On-site innovative robotic and automated solutions and techniques for more sustainable and less disruptive building renovation and construction

This EU funding opportunity under Horizon Europe focuses on promoting innovative robotic and automated solutions for sustainable and less disruptive building renovation and construction. The program specifically falls within Cluster 5, related to Climate, Energy, and Mobility. The main objective is to modernize the construction sector by harnessing robotics and automation to improve efficiency, reduce pollution, and enhance overall sustainability.

Eligible applicants for this grant include universities, research institutions, SMEs, large enterprises, and public-private partnerships that can form a consortium, as collaboration is a requirement. The geographic scope includes EU member states, EEA countries, and potential widening countries. Each project under this initiative is expected to receive a lump-sum grant of up to €5 million.

The application process features a single-stage submission, and while specific co-funding requirements are not detailed, typically, Horizon Europe actions may involve partial reimbursement. The program encourages proposals that test and validate robotic solutions, including 3D printing, and requires a robust comparison of proposed technologies against existing best practices. Additional focus includes investigating worker safety and human-robot collaboration, ensuring that competitively selected prototypes can be tested across various building typologies.

The call is structured as an open call, highlighting the need for projects to address the immediate challenges in construction regarding efficiency, resource management, and ecological impacts. The indicative budgets vary across topics, with substantial funding allocated per topic, reflecting the initiative's ambition.

The expected impacts of successful proposals include measurable reductions in time and pollution associated with construction activities, improvements in resource efficiency, and advancements in safety standards during renovation processes. Partner search tools are available to assist applicants in forming consortia, underscoring the collaborative nature of this funding initiative.

Overall, this funding opportunity aims to stimulate research and innovation in construction through advanced technologies, contributing to a more sustainable future in the building sector while enhancing working conditions and environmental stewardship.

This EU funding opportunity focuses on "On-site innovative robotic and automated solutions and techniques for more sustainable and less disruptive building renovation and construction". It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically Call Cluster 5 Call 02-2026 (WP 2025) (HORIZON-CL5-2026-02). The type of action is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement. It is a forthcoming, single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 16 September 2025, and the deadline is 17 February 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects should contribute to: Measurable reduction in overall time spent on site for renovation and construction, compared to current best practices; Measurable increase in resource efficiency, as well as improved accuracy (designed vs. as-built), of on-site renovation and construction works, compared to current best practices; Measurable reduction in noise pollution, air pollution (e.g., particulate matter) and other pollution caused by on-site renovation and construction works, compared to current best practices.

The scope of the funding opportunity includes: Buildings need to be sustainable and resource efficient, and the rate of deep renovation needs to be increased. This can be accelerated by modernising the construction sector and embracing the latest developments in robotics and automated systems. There is need for further research on innovative on-site robotic and other automated solutions and techniques that make renovation and construction works more sustainable, less disruptive, faster, as well as more accurate, cost effective and resource efficient.

Proposals are expected to address all of the following: Test and validate the use of innovative on-site robotic and automated solutions and techniques both for construction of buildings and for renovation of which at least one must investigate 3D printing; Apply a research methodology which allows for a robust comparison of at least the three expected outcomes of the proposed innovative solutions and techniques with current best practices; Investigate aspects of on-site workers’ safety and human-robot collaboration related to the future application of the proposed solutions and techniques; Test and validate at least three prototype solutions and techniques to investigate their applicability for a variety of building typologies, duly justified to represent a relevant part of the European building stock. The prototypes should be validated in a lab or another relevant environment. Testing and validation must address solutions for both renovation and construction. The prototypes should be applicable either to renovation, or to construction, or to both, but both renovation and construction need to be addressed in a proposal. Selected proposals could consider the involvement of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) whose contribution could consist of providing added value regarding various aspects of on-site robotics for construction and renovation, as well as performing experimental research for validating full-scale prototype buildings renovated and/or constructed with robotic solutions.

The general conditions include: Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System; Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide; Other Eligible Conditions allowing the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to participate as a member of the consortium; Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes; Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes; Submission and evaluation processes described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual; Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes; Legal and financial set-up of the grants where eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021, with further details in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details: Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA); Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including the 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: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?".

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction; HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility; HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. 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 includes various topics with their respective budgets, action types, opening dates, deadlines, contributions, and indicative number of grants. For example, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-01 (HORIZON Innovation Actions) has a budget of 33,000,000 EUR, opens on 2025-09-16, closes on 2026-02-17, with a contribution of around 11,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 3 grants. Other topics include HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-02, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-05, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-07, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-08, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-10, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-12, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-13, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-14, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-18, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-19, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-20, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-22, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-24, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-01, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-02, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-03, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-04, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-05 and HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-06.

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

This Horizon Europe call is geared towards fostering research and innovation in the construction and renovation sectors by leveraging robotics and automation. It aims to make building processes more sustainable, efficient, and safer. The funding supports projects that test and validate robotic solutions, compare them against current practices, address worker safety, and demonstrate applicability across various building types. The call encourages collaboration and offers resources for finding partners and navigating the application process. Ultimately, it seeks to modernize the construction industry, reduce its environmental impact, and improve working conditions through advanced technological solutions.

Eligible Applicant Types: Based on the provided text, eligible applicant types include those that can form a consortium. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium. 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. The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) provides advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the Horizon Europe Programme. There are different types of actions that can be funded, including HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA), HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP), and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

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 to help find partner organizations for proposals.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: buildings and construction, robotics and automated systems, sustainability, resource efficiency, 3D printing, worker safety, and human-robot collaboration.

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions non-EU countries and non-associated countries.

Project Stage: The project stage includes testing and validation of prototype solutions and techniques, indicating a development and demonstration stage. The call also targets research and innovation actions.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action. The budget overview lists several topics with budgets ranging from EUR 6,000,000 to EUR 33,000,000. For example, HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-01 has a budget of EUR 33,000,000, while HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-14 has a budget of EUR 6,000,000. The indicative number of grants also varies, ranging from 1 to 3 per topic.

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.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants per topic provides some insight into the potential success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe funding opportunity focuses on "On-site innovative robotic and automated solutions and techniques for more sustainable and less disruptive building renovation and construction." The goal is to modernize the construction sector by encouraging the use of robotics and automated systems to make building renovation and construction more sustainable, resource-efficient, less disruptive, faster, more accurate, and cost-effective.

The funding is provided as lump-sum grants under various action types, including Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The indicative budgets for different topics range from 6 million to 33 million EUR.

Eligible applicants are expected to form consortia and can include entities from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries with specific funding arrangements. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate as part of a consortium.

Projects should focus on testing and validating innovative robotic and automated solutions, including 3D printing, comparing these solutions to current best practices, investigating worker safety and human-robot collaboration, and validating prototype solutions for various building types. The overall aim is to reduce time, increase resource efficiency, improve accuracy, and reduce pollution in building renovation and construction processes. The application process is a single-stage submission, and partner search tools are available to help applicants form consortia.