Frequently asked questions about Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) for Norwegian applicants

The CETP Joint Call 2025 is available at the CETP webpage, and it is also published at the RCN call for proposals webpage. 

CETP is an international research and innovation program that will finance research and innovation needed for sustainable energy transition. CETP has annual joint calls for applications, and Norwegian actors can participate in applications together with actors from other countries. Applications must have partners from at least three of the countries participating in CETP joint calls.

Go directly to questions about

• Two project types are possible
• General project information
• Partners in the project
• Budget
• Submission of applications
• Evaluation procedure

Two project types are possible

What is the difference between an innovation project (IPN) and a competence project?

Norwegian sub-projects in a CETP application must either be an Innovation Project (IPN) or a Competence Project. Innovation Project (IPN) is for R&D projects led by the companies themselves.

In a Competence Project, research organisations work together with industry to develop new knowledge and build research competence that society and/or industry need to meet important societal challenges.

How to define if the project is KSP or IPN?

• IPN (Innovasjonsprosjekt i næringslivet / Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector): These are R&D projects led by companies. The focus is on innovation and development that directly benefits the participating businesses. Projects might have academical partners.
• KSP (Kompetanse- og samarbeidsprosjekt / Knowledge-building Project): These are research-driven projects led by research organisations, in close collaboration with industry. The aim is to develop new knowledge and build research competence that society and/or industry needs to address major societal challenges.

Can TRL 5–6 be in KSP?

Yes, TRL 5–6 can be part of a KSP, as long as the project’s overall structure and objectives align with the KSP framework. The TRL level should reflect the research and competence-building nature of the work.

General project information

Can one include cases with a higher TRL from other countries even if the Norwegian case is TRL 6 or less?

Yes, it is possible to include cases with a higher Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from other countries in a CETP project, even if the Norwegian case is TRL6 or below. This flexibility allows for strategic collaboration where Norwegian research and innovation can benefit from more mature technologies abroad, while still complying with national funding rules.

In there extra support available for being a coordinator?

If you decide to be the coordinator of international project, you include all relevant costs when you set up the budget. You include the coordinator costs in the general budget. There is no designated/extra funding for only coordination. 

Where can we find an overview of which countries support which projects?

On the CETP website, you can navigate to Joint Call > Funding Organisations and Call Modules, where you will find an overview of which countries participate in the different call modules.

Can Norwegian applicants to CETP also apply for PES funding from the Research Council of Norway?

Yes, but only if the applicant proceeds to step 2 of the CETP application process.

Partners in the project

Can countries outside CETP participate in CETP project with private funding?

Yes. A country that is not a CETP-member can participate in a project, but this country cannot apply for funding from CETP.

Partners from at least three countries

A CETP application must have partners from at least three countries participating in CETP, and there must be partners from at least two European Union or associated countries. Example: If you have a consortium of partners from Norway, USA and Canada, you don’t fulfill the requirements of the call. However, with partners with e.g. Norway, Sweden and India you then fulfill the requirements.

How many countries should be in the consortium?

Preferably more than three. If you have partners from only three countries, you might be at risk. If e.g. the partner from one of those three countries becomes ineligible, the whole application fails. If your application has four partners, where one of the partners fails, you can still proceed to the next stage, but only if the country that has failed had a minor part in the project (see call text for details). 

Does the requirement of two industry partners for knowledge building projects applies to all modules?

Yes, it does. It applies to all modules where there is Norwegian funding available. 

Do start-ups count as industrial partners? And what percentage of funding are they eligible for?

Yes, they do. As long as the companies are registered in Brønnøysund register, they count. They are eligible for maximum of 50 per cent, but State guidelines need to be fulfilled. However, Norwegian companies are eligible for funding if the Norwegian sub-project is an Innovation project for the industrial sector. If you go for the Competence-building project, it is only the academic partners that can apply for up to 100 per cent funding, and then the industrial partners need to contribute with in-kind and cannot receive funding.

Are companies eligible for financial support in any of the other partner countries?

