RFCS-2025 Coal Pilot and Demonstration Projects

The RFCS-2025 Coal Pilot and Demonstration Projects call, part of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) initiative, is designed to support research and innovation aimed at the transition of coal regions in alignment with the European Green Deal. The grant opportunity focuses on innovative projects that address challenges related to coal, including environmental impact reduction and socio-economic transitions in coal-dependent areas.

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutions, and private companies, including both small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as large enterprises. The funding type is strictly grants under the RFCS Action Grant Budget-Based model. While consortia are encouraged to enhance project viability and expertise, they are not explicitly required, allowing for applications from single entities.

The geographic scope is centered around EU Member States and may include associated countries, emphasizing projects that directly benefit coal transition regions within the EU. The targeted sector is primarily coal, with a specific interest in projects focusing on carbon capture, geothermal energy on mined sites, valorization of mining waste, repurposing coal-related infrastructure, enhancing health and safety in mining, and mitigating environmental impacts.

The call exclusively invites pilot and demonstration projects, requiring the maturity of proposed solutions to range from development and testing to industrial-scale validation. The total call budget is set at €2.88 million, with individual project funding anticipated to range from €500,000 to €5 million, reflecting typical co-funding requirements expected in EU grants.

An open call with a single-stage submission process is announced, where proposals must be submitted electronically between June 18, 2025, and September 24, 2025. The funding is entirely in monetary grants, covering various project costs, and applicants are required to showcase how their proposals will benefit industrial practices, economic viability, social frameworks, and environmental sustainability.

While success rates for applications and co-funding specifics were not clearly defined, the initiative generally fosters a partnership approach to address coal sector challenges. Projects must demonstrate a clear alignment with the overarching goals of the European Green Deal, aiming to create a just transition toward a sustainable economy whilst supporting the workforce affected by coal phase-out.

Overall, the RFCS-2025 call seeks to stimulate innovation in coal-related transitions, supporting initiatives that not only advance technology but also contribute to social and environmental welfare as Europe moves toward climate neutrality by 2050.

The RFCS-2025 Coal Pilot and Demonstration Projects call, under the Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS) Programme, aims to support the transition towards a climate-neutral Union economy by 2050, aligning with the objectives of the European Green Deal. This call focuses on phasing out fossil fuels, developing alternative activities on former mine sites, and addressing environmental damage from coal mines.

The call is structured around RFCS Project Grants (RFCS-PJG) and uses the RFCS Action Grant Budget-Based [RFCS-AG] model grant agreement. It is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline model. The opening date for submissions was June 18, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is September 24, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected impact of projects funded under this call includes contributing to a fair and prosperous society with a modern, resource-efficient, and competitive economy, decoupling economic growth from resource use, and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Proposals should assess anticipated industrial, economic, social, and environmental benefits.

The research objectives for coal, as defined by Council Decision 2008/376/EC (amended by Council Decision EU 2021/1094), are central to this call. Article 4 focuses on supporting the just transition of the coal sector and regions, emphasizing:

(a) The development and testing of carbon dioxide capture, use, and storage technologies.

(b) The use of geothermal energy on former coal sites.

(c) Non-energetic uses and the production of raw materials from mining wastes and residues from formerly operating coal mines or those in the process of closure, while duly ensuring that their climate, environmental and health impact is minimised and lower than alternative solutions.

(d) The repurposing of former coal and lignite mines as well as coal-related infrastructure, including power supply services, in line with a climate-neutral and environmentally friendly transition.

(e) The promotion of the development of efficient reskilling and upskilling programmes for workers affected by a coal phase-out, including research on the training and reskilling of workers employed or previously employed in the coal sector.

Article 5 addresses improving health and safety in coal mines, focusing on working conditions, occupational health and safety, and environmental issues deleterious to health. Research should also focus on diseases related to mining activities and ensure protective measures during and after mine closures.

Article 6 aims at minimising the environmental impacts of coal mines in transition, focusing on:

(a) New and improved technologies to avoid environmental pollution, including methane leakage, of coal mines in the process of closure, formerly operating mines and their surroundings (including the atmosphere, land, soils and water).

(b) Capturing, avoiding, and minimising greenhouse gas emissions, in particular methane, from coal deposits in the process of closure.

(c) Managing and reusing mining waste, fly ash, and desulphurisation products from coal mines in the process of closure and formerly operating coal mines, as well as, where relevant, other forms of waste.

(d) Refurbishing waste heaps and using industrially residues from coal production and consumption in coal regions in transition.

(e) Protecting water tables and purifying mine drainage water.

