RFCS-2026-01-RPJ Coal Research projects

RFCS-2026-01-RPJ is a transnational EU call under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), managed by the European Research Executive Agency (REA), funding investigative research to support the just transition, health and safety, and minimisation of environmental impacts of coal mines in transition. Eligible proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least three independent legal entities established in at least two different eligible countries and should start at TRL 1-3 and reach TRL 4-5 by project end. The topic has an indicative envelope of €7,000,000, with typical requested grants between €1,000,000 and €3,000,000 and an EU co-funding rate of 60% of eligible costs. The call opened on 17 June 2026 and the single-stage electronic submission deadline is 16 September 2026 at 17:00 CET via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

What it funds

Scope and expected outcomes

Research Projects (RPJs) for the coal sector addressing the RFCS objectives:supporting the just transition of coal regions, improving health and safety, and minimising environmental impacts of closing or former coal mines. Projects should undertake investigative or experimental work starting at TRL 1-3 and aiming to reach TRL 4-5 by project end. Each proposal must include an assessment of expected industrial, economic, social and environmental benefits.

Indicative budget for this topic:€7 000 000 (topic RFCS-2026-01-RPJ). Total call budget €40 000 000 across coal and steel topics ¹.

Who can apply

Legal entities (public or private bodies, research organisations, universities, SMEs, natural persons where allowed) established in eligible countries (EU Member States and RFCS-associated non-EU countries). International organisations are not eligible as beneficiaries. Projects must be submitted by a consortium.

Minimum consortium composition:For Research projects: at least 3 independent beneficiaries from at least 2 different eligible countries.

Grant details and timing

Call opening 17 June 2026. Submission deadline 16 September 2026 (17:00 CET). Projects normally 36–42 months. Submission online via the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page.

1. 1Funding form: budget-based mixed actual cost grant
2. 2Funding rate for Coal Research Projects (RPJ): 60% of eligible costs
3. 3Typical project budget guidance: €1–€3 million (applicants commonly request in this range, but other amounts may be considered)

Key application notes:submit Part A and Part B via the Portal Submission System; Part B limited to 70 pages; proposals evaluated on Excellence, Impact and Quality and efficiency of implementation. Projects must respect ethical, security and eligibility rules in the call documentation.

Apply and find full topic text, templates and call documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page: RFCS-2026-01-RPJ topic.

Footnotes

1. 1Call document RFCS-2026 (Call fiche and call text) and topic pages provide full budget breakdown and rules: see the Portal topic page linked above.

Call and Administrative Details

Call identifier:RFCS-2026. Topic: RFCS-2026-01-RPJ Coal Research projects. Programme: Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) — RFCS Annual Call 2026. Managing authority: European Research Executive Agency (REA). Topic page: ec.europa.eu. Call opening date: 17 June 2026. Submission deadline: 16 September 2026, 17:00 CET (Brussels). Submission mode: single-stage, electronic submission only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Contact for support: REA-RFCS@ec.europa.eu.

Available budget for this topic:Indicative budget allocated to RFCS-2026-01-RPJ Coal Research projects: €7 000 000 (call total €40 000 000 across all RFCS topics).

Scope, Objectives and Expected Impact

Purpose:Fund RFCS Research Projects (RPJs) in the coal sector that support the RFCS research objectives as established by Council Decision 2008/376/EC (as amended) and aligned with the EU policy framework (European Green Deal and Just Transition principles). Research projects address investigative or experimental work aimed at generating knowledge to facilitate attainment of practical objectives. TRL range: activities are expected to start at TRL 1-3 and reach TRL 4-5 by project end. Each proposal must include an assessment of expected industrial, economic, social and environmental benefits (Article 26 of Council Decision 2008/376/EC). Projects should indicate relevance to the Technical Groups listed in Annex 2 of the Call document (Coal Technical Groups TGK1 and TGK2).

