NACHIP – Second Open Call

Summary

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NACHIP - Second Open Call

EU programme: Interregional Innovation Investments (I3)
Call run by the EU-funded project North Adriatic Clean Hydrogen Investment Platform (open call for third parties)
Next submission deadline: 2026-11-09T17:00:00.000Z (UTC)
Budget: €560
Applications are submitted through the EU Funding & Tenders portal. Open to applicants from Cyprus as an EU member state, subject to each call's eligibility conditions.

Activities that can be funded 
 Activities need to be coherent with EU priorities defined by the I3 call and must contribute to NACHIP objectives.
 In line with the objectives of the I3 Programme, the Financial support in the NACHIP will be used for testing, validation, and demonstration of solutions in the field of hydrogen technologies and integration into real-world applications.
 Three main areas of intervention have been identified for the sub-projects funded with the FSTP :
 Input : innovative chemicals/materials for the NACHIP pilot testing
 Process : solutions to optimize hydrogen-related processes used in the NACHIP pilots
 Output : applications of new technologies complementing the NACHIP value chains: mobility, urban, and manufacturing sectors
 Sub-project proposed in these three main areas may focus on (non-exhaustive list):
 Prototype development : demonstrating the feasibility of proposed hydrogen technologies.
 Integration into existing infrastructure : scaling the technology for real-world applications.
 Innovation : novel solutions related to hydrogen energy storage, transport, or utilization.
 A non-exhaustive list of potential activities that can be included in the sub-projects presented by the FSTP beneficiaries is reported in the following:
 trial and testing activities;
 market analysis linked;
 the acquisition and testing of materials;
 integration in the pilots of the SME’s solutions, demonstration in real/operational environment, small and/or medium scale;
 exploitation activities in new application sectors (cross-fertilisation);
 Please to know better on activities that can be funded, check the Technical annex on the main web page. 

 Only SMEs established in the following regions are eligible:
 Slovenia : Vzhodna Slovenija; Zahodna Slovenija
 Croatia : Jadranska Hrvatska; Panonska Hrvatska; Sjeverna Hratska;
 Italy : Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio; Umbria; Veneto; Sardegna; Sicilia; Calabria; Basilicata; Puglia; Campania; Molise;
 Portugal : Norte; Centro; Oeste e Vale do Tejo; Alentej; Acores; Madeira;
 Spain : Andalucia; Extremadura; Castilla-la Mancha
 Belgium: Walon
 France: Guyane; Mayotte; Réunion; Guadalupe Martinique;
 Greece: Kriti; Peloponnisos; Dytiki Ellada; Ionia Nisia; Sterea Ellada;Thessalia; Ipeiros; Dytiki Makedonia; Kentriki Mkedonia; Anatoliki Makedonia Thraki; Voreio Aigaio;
 Bulgaria: Yuzhen tsentralen; Yugoiztochen;Severoiztochen; Severen tsentralen; Severozapaden;
 Romania: Sud-Vest Oltenia; Sud-Muntenia; Sud-Est; Centru; Vest; Nord-Vest; Nord-Est;
 Hungary: Dél-Dunantul; Dél-Alfold; Eszak-Aldold; Eszak-Magyarorszag; Pest; Budapest; Kozep-Dunantul;Nyugat-Dunantul;
 Slovakia: Vychodne Slovensko; Stredné Slovensko; Zapadné Slovensko;
 Poland: Podkarpackie; Malopolskie; Slaskie; Opolskie; Lubelskie; Mazowiecki regionalny; Podlaskie; Warminsko-mazurskie; Kujawsko-pomorskie; Pomorskie; Zachodniopomorskie; Lubuskie; Lodzkie;
 Czechia: Moravskoslezsko; Stredni Morava; Severovychod; Severozapad;
 Lithuania: Vudurio ir vakaru Lietuvos regionas;
 Latvia: Latvia;
 Applications can be submitted by SMEs individually or in consortia of up to 3 members.