(f) Restoring the environment of former installations or installations that are in the process of closure that used coal, and their surroundings, in particular water, land, soils and biodiversity.

(g) Protecting surface infrastructure against the effects of subsidence and ground movements in the short and long term.

The conditions for participation include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout, as described in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form.

2. Eligible Countries, as described in section 6 of the call document.

3. Other Eligible Conditions, as described in section 6 of the call document.

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

5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes, as described in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.

5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds, as described in section 9 of the call document.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, as described in section 4 of the call document.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants, as described in section 10 of the call document.

The call document and annexes include:

Call document

Application form templates: Standard application form (RFCS), Detailed budget table (RFCS), Content of Evaluation Forms (RFCS] — Annex 3 of the Call document

Model Grant Agreements (MGA): RFCS MGA

Additional documents: 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

The budget overview for the call in 2025 is as follows:

RFCS-2025-01-AM - RFCS-PJG RFCS Project Grants: 1,000,000 EUR

RFCS-2025-01-PDP - RFCS-PJG RFCS Project Grants: 2,880,000 EUR

RFCS-2025-01-RPJ - RFCS-PJG RFCS Project Grants: 7,000,000 EUR

RFCS-2025-02-AM - RFCS-PJG RFCS Project Grants: 1,000,000 EUR

RFCS-2025-02-PDP - RFCS-PJG RFCS Project Grants: 7,620,000 EUR

RFCS-2025-02-RPJ - RFCS-PJG RFCS Project Grants: 20,500,000 EUR

The call is a single-stage submission process, with the opening date on June 18, 2025, and the deadline on September 24, 2025.

Applicants can search for partners to collaborate on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests.

To start the submission process, applicants must access the Electronic Submission Service and select the appropriate type of submission: RFCS Project Grants [RFCS-PJG] or RFCS Action Grant Budget-Based [RFCS-AG].

For help related to this call, applicants are advised to consult the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, contact the IT Helpdesk for technical issues, and refer to the Online Manual for a step-by-step guide.

In summary, this EU funding opportunity under the RFCS program aims to facilitate the transition from coal to a sustainable, climate-neutral economy by supporting research and demonstration projects focused on repurposing coal mines, developing clean technologies, improving health and safety, and mitigating environmental impacts. It encourages projects that align with the European Green Deal objectives and contribute to a just transition for coal regions. The call provides various funding levels for different project scopes, with a single-stage submission deadline in September 2025. Applicants should carefully review the call documents and annexes for detailed requirements and guidelines.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the focus on research and the involvement of coal and steel industries, it can be inferred that eligible applicants may include research institutes, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations involved in these sectors. Further details would be available in section 6 of the call document.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically "RFCS Project Grants" (RFCS-PJG). The type of Model Grant Agreement is "RFCS Action Grant Budget-Based [RFCS-AG]".

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. Further details would be available in section 6 of the call document.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that it is an EU funding opportunity linked to the European Green Deal, it is highly likely that the beneficiary scope includes EU member states and potentially associated countries. Further details would be available in section 6 of the call document.

Target Sector: The primary target sectors are: Coal, Steel, Energy, Environment, Climate, and Research. The call focuses on the transition of coal regions, minimizing environmental impacts of coal mines, and supporting the European Green Deal objectives. Specific areas include: carbon dioxide capture, use and storage technologies; geothermal energy; non-energetic uses of mining wastes; repurposing of coal mines; reskilling programmes for coal workers; health and safety in coal mines; and minimizing environmental impacts on atmosphere, water, and soils.

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

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project for this opportunity appears to span from research to demonstration. The call mentions "development and testing" of technologies, "pilot and demonstration projects," and "repurposing" of existing infrastructure, suggesting a focus on projects that are beyond the initial idea stage but may not yet be at full commercialization.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview lists the following amounts for different topics:
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

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 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 co-funding requirement is not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Summary:

This EU funding opportunity, under the Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS) program, aims to support the European Green Deal objectives by funding research and pilot/demonstration projects focused on the transition of coal regions and the reduction of environmental impacts from coal mines. The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget, ranging from 1 million to 20.5 million EUR. The projects should focus on areas such as carbon capture, geothermal energy, repurposing of coal mines, reskilling programs, and minimizing environmental pollution. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of September 24, 2025. Eligible applicants likely include research institutes, universities, SMEs, and large enterprises involved in the coal, steel, energy, and environmental sectors. The funding is provided in the form of grants, and projects should demonstrate industrial, economic, social, and environmental benefits.