With Ministerial Decree No. 386 of November 17, 2023, and Decree No. 233 of July 3, 2026, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security published the call for proposals for research, development, and technological innovation projects related to the strategic area of hydrogen, eligible for funding under the "Mission Innovation 2.0" initiative. The objective is to finance projects within the "Clean Hydrogen" (CHM) program aimed at technological development and strengthening the hydrogen supply chain.
Financial resources
The available resources amount to a total of 82,6 million euros.
TO WHOM IS IT ADDRESSED?
The application may be submitted, through a Lead Partner, by a project team consisting of at least two partners, including companies (including innovative startups) and/or national research and knowledge dissemination organizations. The Lead Partner and each participant must meet the eligibility requirements set out in Annex I as of the application submission date.
The project team must meet the following conditions:
- it cannot be made up of only companies belonging to the same group;
- the cost of the Lead Partner's activities must be greater than 25% of the total cost of the project (Micro-enterprises and research organizations cannot assume the role of Lead Partner);
- the cost of each participant's activities must be at least 10% of the total cost of the project;
- the total cost of the activities carried out by the research organizations as a whole cannot exceed 33% of the total cost of the project.
The relationships between the participants must be regulated through a Collaboration Agreement, formalized or to be formalized before the signing of the Financing Agreement.
What is financed
Eligible project proposals include research, development, and technological innovation projects that involve the implementation of the complete hydrogen value chain, or are aimed at completing an existing supply chain, or involve research activities that develop a solution or innovation enabling the sustainable implementation of hydrogen supply chains.
Proposals must relate to one of the following four thematic areas:
- Hydrogen production;
- Hydrogen transport and storage;
- End uses of hydrogen;
- Cross-cutting actions on hydrogen.
Only one Project Proposal may be submitted for each topic by the same Lead Partner.
Proposals must also:
- concern projects to be completed by 30 June 2030 and in any case with a maximum duration of 36 months;
- allow an increase in the technological readiness level (TRL) from a starting value of no less than TRL 4 to a value of at least TRL 7 at the end of the project;
- foresee a total cost of between 2 and 10 million euros;
- contribute to the achievement of the expected impacts set out in Annex III;
- include activities dedicated to the communication and dissemination of the results referred to in Annex IV, compatible with proprietary rights;
- ensure that the total cost of Industrial Research and Feasibility Study activities does not exceed 70% and 10% of the overall cost, respectively.
Eligible expenses
Eligible costs include personnel costs; costs for tools, equipment, and specific software; operating costs (materials and supplies, open science, information, advertising and dissemination, travel, and missions); costs for consultancy services, acquisition of technical expertise, and patents; and additional overhead costs, determined by applying a flat rate of 25% to the total of the first three items.
The benefits
The incentives are granted pursuant to Article 25 of the GBER Regulation in the form of a non-repayable grant, with a maximum intensity varying depending on the type of beneficiary and the financed activity:
- Industrial Research: 70% for small businesses, 60% for medium-sized businesses, 50% for large businesses;
- Experimental Development: 45% for small businesses, 35% for medium-sized businesses, 25% for large businesses;
- Feasibility Studies: 70% for small businesses, 60% for medium-sized businesses, 50% for large businesses;
- Research organizations: 100%.
An increase of 15 percentage points is envisaged for Industrial Research and Experimental Development, up to a maximum intensity of 80%, if the project involves effective collaboration between a company and one or more research organizations (which support at least 10% of the eligible costs and have the right to publish the results of their research) or if the results are widely disseminated through conferences, publications, open-access databases, or open-source or free software.
The grants cannot be combined, in relation to the same eligible costs, with other public incentives that constitute state aid.
How and when to apply
The application must be submitted by the Lead Partner through the MI Calls Platform, managed by CSEA, by the deadline of 12:00 on November 12, 2026.
Applications are subject to a preliminary formal compliance check and, if approved, a technical-economic evaluation based on six criteria (technological innovation, potential for industrial valorization, technical-scientific quality of the Lead Partner and the team, quality of the proposal, consistency with the Mission Innovation objectives, project impacts and synergies), with a minimum overall threshold of 60/100. Two points are awarded for a female project coordinator and two points for a coordinator under 35, up to a maximum overall score of four points.
The support of Iniziativa
Iniziativa supports companies and research organizations in developing the project team, verifying eligibility requirements, and preparing the proposal. Contact us for a preliminary assessment and to learn how to participate in the call.
📄 Download the complete measurement sheet at the following link link
