RFCS-2025 Coal Accompanying Measures

The RFCS-2025 Coal Accompanying Measures call under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) is focused on supporting activities aligned with the European Green Deal goals, emphasizing a transition towards a climate-neutral economy by 2050. The call primarily targets research projects that facilitate the transition from fossil fuels, particularly coal, and address the associated environmental, health, and socio-economic impacts.

Eligible applicants include universities, research centers, and private companies, with an implied focus on balanced representation from academia, industry, and relevant stakeholders involved in coal region transitions. The funding mechanism operates through grants, specifically categorized as RFCS Project Grants and RFCS Action Grant Budget-Based initiatives.

A consortium is not strictly required, but projects are encouraged to involve multiple partners to enhance knowledge dissemination. Geographic eligibility primarily covers EU Member States, with potential inclusion of EEA countries and EU candidate nations. The call specifically addresses the coal sector's transition, targeting areas such as carbon capture technologies, geothermal energy repurposing, environmental remediation, and worker reskilling initiatives.

Total funding for the call in 2025 is set at €1 million, with expected project budgets ranging from €300,000 to €500,000 based on historical benchmarks. The application process is a single-stage open call, with submissions due by September 24, 2025. Financial support will be in the form of grants, and co-funding is expected, with typical rates implying at least 20% contribution from recipients.

The call is structured to prioritize projects addressing the just transition of coal regions, enhancing health and safety during mine closures, and minimizing environmental impacts. Proposals emphasizing collaboration and tangible results in facilitating the coal phase-out and transitioning affected communities will be favored.

Potential applicants are advised to utilize the Funding & Tenders Portal for submission and guidance, and to thoroughly review all related documents for compliance with eligibility and criteria outlined in the RFCS call.

The RFCS-2025 Coal Accompanying Measures call, part of the Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS) program, aims to support the European Green Deal objectives by fostering a fair and prosperous transition towards a climate-neutral economy by 2050. The call focuses on research projects that address the phasing out of fossil fuels, developing alternative activities on former mine sites, and mitigating environmental damage from coal mines.

The call is structured around the research objectives for coal as defined in Council Decision 2008/376/EC, amended by Council Decision EU 2021/1094, specifically Articles 4, 5, and 6.

Article 4 focuses on supporting the just transition of the coal sector and regions, emphasizing:

Carbon dioxide capture, use, and storage technologies.

Geothermal energy utilization on former coal sites.

Non-energetic uses and raw material production from mining wastes, ensuring minimal environmental impact.

Repurposing coal and lignite mines and related infrastructure for a climate-neutral transition.

Promoting reskilling and upskilling programs for workers affected by the coal phase-out.

Article 5 addresses improving health and safety in coal mines, focusing on:

Improving working conditions, occupational health and safety in closing and former coal mines.

Research on diseases related to mining activities and protective measures during and after mine closures.

Article 6 aims at minimizing the environmental impacts of coal mines in transition, prioritizing:

Technologies to avoid environmental pollution, including methane leakage.

Capturing and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane.

Managing and reusing mining waste, fly ash, and desulphurization products.

Refurbishing waste heaps and using industrial residues from coal production.

Protecting water tables and purifying mine drainage water.

Restoring the environment of former coal installations and their surroundings.

Protecting surface infrastructure against subsidence and ground movements.

The call includes several topics under RFCS Project Grants (RFCS-PJG):

RFCS-2025-01-AM: Budget of 1,000,000 EUR

RFCS-2025-01-PDP: Budget of 2,880,000 EUR

RFCS-2025-01-RPJ: Budget of 7,000,000 EUR

RFCS-2025-02-AM: Budget of 1,000,000 EUR

RFCS-2025-02-PDP: Budget of 7,620,000 EUR

RFCS-2025-02-RPJ: Budget of 20,500,000 EUR

All topics follow a single-stage submission process. The opening date for submissions is June 18, 2025, and the deadline is September 24, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

Conditions for participation include:

Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, as detailed in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligibility of countries, as described in section 6 of the call document.

