Public datasets of technologies along the hydrogen value chain for life cycle (sustainability) assessment

The grant aims to develop and apply high-quality, openly accessible datasets (Life Cycle Inventories) covering key hydrogen (FCH) technologies and products. These datasets will support robust life cycle (sustainability) assessment and ecodesign studies, strengthen the European value chain, enhance reporting of life cycle profiles, and accelerate the mass-market adoption of sustainable hydrogen products. Projects must build at least 20 such datasets and cover environmental, and where possible, also economic and social dimensions. Results are expected to contribute to the Clean Hydrogen JU SRIA objectives for life cycle thinking tools and sustainability indicators, enabling transparent and comparable assessments and supporting circular economy and sustainable investments.

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Agency	HORIZON (EU)
Region	EU
Country	N/A
Legal form	Company, NGO, Government organization, Other
Start date	10 Feb 2026
End date	15 Apr 2026
Max funding	2,500,000 EUR
Budget	105,000,000 EUR for the 2026 Clean Hydrogen JU call
Coverage	The grant will consist of lump sum funding. Eligible costs include full capitalised costs for equipment, infrastructure, and other assets purchased specifically for the project, in accordance with Horizon Europe lump sum arrangements.

Grant application conditions

Page Limit for Proposal	Applications must adhere to a 70-page limit for Innovation Actions, as described in Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible Countries	All EU Member States and Associated Countries are eligible. For non-EU/non-Associated Countries, specific national provisions for funding may apply.
Subcontracting Restrictions	Subcontracted work may only take place in Member States of the European Union or Associated Countries.
Legal and Financial Capacity	Applicants must meet the legal and financial capacity requirements described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Consortium Composition	The consortium should include LCA/LCSA experts for FCH product systems and FCH companies relevant to data acquisition. Letters of support from OEMs should be provided at application.
Dataset Requirements	At least 20 high-quality, open-access (e.g. CC BY) datasets (LCIs) for FCH-relevant products and technologies must be developed. Inventories must adhere to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles. Datasets for environmental LCA must be ready for publication in the hydrogen node of the Life Cycle Data Network (LCDN), managed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC).
Cooperation Requirements	Cooperation with JRC and the European Hydrogen Sustainability and Circularity Panel (EHS&CP) is expected. Possible synergy with initiatives like IEA Hydrogen TCP Task 50 should be considered.
Intellectual Property and Open Data	All datasets must be open-access and freely available. Beneficiaries must notify the granting authority up to 4 years after project end if results could contribute to national or international standards.
Reporting and Documentation Standards	Documentation must include standardized data structures and modeling principles for datasets and database. Application of datasets in at least one full FCH product system using both existing and new LCIs.
Application Requirements	Letters of support from OEMs. Involvement of industrial actors for new datasets. Review and integration of data from prior JU-funded FCH projects and scientific literature.
Financial Setup	Eligible costs are in the form of lump sums as per Decision of 7 July 2021 under Horizon Europe.
Documentation	https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-05-01

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

Business exclusions

Reporting

Application process

Application requirements