Innovation Fund — IF26 Hydrogen Auction, the fourth auction of the European Hydrogen Bank

No. As of 26 September 2026, the IF26 auction was not open. The European Commission has announced the launch for December 2026, and the submission deadline will be set in the call documents.

Support is paid as a fixed premium in euro for each kilogram of hydrogen produced, verified and certified. Payments are made every six months after entry into operation, for a maximum of 10 years. No advance is paid for the investment, and each winner is paid at the price it bid ("pay-as-bid").

According to the draft terms, at least 5 MWe of newly installed electrolysers are required, located at a single site. Capacities at several sites cannot be added together, because virtual aggregation is not permitted.

An electricity supply strategy is required for 100% of the hydrogen volumes bid. For at least 60% of the energy required, signed pre-contracts are needed, which must be no more than a year old. The performance guarantee is 8% of the maximum grant and must be issued by an EEA bank with a minimum BBB- rating. A letter of intent from the bank is required at submission.

The draft terms provide that at least 75% of the electrolysers must come from a country other than China. For these electrolysers, the stacks cannot be of Chinese origin and at most two of the other main components may come from China. A cybersecurity plan and compliance with the DNSH principle are also required.

Yes. Projects located in any country of the European Economic Area, including Romania, can take part, and consortium members may come from any country. The official documents consulted do not mention a national contribution from Romania through the "Auctions-as-a-Service" mechanism.

It depends on the complexity of the project and the documents you already have. The first step is the eligibility analysis, which tells you what needs to be prepared.

We tell you before any contract is signed, and if another suitable programme exists, we point you to it.