Research objectives for coal (Article 4, 5 and 6):supporting the just transition of the coal sector and regions; improving health and safety in coal mines in closure/formerly operating mines; minimising environmental impacts from coal mine closure and formerly operating mines (air, water, soil). The scope includes, but is not limited to, carbon dioxide capture/use/storage, geothermal use on former coal sites, non-energetic uses and recovery of raw materials from mining wastes, repurposing coal infrastructure, reskilling/upskilling of workers, technologies to avoid environmental pollution and methane emission reduction and capture, management and reuse of mining wastes and fly ash, remediation and protection of water tables, and protection of surface infrastructure against subsidence.

Project duration and typical budget sizes:Expected durations: Research projects (RPJ) normally 36 to 42 months (longer if duly justified). Typical requested grant amounts for research projects: between €1 000 000 and €3 000 000, although other amounts may be requested and considered. For this topic the indicative budget is €7 000 000. Projects must present a balanced dissemination and exploitation plan and include mandatory deliverables (communication and dissemination plan, comprehensive overview month 6, publishable report at project end).

Eligibility and Consortium Requirements

Eligible applicants:legal entities (public or private bodies including undertakings, research organisations, higher or secondary education establishments, public bodies). Natural persons are eligible in RFCS in specific cases. International organisations are not eligible as beneficiaries. Participants must be established in eligible countries: EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) and RFCS-associated countries as listed in the call documentation. Entities must register in the Participant Register and be validated by the REA Validation service before grant signature. Associated partners, subcontractors and third parties providing in-kind contributions are allowed under the rules described in the Call document.

Consortium composition requirements:For Research Projects (RPJs) a minimum of three independent applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from at least two different eligible countries is required. 'Independent' means entities are not under direct or indirect control of one another. Coordinator role: one beneficiary acts as coordinator and represents the consortium towards the granting authority; coordinator cannot subcontract or delegate its core coordination duties to another beneficiary. Consortium agreement is recommended and often required by the call conditions.

1. 1Minimum consortium composition for RPJ: 3 independent beneficiaries from at least 2 eligible countries.
2. 2Affiliated entities: allowed and participate with the same obligations/rights as beneficiaries; their participation and budget must be included in Annex 2; beneficiaries remain fully responsible for affiliated entities.
3. 3Associated partners: may participate without funding; associated partners’ tasks must be listed in Annex 1 and they must comply with certain contractual obligations.
4. 4Subcontracting: allowed but should be exceptional and justified; must follow usual purchasing practices and ensure best value for money; subcontracting beyond 30% of total eligible costs must be justified in the application.

Eligible Activities, Technology Readiness Levels and Themes

Type of action:RFCS Research Projects (RPJ) — investigative or experimental work to acquire knowledge and enable practical objectives. Starting TRL: 1-3. Target TRL by project end: 4-5. Activities must relate to one or more RFCS coal research objectives (Articles 4, 5 and 6). Projects must demonstrate compliance with EU policy priorities and the 'do no significant harm' principle where applicable.

• Supporting the just transition of coal regions: capture/use/storage of CO2; geothermal on former coal sites; production of raw materials from mining wastes; repurposing coal infrastructure; reskilling/upskilling programmes.
• Improving health and safety: research on occupational health, safety in coal mines in closure, diseases related to mining activities and protective measures during closure.
• Minimising environmental impacts: methane capture/avoidance/minimisation; pollution prevention (air, water, soil); mine drainage purification; managing and reusing mining wastes and fly ash; restoring environments and protecting infrastructure against subsidence.

Funding instrument, Form of Grant and Funding Rates

Funding type:EU action grant (budget-based mixed actual cost grant) under the RFCS Model Grant Agreement (RFCS-MGA). The grant is budget-based with actual costs and may include unit cost, flat-rate elements as defined in the MGA and call documentation. Costs are reimbursed only if actually incurred (except where unit/flat-rate/lump sum rules apply).

