Swiss Federal Office of Energy - SOUR Call 1-2026: Supply Security on the Path to a Net-Zero Energy System
Event details
| Date | 01.12.2026 |
| Category | Call for proposal |
SWEET (Swiss Energy Research for the Energy Transition) is a funding programme of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) that supports research and innovation projects contributing to Switzerland’s Energy Strategy 2050 and climate objectives through several funding instruments, including SWEET, SWEETER, and SOUR, the latter focusing on unconventional and potentially transformative approaches.
The second SOUR call focuses on ensuring a secure and affordable energy supply during Switzerland’s transition to a net-zero energy system. The call is led by Prof. emeritus Marco Mazzotti, who oversees project evaluation, monitoring, and funding decisions, with support from SFOE experts. If milestones are not met, he may terminate projects and reallocate any funds that become available.
The guiding theme of the call is “Supply Security on the Path to a Net-Zero Energy System.” It seeks high-risk, high-potential “game-changing” technologies that could substantially improve Switzerland’s energy security while advancing the transition to net-zero, e.g., by increasing renewable production, enabling better integration into the energy system, or reducing energy consumption.
The key idea is not incremental improvement: projects should aim for a major technological leap, starting around TRL 3–4 and reaching at least TRL 6, with commercialisation considered from the outset. In other words, SOUR is looking for unconventional technologies that could fundamentally shift the cost/performance frontier and eventually achieve significant market deployment in Switzerland.
Funding duration: The total funding for this call is CHF 4 Mio., with which at most 4 projects will be supported. Each project may apply for up to CHF 1.33 million over a maximum period of three years. The start of the projects is planned for April 2027.
Applications: Applications for SOUR funding proceed through a single proposal and require the formation of a team, a work programme, and a budget.
Project Team: A team is led by one Principal Investigator (PI) and may contain one or more Co-PIs. Because SOUR funding is intended for small teams, the team size should be conducive to producing a major leap and enters into the evaluation. The PI and Co-PIs must be employees of a Swiss institution of higher education, a Swiss private sector company, or a Swiss non-commercial research organisation.
Applicants are encouraged but not required to contribute own or third-party contributions, which are defined as:
The guiding theme of the call is “Supply Security on the Path to a Net-Zero Energy System.” It seeks high-risk, high-potential “game-changing” technologies that could substantially improve Switzerland’s energy security while advancing the transition to net-zero, e.g., by increasing renewable production, enabling better integration into the energy system, or reducing energy consumption.
The key idea is not incremental improvement: projects should aim for a major technological leap, starting around TRL 3–4 and reaching at least TRL 6, with commercialisation considered from the outset. In other words, SOUR is looking for unconventional technologies that could fundamentally shift the cost/performance frontier and eventually achieve significant market deployment in Switzerland.
Funding duration: The total funding for this call is CHF 4 Mio., with which at most 4 projects will be supported. Each project may apply for up to CHF 1.33 million over a maximum period of three years. The start of the projects is planned for April 2027.
Applications: Applications for SOUR funding proceed through a single proposal and require the formation of a team, a work programme, and a budget.
Project Team: A team is led by one Principal Investigator (PI) and may contain one or more Co-PIs. Because SOUR funding is intended for small teams, the team size should be conducive to producing a major leap and enters into the evaluation. The PI and Co-PIs must be employees of a Swiss institution of higher education, a Swiss private sector company, or a Swiss non-commercial research organisation.
Applicants are encouraged but not required to contribute own or third-party contributions, which are defined as:
- Own contributions are financial contributions (cash or in-kind) from applicants.
- Third-party contributions are financial contributions (cash or in-kind) from sources other than the applicants.
The overhead rate for this call is 0%.
Submission:
- A complete application must contain a proposal and curricula vitae (CVs) for the PI and the Co-PIs.
- The PI must submit the proposal as Microsoft Word and pdf files via e-submission SFOE.
- The proposal must be prepared in English using the template that is available on the SWEET website.
Dealine: 1 December 2026 at 12:00 noon CEST.
For additional information please refer to the call website and guidelines, or contact the EPFL Research Office.
Practical information
- General public
- Free