that will advance technology to the stages of field pilot, demonstration, or first-of-kind commercial implementation by project completion, as described below:

• Field Test/Pilot: At this stage, the solution is ready to be field tested in an operational environment. Projects in this category include scale-up of prototypes to representative pilot scale and subsequent in-field testing of pilot units.
• Demonstration: At this stage of development, the technology or innovation is approaching the final commercial product, and representative systems have been built. Projects in this category include demonstration of near- or full-commercial-scale systems in an operational environment.
• First-of-Kind Implementation: At this stage, the technology is ready for first-of-kind commercial deployment. Projects in this category will involve design, construction, and operation of the technology in its final commercial form, with the intent to operate the technology for its full commercial life.

HOW TO APPLY

Joint Call 2026 follows a two-stage application process. In Stage 1, project consortia must submit a pre-proposal by selecting one Call Module (details provided below). If the pre-proposal is approved, the consortium will receive an invitation to proceed to Stage 2. Only invited applicants may then prepare and submit a full proposal. All project proposals must be submitted through the CETPartnership Application Portal. Please note that no project proposal will be accepted after the submission deadline. If you have any questions, please email applications@eralberta.ca.

Important dates:

• Pre-proposal submission opens (Stage 1): June 8, 2026, at 14:00 (CEST)
• Pre-proposal submission deadline (Stage 1): October 8, 2026, at 14:00 (CEST)
• Full proposal submission opens (Stage 2): January 8, 2027, at 14:00 (CET)
• Full proposal submission deadline: March 11, 2027, at 14:00 (CET)
• Funding decision: Mid-June 2027
• Project start window: September 1, 2027

NATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Each project consortium must adhere to all transnational eligibility criteria, call module requirements outlined in the guidelines, and National Requirements outlined by the participating nation/region. It is strongly recommended that applicants read each National Requirement carefully to ensure the project fits within scope, prior to applying. In addition to meeting each respective National Requirement outlined in Annex B of the Joint Call 2026 Guidelines, all projects funded through ERA must adhere to ERA’s eligible cost and expense guidelines, and will be asked to provide progress and completion reports aligned with ERA’s general reporting process.

EVENT- AND MATCHMAKING PLATFORM

Register today to join the CETPartnership Event and Matchmaking Platform and join a community of researchers, corporations, entrepreneurs, and policymakers who have created scalable and impactful solutions towards a carbon-neutral world. Stay in the loop and get information about CETPartnership’s Joint Calls and more. You also get access to events and can find project partners and collaboration opportunities to build a consortium to develop your project idea for CETPartnership Joint Calls.

ABOUT THE CETPartnership

CETPartnership is an initiative co-funded by the European Union that brings together public and private stakeholders in the research and innovation ecosystems, from European and non-European countries and regions. CETPartnership aims to create and foster transnational innovation ecosystems and overcome a fragmented research and innovation landscape.

The initiative aims to empower the clean energy transition and contribute to the EU’s goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 by pooling national and regional RDTI funding for a broad variety of technologies and system solutions required to make the transition.

CETPartnership enables national and regional RTDI programme owners and managers from 30 countries to align their priorities, pool national budgets, and implement annual joint calls.

ERA joined CETPartnership in January 2022 and has participated in joint calls each year.