Advancing sustainable maintenance and repair measures for existing buildings

The Horizon Europe call titled "HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-02" seeks to advance sustainable maintenance and repair measures for existing buildings. This initiative is part of the broader goal of creating beautiful, inclusive, and sustainable neighborhoods for communities. The specific action type is a Horizon Innovation Action, funded through a lump sum grant mechanism. The total budget for this call is €10 million, with an expectation to award two grants of €5 million each.

Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, research organizations, SMEs, large enterprises, public authorities, and non-profit organizations from EU Member States and Associated Countries. The consortium-based model is encouraged, emphasizing a transdisciplinary approach that integrates expertise from social sciences and humanities alongside technical stakeholders. The application process is a single-stage call, where proposals must be submitted electronically within the designated window from May 5, 2026, to December 1, 2026.

Proposals are expected to focus on developing, validating, and demonstrating at least one life-cycle assessment (LCA)-based decision-support tool for predictive maintenance of buildings. The projects must demonstrate solutions on at least three buildings—one being a heritage building and another designated for social or affordable housing—across three different Member States or Associated Countries. The initiative emphasizes participatory design, engaging building inhabitants and users throughout the process.

While the call does not indicate specific co-funding requirements, it encourages applicants to leverage additional funding sources to enhance project sustainability. The opportunity targets a variety of sectors including building construction, circular economy, climate action, and heritage preservation. Successful projects are expected to address the challenge of prolonging the lifespan of existing buildings while reducing their environmental impact, contributing to the European Green Deal and circular economy objectives.

Overall, this call provides a competitive and substantial funding opportunity directed at fostering innovative solutions and practical applications in building maintenance and sustainability, thereby creating a significant contribution to improving the aging building stock across Europe.

This is a Horizon Europe call focused on Advancing sustainable maintenance and repair measures for existing buildings, specifically under the topic HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-02. It falls under the broader call for Beautiful, inclusive and sustainable neighbourhoods for communities (HORIZON-NEB-2026-01).

The action type is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The deadline model is single-stage, with a planned opening date of 05 May 2026 and a deadline of 01 December 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of projects funded under this topic includes: Extended service life and reduced life cycle environmental impacts of existing buildings, contributing to a more sustainable built environment, and easier application and more frequent use of predictive maintenance in existing buildings.

The scope of the call emphasizes the importance of prolonging the lifespan and improving the performance of existing buildings as a key strategy to decrease new construction rates, reduce resource extraction, minimize waste, and lower GHG emissions. It acknowledges the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the need for efficient, sustainable, timely, and high-quality maintenance and repair solutions.

Proposals are expected to address the following:

Develop at least one prospective LCA-based decision-support tool for predictive maintenance and repair of existing buildings.
Develop at least one package of maintenance and repair measures to extend the estimated service life of existing buildings, which:
Integrates circularity principles, is environmentally sustainable and financially feasible over the remaining life cycle of building(s).
Involves building’s inhabitants, users and owners in the design and implementation of maintenance and repair measures.
Complies with European and national regulatory requirements.
Minimises disruption for building inhabitants or users in terms of noise and duration of the works.
Demonstrate these solutions (both the decision-support tool(s) and the package(s) of measures) on three buildings, including at least one heritage building and at least one social and affordable housing project, located in three different Member States and/or Associated Countries.
Explore the potential for a wide-spread application of predictive maintenance applied to existing buildings, identify barriers that hinder the implementation of predictive maintenance on existing buildings, and propose solutions to overcome them.

Proposals should follow a participatory and transdisciplinary approach, integrating different actors and disciplines, and require the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines. A minimum of 0.8% of the budget should be allocated for engaging with the Horizon Europe-funded 'New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact'.

General conditions for participation include:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Other Eligible Conditions: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme and Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information:

Application form templates are available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE RIA, IA).
Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form HE RIA, IA).
Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA.
Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB)
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview provides the following information for various topics:

HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-BUSINESS-01: HORIZON-IA, Budget: EUR 10,500,000, Indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-BUSINESS-02: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: EUR 7,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-BUSINESS-03: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: EUR 9,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-PARTICIPATION-01: HORIZON-IA, Budget: EUR 12,600,000, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-PARTICIPATION-02: HORIZON-IA, Budget: EUR 10,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-PARTICIPATION-03: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: EUR 15,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-01: HORIZON-IA, Budget: EUR 12,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-02: HORIZON-IA, Budget: EUR 10,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-03: HORIZON-IA, Budget: EUR 15,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 3

Partner search announcements are available for collaboration on this topic. The submission system is planned to open on 05 May 2026.