 About NACHIP 
 The NACHIP is an I3 project financed under the Interregional Innovation Investments call I3-2023-INV2a , which aims to accelerate innovation related to the North Adriatic Hydrogen Ecosystem (NAHV), with a focus on investments in hydrogen technologies. The goal is to strengthen the integration of hydrogen technologies into the ecosystem, boosting sustainability and enhancing the development of the hydrogen market. This project targets three main value chains (manufacturing, urban areas, and mobility) through five pilot actions:
 1. Green hydrogen production from wave energy – Pag, Croatia 
 This pilot explores the production of green hydrogen with a novel technology that captures wave energy through a system of underwater devices installed beneath the sea surface. The pilot will also feature the application of multifunctional breakwater technology, being deployed for the first time in Europe.
 2. Hydrogen use in urban Areas – Velenje, Slovenia 
 This pilot aims to establish a system for decentralized supply of energy from onsite renewables to be developed, operated and validated on a public building. The pilot focuses on integrating clean technologies through sector coupling (electricity, heat and hydrogen), supporting the transformation of the district heating system as coal is phased out (Just Transition).. Supporting activities will include the formation of a “local hydrogen alliance” pursuing the efficient utilization of renewable hydrogen within an environmentally sustainable and economically viable model.
 3. Dynamic Hydrogen Releasers – Torviscosa, Italy 
 This pilot develops and demonstrates Dynamic Hydrogen Releasers (DHR), based on Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) technology. This innovation supports safe and efficient transport, storage, and on-demand release of hydrogen, contributing to Europe’s green mobility and industrial decarbonisation strategies. Throughout the development phase, this pilot needs to define the technical requirements and dimensions of the DHR units . 
 4. Cost-efficient hydrogen transportation cylinders – Udine, Italy 
 This pilot develops composite designs for cost-efficient hydrogen transportation cylinders. The focus is on improving vessel designs to enhance the mobility of energy storage, reducing costs while ensuring the safe and efficient transport of compressed hydrogen.
 5. Gasification plant for waste materials – Zagreb, Croatia 
 This pilot focuses on developing a prototype gasification plant for waste materials. The universal gasification system is designed to process municipal solid waste (MSW) and convert it into valuable products such as synthesis gas (syngas) and charred residue (ash), which can be further used.
 Objectives financial support to third parties (FSTP) in NACHIP 
 Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP), also referred to as cascade funding, is a mechanism of the European Commission designed to distribute public funding to either increase uptake of innovations on the side of recipients such as Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) or to support project implementation in addressing specific challenges and advancements towards key objectives.
 Under NACHIP, FSTP enables targeted support to companies proposing hydrogen-based solutions at a TRL>7, connected to pilot projects that can be validated and deployed in real life settings. The mechanism ensures fast access to funding, reduced administrative burden and a competitive, transparent selection process.
 The FSTP reinforces NACHIP demonstration activities through the following specific objectives: 
 enabling market adoption of hydrogen-related technologies, products and services developed within Nachip’s pilots, combining different Key Enabling Technologies;
 fostering new technological solutions driven by SMEs.
 More in particular, the FSTP under the NACHIP project will:
 1.enable testing, validation and demonstration of hydrogen technologies in real-life environments through NACHIP pilot sites (specific to the NACHIP);
 2.support TRL advancement of innovative solutions toward market readiness [1] ;
 3.accelerate commercial deployment and exploitation of hydrogen innovations, including cross-border business opportunities;
 4.address technical bottlenecks and integration challenges in the hydrogen value chain, completing the value chains of the companies belonging to the NACHIP consortium;
 5.strengthen safety, standardization and regulatory compliance of hydrogen technologies;
 6.promote cross-sectoral replication and interoperability to enable wider adoption across industries;
 7.contribute to the investment portfolio and key performance indicators (KPIs) of the project.
 Applicants can submit proposal through the NACHIP website https://www.nachip.eu 
 All applications must be filled and submitted in English language. 
 The evalu

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