EKOO — Energy and Climate R&D (Topsector Energie)

EKOO Topsector Energie R&D (Multi-Instrument)

Funds Dutch energy partnerships through EKOO with mixed instruments supporting practical collaboration between industry and policy actors.

EKOO (Energie en Klimaat Onderzoek en Ontwikkeling) is the primary R&D subsidy programme of the Dutch Topsector Energie umbrella, administered by RVO on behalf of the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The programme funds cooperative research and development projects across six active theme streams — Electricity, Biobased Circular, Industry, Built Environment, Circular Plastics, and Circular Economy — each with independent application windows throughout the year. All sub-instruments require multi-party collaboration; solo applicants are ineligible. Market deployment targets run from 2029 to 2035 depending on the instrument.

In 2026, the Electricity stream ran April 22 to May 28 and the Biobased Circular Round 2 window is open May 18 to August 20. The Industry stream ran April 1 to May 13 and is temporarily closed; Built Environment, Circular Plastics, and Circular Economy windows are yet to be announced. Award amounts and subsidy rates are not published on the programme landing page and vary by sub-instrument. There are no stated TRL gates, company-age restrictions, or minimum team sizes beyond the cooperation requirement of at least two independent organisations.

Applicants targeting EKOO should identify which sub-instrument aligns with their technology area and monitor RVO's subsidy calendar for window announcements, as individual streams open and close on separate schedules. The programme sits within a broader Topsector Energie governance family that also includes DEI+ (demonstration projects), MOOI (mission-driven consortia), and STUDI (industrial studies). Preparing a consortium before the window opens is essential, as timelines between announcement and closing can be short.