MOOI grant scheme for innovations reopens

MOOI: what was it again?

MOOI (in Dutch: Missiegedreven Onderzoek, Ontwikkeling en Innovatie) is a grant scheme for mission-driven research, development and innovation in the Netherlands. In short, the grant is intended for projects that:

• aim at innovations as mentioned in the MOOI themes and missions (see below);
• consist of industrial research and experimental development (R&D);
• are carried out by a partnership of at least three (unrelated) companies;
• have a financial volume of at least 2 million euros.

The MOOI grant scheme is looking for promising new innovations that offer good opportunities but are not yet ready for a market launch. However, the intended innovation must be able to lead to a first application/demonstration in a practical environment within 5 years (sometimes 10 years). Another characteristic of the MOOI scheme is its emphasis on the integral approach in the search for an optimal solution/innovation. For that reason, the grant cannot be applied for in respect of R&D projects by individual companies. Furthermore, the grant is not intended for pilot and demonstration projects (see the DEI+ grant in Dutch). And for projects that emphasise ‘cost price reduction’, it is often better to apply for the HER+ grant.

The MOOI innovation themes

In 2022, the MOOI grant scheme focuses on three thematic ‘missions’ (or sectors). These are:

Mission A: Electricity. For this MOOI component, R&D projects are sought that focus on new innovations for wind and solar energy. The innovation themes for this mission are:

• Innovations as an integral part of wind energy areas at sea (including wind turbines).
• Innovations for floating solar parks on the North Sea (robust and with optimal lifespan).
• Innovations as an integral part of renewable electricity production parks on land or inland water (solar power and/or wind turbines).
• Innovations as an integral part of renewable electricity production on large roof structures or infrastructure (such as noise barriers).

Mission B: Built Environment. Through this component, grants are possible for R&D projects aiming at new innovations that fit within the following innovation themes:

• No-regret renovation propositions for homes, offices, business premises (non-industrial), educational buildings, sports facilities and health care properties. These include a combination of structural insulation, technical solutions (air conditioning/ventilation) and hot water supply that is optimally integrated into the local energy system.
• Sustainable collective heat supply (on the basis of fully electric, hybrid or with a very low, low or medium temperature heat network) for residential districts, business parks, office or shopping areas.

Mission C: Industry. This section is specifically about the industrial sector, and focuses on electrification of the heat demand and the use of circular raw materials. The innovation themes here are:

• Process innovation through electrification of high temperature heat (in the steel, chemical, glass and ceramics industries) and electrification of low temperature heat (for drying and dewatering, in the food and paper industries).
• Production of sustainable and circular bulk and platform chemicals. This concerns innovations regarding the production and (re)use of CO₂-neutral chemicals based on circular and/or biobased raw materials (such as methanol, ethanol and organic acids, aromatics and lower olefins).

Grant amounts, budget and application round

A MOOI grant can amount to up to 4 million euros for projects within the themes of Electricity and Industry, and even up to 7 million euros for projects within the theme of Built Environment. The 2022 application round will have a budget of over 66 million euros (21 million euros for Electricity, 21 million euros for Industry and 24.4 million euros for Built Environment).

The application round will run from 1 July to 6 September 2022. This may seem far away, but MOOI is a complex scheme that requires timely preparations. We offer a few tips and tricks:

• Insiders expect around 75 grant applications (and around 20 actual grants) for the MOOI grant round in 2022.
• Applying for a MOOI grant is only possible after a compulsory ‘pre-notification’ (possible from 1 to 19 April 2022).
• Interested parties who are considering a MOOI cooperation project can get in touch with our experts at an earlier stage. Based on their experience with previous MOOI grant rounds, they can provide sound practical advice on your plans, how to set up a strong consortium, and how to draw up an optimal grant application.