EU ‘Battery Booster’ funding applications now open

The EU Commission has published a call for proposals to receive interest-free loans of up to €1.5 billion to support battery cell production projects.

In June, the European Commission approved the ‘Battery Booster Facility’ following an earlier delay. The funding call has now been published, with applications open until 30 September 2026.

Under the programme, interest-free loans totalling up to €1.5 billion will be made available to support projects for battery cell production across the European Economic Area (EEA).

Projects must focus on producing battery cells suitable for use in electric vehicles. Additionally, at the time of application, projects must be in the start-up phase, represent the applicant’s first global large-scale commercial battery cell production initiative for electric vehicles, and have a planned annual production capacity of at least 10 gigawatt-hours.

Successful applicants can receive interest-free loans covering up to 60 per cent of eligible costs, with a maximum of €500 million per project. Given the highly specific requirements, the cell factories currently being ramped up by ACC (backed by Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, and TotalEnergies), Verkor (among others, Renault), and PowerCo (VW Group) are likely to qualify.