Modelling of mitigation pathways for F-gases

The grant opportunity titled "Modelling of mitigation pathways for F-gases" falls under Horizon Europe, specifically within Cluster 5 focusing on Climate, Energy, and Mobility. The call, part of a series for 2025, includes various topics, with each having specific budgets and indicative numbers of grants available. The application period opens on May 6, 2025, and closes on September 24, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time, with a funding mechanism defined as a "HORIZON Lump Sum Grant."

Eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The geographic eligibility covers EU member states, the European Economic Area, and associated countries. The project stage is primarily aimed at research and innovation, focusing on developing tools for better understanding and managing fluorinated greenhouse gases, which are essential in mitigating climate change.

The specific funding topic highlighted within this grant is centered on improving knowledge and capabilities related to emissions of ozone-depleting substances and F-gases. The goal is to establish modeling pathways that align with the Kigali Agreement, explore transitions to natural refrigerants, and investigate the interaction between these gases and the decarbonization of the energy system.

Funding amounts vary by topic, with some projects having budgets ranging from several million euros to significant amounts like €30 million. While co-funding is typically required, the specifics for this grant are not explicitly stated.

The application process consists of a single-stage submission. The nature of support is monetary, and successful applicants are expected to promote open science practices, ensuring accessibility to their findings and outputs. Collaboration with other projects is encouraged, enhancing networking and synergies among research initiatives.

Overall, this grant aims to support the EU's objectives for climate neutrality by addressing potent greenhouse gases, with a strong emphasis on research, innovation, and international regulatory agreements for sustainability. The sustained focus is to improve tools and methodologies related to F-gas usage in refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump sectors, alongside ensuring adaptable approaches to meet future climate goals.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call, specifically Cluster 5 Call 06-2025 (WP 2025) (HORIZON-CL5-2025-06), focusing on climate, energy and mobility. The call includes several topics, all of which are single-stage submissions with an opening date of 06 May 2025 and a deadline of 24 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) is HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS].

The specific topics and their respective budgets and indicative number of grants are as follows:

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 30,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 15,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 7,500,000 EUR, Contributions range from 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 3.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 2.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-06 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: Budget 15,000,000 EUR, Contributions range from 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 3.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-07 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions: Budget 4,000,000 EUR, Contributions range from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D2-07 - HORIZON-COFUND HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions: Budget 56,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants 1.

One specific topic, HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-03 - Modelling of mitigation pathways for F-gases, is detailed. The expected outcomes of projects under this topic include: Improved knowledge of regional pathways concerning the use of Ozone Depleting Substances and Fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases), options to mitigate this use, the resulting emissions, and how this interacts with the decarbonisation of the energy system; Improved modelling capacity regarding the use of Ozone Depleting Substances and F-gases in the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump sectors, in a manner that increases the availability to Parties to the Montreal Protocol of modelling tools to inform them on policy options for an ambitious implementation of the Kigali Agreement, including a transition to natural refrigerants, and how this interacts with the decarbonisation of the energy system.

The scope of this topic is as follows: F-gases are the fastest growing group of greenhouse gas emissions globally. The Montreal Protocol resulted in decreasing use and emissions of Ozone Depleting Substances and will now also regulate a phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), representing the largest share of F-gas use, of which the majority is used in refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment. The project should improve the knowledge base of F-gas use and emission pathways under baseline conditions (i.e., policies as they are today), pathways that meet the Kigali Agreement and pathways that outperform the Kigali Agreement. The development of these pathways should also include fluorinated greenhouse gases not regulated under the Montreal Protocol, in particular those covered by the Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases. It should cover all main regions globally separating at least the countries that fall under Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol and those that do not, and preferably further disaggregating them within these two classes, taking into account for instance climate conditions. The development should assess the interaction with the energy system, notably related to the deployment of HFC-alternatives in refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment and its impact on energy efficiency, the deployment of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) or its alternatives in electrical switch-gear. Possible impacts on emissions of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) should be considered. The pathways should give detailed insights into the technologies available, including the use of F-gases-free alternatives. Most F-gas emissions are related to the use in the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump (RACHP) equipment. This sector is projected to be one of the highest contributors to future global energy demand increases. The action should include the development of modelling tools that allow for the representation at national level of the use of F-gases and their alternatives at least in this RACHP sector, with a view to develop tools that would allow parties to the Montreal Protocol to assess at national level different options of mitigating HFC use, and the interaction with the decarbonisation of the energy system. The action should thus expand and improve the number of tools that can provide such detailed information at country level, including for the so called Article 5 Parties under the Montreal Protocol, in a manner that would improve the knowledge base for parties to implement specifically the Kigali Agreement to the Montreal Protocol as well as allow them to get insights in how to create synergies with the climate mitigation goals of the Paris Agreement, including the decarbonisation of the energy system. All research outputs should be managed according to the FAIR principles. Beyond open access to scientific publications and research data, open access to software, models, algorithms, workflows and protocols, cell lines, compounds, etc. is required. All projects funded under this topic are strongly encouraged to connect, coordinate, and participate in networking, intercomparison and joint activities to exploit synergies and maximise complementarities. Activities on energy efficiency of equipment, on electricity grids or the safe use of chemicals would be of specific interest in this context. Projects should also envisage clustering activities with any other relevant projects (in and outside of Horizon Europe) for cross-projects cooperation and exchange of results. Proposals should earmark the necessary resources for these purposes.

