STEP Energy | Business Research, Development and Innovation

Actions covered by notice COMPETE2030-2026-1

Operations must focus on developments with high maturity levels (TRL ≥ 6), although they may integrate stages from TRL 4. The objective is the commercial production of critical technologies and the strengthening of European supply chains in the following fields:

• Clean Technologies: Equipment for renewable energy (solar, wind, hydrogen), batteries, storage systems, and smart grid infrastructures.

• Efficiency and Decarbonisation: Carbon capture solutions, sustainable biogas, heat pumps, and technologies for industrial decarbonisation.

Operation Types 

The central operation is the Integrated Business R&D&I Investment (Co-promotion), which requires mandatory collaboration between entities and must include:

• R&D Activities: Industrial research and experimental development for the creation of new products or processes.
• Complementary Productive Investment: Productive innovation actions aimed at bringing R&D results to the market, including:
    -  Creation of new establishments;
    -  Diversification of activity or production;
    -  Fundamental change of the production process.

Investment Types

Eligibility is divided into two main components with distinct rules:

A - Research and Development (R&D) Component

• Costs for technical personnel and salary expenses.
• Raw materials, consumable materials, and components for prototypes.
• Acquisition of patents and scientific consultancy services (including agreements with MIT/CMU/UT Austin).
• Instruments and technical-scientific equipment (depreciation for companies; total cost for ENESII).
• Indirect Costs: Flat rate of 7% on direct costs.

B - Productive Innovation Component

• Tangible assets (machinery, equipment, and hardware).

• Intangible assets (technology transfer and patents - 50% limit for Large Companies).
• Construction of buildings and refurbishment works (limit of 20% of the productive component).
• Engineering services and certifications (exclusive to SMEs).

Application Dates

• Start: 30/01/2026.
• End: 30/04/2026 (until 17:00).

Notice Beneficiaries

The tender requires the formation of complete consortia necessarily led by a company.

Company Types

• SMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises).
• Small Mid-Caps: Companies that are not SMEs but have up to 499 employees and a turnover ≤ €100M (or balance sheet ≤ €86M).
• Large Companies: Companies that exceed Small Mid-Cap limits.
• ENESII: Universities, polytechnic institutes, and technology interface centres (including those from Autonomous Regions if in partnership with promoters from the Mainland).

Consortium Rules

• Maximum of 10 beneficiaries per consortium.
• Companies must assume the majority financial weight of the project.
• The consortium leader must necessarily invest in both R&D and Productive Innovation.

Financing and Support Rates

Support is granted in the form of a Grant (Non-repayable), calculated based on actual eligible costs.

Budgetary Allocation:

The global allocation of €86,250,000 is distributed as follows:

• 17% reserved for the decarbonisation of aviation (Clean Aviation).
• 10% reserved for partnerships with American Universities (MIT, CMU, UT Austin).

Financing Rates (Aid Intensity)

1. R&D Component (Research Activities)

Financing rates apply to actual costs and depend on the nature of the research:

• Base Rate:

  • Industrial Research (TRL 4): 50%

  • Experimental Development (TRL 5-8): 25%

• Bonuses (Cumulative up to a limit of 80%):

  • Company Size: +10 p.p. for Medium Enterprises; +20 p.p. for Micro and Small Enterprises.

  • Collaboration or Dissemination: +15 p.p. if there is effective collaboration between companies or with ENESII, or wide dissemination of results.

  • Location: +15 p.p. for projects in North, Centre, or Alentejo regions.

  • Note: Collaboration and Location bonuses are not cumulative with each other.

• ENESII: Maximum rate of 85%, provided the activities are of a non-economic nature.

2. Productive Innovation Component (Industrial Investment)

This component follows the Regional Aid Map (STEP), with increased intensities:

• Micro and Small Enterprises: Between 60% and 70% (depending on the NUTS III sub-region).
• Medium Enterprises: Between 50% and 60%.
• Large Companies and Small Mid-Caps: Between 40% and 50%.

Financing Conditions

• Minimum Investment: €5,000,000 (five million euros) — this limit does not apply in the Algarve region.
• Maximum Investment: €25,000,000 (twenty-five million euros).