Innovative advanced materials and new production processes – reducing dependencies on Critical and Strategic Raw Materials (IA) (Innovative Advanced M...

Overview

The grant opportunity HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-22 focuses on developing innovative advanced materials and new production processes to reduce dependencies on critical and strategic raw materials. It is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically under the Innovation Action (IA) category. The call seeks to address the European Union's vulnerabilities related to reliance on a limited number of external suppliers for essential raw materials, particularly as it pushes for greener and more digital transitions.

Eligible applicants include a range of entities such as universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large enterprises, established in EU Member States, associated countries, OECD countries, as well as African Union, MERCOSUR, and CARIFORUM Member States. Importantly, entities from China are explicitly excluded from participation to reinforce strategic autonomy.

The financial framework allocates a total budget of €36 million for the call, with each project expected to receive between €6 million and €7.5 million. The competition is structured as a single-stage application process, with submissions due by February 2, 2027. The projects must focus on development, validation, and demonstration stages, exhibiting a clear innovation pathway towards commercialization.

Proposals should target key sectors, including advanced materials, chemicals, clean energy, and circular economy practices, and must articulate market opportunities and potential for scalable solutions. Proposals need to address the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework, support the circular economy, and demonstrate co-development strategies.

There is generally a co-funding requirement, usually around 30% from participants for commercial entities, while non-profit research organizations may receive full funding. Each application will be evaluated based on comprehensive criteria including the viability of the business case and exploitation strategy, the extent of cooperation with relevant EU initiatives, and the commitment to sustainable innovation practices.

The grant aligns with the European partnership initiatives Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU (IAM4EU) and Processes4Planet, emphasizing Europe’s commitment to technological leadership and open strategic autonomy in the realm of critical raw materials, thus enhancing industrial competitiveness and ensuring secure supply chains. The opportunity signals a strong push towards collaborative and sustainable advances in material science and manufacturing within Europe.

Detail

This EU funding opportunity, HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-22, focuses on "Innovative advanced materials and new production processes reducing dependencies on Critical and Strategic Raw Materials". It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) under the INDUSTRY (HORIZON-CL4-2027-01) call of the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) programme. The call aims to reduce dependencies on critical and strategic raw materials by promoting the development and use of safe and sustainable innovative advanced materials (IAMs) and more efficient production processes. The deadline for proposal submission is February 2, 2027, at 17:00 Brussels time, with a planned opening date of September 22, 2026. The total budget allocated to this topic is 36,000,000 EUR, and the expected contribution per project ranges from 6,000,000 to 7,500,000 EUR. The indicative number of grants to be awarded is 6.

The expected outcomes of this funding opportunity include:

Reducing dependencies on critical and strategic raw materials through partial or total substitution by safe and sustainable IAMs and/or via more efficient use of these materials in production processes.
Speeding up the innovation cycle within value chains important for European industry.
Enhancing the competitiveness of industries and reducing operational costs, while making supply chains more secure.
Developing new or improved production processes, IAMs, and products that are safer and more sustainable, supporting a clean and autonomous economy.
Demonstrating how the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) chemicals and materials framework can guide innovation.

The scope of the call encompasses:

Alternatives for the substitution or more efficient use of critical and strategic raw materials.
Design and development of IAMs and processes leading to an innovation cycle that includes the (re)design of materials and production processes, and the integration of IAMs into products.
Development of IAMs or process technologies to replace or reduce the use of critical and strategic raw materials in sectors such as energy, mobility, construction, electronics, medical devices, or chemical industries.

Proposals should address one or several of the following approaches:

Design, development, and production with targets on performance, safety, and sustainability of IAMs substituting or making more efficient use of critical and strategic raw materials.
Innovative industrial processes for reducing the use of critical and strategic raw materials, focusing on optimizing process safety, sustainability, flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency.
Co-development strategies for IAMs and industrial processes, demonstrating the value of co-development through specific use cases while maintaining broad relevance across various materials and process types.

Proposals should also:

Demonstrate clear use case(s), market, and potential for growth.
Identify substitution barriers for selected applications and propose a driving mechanism for maximal substitution in targeted value chains.
Include necessary adaptations of related processes and technologies to ensure alignment with and integration in industrial manufacturing.
Address challenges for adapting existing production lines and propose solutions.
Demonstrate the application of the SSbD framework throughout the innovation process.
Include a business case and exploitation strategy.
Cooperate with relevant projects and actively contribute to and cooperate with the EU Innovation and Substitution Hub(s).

This topic implements the co-programmed European partnerships Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU (IAM4EU) and Processes4Planet.

Eligible countries for participation are limited to legal entities established in Member States, associated countries, 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 containing raw materials cooperation provisions. Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination.