Funding rates for RFCS 2026 topics:For Research Projects (RPJ): Coal RPJ funding rate: 60% of eligible costs. Coal Accompanying Measures (AM) are funded at 100%. Coal Pilot and Demonstration Projects (PDP) are funded at 50%. See Data Sheet and RFCS MGA for full detail.

Budget, Eligible Costs and Financial Rules

Budget categories:A Personnel costs (A.1 employees, A.2 natural persons under direct contract, A.3 seconded persons, A.4 SME owners/natural person beneficiaries), B Subcontracting costs, C Purchase costs (C.2 Equipment, C.3 Other goods, works and services), E Indirect costs (flat-rate 35% of eligible personnel costs). VAT: non-deductible/non-refundable VAT is eligible, but note national rules and exceptions. Financial support to third parties is not allowed under RFCS.

Eligibility of costs:must be actually incurred (for actual costs), recorded in beneficiaries’ accounts, necessary for action implementation, identifiable, verifiable and comply with national law on taxes, labour and social security. Personnel costs are typically calculated by daily rates derived from annual personnel costs divided by 215 and number of day-equivalents worked for the action; SME owner/natural person beneficiary unit cost option is defined in Annex 2a and call documentation. Equipment costs normally treated as depreciation, with limited full-cost purchase options where explicitly allowed in the call documents and Annex 2.

Application and Evaluation Process

Application submission:Electronic only via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants must complete Part A (online administrative data) and upload Part B (technical description, PDF assembled using the template from the Submission System) and mandatory annexes, including the detailed budget table (former Form B3) and list of previous projects where requested. Part B page limit: maximum 70 pages. Non-conforming additional documents will not be evaluated. Admissibility checks include completeness, eligibility checks and participant validation. Submission confirmations are issued by the Portal.

Evaluation:One-stage submission, single-step evaluation by an evaluation committee assisted by independent experts. Evaluation checks: eligibility and admissibility, operational capacity and award criteria (Excellence, Impact, Quality and efficiency of implementation). Each of the three award criteria is scored 0-5 with individual thresholds of 3/5 and an overall threshold of 10/15. Ranking and tie-break rules are defined in the Call document. Successful proposals invited to grant preparation; award remains subject to legal entity validation, financial capacity checks and exclusion checks during grant preparation.

1. 1Award criteria and scoring: Excellence (0-5), Impact (0-5), Quality and efficiency of implementation (0-5). Minimum scores: 3/5 per criterion and overall 10/15 to pass.
2. 2Mandatory evaluators' checks: operational capacity, financial capacity for certain thresholds, ethics review where applicable.
3. 3Evaluation timeline: evaluation September–November 2026. Notifications: January–February 2027. Grant signature: April–June 2027 (indicative as per call timetable).

Compliance, Ethics, Data Protection and Security

Proposals and projects must comply with highest ethical standards, applicable EU and national law, and the RFCS ethical rules. Projects with ethical issues will undergo ethics review and may require specific ethics deliverables. Personal data processing must comply with applicable data protection law (GDPR for beneficiaries/processors in EU) and Portal Privacy Statement provisions for the granting authority. Security rules apply where EU classified information or national security restrictions are involved; Annex 5 and RFCS MGA include specific obligations for security and classified information handling. Projects must respect non-proliferation and other relevant EU policies and sanctions restrictions; entities subject to EU restrictive measures are not eligible to participate.

Reporting, Payments and Financial Controls:Reporting schedule: continuous reporting via Portal (deliverables, milestones, progress), periodic reports (periodic financial and technical reports) according to Data Sheet schedule. Prefinancing (usually 20% of maximum grant amount) is paid after grant signature; prefinancing guarantees may be required in certain cases; interim payments and final payment follow approval of periodic reports. Certificates on financial statements required at final payment if the beneficiary’s requested EU contribution meets threshold (see Data Sheet). Grant payments may be reduced, suspended or recovered if ineligible costs are identified or non-compliance is found. The grant cannot produce profit (no-profit rule applies where specified in Data Sheet) and beneficiaries must declare revenues generated by the action. All payments are made to the coordinator who must distribute funds to beneficiaries without unjustified delay.

