Finding Funding 01: Match your sustainability and innovation projects with the right funding opportunities

Funding can change the game for sustainability projects and the communities they influence, especially where innovation is involved and tangible results can be produced.

But with hundreds of funding opportunities available at local and international levels, and new ones being announced all the time, how do you know which ones to pursue?

That’s the question we'll seek to answer in this first article in our Finding Funding series. We'll cover:

what's keeping organisations from securing sustainability funding;
how to pinpoint the best opportunities and identify the optimal funding strategy; and
how to transform innovative ideas into fundable projects by aligning them with donors’ priorities.

What's keeping organisations from securing funding for sustainability projects?

For many, it’s overwhelm. Ideas for high-potential sustainability projects are common, and opportunities are announced by funding entities all the time, but:

it can be hard to spot open and forthcoming calls for funding;
it is difficult to form a quick understanding of the suitability of an opportunity for a project's specific stage of maturity, whether that is proof of concept, demonstration, deployment, or market uptake;
not all entities offering funding will match well with a project or investment profile;
projects involving higher levels of funding often require an upfront assessment of the business case in relation to a specific funding mechanism;
the application process is competitive and frequently requires the establishment of a strong partnership; and
resources should only be spent on opportunities that offer a project a credible pathway to funding access and strategic value.

For these reasons, holdups often happen at the opportunity scouting stage, as teams spend time deliberating. Sometimes this means deadlines pass, and sometimes the process isn't started at all.

Clearly, securing funding would be easier if there was a simple way to match each project with the appropriate funding entity.

So, how can you find the right funding opportunity for your sustainability project?

Our team has been supporting clients with the funding process for years now, combining specialist funding expertise with practical sustainability capabilities. Here's what we advise, based on our experience:

1. Establish clear priorities

Before reviewing funding opportunities, it’s important to understand what success looks like for your specific organisation and project. Consider:

your investment priorities;
the project's intended outcomes; and
the impact you're looking to achieve.

Establishing these priorities early helps you to focus on project ideas with strong potential alignment to public funding programmes and their underlying objectives. It also helps you avoid wasting time on funding measures that are unlikely to support your intended outcomes.

2. Gain early visibility of opportunities

The earlier you become aware of relevant funding calls, the more time you have to evaluate them properly and prepare a strong response.

For the broadest visibility possible, it might be worth bringing a partner on board. BIP.Verco’s Funding Compass service, for example, allows you to:

tap into our constantly-monitored network of opportunities;
get updated whenever a relevant topic comes up; and
surface open and forthcoming calls before deadlines become a constraint.

We do the hard work so you can focus on making a list of opportunities to consider.

3. Assess the fit of each opportunity

Once you have a list of opportunities to consider, look at each option and ask:

Does this align with our project objectives?
Is our project eligible? Does it meet the requirements?
What gaps need to be addressed to make the initiative competitive and aligned with the evaluation criteria and the expected results?
Can we meet the deadlines without too much time pressure?
Can we allocate the necessary resources to this?

A robust assessment allows you to narrow down your options to a shortlist.

4. Prioritise the strongest opportunities and define a strategic roadmap

Once you have a shortlist of options, the next step is to prioritise them. Go back to the priorities established in step one and find the funding measures on your shortlist with incentives that best match them.

The idea is to narrow your list to one or two top candidates. This lets you focus your proposal development efforts on the strongest routes, maximising your chances of success. Alternatively, your strategy might be to mix or integrate multiple funding options to support a specific implementation phase of a wider project.

Either way, a clear roadmap is needed, detailing:

the project concept development;
defining actions;
timing for fulfilling possible gaps; and
the plan for securing partners.

This is a key part of the decision-making required for an application pathway.

How can BIP.Verco help sustainability and R&D teams match projects with funding opportunities?

BIP.Verco’s Funding Compass monitors 600+ funding entities globally. So far, we've supported clients with 130+ successful funding applications and helped them secure €5bn+ in funding.

We support you in defining the most appropriate funding strategy by:

identifying and prioritising funding mechanisms (grants, mixed, and incentives) that fit your projects best;
helping you prioritise time and effort based on where funding potential is highest; and
building confidence in your funding decisions through concise intelligence and practical forward planning.

Browse our public funding and blended finance services

An example of a funding programme we monitor: Horizon Europe

Below are a series of opportunities offered by the Horizon Europe funding programme for Research and Innovation, identified by the BIP.Verco Funding Compass.

Efficient Energy Input from Renewable Sources and Energy Management in the Process Industries

Opening date: 13/10/2026

This opportunity aims to reduce industrial CO₂ emissions by at least 20% through technological innovation.

Eligible projects will demonstrate breakthrough solutions for renewable energy integration, electrification, advanced energy storage and smart energy management.

Industry, technology providers, and research organisations are expected to demonstrate innovative solutions in real industrial environments, targeting significant GHG emission reductions while ensuring operational and economic viability.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability of AI Data Processing in Data Centres

Planned opening date: 17/11/2026

This is a valuable opportunity for data centre operators, cloud and AI providers, energy solution companies, technology developers, research organisations, and other industrial stakeholders committed to shaping the future of sustainable AI in Europe.

Proposals should be developed by international consortia comprising partners from at least three eligible countries. These should combine expertise across industry, technology, and research.

Large scale operational validation and upscaling of state-of-the-art (Generative) AI tools and models powering a next generation digital energy system

Planned opening date: 03/12/2026

AI is set to play a pivotal role in Europe’s transition towards a next-generation digital energy system, helping improve grid resilience, flexibility, efficiency, and renewable energy integration. To support this ambition, this opportunity will back the validation and large-scale demonstrations of advanced (Generative) AI solutions for real-time grid monitoring, forecasting, balancing, market operations and consumer empowerment.

The topic calls for strong multidisciplinary consortia bringing together energy stakeholders, technology providers, AI experts, research organisations, and infrastructure operators. The aim is to demonstrate scalable solutions in real-world environments.

Enhancing ecodesign and circularity of construction

Planned opening date: 20/04/2027

This opportunity is for stakeholders across the construction value chain (including material manufacturers, construction companies, recycling operators, research organisations, public authorities, and property managers).

Sucessful projects will be able to develop and validate circular solutions which can reduce resource consumption, waste generation, and GHG emissions associated with buildings and infrastructure.

These are just a few of the opportunities available – for a more expansive, tailored review of them, get in touch about our services.