Accelerator Programme
Innovation call: first 2025/2026
Are you an innovative SME in the offshore renewable energy sector?
The ORESA Accelerator is your chance to strengthen your sustainable technology, gain visibility, and connect with international experts and partners.
On 6 October 2025, ORESA launches its first Innovation Call for SMEs across the North-West Europe region. This unique programme helps companies build the skills, knowledge, and network they need to succeed in a market where sustainability is becoming a decisive factor.
Offshore renewable energy is growing fast, but the sector must also address urgent sustainability challenges such as biodiversity loss, material circularity, and the need to meet strict EU regulations. ORESA bridges this gap by offering SMEs access to training and expertise that are otherwise difficult to reach.
Selected SMEs will join an acceleration journey that combines networking, pitch sessions, lectures, and case studies. Together, they will explore four essential themes for the future of offshore renewables: Life Cycle Assessment & Circularity, Nature-Inclusive Design, Policies for Sustainability, and Profitability through Sustainability.
By participating, your company will not only improve its sustainability performance but also sharpen its competitive edge in tenders and markets that increasingly reward responsible innovation.
Don’t miss the opportunity to become part of a transnational community shaping the future of offshore energy—where sustainability and profitability go hand in hand.
Who can apply
-
Your company is developing innovative products, technologies or services within the offshore renewable energy sector like for example wave, tidal, floating wind, offshore solar or other offshore renewables.
Your products and all core technologies of it have a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) between 4 and 6.
For more information about TRL levels, please consult the link.
The ORESA Accelerator Programme aims to support SMEs focused on improving the sustainability of the product/service within the offshore renewable energy (ORE) sector. Selected SMEs will benefit from targeted training provided by the ORESA Consortium, composed of industry experts from leading research institutes and consultancy companies. Participants will commit at least one senior member staff for:
3 months pre-training (videos, small exercises, gaps filling) approximately 0.1FTE,
one Training Week in person, an intensive program featuring 4 subjects: LCA & Circularity, Nature Inclusive Design, Policy for sustainability and Synergy between profitability and sustainability as well as coaching and networking opportunities,
6 months follow-up period with session one to one to fully apply what they learnt on their product/service, approximately 0.1FTE.
N.B.: The SMEs do not have to sustain any cost related to the accelerator itself a part the accommodation for the training week.
Benefit for the SMEs
- Evaluate your development gaps by examining the four subjects and prepare you for these challenges with the necessary knowledge, tools, and engaging activities.
- Engage in hands-on training and take part in interactive exercises, case studies and pitch presentation to enhance your advancement across the four subjects.
- Get expert advice on how to improve your pitch presentation to future clients and investors.
- Enhance your presence in the offshore renewable energy industry and open doors for collaboration in the North-West Region.
Training subjects
Bridging Profitability & Sustainability
LCA
&
Circularity
Nature
Inclusive
Design
Policy
for
Sustainability
More about the training
Oct - Nov
2025
Open Innovation Call
The SMEs can apply to the programme. Deadline for the application 30/11/2025.
Feb 2026
SME selection and targeted assessment
After the SMEs are selected they will have a online pre-training to fill potential gaps
2026
Training Accelerator
From 2nd to the 5th of March training in person including a site visit, a networking event and challenges
2026
Follow-up
One to one sessions to develop and apply the knowledge and tool learnt during the training week.
The training aims at supporting SMEs in combining their profitability with sustainability. It will consist in modules made of a mix of lectures, polls, case studies and workshops that will provide practical tools to design sustainable and profitable business models. Participants will get insights into available funding options and financial planning strategies for sustainable growth.
By the end of the training, SMEs will be equipped with compelling arguments to strengthen their pitch deck, clearly demonstrating how sustainability can serve as a powerful competitive advantage.
This training is designed to support SMEs in offshore renewable energy by equipping them with practical tools to integrate sustainability, circularity, and ecosystem perspectives into their innovations. It introduces environmental and social Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate a broad range of positive and negative impacts, compare design alternatives, and map supply chain hotspots. Participants will explore strategies to design assets for longevity, reuse, and recycling, while enhancing ecosystem services and creating positive marine outcomes. Through interactive modules combining lectures, case studies, and workshops, the program enables SMEs to embed circularity, strengthen sustainability performance, and build resilience in the ORE sector.
This training helps SMEs understand how to integrate nature into offshore renewable energy projects in a practical way. It gives an overview of existing and emerging NID solutions, from structural and material measures to ecological and operational approaches, and looks at their applicability for different technologies such as floating and bottom-fixed systems. Participants will work with real examples and tools, including biodiversity assessment methods, ecosystem service thinking and design guidelines. The training also covers how to engage with key stakeholders and how to document ecosystem benefits alongside standard sustainability metrics.
This training supports SMEs in navigating the dynamic policy and regulatory landscape of offshore renewable energy. Participants will gain insights into recent EU, national, and regional policy developments as well as tender requirements that increasingly include sustainability criteria such as circular design, nature-inclusive solutions, and floating wind. Through interactive sessions, case discussions, and updates from multiple European hubs, the training equips companies with practical knowledge to align their strategies with evolving policies, seize emerging opportunities, and strengthen their sustainability positioning in a competitive market.
There will be five Accelerator Programme in total and five Innovation Calls, launching in different North-West Europe regions, follows the overall distribution of the national hubs:
- Netherland 2025/2026
- Belgium 2026
- France 2026/2027
- Germany 2027
- Ireland 2027
For more information and registration
For more information and registration for the Support Call, please reach out to Daniela Vignali, Project Manager of ORESA, DMEC. daniela.vignali@dmec.eu
or
Simon Stark
CTO, DMEC; simon.stark@dmec.eu