NWO, together with Battery Competence Cluster NL (BCC-NL), is making nearly 14.5 million euros available. Researchers and companies are allowed to submit a joint proposal for research into battery recycling, the development of sodium-ion batteries, and bulk batteries. This call arises from the National Growth Fund program Material Independence & Circular Batteries.
Batteries play an increasingly important role in the energy transition, for example for electric transport. Batteries are also indispensable for storing sustainable energy from solar and wind. This makes green electricity available at more times, and reduces CO2 emissions.
The central goal of this call is to stimulate fundamental research that contributes to circular battery technology—an essential link in the energy transition and long-term economic earning capacity. The focus is on reducing dependence on critical raw materials, minimizing environmental impact, and improving recyclability, while simultaneously creating new economic opportunities in the Dutch battery sector. Within this call, there are three program lines:
- Recovery of materials from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
- Development of sodium-ion batteries.
- Development of bulk battery technologies suitable for Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES).
One application will be awarded per program line.
Collaboration in Consortia
To ensure a good execution of this call, researchers from different disciplines must collaborate, and the involvement of societal partners and companies is also necessary. By combining fundamental and practice-oriented research, the greatest impact is achieved. To form a strong consortium, NWO is organizing a workshop on May 21, 2025. This workshop is mandatory for the main applicant and strongly recommended for co-applicants and collaboration partners. Please register by May 15 via the meeting link below.
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Register for the meetings surrounding this Call
Budget & Timeline
The total available amount for this call is €14,440,000. The budgets per program line are as follows:
- Program line 1: € 1,440,000
- Program line 2: € 8,000,000
- Program line 3: € 5,000,000
Timeline
- April 14, 2025: online information meeting
- May 15, 2025: deadline for registration for workshop
- May 21, 2025: workshop for consortium formation
- September 16, 2025 14:00 CEST: deadline for submitting applications
About the National Growth Fund Program Material Independence & Circular Batteries
This call for proposals is part of the National Growth Fund project Material Independence & Circular Batteries. This project is carried out by the Battery Competence Cluster - NL (BCC-NL). BCC-NL is the cluster organization that formulates and implements the Dutch battery strategy and innovation programs to develop and grow the Dutch battery value chain. The public-private partnership enables companies, knowledge institutions, and (public) organizations to develop the necessary knowledge and competencies in battery technology, and brings together the Dutch battery, high-tech, chemistry, mobility, and energy industries.. In 2023, the proposal for Material Independence & Circular Batteries received an allocation of nearly 158 million euros from the National Growth Fund.
Programs for the National Growth Fund
NWO executes thematic programs for research, knowledge development, and innovation funded by the National Growth Fund. The results of these programs are applicable in innovations and organizations, thus contributing to the sustainable earning capacity and broad prosperity of the Netherlands. In the programs, parties from the entire knowledge chain collaborate, both public and private.