Other eligibility conditions, also detailed in section 6 of the call document.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria, as described in section 7 of the call document.

Evaluation and award processes, as described in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds, as described in section 9 of the call document.

Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, as described in section 4 of the call document.

Legal and financial setup of the grants, as described in section 10 of the call document.

Relevant documents for the call include:

Call document

Standard application form (RFCS)

Detailed budget table (RFCS)

Content of Evaluation Forms (RFCS] Annex 3 of the Call document

RFCS Model Grant Agreement (MGA)

RFCS Decision 2008/376

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

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

Applicants can find partners through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The electronic submission service can be accessed via the submission button, and existing draft proposals can be accessed through the My Proposals page on the portal.

For help, applicants can consult the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, contact the IT Helpdesk, or refer to the Online Manual.

In summary, this call is about funding research projects that support the transition from coal to a climate-neutral economy in line with the European Green Deal. It focuses on technological advancements, environmental restoration, and workforce transition in coal regions. The call provides funding opportunities for projects addressing carbon capture, geothermal energy, waste reuse, mine repurposing, and skills development. Applicants need to carefully review the call documents and conditions to ensure their proposals align with the objectives and requirements of the RFCS program.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the focus on research projects and the objectives outlined, it can be inferred that eligible applicants may include universities, research institutes, and other organizations capable of conducting research and development activities. The mention of reskilling programs suggests that educational institutions and training providers could also be eligible. The possibility of technology transfer suggests that SMEs and large enterprises could also be eligible.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically "RFCS Project Grants" (RFCS-PJG) and "RFCS Action Grant Budget-Based" [RFCS-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if single applicants are allowed. However, the partner search announcements suggest that collaborative projects are welcome, implying that consortia are possible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly mentioned, but given that it is an EU funding opportunity tied to the European Green Deal, it is highly likely that the beneficiary scope includes EU member states and potentially associated countries. Section 6 of the call document, which is not provided, likely contains the specific details on eligible countries.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: climate, energy, environment, education, and research, with a specific focus on the coal and steel industries in transition. The program also targets health and safety issues related to mining activities.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the program is focused on the European Union (EU) and its objectives under the European Green Deal.

Project Stage: The program supports research projects, suggesting that the expected maturity of the project can range from research to development and demonstration. The focus on testing technologies and repurposing infrastructure indicates that projects at the validation and demonstration stages are also relevant.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic. The budget overview provides the following ranges for the RFCS-2025 call:
RFCS-2025-01-AM: €1,000,000
RFCS-2025-01-PDP: €2,880,000
RFCS-2025-01-RPJ: €7,000,000
RFCS-2025-02-AM: €1,000,000
RFCS-2025-02-PDP: €7,620,000
RFCS-2025-02-RPJ: €20,500,000
Therefore, the funding range varies from €1M to €20.5M.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by "Open For Submission." The deadline model is single-stage.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their research and development projects.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:
This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS) program, specifically the RFCS-2025 Coal Accompanying Measures. It aims to support projects that align with the objectives of the European Green Deal, focusing on the transition away from fossil fuels, particularly coal, and towards a climate-neutral economy by 2050. The call encourages research projects that address the just transition of coal regions, improve health and safety in mining areas, and minimize the environmental impacts of coal mines.

The key areas of focus include:
Carbon dioxide capture, use, and storage technologies.
Use of geothermal energy on former coal sites.
Non-energetic uses and production of raw materials from mining wastes.
Repurposing of coal and lignite mines and related infrastructure.
Reskilling and upskilling programs for workers affected by the coal phase-out.
Improving health and safety in coal mines and addressing mining-related diseases.
Minimizing environmental impacts, including methane leakage and pollution.
Managing and reusing mining waste and restoring the environment.

The call is structured around RFCS Project Grants (RFCS-PJG) and RFCS Action Grant Budget-Based (RFCS-AG), with varying budget allocations for different topics, ranging from €1 million to €20.5 million. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of September 24, 2025. The call is open for submission, and potential applicants are encouraged to read the call document and related annexes carefully, and to use the Funding & Tenders Portal for submission and access to support resources.