Administrative and Legal Requirements

Mandatory registration:All beneficiaries and affiliated entities must be registered in the Participant Register and obtain a PIC prior to contracting. The coordinator and beneficiaries must sign the RFCS Model Grant Agreement (RFCS-MGA) and, if required, provide a consortium agreement covering internal arrangements, distribution of funds, IPR and dispute resolution. Documents to be uploaded in the Submission System must follow templates available in the Portal (Application Form Part B template, detailed budget table, annex templates). Page, formatting and font size rules apply in Part B. Record-keeping obligations and retention periods apply (standard 5 years after final payment, shorter periods for low-value grants may apply).

1. 1How to apply: create EU Login, register organisation in Participant Register, use Submission System to complete Part A and upload Part B and annexes.
2. 2Page limit Part B: maximum 70 pages; font Arial minimum 9 pt, A4 pages, margins at least 15 mm.
3. 3Mandatory annexes to upload: detailed budget table (annex 1 to Part B); list of previous projects (if required by call); other mandatory annexes as per call topic conditions.

Success Rates, Stages, Co-Funding and Other Practicalities

Application stages:single-stage submission; evaluation and ranking; possible invitation to grant preparation; legal and financial checks prior to signature; grant signature and start of project. Number of stages from proposal submission to grant signature: typically 2 distinct decision stages (evaluation decision + grant preparation/validation). Success rates: not published specifically; funding is competitive and depends on quality of proposals and available budget (for this RFCS call the coal RPJ envelope is €7 000 000). Co-funding requirement: funding rates are partial (for Coal RPJ 60% of eligible costs), therefore beneficiaries must cover the remaining eligible costs from own or third-party resources; project budgets must demonstrate balanced funding and sufficient resources to implement the project. Financial capacity checks apply above certain thresholds and for non-public bodies; organisational operational capacity must be demonstrated in the proposal (consortium track record, list of previous projects).

Application form and templates:Application Form structure: Part A (administrative, online) and Part B (technical PDF upload). Part B template is provided in the Submission System and contains required sections: Project summary; 1. Excellence (objectives, ambition, methodology, TRL start/end); 2. Impact (pathways to impact, dissemination, exploitation, communication plan); 3. Quality and efficiency of implementation (work plan, work packages, staffing, resources, risk management); 4. Other (ethics, security); 5. Declarations. Mandatory annexes: detailed budget table (mandatory), CVs where applicable, list of previous projects (if requested). Part B is limited to 70 pages. Detailed budget table template (Excel) must be used for financial breakdown by budget category and participant. The call document and the RFCS-MGA are available on the Portal Reference Documents. See Portal Online Manual and FAQ for submission guidance.

1. 1Part B recommended structure: Cover page, Project summary, Section 1 Excellence (Objectives and ambition, Methodology including interdisciplinary and TRL information), Section 2 Impact (pathways, dissemination/exploitation/communication plan, IPR strategy), Section 3 Implementation (Work packages, Gantt, deliverables/milestones, staff effort tables, subcontracting justification, equipment justification, risk register), Section 4 Ethics and Security, Section 5 Declarations.
2. 2Detailed budget table: spreadsheet template provided in Portal (Detailed budget table RFCS). Ensure consistency between online summary budget and detailed budget table (online summarised budget prevails in case of discrepancy).
3. 3Mandatory deliverables to be included in Annex 1 (to be managed in the Grant Management System) include the communication and dissemination plan, comprehensive project overview at month 6 and final publishable report.