Rules for financial support varies from country to country. All project partners need to carefully read the conditions from their own countries.

Do we need to include business partners in a competence project?

Yes. When the Norwegian team in a CETP application is organised as a competence project, there must be at least two Norwegian partners from industry or end-user organisations. These must be registered in the Brønnøysund Register Centre.

Do we need to submit Letters of Intent (LoI)?

Yes. You must submit signed LoIs from all Norwegian partners from industry and end-user organisations. Experience shows that it can take a long time to get signed LoIs in place. Therefore, start early by preparing project partners for the requirements of LoI. The LoIs must be delivered no later than 14 days after your application is submitted to CETP.

The LoIs must be sent by email to the Research Council's contact person, Aage Stangeland, ast@rcn.no. There is no template for how LoIs should be designed, but they should contain a clear description of the company's role and scope of work in the project, in addition to clear wording that they confirm their participation in the project. Make it short and clear. If LoIs are not submitted in due time, your application will be rejected.

We won't be able to get confirmation letters from business partners in due time.  Can these be submitted later?

No. LoIs must be submitted in due time. If the LoIs are missing, the application will be rejected.

How many business partners do we need to include in IPN and competence projects respectively?

In an Innovation Project, there must be at least one Norwegian business partner, and the Norwegian team must be led by a business partner. In a Competence Project, there must be at least two Norwegian business partners or other user partners.

Can business partners receive funding in Competence Projects?

No, they must cover their own costs.

Can business partners receive funding in Innovation Projects?

Yes, they can. The funding rate is up to 50 per cent. Please see the Norwegian table in Annex B to the call text for details.

What role should business partners have in a Competence Project?

Norwegian business partners must actively participate in the project. They must be responsible for at least 10 percent of the total project costs for the Norwegian team.

What role should business partners have in an Innovation Project?

A Norwegian business partner must be the leader and owner of the Norwegian activities.

Can we include partners from countries not participating in CETP?

Yes. However, partners from countries outside CETP cannot apply for funding. They must cover their own costs.

Budget

Do we budget personnel cost in RCN rates, or EU rates?

You budget with RCN-rates. 

Are there Retur-EU support for these projects?

Retur-EU applies to projects where research institutes do not receive full cost coverage. CETP is a co-financed partnership where the institutes can use the registered hourly rates, therefore the institutes have full cost coverage. Retur-EU is not relevant for CETP applications.

How do we document the budget for the Norwegian part of the project?

This should be entered into a separate Excel template and sent by email to the Research Council's contact person, Aage Stangeland, ast@rcn.no.

Here you can find the form: Template Norwegian Budget CETP Joint Call 2025.xlsx

What exchange rate should we use?

Use the official exchange rate between Norwegian kroner and euros at the same data as the deadline for submitting applications. The official rate can be found on Norges Bank's website.

Why do we need to submit the budget to the Research Council? We have to enter the budget in CETP's application portal. Isn't that enough?

The budget entered in CETP's application portal must be provided in euros. We need a budget in Norwegian kroner. When contracts with Norwegian partners in new projects are eventually signed, all amounts will be in Norwegian kroner. For both the Research Council and Norwegian applicants, it will be advantageous to operate with Norwegian kroner from the start.

Submission of applications

Do we need to submit an outline/pre-project and possibly a complete application to the Research Council?

No. The application is submitted in CETP's application portal. More information about this can be found on CETP's website.

Do we need to submit additional information to the Research Council?

Yes. The budget for all Norwegian partners and Letters of Intent (LoI) for Norwegian industry partners and end users must be sent to the contact person at the Research Council, Aage Stangeland, ast@rcn.no.

Evaluation procedure

How is the evaluation of applications carried out?

First, both CETP's administration and all national funding agencies will conduct an eligibility check to assess whether the applications meet formal requirements. Applications that meet formal requirements will then be evaluated by independent external experts. This procedure is carried out for both phase 1 ("pre-proposals") and phase 2 ("full proposals"). Finally, CETP's board decides which applications will receive support based on the ranking resulting from the evaluations.