The call aims to achieve technological leadership for Europe’s open strategic autonomy in raw materials, chemicals, and innovative materials. It is part of a broader destination that brings together research and innovation for a globally competitive European industry through the twin green and digital transition, and the availability, development, use, reuse, and disposal of chemicals, advanced materials, and critical raw materials.

Applicants are encouraged to consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for detailed guidance on proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management. Partner search tools and National Contact Points (NCPs) are available to assist in finding partner organizations and obtaining support.

In summary, this funding opportunity seeks to promote research and innovation in the area of advanced materials and production processes to reduce the EU's reliance on critical raw materials. It encourages projects that develop sustainable and safe alternatives, enhance industrial competitiveness, and contribute to a cleaner, more autonomous European economy. Successful proposals will need to demonstrate a clear business case, exploitation strategy, and commitment to the Safe and Sustainable by Design framework. The initiative is aligned with the goals of the Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU (IAM4EU) and Processes4Planet partnerships, and it aims to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among relevant projects and stakeholders.

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Breakdown

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are legal entities established in Member States, associated countries, 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. Entities established in an eligible country but directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or entity are not eligible. The call is targeted towards startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, and research institutes.

Funding Type: The funding type includes HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA). These are essentially grant mechanisms.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes Member States, associated countries, 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.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: industry, raw materials, chemicals, innovative materials, energy, mobility, construction, electronics, medical devices, chemical industries, green and digital transition, circular economy, manufacturing, advanced materials, cleantech, industrial processes/components, advanced machines/processes, innovation, DeepTech, and other.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions Member States, associated countries, OECD countries, African Union Member States, MERCOSUR, CARIFORUM, and Andean Community. It also refers to countries with which the EU has strategic partnerships on raw materials and trade agreements. China is specifically mentioned as having restrictions on participation.

Project Stage: The project stage targets development, validation, demonstration, and commercialization. The call aims to reach Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 6 and 7, with a credible strategy to achieve full-scale deployment in the EU.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call:
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-02: €6,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-03: €5,000,000 to €6,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-06: €5,000,000 to €6,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-08: €4,000,000 to €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-16: €10,000,000 to €12,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-17: Around €3,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-22: €6,000,000 to €7,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-42: Around €1,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-47: €1,500,000 to €2,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-49: Around €2,000,000

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their research, innovation, and coordination activities.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided, which can be used to estimate the potential success rate based on the number of expected proposals.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, given the nature of Horizon Europe Innovation Actions and Research and Innovation Actions, co-funding is often expected, particularly for activities closer to market deployment.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the INDUSTRY pillar (HORIZON-CL4-2027-01), focuses on "Achieving technological leadership for Europe’s open strategic autonomy in raw materials, chemicals and innovative materials (2026-27)". It aims to reduce dependencies on critical and strategic raw materials by fostering the development and adoption of safe, sustainable, and innovative advanced materials and production processes. The call encourages projects that promote a circular economy, enhance resource efficiency, and apply the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework. It targets a wide range of sectors, including energy, mobility, construction, electronics, and medical devices. The call is structured around HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA), HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), each with specific funding ranges and expected outcomes. Participation is limited to legal entities from Member States, associated countries, OECD countries, African Union Member States, MERCOSUR, CARIFORUM, Andean Community, and countries with strategic partnerships or trade agreements with the EU. China is excluded from participation in RIAs and IAs. Applicants are expected to form consortia and submit proposals through a single-stage process, with a planned opening date in September 2026 and a deadline in February 2027. The call emphasizes the importance of business cases and exploitation strategies for industrialization, encouraging applicants to consider market opportunities, user needs, and pathways to achieve higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).

Short Summary

Impact
This funding aims to reduce dependencies on critical and strategic raw materials by promoting the development and use of innovative advanced materials and more efficient production processes.
Applicant
Applicants should possess expertise in advanced materials, manufacturing processes, and sustainability practices, with a focus on innovation and market validation.
Developments
The funding will support projects in the area of innovative advanced materials and new production processes, particularly those that enhance resource efficiency and promote a circular economy.
Applicant Type
This funding is designed for large enterprises, SMEs, startups, universities, research institutes, and public research organizations.
Consortium
This funding requires a consortium of multiple applicants to ensure diverse expertise and collaboration.
Funding Amount
The funding amount ranges from €6,000,000 to €7,500,000 per project.
Countries
Eligible countries include EU Member States, associated countries, OECD countries, African Union Member States, MERCOSUR, CARIFORUM, and Andean Community, with restrictions on participation from China.
Industry
This funding targets the advanced materials and manufacturing sectors, focusing on innovation actions under the Horizon Europe framework.

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