The Innovation Fund will contribute to greenhouse gas reduction by:
- helping create the right financial incentives for new investments in the next generation of technologies needed for the EU's low-carbon transition
- boosting growth and competitiveness by empowering companies with a first-mover advantage to become global clean technology leaders
- supporting innovative low-carbon technologies in all Member States in taking off and reaching the market.
It is designed to take into account the lessons learned from its predecessor, the NER300 programme. It is bigger and better in several ways:
- Open to projects from energy intensive-industries
- Improves the risk-sharing for projects: its grants cover up to 60% of the additional capital and operational costs of innovation
- Provides support in a more flexible way, following the cashflow needs of the project through pre-defined milestones
- Simpler selection process
- Stronger synergies with other EU funding programmes
- Streamlined governance and simplified decision-making