Success Criteria in Evaluation (What assessors look for)

Assessors evaluate proposals on three award criteria, each scored 0-5:Excellence (clarity of objectives, match to RFCS objectives, ambition beyond state-of-the-art, soundness of methodology, TRL plan), Impact (credible pathways to deliver expected industrial/economic/social/environmental benefits; quantification/extrapolation of scale and significance; robust dissemination, exploitation and communication measures; stakeholder engagement and policy relevance) and Quality and efficiency of implementation (work plan coherence, timetable feasibility, resources and cost-effectiveness, consortium quality and capacity, risk management). Minimum thresholds: 3/5 per criterion and 10/15 overall to be considered for funding. Special attention is paid to operational capacity and the consortium’s capacity to implement the project and to the complementarity of partners across research, industry and just transition actors.

Key Practical Recommendations for Applicants

Practical actions to prepare a competitive proposal:ensure consortium meets minimum eligibility numbers and country distribution; clearly describe start and end TRL levels and how the project will progress TRL 1-3 to TRL 4-5 by project end; quantify expected impacts and specify beneficiaries/target groups; prepare a robust dissemination, exploitation and communication plan and IPR management strategy; justify any subcontracting and equipment full-cost requests (if applicable); ensure all participants are registered in the Participant Register and validated; use the official Part B template and detailed budget table; respect the Part B 70-page limit and formatting rules; plan for required ethics and security assessments; allow time for registration and submission well before the deadline to avoid last-minute IT issues.

Categorisation and Structured Answers

Below are structured, detailed answers to the standard opportunity classification questions, extracted and consolidated from the call documentation and topic page.

Eligible Applicant Types:Eligible applicant (beneficiary) types: public or private legal entities carrying out RTD activities, including industry/undertakings (SMEs and large enterprises), research organisations, universities and higher education establishments, public bodies, non-profit organisations. Natural persons may be eligible in specific cases. International organisations are NOT eligible as beneficiaries. Associated partners, subcontractors and third parties giving in-kind contributions may participate in other roles. Affiliated entities linked to beneficiaries may participate with similar rights and obligations if documented.

Funding Type:Primary financial mechanism: EU action grant (budget-based mixed actual cost grant) under the RFCS Model Grant Agreement (grant).

Consortium Requirement:Requirement: consortium of multiple applicants. For Research Projects (RPJ) a minimum of three independent beneficiaries from at least two eligible countries is required. Single-beneficiary submissions are not applicable to RPJ topics.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Geographic eligibility: EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) and countries associated to the RFCS programme (list of participating countries available in the Call document). Activities must take place in eligible countries. Participants from non-eligible third countries may participate only in limited roles where allowed by the call document (e.g. as associated partners) and only if the participation is in the EU interest.

Target Sector:Target sector: Coal sector research under RFCS objectives; thematic areas include environment, climate, mining/waste management, health and safety in mines, energy (geothermal reuse of sites), carbon dioxide capture/use/storage, materials recovery from mining wastes, land restoration and remediation, circular economy activities related to mining residues.

Mentioned Countries:Explicit countries: none listed by name in the topic text. Eligibility is specified by region: EU Member States and RFCS-associated countries (see Call document for the list).

Project Stage:Expected project maturity: research projects starting at early TRL (1-3) and expected to reach TRL 4-5 by project end. Projects are intended to advance knowledge and demonstrate validation in relevant environments rather than full commercial deployment.

Funding Amount (rough range):Indicative per-project funding range for RPJs: typically €1 000 000 to €3 000 000 requested grant amount. Topic envelope: €7 000 000. The call reserves the right to award lower amounts or reallocate budgets between topics depending on proposal quality and evaluation outcomes.

Application Type:Method: open call under RFCS Annual Call 2026. Submission method: single-stage, electronic submission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal (open call).

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries receive monetary support (grant funding) to cover eligible costs; the grant is budget-based and reimburses eligible actual costs and, where applicable, unit cost or flat-rate elements. Non-monetary support available includes project management tools via the Portal, dissemination support and networking opportunities through RFCS and REA activities.

