Validating policies and business models for affordable and sustainable housing (Built4People Partnership)

The EU grant opportunity titled "Validating policies and business models for affordable and sustainable housing (Built4People Partnership)" is identified as HORIZON-CL5. It is part of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions program, with a total budget of €15 million earmarked to fund approximately three grants, each amounting to €5 million. Eligible applicants include research institutions, universities, private companies (both SMEs and large enterprises), public authorities, housing associations, municipalities, and civil society organizations. However, legal entities established in China are explicitly excluded from participation. The funding type is categorized as lump sum grants, meaning that beneficiaries receive a predetermined sum regardless of actual expenses incurred. A consortium is required for proposals, involving multi-stakeholder cooperation that includes all relevant parts of the housing renovation and construction value chain. Geographic eligibility encompasses EU member states, associated countries, and certain non-EU countries as specified by the program guidelines. The focus of the project is on the building and constructed environment sector, specifically targeting affordable and sustainable housing renovations. Key thematic areas include energy-efficient and climate-resilient buildings, the integration of renewable energy, circular economy practices, and enhancements in inclusivity and social cohesion. Applications are accepted via a single-stage submission process, opening on May 5, 2026, and closing on September 15, 2026. The proposal submission requires an assessment of the effectiveness of existing policies, validation of methodologies for affordability comparisons, and design of innovative solutions that enhance housing affordability while considering decarbonization targets. While specific success rates are not provided, they are anticipated to be competitive, likely below 10% given the high budget and limited number of grants. No mandatory co-funding requirement exists, though applicants are encouraged to seek additional funding sources. Overall, this grant opportunity aims to address energy poverty and promote energy efficiency in rental housing, ensuring access and affordability, especially for lower-income populations. The projects will be validated across at least three different countries with varied climatic conditions, ensuring that findings are scalable and replicable across diverse contexts.

This is a summary of several Horizon Europe funding opportunities related to climate, energy, and mobility, specifically focusing on validating policies and business models for affordable and sustainable housing within the Built4People Partnership.

The overarching goal is to contribute to the Renovation Wave strategy by increasing the rate and depth of building renovations, ensuring affordability, energy efficiency, and climate resilience, particularly for lower-income households. The funding opportunities fall under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically the BATTERIES and ENERGY (HORIZON-CL5-2026-09) call.

Several topics are listed with their respective budget, action type, opening and deadline dates, estimated contribution, and indicative number of grants. All topics have a single-stage submission process with a planned opening date of May 5, 2026, and a deadline of September 15, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The topics include both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA).

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-01:HORIZON-RIA, with a budget of €28,300,000, aims to fund approximately 4 grants with an estimated contribution of €7,100,000 per grant.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-04:HORIZON-IA, with a budget of €9,400,000, intends to award 1 grant with a contribution of €9,400,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D3-03:HORIZON-IA, with a substantial budget of €93,000,000, plans to fund 1 project with a contribution of €93,000,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-01:HORIZON-RIA, with a budget of €15,750,000, aims to distribute approximately 3 grants, each receiving around €5,250,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-02:HORIZON-IA, with a budget of €28,000,000, intends to fund about 4 projects, each with a contribution of approximately €7,000,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-03:HORIZON-IA, with a budget of €15,750,000, plans to award around 3 grants, each with an estimated contribution of €5,250,000.

HORIZON-CL5:HORIZON-RIA, with a budget of €15,000,000, aims to fund approximately 3 grants, each receiving around €5,000,000. This specific topic focuses on "Validating policies and business models for affordable and sustainable housing (Built4People Partnership)". Project results are expected to contribute to a better understanding of factors influencing renovation levels in the affordable housing sector and to increase the number of policymakers who revise policies to promote renovation. Proposals should research the effectiveness of existing policies, validate a methodology for comparing affordability, and design/validate solutions that improve affordability while meeting decarbonization targets.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08:HORIZON-IA, with a budget of €18,000,000, intends to fund approximately 2 projects, each with a contribution of around €9,000,000.

