MIMIT launches call for expressions of interest for the new European IPCEI on Innovative Nuclear Technologies

With just a few days to go before the enabling act on nuclear energy comes into force on 15 October 2026, the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT) has published a call for expressions of interest for participation in the IPCEI on Innovative Nuclear Technologies (IPCEI INT). The IPCEI INT is set to be one of the main European instruments supporting the development of the continent’s future nuclear sector. The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is 3 December 2026.

The initiative is part of the broader drive to revitalise the European nuclear sector. It aims to promote cutting-edge investment in technologies, products, processes and infrastructure with a high degree of innovation and significant strategic importance for the EU. Through the IPCEI framework, member states can grant state aid to projects that strengthen European industrial and technological autonomy, fostering the emergence of new value chains and high value-added expertise.

The call for proposals covers projects in the fields of advanced reactors, the nuclear fuel cycle, radioisotopes, the management and utilisation of radioactive waste, as well as innovative materials, components and services supporting the nuclear industry.

In a nutshell, proposals have to involve the development of innovative technologies that go beyond the state of the art, potential industrial validation via pilot or demonstration plants, and the subsequent industrialisation and commercialisation of the results.

One of the most interesting aspects of the initiative is the possibility to get state aid through the “funding gap” mechanism. This mechanism “allows the intensity of the aid to be tailored to the minimum necessary to make the project financially viable” in accordance with the European principles of necessity and proportionality of aid. The notice published on the MIMIT website also states that the public aid granted will be limited to covering only eligible costs, restricted to expenditure relating to Research, Development and Innovation activities and initial industrial application.

Expressions of interest must include a description of the project, its industrial and technological objectives, its contribution to European strategic objectives, and an initial estimate of the public aid required. Projects with at least EUR35 million in eligible expenditure and costs are eligible, although the European Commission has invited member states to select, save in exceptional cases, projects with a nominal request for state aid of at least EUR50 million. The Ministry has expressly reserved the right to assess whether exceptional circumstances exist, such as a lack or scarcity of national projects or the extraordinary significance of the project’s industrial impact.

Initiatives that pass the first stage of national selection will then enter a European matchmaking process to create partnerships with operators from other member states. This is an essential step in the IPCEI process, as projects have to demonstrate a transnational dimension and integration into future European value chains before the European Commission will evaluate them.

You can read more on the MIMIT page: IPCEI Call for Innovative Nuclear Technologies.