Deadline Date: February 05, 2026
The Long-Term Joint EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership on Sustainable Energy (LEAP-SE), co-funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe, announces the Joint Call 2026 to strengthen collaborative research and innovation in sustainable energy between Europe and Africa.
LEAP-SE aims to develop a long-term partnership between Europe and Africa on Research and Innovation (R&I) in sustainable energy, building on the achievements of LEAP-RE and PRE-LEAP-RE, with Pillar 1 dedicated to cofunded calls. The thematic priorities of the Cofund Call are based on the 6 Multi-Annual Roadmaps of LEAP-RE plus an additional roadmap on “Production and utilization of Green Hydrogen”, forming part of the jointly funded AU-EU research and innovation partnership on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy (CCSE) under the UE-AU High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation, which prioritizes: Development and integration of renewable energy; Planning and modeling future systems; Including society as a stakeholder; Market, pricing and business models; and Strengthening basic research and technology development. The collaboration will focus on seven multi-annual roadmaps: Assessment of renewable energy sources; End-of-life and second-life management; Smart stand-alone systems; Smart grids for off-grid application; Processes and appliances for productive uses; Innovative solutions for domestic uses; and Production and utilisation of green hydrogen.
The LEAP-SE Joint Call 2026 will fund basic research, applied research, and experimental development projects lasting between 12 and 36 months, with participation requirements and eligibility rules determined by national and regional funding agencies. Projects may receive up to 1.5 million euros, with a funding limit of 500,000 euros per partner. The total indicative budget for this call is approximately 13 million euros from funding organizations plus 3.5 million euros from the European Commission.
The call is open to universities, research institutes, businesses, private sector entities, NGOs and public authorities across the renewable energy value chain that meet eligibility requirements. Consortium composition requires at least four partners, including two from different EU or Horizon Europe associated countries and two from African Union countries. Additional partners may join on the basis of self-funding or dedicated support through LEAP-SE partner LGI.
The initiative supports gender equality and encourages interdisciplinary consortia working across the full innovation chain from research to market adoption. The program fosters collaborative problem-solving and supports transformative innovation in sustainable energy across Europe and Africa.
For more information, visit LEAP-RE.