This Horizon Europe call aims to foster innovation in the maintenance and repair of existing buildings to extend their lifespan and reduce their environmental impact. It encourages the development and demonstration of decision-support tools and maintenance packages, emphasizing circularity, sustainability, and the involvement of building users. The call also seeks to identify and address barriers to the widespread adoption of predictive maintenance in the building sector. By promoting a participatory and transdisciplinary approach, this initiative aims to contribute to a more sustainable and resource-efficient built environment in line with the objectives of the New European Bauhaus. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and projects are expected to engage with the New European Bauhaus hub to share their findings and contribute to impact assessment.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls, eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations from eligible countries. The call encourages a transdisciplinary approach, suggesting that applicants from social sciences and humanities are also welcome.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the Type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) being "HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]". The actions are either HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) or HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the call encourages a participatory and transdisciplinary approach, implying that a consortium of multiple applicants with diverse expertise is preferred. The requirement to demonstrate solutions on three buildings in different Member States and/or Associated Countries further suggests the need for a consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. The call text mentions that "a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects," suggesting that some third countries may also be eligible. The demonstration of solutions on buildings located in three different Member States and/or Associated Countries is a requirement.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is the buildings and construction sector, with a focus on sustainable maintenance and repair of existing buildings. The call also targets the circular economy, climate action, social sciences and humanities, and heritage preservation. Specific areas include predictive maintenance, life cycle assessment (LCA), and the integration of social and affordable housing.

Mentioned Countries: The call mentions "Member States and/or Associated Countries" generally, but does not explicitly list any specific countries. It implies the European Union and associated countries are the target region.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily demonstration and validation, as the call requires demonstrating solutions on three buildings. However, it also includes elements of research and development, particularly in developing decision-support tools and packages of maintenance and repair measures. Therefore, the project stage can be considered a combination of development, validation, and demonstration.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview provides the following indicative funding ranges:
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-BUSINESS-01: €10,500,000 (around €3,500,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-BUSINESS-02: €7,000,000 (around €3,500,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-BUSINESS-03: €9,000,000 (around €4,500,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-PARTICIPATION-01: €12,600,000 (around €6,300,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-PARTICIPATION-02: €10,000,000 (around €5,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-PARTICIPATION-03: €15,000,000 (around €5,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-01: €12,000,000 (around €4,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-02: €10,000,000 (around €5,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-03: €15,000,000 (around €5,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)
Therefore, the funding range is variable, generally between €3.5 million and €6.3 million per grant.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 05 May 2026, and the deadline for submission is 01 December 2026.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant to cover eligible costs.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage, as indicated by the "single-stage" deadline model.

Success Rates: The success rates can be estimated based on the indicative number of grants and the expected number of contributions. For example, for HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-02, there are 2 indicative grants for around 5,000,000 contributions, which would indicate a very low success rate (below 10%). The success rates will vary depending on the specific topic.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe grants often require some level of co-funding, which is detailed in the specific call documents and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, part of the "Beautiful, inclusive and sustainable neighbourhoods for communities" initiative under the New European Bauhaus, aims to foster innovation in the maintenance and repair of existing buildings. The call seeks projects that can extend the service life of buildings, reduce their environmental impact, and promote the use of predictive maintenance strategies. Projects should develop decision-support tools based on life cycle assessment and implement packages of sustainable repair measures. A key requirement is the demonstration of these solutions on at least three buildings located in different EU Member States or Associated Countries, including a heritage building and a social and affordable housing project. The call encourages a participatory and transdisciplinary approach, involving various stakeholders and integrating social sciences and humanities expertise. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with varying budgets depending on the specific topic, and the application process involves a single-stage submission. The call is open to a wide range of applicants from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and potentially some third countries, and it targets the buildings and construction sector, circular economy, and climate action. Successful projects are expected to contribute to a more sustainable built environment, easier application of predictive maintenance, and the broader goals of the New European Bauhaus initiative.