General conditions for participation include: Admissibility Conditions regarding proposal page limits 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 are those described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other Eligible Conditions are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award processes, criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D and Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. Legal and financial aspects of the grants: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. Beneficiaries must adhere to open science practices, ensuring open access to new modules, models, or tools developed with EU funding, including documentation, model code, and input data. These practices are further described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Specific application forms include those for HE RIA, IA, CSA, RI, and COFUND actions. Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, Lump Sum MGA, Operating Grants MGA, and Framework Partnership Agreement FPA. Call-specific instructions, a detailed budget table (HE LS), information on financial support to third parties (HE), information on clinical studies (HE), and guidance on lump sums are also provided. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 (General Introduction, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Research Infrastructures, Health, Culture, creativity and inclusive society, Civil Security for Society, Digital, Industry and Space, Climate, Energy and Mobility, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE), Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area, Missions, General Annexes), the HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions, 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, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are partner search announcements available to help find collaborators. The Electronic Submission Service can be accessed via the submission button, and existing draft proposals can be accessed through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

This funding opportunity is focused on research and innovation actions aimed at improving the understanding and mitigation of F-gas emissions, which are a significant contributor to global warming. The EU is seeking projects that can develop better modelling tools and strategies to reduce the use of these gases, particularly in the refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump sectors. The goal is to support the implementation of international agreements like the Montreal Protocol and the Paris Agreement by providing policymakers with the data and tools they need to make informed decisions. The projects should also promote open science practices, ensuring that research outputs are widely accessible and reusable. Collaboration and networking among projects are highly encouraged to maximize the impact of the research.

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 Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The HORIZON-COFUND action suggests that public and private organizations that fund research can apply.

Funding Type: The primary funding mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. There are also HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (COFUND).

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required, but the encouragement of networking, intercomparison, and joint activities suggests that collaborative projects (consortia) are favored. Partner search announcements are available, indicating that applicants may be looking for partners.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The information indicates that non-EU/non-Associated Countries may be eligible for funding if they have made specific provisions, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. This suggests a broad, potentially international scope, including EU member states, associated countries, and potentially other third countries.

Target Sector: The program targets the climate, energy, and mobility sectors, with a specific focus on mitigating fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) and ozone-depleting substances. It also addresses the refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump (RACHP) equipment sector, energy efficiency, electricity grids, and the safe use of chemicals.

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions all main regions globally, separating at least the countries that fall under Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol and those that do not. No specific countries are named, but the focus is global, with differentiation based on Montreal Protocol classifications.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily research and innovation, with an emphasis on developing modelling tools and improving the knowledge base. This suggests projects in the research, development, and validation stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic, as detailed in the budget overview:
HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-01: around €30,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-02: around €7,500,000
HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-03: €2,500,000 to €3,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-04: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-06: €4,000,000 to €5,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-07: €3,000,000 to €4,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D2-07: around €56,000,000

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant. Open access to new modules, models, or tools developed with EU funding is required.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-01 aims for 1 grant with a budget of €30,000,000, while HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-06 aims for 3 grants with a budget of €15,000,000.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is required for HORIZON-COFUND actions. The level of co-funding is not specified in this text.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on "Modelling of mitigation pathways for F-gases" under the Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility) work programme for 2025. The call aims to improve the knowledge base and modelling capacity related to the use and emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) and ozone-depleting substances. The projects should develop pathways that align with and outperform the Kigali Agreement, considering interactions with the energy system and potential impacts of PFAS. The call encourages the development of modelling tools to support parties to the Montreal Protocol in mitigating HFC use and creating synergies with the Paris Agreement's climate mitigation goals. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and projects are expected to adhere to FAIR principles for research outputs, ensuring open access to data, models, and software. Collaboration and clustering with other relevant projects are strongly encouraged. The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget and indicative number of grants, ranging from Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) to Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Programme Cofund Actions (COFUND). The call is open for submission from May 6, 2025, with a deadline of September 24, 2025.