Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for product monitoring, smart maintenance and repair strategies in the construction sector (RIA) (Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe partnership)

The EU funding opportunity under Horizon Europe focuses on developing innovative advanced materials (IAMs) aimed at enhancing product monitoring, smart maintenance, and repair strategies within the construction sector. This initiative falls under the Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe partnership and is classified as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA).

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutions, SMEs, large enterprises, and public-private partnerships. Consortia are mandatory for proposals, reflecting the collaborative nature of the project. The geographic eligibility primarily covers EU member states and associated countries, with provisions for international partners if they meet specific criteria.

The grant's target sectors are advanced materials and the construction industry, specifically addressing technologies for smart maintenance, repair, and monitoring. The funding amount is not explicitly defined but is likely to range between €1 million and €5 million based on previous calls.

The application process consists of two stages. The first deadline is set for September 23, 2025, followed by a second deadline on April 14, 2026. The nature of support is financial, provided as a lump sum grant. While exact success rates for this call are not specified, Horizon Europe's average for competitive calls typically falls between 10% and 39%.

Co-funding is not explicitly required, but applicants may need to contribute resources to strengthen their proposals. Overall, the grant emphasizes sustainability, the integration of digital solutions, and collaboration, encouraging multidisciplinary research that investigates the performance and acceptance of new materials in the construction sector. Projects focusing on extending the lifecycle of existing materials and promoting circularity and safety are particularly encouraged.

For those with innovative ideas in this field, this funding opportunity aims to support advancements that not only enhance material properties but also consider societal implications and sustainability.

The EU Funding & Tenders Portal presents several funding opportunities under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically focusing on the INDUSTRY call (HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-two-stage). These opportunities aim to advance research and innovation in innovative advanced materials (IAMs) for various applications, particularly in the construction sector, and to promote the twin transition (digital and green). All the calls are two-stage calls. The opening date for submission is May 22, 2025, and the deadlines for the first and second stages are September 23, 2025, and April 14, 2026, respectively. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme.

The specific funding opportunities are:

1.  HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-MATERIALS-42-two-stage: Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for product monitoring, smart maintenance and repair strategies in the construction sector (RIA) (Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe partnership). This is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with a budget of EUR 30,000,000. It aims to support the implementation of the Commission Communication on Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership, break frontiers between functional and structural materials, reduce resources needed for constructions, promote industrial uptake of IAMs, and support acceptance of innovative construction materials for housing. The indicative number of grants is 5, with each grant being around EUR 6,000,000.

2.  HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-MATERIALS-43-two-stage: This HORIZON Innovation Action (IA) also has a budget of EUR 30,000,000 and aims to develop new materials and technologies. The indicative number of grants is 5, with each grant being around EUR 6,000,000.

3.  HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-MATERIALS-51-two-stage: This HORIZON Innovation Action (IA) has a budget of EUR 30,000,000. The indicative number of grants is 4, with each grant being around EUR 7,000,000.

4.  HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-TWIN-TRANSITION-11-two-stage: This HORIZON Innovation Action (IA) has a budget of EUR 13,000,000. The indicative number of grants is 2, with each grant being around EUR 6,500,000.

5.  HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-TWIN-TRANSITION-21-two-stage: This HORIZON Innovation Action (IA) has a budget of EUR 10,000,000. The indicative number of grants is 2, with each grant being around EUR 5,000,000.

6.  HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-TWIN-TRANSITION-35-two-stage: This HORIZON Innovation Action (IA) has a budget of EUR 48,000,000. The indicative number of grants is 5, with each grant ranging from EUR 8,000,000 to EUR 12,000,000.

All projects are expected to contribute to specific outcomes such as supporting the implementation of the Commission Communication on Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership, breaking frontiers between functional and structural materials, reducing resources needed for constructions, promoting industrial uptake of IAMs, and supporting acceptance of innovative construction materials for housing. The scope includes extending the lifetime of materials used in the construction sector, developing new IAMs that increase recyclability, circularity, and safety, and using new digital technologies to improve materials scalability and processes. Proposals should also include a business case and exploitation strategy.

