EU Co-funded Partnership on raw materials for the green and digital transition (Co-funded partnership Raw Materials for the Green and Digital Transition)

The grant opportunity titled "EU Co-funded Partnership on raw materials for the green and digital transition" is part of the Horizon Europe initiative aimed at enhancing Europe's strategic autonomy in raw materials. This initiative seeks to coordinate research and innovation (R&I) across the entire raw materials value chain, which includes exploration, extraction, processing, recycling, and improving circularity, thereby supporting the EU's environmental and digital goals.

Eligible applicants for this funding include legal entities from EU Member States, Horizon Europe associated countries, OECD countries, African Union Member States, MERCOSUR, CARIFORUM, and the Andean Community. National, regional, and local institutions responsible for R&I programming in raw materials, along with relevant ministries and public institutions, can apply. The consortium requirement implies that multiple partners will collaborate to pool resources.

The funding type is a co-funded grant under Horizon Europe, which means that the EU will provide financial support to supplement national or regional research funds, with the EU's contribution limited to 30% of total eligible costs, up to a maximum of €90 million from an indicative budget of €300 million. Individual projects can range from €1 million to €5 million, with financial support available to third parties capped at €2 million each.

The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline for submissions on September 23, 2025. The success rates for applications are not explicitly stated, though it is noted that similar Horizon Europe partnerships tend to be highly competitive. Co-funding is essential, as participants are required to contribute financially.

The partnership aims to address the critical raw materials shortages identified in the Critical Raw Materials Act, with targets including 10% EU extraction, 40% processing, and 25% recycling by 2030. The initiative encourages international collaboration, with an emphasis on responsible sourcing and improving industrial practices while seeking to diversify and strengthen the EU's raw material supply chains.

This grant represents a significant opportunity for eligible institutions to contribute to sustainable raw material strategies that foster innovation, enhance market resilience, and align with the EU's broader sustainability objectives.

This is a summary of a Horizon Europe funding opportunity focused on raw materials for the green and digital transition. The call, identified as HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-MATERIALS-64, is a HORIZON Programme Cofund Action. The goal is to increase the EU's supply security and access to critical raw materials for its industries by aligning national research and innovation priorities with EU raw materials policy. This includes strengthening cooperation with countries that have strategic partnerships with the EU on raw materials, improving industrial practices, diversifying sourcing, and promoting responsible raw material supply in line with EU sustainability principles. The projects should also contribute to the implementation of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, particularly the 2030 benchmarks.

The scope of the partnership covers the entire raw materials value chain, from exploration and extraction to processing technologies and recycling, with the aim of improving circularity. Sea mining is excluded. Proposals should pool financial resources from national or regional research programs to implement joint annual calls for proposals, providing grants to third parties with EU co-funding.

Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States, associated countries to Horizon Europe, OECD countries, African Union Member States, MERCOSUR, CARIFORUM, Andean Community, and countries with strategic partnerships with the EU on raw materials, as well as those with trade agreements containing raw materials cooperation provisions. The coordinator role is limited to public institutions that are R&I program owners or funders.

The partnership should implement a joint program of activities, including joint annual calls for R&I, facilitating uptake and commercialization of R&I results, clustering projects, coordinating research programs, and serving as a knowledge center for partner countries' R&I activities. Actions should contribute to the objectives of the Critical Raw Materials Act and EU raw materials policy. Partners are expected to provide financial or in-kind contributions. The partnership should be open to new partners and have a transparent governance process. It should also foster cooperation with projects funded under Cluster 4 Digital, Industry and Space, and develop synergies with other relevant initiatives like EIT Raw Materials.

Financial support to third parties is a key element, with a maximum of EUR 2 million per third party. Joint calls are expected annually from 2026 to 2032. The total indicative budget is EUR 300 million, with the EU contributing a maximum of EUR 90 million, limited to 30% of the total eligible costs. The call opens on 22 May 2025 and closes on 23 September 2025.

Several other related funding opportunities are also listed, spanning digital, human factors, materials, and twin transition themes, each with varying budgets, action types (RIA, CSA, IA, COFUND), and indicative grant numbers. All have the same opening and deadline dates.

In essence, this opportunity aims to bolster the EU's raw materials supply chain by fostering international collaboration, promoting sustainable practices, and supporting research and innovation across the entire raw materials value chain. It seeks to align national and regional efforts with EU policy goals, particularly those outlined in the Critical Raw Materials Act. The funding mechanism involves co-funding joint calls for proposals, with a significant portion of the budget allocated to financial support for third parties. The call is open to a wide range of international partners, reflecting the EU's commitment to diversifying its raw materials sources and building resilient supply chains.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity are quite broad and include legal entities established in: EU Member States, countries associated with Horizon Europe, OECD countries, African Union Member States, MERCOSUR, CARIFORUM, Andean Community, and countries with which the EU has concluded strategic partnerships on raw materials, as well as trade agreements (or association/economic partnership or equivalent agreements, including the new Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships) containing raw materials cooperation provisions (i.e., Energy and Raw materials chapters). Specifically, beneficiaries should preferably be national, regional, or local institutions responsible for programming research and innovation activities in raw materials. Participation is also open to relevant Ministries and public institutions responsible for raw materials and R&I policy. The coordinator role of the action is limited to public institutions being R&I programme owners or funders.

Funding Type: The funding type is a co-fund grant, specifically a HORIZON Programme Cofund Action. This means the EU provides co-funding to supplement funding from national or regional research programs. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the nature of a co-funded partnership implies that a consortium of multiple applicants is required. The call aims to pool financial resources from participating national or regional research programs.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility for applicants is extensive, including: EU Member States, countries associated with Horizon Europe, OECD countries, African Union Member States, MERCOSUR, CARIFORUM, Andean Community, and countries with which the EU has concluded strategic partnerships on raw materials, as well as trade agreements (or association/economic partnership or equivalent agreements) containing raw materials cooperation provisions (i.e. Energy and Raw materials chapters).

Target Sector: The program targets the raw materials sector, specifically non-energy and non-agricultural raw materials. It covers the entire raw materials value chain, including exploration, extraction, processing technologies, and recycling, with an emphasis on improving circularity. It also targets the green and digital transition.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, OECD countries, African Union Member States, MERCOSUR countries, CARIFORUM countries, Andean Community countries.

Project Stage: The program supports a range of project stages, including research, demonstration, piloting, and dissemination activities. It aims to facilitate the uptake and commercialization of developed R&I results.

Funding Amount: The total indicative budget for the partnership is EUR 300 million. The EU contribution will be limited to 30% of the total eligible costs of the action with a maximum of EUR 90 million. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 2 million. Individual projects have various budgets, ranging from 1 million to 45 million EUR.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants is provided for each topic.

Co-funding Requirement: Yes, co-funding is required. The EU contribution is limited to 30% of the total eligible costs, implying that the remaining 70% must come from other sources, such as participating national or regional research programs.

Summary: This Horizon Europe co-funded partnership aims to bolster the EU's resilience in raw materials supply chains, particularly critical and strategic raw materials, to support the green and digital transition. It seeks to align national and regional research programs with EU raw materials policy, strengthen international cooperation, improve industrial practices, and promote responsible sourcing. The partnership is open to a wide range of countries and beneficiaries, including national, regional, and local institutions responsible for R&I in raw materials, as well as relevant ministries and public institutions. The program will be implemented through joint calls for R&I activities, clustering of projects, and knowledge sharing, with a total indicative budget of EUR 300 million, where the EU contributes a maximum of EUR 90 million, and the rest is expected from the participating countries. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of September 23, 2025.