RFCS-2025 Steel Pilot and Demonstration Projects

The RFCS-2025 Steel Pilot and Demonstration Projects grant opportunity, under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) Programme, aims to support projects aligned with the objectives of the European Green Deal. This initiative targets the decarbonization and modernization of sectors like steel, which are critical to Europe’s economy, emphasizing a transition towards clean technology for near-zero-carbon steel production. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, private companies, and potentially public-private partnerships engaged in steel-related research and innovation. The funding type is grant-based, specifically designed as RFCS Project Grants, and typically requires the formation of consortia for project proposals. The geographic eligibility mainly consists of EU member states and associated countries, focusing on projects with impacts on the EU’s steel regions. The call emphasizes pilot and demonstration projects, thus requiring projects to reach levels of technological readiness from TRL 4 (pilot) to TRL 8 (near-industrial maturity). The total budget for this call is €7.62 million for 2025, with potential funding per project remaining variable, though past allocations for similar projects suggest ranges between €5 million and €25 million. The application process follows a single-stage procedure, with a submission deadline set for September 24, 2025. Financial support primarily comes in the form of monetary grants, with co-funding expected as it is common in EU funding schemes. The criteria for evaluation of proposals will focus on assessing industrial, economic, social, and environmental benefits promising significant advancements in the steel sector. The call aligns with several research objectives aimed at developing sustainable steel manufacturing processes, promoting resource conservation, circular economy initiatives, and improving workforce conditions. In summary, the RFCS-2025 call represents a significant funding opportunity for advancing research and innovation in the steel industry, backing projects that contribute to a carbon-neutral economy in alignment with EU directives. Comprehensive documentation, including application guidelines and criteria, will be available through the Funding & Tenders Portal to assist applicants in navigating the process.

The RFCS-2025 Steel Pilot and Demonstration Projects call, under the Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS) Programme, aims to support projects aligning with the European Green Deal objectives. The call seeks to transform the EU into a fair, prosperous, resource-efficient, and competitive society with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, decoupling economic growth from resource use.

The call focuses on decarbonizing and modernizing energy-intensive industries like steel, which are crucial to Europe's economy. The Commission aims to support clean steel breakthrough technologies leading to near-zero-carbon steelmaking processes. Proposals must assess anticipated industrial, economic, social, and environmental benefits, as per Article 26 of the RFCS Regulation.

Research Objectives:

The call addresses research objectives for steel as outlined in Council Decision 2008/376/EC, amended by Council Decision EU 2021/1094, focusing on:

1. New, Sustainable, and Low-Carbon Steelmaking and Finishing Processes (Article 8):

Research and technological development should aim to develop, demonstrate, and improve near-zero-carbon steel production processes to enhance product quality and productivity. Key areas include:

(a) Breakthrough near-zero-carbon iron- and steel-making processes, emphasizing carbon direct avoidance or smart carbon usage.

(b) Steel process and process chain optimization via instrumentation, property detection, modeling, control, and automation, including digitalization, big data, artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies. This covers reduction and pre-reduction of iron-ore, iron- and steel-making, recycled scrap melting, secondary metallurgy, casting, rolling, finishing, and coating operations.

(c) Steel process integration and efficiency in near-zero-carbon steel production.

(d) Maintenance and reliability of steel production tools.

(e) Techniques for increasing recyclability, recycling, and reuse of steel, promoting a circular economy.

(f) Techniques for increasing energy efficiency through waste heat recovery, prevention of energy losses, hybrid heating techniques, and energy management solutions.

(g) Innovative technologies and solutions for iron- and steel-making processes, promoting cross-sector activities, integrating zero-carbon energy production, or contributing to a clean hydrogen economy.

2. Advanced Steel Grades and Applications (Article 9):

Research should focus on meeting steel user requirements for new near-zero-carbon products and creating new market opportunities while reducing emissions and environmental impacts. Key areas include:

(a) New advanced steel grades.

(b) Improvement of steel properties (mechanical, physical, suitability for processing, applications, and working conditions).

(c) Prolonging service life by improving resistance to heat, corrosion, mechanical and thermal fatigue, and other deteriorating effects.

(d) Predictive simulation models on microstructures, mechanical properties, and production processes.

(e) Technologies relating to the forming, welding, and joining of steel and other materials.

(f) Standardization of testing and evaluation methods.

(g) High-performance steels for applications like mobility, including sustainability, eco-design methods, retrofitting, lightweight design, and safety solutions.

3. Conservation of Resources, Protection of the Environment, and Circular Economy (Article 10):

Focus on resource conservation, ecosystem preservation, circular economy transition, and safety issues in both steel production and utilization. Key areas include:

(a) Techniques for recycling obsolete steel and by-products, improving steel scrap quality.

(b) Treatment of waste and recovery of valuable secondary raw materials, including slags, inside and outside the steel plant.

(c) Pollution control and environmental protection in and around the workplace and steel plant (gaseous, solid, or liquid emissions, water management, noise, odours, dust).

(d) Design of steel grades and assembled structures for easy steel recovery for recycling or reuse.

