European Joint Programme for Long term Europe-Africa Partnership on Renewable Energy
The Long-term Europe Africa Partnership on Renewable Energy (LEAP-RE) is a five-year program co-funded by the European Commission under Horizon 2020. It will aim at developing a long-term partnership between Europe and Africa on Research and Innovation (R&I) in renewable energy.
Calls supported through the programme will focus on achieving goals of mutual benefit for Member States, Associated Countries and African countries, based on a balanced and cooperative approach. Particular attention will be given to strengthening the impact of R&I supported activities for the benefit of society in Europe and in Africa.
LEAP-RE has now launched its first call for proposals addressing all aspects of the renewable energy value chain, covering energy production as well as transformation, storage and utilisation. The main topics that will be supported through the call are as follows:
Mapping joint research and innovation actions for next-step development of RES 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 and industry).
Innovative solutions for priority domestic uses (clean cooking and cold chain).
The latest start date for projects is May 2022. No project may last less than 12 months or more than 36 months. However, not all funding agencies can fund all types of research (or TRL), or for 12-36 months.
The following Funding Organisations are participating in this call, although applicants are advised to consult the call document before applying, as not all topics are supported by all Funding Organisations:
Africa
Algeria: Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS)
Egypt: Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT)
Morocco: Institut de Recherche en Energie Solaire et Energies Nouvelles (IRESEN)
Morocco: Ministère de l’Education Nationale, de la Formation Professionnelle, de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique (MENFPESRS)
South Africa: Department of Science and Innovation (DSI)
South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI)
Togo: University of Lomé
Europe
Belgium: National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS)
Finland: Academy of Finland (AKA)
France: National Research Agency (ANR)
France: Regional Agency for Development, Investment and Innovation (NEXA)
Germany: Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (Jülich)
Portugal: Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT-PT)
Romania: Executive Agency for Higher Education R&D&I (UEFISCDI)
Spain: Centre for the Development and Industrial Technology (CDTI)
UK: Loughborough University
The call is open to all actors in the renewable energy value chain, including universities, research institutes, companies, private sector, NGOs and public authorities that can contribute to the objectives of LEAP-RE. Consortia involving both academic and industrial organisations or non-governmental organisations are particularly encouraged to apply, although the appropriate national regulations governing eligibility must be consulted during the pre-proposal phase.
Each consortium must consist of research teams from a minimum of four countries from the two continents, with at least two from European countries and at least two from African countries. There is no limit to the maximum consortium size, but it should be suitable for the level and complexity of the project.
Applicants must meet their national/regional regulations, and applicants from countries with funding agencies participating in the call must first contact their country’s national contact point (NCP).
Pre-proposals should be submitted by the consortium coordinator by the 1 April 2021 (17:00 CEST) deadline.
More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.