Application Stages:Number of stages: 1 main submission stage (single-stage proposal submission) followed by evaluation and grant preparation. Thus applicants pass through: 1) Submission/admissibility check, 2) Evaluation & ranking, 3) Invitation to grant preparation and legal/financial validation leading to 4) Grant signature — effectively 3 to 4 steps from proposal to signed grant.

Success Rates:No explicit historical success rate provided in the call documentation. Success depends on scoring against the award criteria and available budget. The call has an indicative envelope of €7 000 000 for coal RPJs; selection is competitive and conditional on thresholds and ranking.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. Co-funding is required because the EU reimburses a percentage of eligible costs only (Coal RPJ funding rate is 60%). Applicants must therefore cover remaining eligible costs (40% for Coal RPJ) from own resources or third-party contributions. Project budgets must show balanced financing and capacity to provide required co-funding.

Templates and Application Form Structure (Guidance)

Application forms and templates are available in the Submission System. The RFCS Application Form consists of Part A (administrative information entered directly in the Portal) and Part B (narrative technical description uploaded as PDF). The main Part B template sections (with recommended content and suggested page guidance) are:

1. 1Cover page and project summary (abstract matching Part A).
2. 21. Excellence: 1.1 Objectives and ambition (describe SMART objectives, TRL start and end, novelty beyond state of the art), 1.2 Methodology (detailed scientific and technical approach, inter-disciplinary integration, data and modelling approaches, compliance with 'do no significant harm' where relevant).
3. 32. Impact: 2.1 Pathways to impact (quantified expected industrial, economic, social and environmental benefits, target beneficiaries, exploitation pathways), 2.2 Measures to maximise impact (detailed dissemination, exploitation and communication plan, IPR management and protection strategy), 2.3 Impact summary/canvas (optional but recommended).
4. 43. Quality and efficiency of implementation: 3.1 Work plan (WP list and brief overview), 3.2 Work packages, resources and risk management (detailed WP descriptions, tasks, deliverables, milestones, Gantt/timeline, staff effort tables per WP and participant, subcontracting table with justification, equipment justification and procurement approach, estimated budget consistency and cost-effectiveness), 3.3 Capacity of participants (competences, complementarity, track record and access to facilities).
5. 54. Other: Ethics self-assessment, security aspects where relevant.
6. 65. Declarations and annex list.

Mandatory annexes and templates:detailed budget table (Excel template), list of previous relevant projects (template in Part B), other supporting documents required by call topic conditions. Use provided templates in the Submission System; do not upload documents in other formats or locations. Ensure the summary budget in Part A online matches the detailed budget table numbers (the online summarised budget prevails if discrepancies exist).

Note:Part B must not exceed 70 pages. Use clear tables for staff effort and budgets. Provide risk register with likelihood/impact and mitigation. For any subcontracts, include justification and procurement method; subcontracting must respect best value for money and avoid conflicts of interest.

Concluding Summary

What this opportunity is about and how to explain it:RFCS-2026-01-RPJ is an EU-funded open call under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) to support collaborative research projects that address the transition of coal regions, health and safety in coal mine closure contexts, and the minimisation of environmental impacts from coal mines. Projects should start at low TRL (1-3) and advance technology or knowledge to TRL 4-5 by the end of the project. The call funds competitive multi-partner research projects with a minimum consortium composition: three independent beneficiaries from at least two eligible countries. Funding is provided as an EU grant (budget-based mixed actual cost grant) with the Coal Research Projects funded at 60% of eligible costs. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal, follow the RFCS application template and annexes, address the RFCS objectives and Technical Group topics, provide robust impact assessment and exploitation/ dissemination plans, and comply with ethics, security and data protection rules. Applicants must register organisations in the Participant Register, prepare a complete Part A and Part B application (70-page limit) and upload the detailed budget table. The coal RPJ envelope for 2026 is €7 million; individual project requests usually range €1–€3 million. Projects selected will proceed to grant preparation subject to legal entity validation, financial capacity checks and any required certificates or prefinancing guarantees. This opportunity is aimed at research teams combining academia, research centres and industry or other relevant stakeholders to deliver research outputs that materially support just transition, environmental remediation and health and safety improvements in coal regions.

