EIB Info Day – 24 March, Budapest

A dedicated Innovation Fund Project Development Assistance (PDA) Information Session focusing on innovative decarbonisation projects will be held on 24 March, organised by the European Investment Bank, the Hungarian Development Bank and the Hungarian Innovation Agency. 

The event will take place on 24 March 2026 between 9:30 -12:00 in the Kupola Hall of the headquarters of the Hungarian Development Bank (1051 Budapest, Nádor u. 31).

The objective of this session is to provide practical and up-to-date information on the support provided by the EIB in the context of the EU Innovation Fund, one of the world’s largest funding programmes supporting the deployment of innovative low-carbon technologies.

The Innovation Fund offers grant financing for large-scale innovative projects, particularly those contributing to greenhouse gas emission reductions and the EU’s decarbonisation objectives. The European Investment Bank (EIB), under an agreement with the European Commission, provides free financial and technical assistance to support project preparation and help companies become eligible for Innovation Fund grants.

There is no strict sectoral preference; however, projects must meet the Innovation Fund eligibility criteria, including:

• Minimum CAPEX of EUR 2.5 million
• Project location in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Norway
• Innovative solutions with a realistic pathway to demonstration or pre-commercial deployment
• Significant greenhouse gas emission reduction potential
• Replicability and scalability
• Credible prospects of achieving financial breakeven within four years from grant preparation

Eligible sectors include:

• Renewable energy
• Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)
• Energy-intensive industries (innovative low-carbon technologies and processes)
• Energy storage
• Net-zero and low-carbon mobility (maritime, aviation, rail and road)
• Buildings (as defined in Annex I and Annex III of Directive 2003/87/EC – EU ETS)

The Innovation Fund typically targets projects at TRL (Technology Readiness Level) demonstration level and above, progressing towards commercial deployment. Pilot projects may be considered at slightly lower TRLs, provided they are beyond early-stage research and close to industrial validation.

Preliminary Agenda

• Welcome and opening remarks
• Overview of the Innovation Fund Calls
• EIB advisory support for project preparation
• Practical guidance and next steps
• Q&A session

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required due to limited capacity. The presentations will be held in English, it will be a hybrid event and registration is open until 19 March on the following link: EIB Info Day – Registration Form

It is also possible to have a one-on-one meeting with the experts of the EIB in order to explore further co-operation possibilities. On-site participants will also have an opportunity for networking before the event, starting from 9:00 and after the event as well.

We encourage companies with innovative, scalable decarbonisation projects to attend and explore how the Innovation Fund and EIB advisory support can help bring their projects to the next stage.

Source: MFB