RFCS-2025 Coal Research Projects

The RFCS-2025 Coal Research Projects call under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) program aims to support the European Green Deal's goals of transitioning to a climate-neutral economy by 2050. The call encourages research projects that address the phasing out of fossil fuels, develop alternative activities on former mining sites, and minimize environmental damage from coal mines.

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, and private companies, with a focus on collaborative projects, indicating that a consortium of multiple partners is required. The geographic scope covers EU member states, EEA countries, and possibly EU candidate countries. The targeted sector specifically focuses on coal, with research directed toward developing technologies for carbon capture, improving health and safety conditions, and environmental protection.

The total budget for this topic is €7 million, with individual project funding varying potentially between €200,000 to €1 million. The application process is single-stage, and submissions must be completed electronically by September 24, 2025. Co-funding is required from applicants.

The call highlights the necessity for projects to contribute positively to social, economic, and environmental outcomes and emphasizes health and safety improvements for coal-dependent communities. The initiative promotes reskilling programs for workers affected by the industry's transition and calls for innovative solutions to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane.

For further details, applicants are guided to consult the specific call documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal for a comprehensive understanding of eligibility, funding conditions, and submission requirements. This opportunity not only aims to support research and innovation in the coal sector but also aligns with broader EU efforts to ensure a just and sustainable transition in energy production.

The RFCS-2025 Coal Research Projects call, under the Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS) Programme, aims to support the transition to a climate-neutral Union economy by 2050, aligning with the objectives of the European Green Deal. The call seeks research projects that focus 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 a single-stage submission process. The opening date for submissions is June 18, 2025, and the deadline is September 24, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected impact of the projects should contribute to transforming the EU into 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 include an assessment of anticipated industrial, economic, social, and environmental benefits, as per Article 26 of the RFCS Regulation.

Research objectives for coal are defined by Council Decision 2008/376/EC, amended by Council Decision EU 2021/1094, focusing on:

Supporting the just transition of the coal sector and regions:
Research projects should support the transition towards a climate-neutral Union economy by 2050, focusing on:
Development and testing of 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 and residues, minimizing climate, environmental, and health impacts.
Repurposing of former coal and lignite mines and related infrastructure for a climate-neutral and environmentally friendly transition.
Promotion of efficient reskilling and upskilling programmes for workers affected by coal phase-out.
Strengthening European leadership in managing the transition of formerly operating coal mines and infrastructure through technological and non-technological solutions, supporting technology transfer, and presenting tangible climate and environmental benefits.

Improving health and safety:
Addressing safety issues in coal mines in the process of closure and formerly operating coal mines, improving working conditions, occupational health and safety, and addressing environmental issues deleterious to health.
Focusing on diseases related to mining activities to improve the health of people living in coal regions in transition and ensuring protective measures during and after mine closures.

Minimising the environmental impacts of coal mines in transition:
Seeking to minimise the impacts of coal mines in the process of closure and formerly operating mines on the atmosphere, water, and soils.
Preserving and restoring natural resources for future generations.
Preference will be given to projects that envisage:
New and improved technologies to avoid environmental pollution, including methane leakage, from coal mines in the process of closure and their surroundings.
Capturing, avoiding, and minimising greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, from coal deposits in the process of closure.
Managing and reusing mining waste, fly ash, and desulphurisation products from coal mines in the process of closure and formerly operating coal mines.
Refurbishing waste heaps and using industrially residues from coal production and consumption in coal regions in transition.
Protecting water tables and purifying mine drainage water.
Restoring the environment of former installations or installations in the process of closure that used coal, and their surroundings, in particular water, land, soils, and biodiversity.
Protecting surface infrastructure against the effects of subsidence and ground movements in the short and long term.

Conditions for application include:
Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout as described in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible Countries: As described in section 6 of the call document.
Other Eligible Conditions: As described in section 6 of the call document.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in section 7 of the call document.
Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes as described in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.
Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in section 9 of the call document.
Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in section 4 of the call document.
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) available in the Submission System
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 year 2025 is as follows:
RFCS-2025-01-AM RFCS Project Grants: 1,000,000 EUR
RFCS-2025-01-PDP RFCS Project Grants: 2,880,000 EUR
RFCS-2025-01-RPJ RFCS Project Grants: 7,000,000 EUR
RFCS-2025-02-AM RFCS Project Grants: 1,000,000 EUR
RFCS-2025-02-PDP RFCS Project Grants: 7,620,000 EUR
RFCS-2025-02-RPJ RFCS Project Grants: 20,500,000 EUR

The call is open for submission as of June 18, 2025, for the following topics: RFCS-2025-02-AM, RFCS-2025-01-PDP, RFCS-2025-02-RPJ, RFCS-2025-01-RPJ, RFCS-2025-01-AM, and RFCS-2025-02-PDP.

Applicants can view and edit partner search announcements to collaborate on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests.

To start the submission process, applicants must access the Electronic Submission Service and select the appropriate type of action and model grant agreement.

For help, applicants can contact the provided email address, consult the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, contact the IT Helpdesk, or use the Online Manual.

In summary, this RFCS call for proposals aims to foster research projects that support the European Green Deal by addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with the transition away from coal. It focuses on technological advancements, environmental restoration, health and safety improvements, and the reskilling of workers in coal regions. The call provides funding opportunities for projects that contribute to a climate-neutral economy by 2050, with a strong emphasis on innovation, sustainability, and social responsibility. Applicants should carefully review the call documents and conditions to ensure their proposals align with the objectives and requirements of the RFCS programme.

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 potentially other entities capable of conducting relevant research, such as SMEs and large enterprises with research capabilities, public-private partnerships, and NGOs. The call is for RFCS Project Grants, which suggests a focus on entities with a proven capacity to manage and execute research projects.

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 single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the possibility to "publish partner requests" suggests that consortia are possible and perhaps encouraged, but single applicants are not necessarily excluded. Further details would be needed from the call documents to confirm.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, since it is an EU funding opportunity linked to the European Green Deal, it is highly likely that the primary geographic eligibility includes EU member states. Further details would be needed from section 6 of the call document.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: climate, energy, environment, research, and social and economic transition. Specifically, it focuses on the coal and steel sectors, aiming to support the transition away from fossil fuels and mitigate the environmental and social impacts of coal mine closures. The program also targets reskilling and upskilling programs for workers affected by the coal phase-out.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the call is linked to the European Green Deal, implying a focus on the EU and its member states.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project for this opportunity appears to be research, development, and demonstration. The call emphasizes research projects, testing of technologies, repurposing of infrastructure, and promotion of reskilling programs, suggesting projects should be beyond the initial idea stage and ready for practical application and validation.

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

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, meaning applicants submit a full proposal at once.

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

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

Summary:
This EU funding opportunity, under the Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS) program, aims to support the European Green Deal by funding research projects that facilitate the transition away from coal and mitigate the environmental and social impacts of coal mine closures. The call is open for submission with a deadline of September 24, 2025. The call seeks projects that focus on carbon dioxide capture, geothermal energy use, raw material production from mining wastes, repurposing of coal mines, and reskilling programs for affected workers. The funding is provided through RFCS Project Grants, with budgets ranging from 1 million to 20.5 million euros depending on the specific topic. The application process is single-stage, requiring applicants to submit a complete proposal by the deadline. The call targets entities capable of conducting relevant research, such as universities, research institutes, and potentially other organizations with research capabilities. The overall objective is to support the transition to a climate-neutral economy by 2050, in line with the European Green Deal objectives.