For more details applicants must consult the full RFCS Call document, the RFCS Model Grant Agreement, the Application Form templates and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual. Portal Topic page and call document contain full eligibility rules, budget details, award criteria, annexes and legal provisions. The submission system enforces templates, mandatory annex slots and the Part B page limit.

Reference:RFCS-2026-01-RPJ Coal Research projects. Call document: RFCS Annual Call 2026 (version 1.0, 09 June 2026). Topic page: ec.europa.eu. Detailed budget and Part B templates are available in the Portal Submission System and the Reference Documents. RFCS Call Document 2026 Detailed budget table template RFCS Model Grant Agreement Portal Funding & Tenders.

Footnotes

1. 1Read the Call Document and the Model Grant Agreement carefully. All topics and rules (eligibility, budgets, grant modalities, award criteria and mandatory deliverables) are described there and in the Portal Reference Documents. Use the official templates in the Submission System and allow sufficient time to register organisations and submit proposals before the deadline.

Funding Opportunity Summary

The RFCS-2026-01-RPJ Coal Research Projects is a transnational EU grant under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), managed by the European Research Executive Agency (REA). It supports investigative and experimental work to facilitate practical objectives in the coal sector, specifically focusing on the just transition, health and safety, and minimizing environmental impacts of coal mines in transition [[1]][[2]].

Key Eligibility and Consortium Requirements

Applicants must form a consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities (beneficiaries) established in at least 2 different eligible countries (EU Member States or RFCS-associated countries) [[1]][[3]]. Entities can include universities, research organizations, SMEs, large industrial companies, and public authorities [[3]]. Natural persons are eligible, while international organizations and EU bodies (except the JRC) are not [[3]].

Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Requirements:Projects must start at TRL 1-3 (basic principles to experimental proof of concept) and achieve TRL 4-5 (technology validated in lab/relevant environment) by the end of the project [[1]][[3]].

Research Scope and Objectives

Proposals must align with one or more of the RFCS coal objectives defined in Council Decision 2008/376/EC (amended 2021) [[1]][[3]]. Key focus areas include carbon dioxide capture/use/storage, geothermal energy on former sites, non-energetic use of mining wastes, repurposing coal infrastructure, reskilling workers, and minimizing methane leakage and environmental pollution [[1]][[3]].

1. 1Supporting the just transition of coal sectors and regions (Art. 4)
2. 2Improving health and safety in coal mines (Art. 5)
3. 3Minimizing environmental impacts of coal mines in transition (Art. 6)

Funding Details and Budget

The grant is a budget-based mixed actual cost grant. The EU contribution covers 60% of eligible direct costs, plus a flat rate of 35% for indirect costs based on personnel costs [[1]][[3]]. Grants must not produce a profit; any surplus must be deducted from the final grant amount [[3]].

Deadlines and Submission Process

The call opened on 17 June 2026. The single-stage submission deadline is 16 September 2026 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time) [[1]][[2]][[4]]. Applications must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal [[2]][[4]]. Paper submissions are not accepted [[4]].

Required Application Documents:Part A (online administrative form), Part B (technical description, max 70 pages), and a detailed budget table (Excel) [[3]][[4]]. A list of previous key projects (last 4 years) is also mandatory [[3]].

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals are evaluated based on three criteria:Excellence (5 points), Impact (5 points), and Quality and efficiency of implementation (5 points) [[3]]. To be funded, proposals must score at least 3/5 in each criterion and a total of at least 10/15 points [[3]].

For specific questions, contact REA-RFCS@ec.europa.eu [[3]].

Footnotes

1. 1Official Call Document: RFCS Annual Call 2026 (RFCS-2026), Version 1.0, 09 June 2026. Available at EU Funding Portal.