The 5th Call for the R&I Energy and Water Scheme has had some slight changes, mainly being the new Application Period Deadline. The application period has been extended to November 22nd, and two new thematic areas have been added to the call to align the Research and Innovation scheme with the theme of the upcoming Energy Conference, which focuses on the Digitalisation of the Energy System.
The two additional themes are as follows:
1. Smart systems for post-meter water leakage detection and/or prevention in domestic and commercial buildings.
2. Smart systems aimed at decarbonising energy use in domestic and commercial buildings.
With these additions, there are now a total of six thematic areas in which applicants can submit their project proposals.
Since 2020, 13 projects have been awarded funding, with the total investment exceeding €1.6 million. In recent years, interest in this initiative has clearly grown, not only within the academic sector but also from industry. This increase in interest is largely due to the Scheme’s consortium requirement. As a result, more enterprises are becoming interested in submitting projects in partnership with academic entities, allowing research to focus more on commercial potential.
The scheme has allocated a budget of €400,000, with each project eligible to request a maximum of €200,000. Successful projects receive funding to develop their ideas and build prototypes in preparation for broader research, which can lead to commercial implementation. This iteration of the scheme maintains the previous Technology Readiness Level (TRL) requirements, and project timelines can now range from 2 to 3 years. Beneficiaries are also expected to produce a prototype or model that operates effectively within an appropriate environment.