LEAP-SE COFUND

General Information on the call

Sustainable Energy (SE) development is essential for Africa and Europe’s green energy transition in order to tackle the global challenge of climate change. Providing reliable and clean energy access to millions of people worldwide is necessary. To this end, the Long-Term Joint EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership on Sustainable Energy (LEAP-SE) program co-funded by the European Commission (EC) under Horizon Europe aims at developing a long-term partnership between Europe and Africa on Research and Innovation (R&I) on sustainable energy. This partnership is set within the framework of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy (CCSE) partnership of the AU-EU High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on Science, Technology and Innovation.

LEAP-SE is a six-year program conducted by a consortium of about 22 partners from European and African countries. The program’s budget is around 30 million €, including 10 million € from the EC. This partnership is based on the achievements of previous programs, such as the LEAP-RE program.

LEAP-SE consortium members are launching in 2025 the first edition of a transnational joint Call for proposals co-funded by European and African national/regional research funding agencies (members of LEAP-SE consortium), with additional EC contribution (a second call is planned for 2026). The selected projects will focus on achieving goals of mutual benefit based on a balanced and cooperative approach. Particular attention will be given to strengthening the impact of R&I-supported activities for the well-being of society in Europe and  Africa.

The total indicative budget for this 2025 call is around  10 million €, provided by funding organizations + 3.5 million € from the EC’s contribution.

Each project consortium that applies for funding must consist of at least two independent legal entities from two different European Union Member States or Horizon Europe-associated countries and another two independent legal entities from two countries in the African Union.

Each consortium must include at least one partner from the institutional research sector (academic, public research centre, non-profit organisation, etc.) and one partner from a commercial company coming from participating countries.

Detailed eligibility criteria are available in section 7 of the Call text.

The range of activities recommended for collaboration under LEAP-SE will focus on 7 identified multi-annual roadmaps presented in the Call and also on the LEAP-RE thematic priorities:

• Assessment of Renewable Energy Sources and integration of RES in sustainable energy scenarios;
• End-of-life and second‐life management and environmental impact of RE components;
• Smart stand‐alone systems;
• Smart grid (different scales) for off grid application;
• Processes and appliances for productive uses (agriculture, mobility and industry);
• Innovative solutions for priority domestic uses (clean cooking and cold chain);
• Production and utilization of Green Hydrogen.

The LEAP-SE Joint Call 2025 will fund basic research, applied research and experimental development projects that are 12-36 months long. However, applicants should be aware that each funding agency participating to the Call will apply its own rules and regulations regarding eligibility and criteria (nationality, thematic, nature of project, TRL, rate of subsidy, etc.).

Call calendar

Call documents

• LEAP-SE call 2025
• LEAP-SE submission guidelines
• LEAP-SE pre-proposal Template
• LEAP-SE applicant CV template
• LEAP-SE financial document
• National and regional funding requirements

Submit your proposal with the Electronic Submission System

Inquiries

   For all general inquiries contact (including technical question regarding the submission website): projects.leap-se@agencerecherche.fr

For questions about the national/regional funding regulations: contact your national contact person (table 1 and on the National/regional funding requirements of the Call text)

Project call presentation/webinar

Three webinars of Call presentations will be held in three languages, French, English and Portuguese for all interested participants.

Register here to the LEAP-SE Cofund Presentation (This session will be held in French), organised on January 20th 2025, at 10:30 CET

Register here to the LEAP-SE Cofund Presentation (This session will be held in English), organised on January 21st 2025, at 10:00 CET

Registe-se aqui para a apresentação da LEAP-SE (esta sessão será em Português), organizada em 22 de janeiro 2025, 11:00 CET

All online events will take place on the LEAP-RE Platform.

Partner Search – Find a partner for your consortium

Please go to the matchmaking platform on leap-re.app.

Funding Organisations

Indicative list of funding organisations participating to the 2025 Call (subject to updating)

	Country	Funding Organisations and Contact person(s)
AFRICA	Algeria		MESRS : Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique
	Egypt		STDF:  Science, Technology & Innovation Funding Authority
	Morocco		MESRSI : Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research
			IRESEN: Institut de Recherche en Énergie Solaire et Énergies Nouvelles
	Senegal		MINRESI : Ministère de l’enseignement supérieur, de la recherche et de l’innovation
	South Africa		NRF: National Research Foundation
			DSTI: Department of Science and Innovation
	Tunisia		MHESR :  Ministry of Higher Education and   Scientific Research
	African partners without funding organisations		LGI: LGI Sustainable innovation
EUROPE	Austria		FFG:Osterreichische Forschungsforderungsgesellschaft Mbh
	Belgium		F.R.S-FNRS: Fund for Scientific Research
	France		ANR: Agence Nationale de la Recherche
			ARI : Agence Régionale de l’Innovation
	Italy		MUR:  Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca
	Germany		JUELICH-Ptj: Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
	Portugal		FCT: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
	Romania		UEFISCDI: Research, Development and Innovation Funding
	Türkiye		TUBITAK: The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye