8th Energy Research Programme (8. Energieforschungsprogramm)
Funds German teams solving energy missions in hydrogen, heat, power, and systems integration.
The 8. Energieforschungsprogramm is Germany's current federal framework for applied energy research under the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. It is administered by Projektträger Jülich and is designed for practice-oriented, market-focused work with direct economic relevance. In 2024 it disbursed 623 million euros across 5,289 projects, including 79.5 million euros for SMEs. The program is organized around five missions: resilient energy systems, climate-neutral heat, renewable electricity, sustainable hydrogen, and faster transfer into practice. Funding comes through project grants, real-world laboratories that test technologies under industrial conditions, and shorter microprojects that speed learning cycles. Specific award levels are set in the relevant call notices rather than in one standing cap. The strongest applicants are interdisciplinary teams that can connect universities, research institutions, and companies around a concrete technical problem with milestones. The program rewards projects that can move from research to deployment, especially when the proposal shows how the work will travel into industry, public infrastructure, or other applied settings.
Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.