I3FLOAT 1st open call

Objectif

The I3FLOAT 1st Open Call supports SMEs in developing innovative technological solutions that contribute to strengthening the European floating offshore wind value chain and accelerating the transition of promising technologies towards market deployment.

Through this call, I3FLOAT will provide financial support to projects addressing key technological and industrial challenges identified in collaboration with floating offshore wind stakeholders across Europe.

The 1st Open Call will support projects addressing two complementary types of challenges:

Specific Challenges, based on concrete technological needs identified by I3FLOAT Challenge Owners:
- Compact pull-in head for pre-terminated dynamic power cables 66kV & 132kV — Challenge Owner: Aventa
- Smart Offshore Gateway for Real-Time Subsea Monitoring in Floating Wind Operations — Challenge Owner: CoreMarine
- Storm-resilient drones for real time subsea inspection of floating windfarms — Challenge Owner: EDF power solutions
- Monitoring of Dynamic Performance of Offshore Wind Turbine Blades using LiDAR-Based Systems — Challenge Owner: EnerOcean
- Single-pass welding outside for local FOWT serial assembly — Challenge Owner: Eolink
- Lifting solution enabling to perform full erection of wind turbine generators (WTGs) at Port quayside — Challenge Owner: GEODIS
- Cost-optimised hybrid mooring systems — Challenge Owner: Iberdrola
- Logistics optimization in the transport of offshore wind structures — Challenge Owner: Navantia Seanergies
- Instrumentation for coexistence between Offshore Wind Farms and Fishing Activities on French coastlines— Challenge Owner: Qair
- Development and assessment validation of Load Reduction Devices applied to mooring lines in floating offshore wind systems, aimed at reducing dynamic loads and improving fatigue life and system reliability — Challenge Owner: Saitec & Saitec Offshore Technologies
- Floating Layout Optimization for Wind — Challenge Owner: TETRACE

Open Challenges, which allow SMEs to propose solutions addressing the prioritised innovation lines identified through the Floating Offshore Wind Strategic Innovation Agenda, which is available for download in the Results & Resources section of the I3FLOAT website.

Critères d'éligibilité

Applicants must meet the geographical eligibility requirements of the call. SMEs are eligible if they have their headquarters or an affiliated entity in an eligible I3FLOAT region (including Île-de-France region), are members of an I3FLOAT cluster partner by June 2026, or are established in an eligible Less Developed Region (LDR), Outermost Region or Overseas Region, as defined in the Submission Toolkit.

Applications may be submitted by one SME individually or by two SMEs collaborating from eligible regions. Each application must address one — and only one — of the 11 Specific Challenges or 44 Open Challenges identified by I3FLOAT.

Technologies clés

All challenges and related technologies are described p.25 to p.30 of the submission toolkit: https://claner.es/i3float/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/I3FLOAT_Open-Call-Submission-toolkit_FV-1.pdf

Typologie de consortium

The support scheme aims to fund projects that are relatively close to commercialisation. The expected current TRLs for projects funded under the support scheme are TRL 6-8. Funded projects’ duration will be a maximum of 12 months.

Each applicant can request a maximum of € 60,000. As an application can bring up to two applicants from two different regions in collaboration, the maximum budget for each project application can be € 120,000.

In addition to the financial support, funded SMEs will also benefit from additional services offered by the clusters involved in I3FLOAT. They aim to support SMEs in strengthening their market readiness and accelerate the uptake of innovation across Europe. These services preliminarily are:
• Networking & Scale-Up Support: Market studies, networking missions, participation in offshore wind events;
• Financial Advisory Services: Identification of EU/national funding, access to investors, integration with business plans;
• Valorisation Services: 1-on-1 coaching, business model development, IP and stakeholder mapping, communication and pitching training.