The general conditions for these calls include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, and exclusion criteria. The evaluation and award processes are described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Applicants submitting a proposal under the blind evaluation pilot must not disclose their organisation names, acronyms, logos nor names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application.

Additional support and guidance are available through various resources such as the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk. Partner search announcements are also available on the portal to help applicants find partner organisations for their proposals.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on advancing innovative materials and technologies for the construction sector, promoting sustainability, circularity, and industrial leadership. It encourages multidisciplinary research, international cooperation, and the involvement of social sciences and humanities to ensure the acceptance and comfort of innovative construction materials. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process is a two-stage process with specific deadlines for each stage.

This opportunity is about fostering innovation in advanced materials for the construction industry to make it more sustainable, efficient, and circular. It seeks projects that can develop new materials with self-monitoring, self-repairing, and AI-driven maintenance capabilities. The goal is to reduce waste, extend the lifespan of construction materials, and promote the use of environmentally friendly and safe designs. The EU is looking for projects that not only focus on the technical aspects of material development but also consider the social and economic implications, ensuring that these new materials are accepted and beneficial for society. If you have a project idea that involves creating advanced, sustainable, and smart materials for construction, this funding opportunity could provide the resources and support needed to bring your innovation to life.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The call includes both HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding. Partner search announcements are available, suggesting that consortia are expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is advanced materials, specifically Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for the construction sector. This includes materials like cement, concrete, composites, technical textiles, plaster board, and pipes. It also encompasses digital technologies, AI, sensors, self-repairing and self-healing materials, and Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) for user experience and comfort.

Mentioned Countries: Japan is explicitly mentioned as a country with which international cooperation is encouraged. EU Member States and Associated Countries are also mentioned in the context of project collaboration and synergies.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) focus on research and development, while Innovation Actions (IA) focus on demonstration, piloting, and scaling up. Therefore, the project stage can range from development to demonstration and validation.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic:
HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-MATERIALS-42-two-stage: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-MATERIALS-43-two-stage: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-MATERIALS-51-two-stage: around €7,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-TWIN-TRANSITION-11-two-stage: around €6,500,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-TWIN-TRANSITION-21-two-stage: around €5,000,000
HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-TWIN-TRANSITION-35-two-stage: €8,000,000 to €12,000,000

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is two-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants is provided for each topic, allowing for an estimation based on the expected number of applications.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly mentioned, but Horizon Europe grants typically fund a significant portion of the project costs, implying that some form of resources from the applicant may be necessary.

Summary:

This opportunity is a Horizon Europe call focused on Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for product monitoring, smart maintenance, and repair strategies in the construction sector. It is part of the Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe (IAM4EU) partnership. The call aims to support the implementation of the Commission Communication on Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership. The projects should break frontiers between functional and structural materials, reduce resources needed for construction, promote industrial uptake of IAMs, and support the acceptance of innovative construction materials for housing.

The scope includes extending the lifetime of construction materials, developing new or improved IAMs that increase recyclability, circularity, and safety, and reducing raw materials consumption. Multidisciplinary research activities should address performance evaluation, enhance sensor capabilities, develop self-repairing and self-healing materials, develop AI-based models like digital twins, produce and share new knowledge on materials behavior, and develop IAMs fit for modular off-site processing or 3D printing onsite.

Proposals should use new digital technologies, contribute to FAIR data availability, explore possibilities to transfer and use developed IAMs or technologies in other sectors, and assess safety, sustainability, and circularity. Expertise in Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) is required to address the acceptance of innovative construction materials. International cooperation, especially with Japan, is encouraged.

The call includes several topics with varying budgets and expected outcomes, using a two-stage submission process. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum. The call is open to consortia including organizations from EU Member States and Associated Countries, with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) potentially participating as a member.