(e) Utilization of process gases and elimination of waste gas emissions from steel production.

(f) Life cycle assessment and life cycle thinking concerning steel production and use.

4. Management of Workforce and Working Conditions (Article 10a):

Research should address:

(a) Developing and disseminating competencies to keep pace with new near-zero-carbon steel production processes, such as digitalization, and to reflect the principle of lifelong learning.

(b) Improving working conditions, including health, safety, and ergonomics in and around the workplace.

Conditions and Documents:

1. Admissibility Conditions:

Proposal page limit and layout are described in Section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries:

Described in Section 6 of the call document.

3. Other Eligible Conditions:

Described in Section 6 of the call document.

4. Financial and Operational Capacity and Exclusion:

Described in Section 7 of the call document.

5. Evaluation and Award:

(a) Submission and evaluation processes are described in Section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.

(b) Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Section 9 of the call document.

(c) Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Section 4 of the call document.

6. Legal and Financial Set-Up of the Grants:

Described in Section 10 of the call document.

Budget Overview for 2025:

The call includes several topics with varying budgets:

RFCS-2025-01-AM:RFCS Project Grants, Budget: €1,000,000

RFCS-2025-01-PDP:RFCS Project Grants, Budget: €2,880,000

RFCS-2025-01-RPJ:RFCS Project Grants, Budget: €7,000,000

RFCS-2025-02-AM:RFCS Project Grants, Budget: €1,000,000

RFCS-2025-02-PDP:RFCS Project Grants, Budget: €7,620,000

RFCS-2025-02-RPJ:RFCS Project Grants, Budget: €20,500,000

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 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Additional Information:

Call Document and Annexes:Includes the call document, application form templates (Standard application form and Detailed budget table), Content of Evaluation Forms, and Model Grant Agreements (RFCS MGA).

Additional Documents:Includes RFCS Decision 2008/376, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Statement.

Partner Search:LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics.

Submission:Electronic Submission Service via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants must select the appropriate type of submission (RFCS Project Grants or RFCS Action Grant Budget-Based).

Support:Contact information and links to the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, IT Helpdesk, and Online Manual are provided for assistance.

In summary, this RFCS call aims to drive research and innovation in the steel industry to align with the European Green Deal. It targets near-zero-carbon steel production processes, advanced steel grades, resource conservation, environmental protection, and improved working conditions. The call provides funding opportunities for projects that can demonstrate significant industrial, economic, social, and environmental benefits, contributing to a sustainable and competitive European steel industry. The call is structured around project grants, with a single-stage submission process, and offers comprehensive support and documentation to guide applicants through the process.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the focus on research and technological development in the steel sector, eligible applicants could include: research institutes, universities, large enterprises, SMEs, and other relevant organizations involved in steel-related research and innovation. Public-private partnerships are also likely to be eligible.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is 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 doesn't explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the partner search announcements suggest that consortia are possible and perhaps encouraged. Further details would be available in the call document.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility is not explicitly mentioned in the provided text. However, given that it is an EU funding opportunity, it is highly likely that applicants from EU member states and potentially associated countries are eligible. Section 6 of the call document is mentioned as the place where eligible countries are described.

Target Sector:The program targets the steel sector, with a focus on: new, sustainable, and low-carbon steelmaking and finishing processes; advanced steel grades and applications; conservation of resources, protection of the environment, and circular economy; and management of the workforce and working conditions within the steel industry.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned in the provided text. The focus is on the European Union's objectives and policies related to the European Green Deal.

Project Stage:The expected maturity of the project for this opportunity appears to range from development to demonstration, and potentially validation. The call emphasizes "demonstration projects" and improving existing processes, suggesting a need for projects beyond the initial idea stage. Pilot and Demonstration Projects are mentioned in the title.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic. Based on the "Budget overview," the funding ranges are: €1,000,000, €2,880,000, €7,000,000, €7,620,000, and €20,500,000.

Application Type:The application type is an "open for submission" call with a "single-stage" deadline model.

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their research and demonstration 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 mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This EU funding opportunity, under the Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS) program, aims to support projects that align with the European Green Deal objectives within the steel sector. The call, named "RFCS-2025 Steel Pilot and Demonstration Projects," seeks to promote near-zero-carbon steel production processes, advanced steel grades, resource conservation, environmental protection, and improved working conditions. The funding is provided through RFCS Project Grants (RFCS-PJG), with varying budget allocations for different topics, ranging from €1 millionto €20.5 million. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of September 24, 2025. Eligible applicants are likely to include research institutes, universities, and companies involved in steel-related research and innovation within the EU and associated countries. The call emphasizes the importance of assessing the industrial, economic, social, and environmental benefits of the proposed projects, as well as contributing to the EU's transition towards a sustainable and carbon-neutral economy by 2050. The call is structured around several key articles (8, 9, 10, and 10a) that outline specific research objectives related to steelmaking processes, applications, resource conservation, and workforce management. Applicants should consult the call document and related annexes for detailed information on eligibility criteria, proposal requirements, and evaluation procedures.