The expected outcomes across these topics include:

Better understanding of factors influencing renovation levels in the affordable housing sector.

Increased policy revisions to promote renovation in this sector.

The scope involves:

Researching the effectiveness of existing policies and business models.

Validating methodologies for comparing the affordability of rented properties.

Designing and validating new solutions to improve affordability while meeting decarbonization targets.

Projects are expected to contribute to the objectives of Built4People, transfer knowledge to its network, and share information with the New European Bauhaus hub.

The destination of these topics is "Using energy in buildings and industry in an efficient, affordable and sustainable way," contributing to the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) and aligning with the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic Orientations: ‘Green transition’, ‘Digital transition’, and ‘A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe’.

The main impacts include:

Highly energy-efficient and climate-neutral European building stock.

Improved energy performance of buildings, contributing to EU energy security.

Cost-efficient and affordable energy renovation and construction.

Buildings interacting with users and the energy system in an integrated and flexible manner.

Climate-resilient and inclusive buildings that improve quality of life.

Improved energy efficiency and reduced emissions in EU energy-intensive industries.

Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in RIAs and IAs under this destination.

General conditions for participation include admissibility conditions, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, exclusion criteria, evaluation and award processes, and legal/financial setup. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum.

Application forms, evaluation templates, model grant agreements, and guidance documents are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Potential applicants are encouraged to use the partner search function to find collaborators and to consult the provided resources for guidance and support.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to drive innovation and research in the area of affordable and sustainable housing, aligning with the EU's broader climate and energy goals. It seeks to support projects that can develop and validate effective policies and business models to promote energy-efficient renovations, particularly in the rental housing sector, while ensuring affordability and social inclusion.

Eligible Applicant Types:The opportunity is open to various legal entities, including those from non-EU/non-Associated Countries, provided they meet the eligibility criteria outlined in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. The specific types of eligible applicants are not explicitly detailed in the provided text, but can be inferred to include those capable of conducting research and innovation activities related to energy-efficient buildings and industry.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the Horizon Europe Programme. The actions are either HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) or HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA).

Consortium Requirement:The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the nature of Horizon Europe projects, which often involve complex research and innovation activities, a consortium is likely preferred or even necessary to adequately address the scope of the call. Partner search announcements are available, suggesting that collaboration is encouraged.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The primary geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. The opportunity also mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination.

Target Sector:The program targets the following sectors: energy, buildings, industry, climate, green transition, and research and innovation. Specifically, it focuses on energy efficiency in buildings and energy-intensive industries, affordable and sustainable housing, and the renovation wave strategy.

Mentioned Countries:China is explicitly mentioned as a country whose legal entities are not eligible to participate in specific actions (RIAs and IAs) under this destination. The EU and non-EU associated countries are implicitly mentioned as eligible regions.

Project Stage:The program supports both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), indicating that it covers a range of project stages from research to validation and demonstration. The focus on validating methodologies and designing solutions suggests that projects should be at least at the development stage.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview provides the following indicative funding ranges for the listed topics:

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-01:€28,300,000 (around €7,100,000 per grant, 4 grants)

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D2-04:€9,400,000 (around €9,400,000 per grant, 1 grant)

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D3-03:€93,000,000 (around €93,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-01:€15,750,000 (around €5,250,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-02:€28,000,000 (around €7,000,000 per grant, 4 grants)

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-03:€15,750,000 (around €5,250,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL5:€15,000,000 (around €5,000,000 per grant, 3 grants)

HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-08:€18,000,000 (around €9,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)

Application Type:The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages:The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential competitiveness of each call.

Co-funding Requirement:The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe grants often involve some level of co-funding from the applicant or other sources.

Summary:This Horizon Europe call, part of the BATTERIES and ENERGY (HORIZON-CL5-2026-09) program, focuses on validating policies and business models for affordable and sustainable housing within the Built4People Partnership. It aims to support projects that contribute to the Renovation Wave strategy by addressing energy poverty and promoting energy-efficient renovations in rental properties. The call includes various topics with different scopes and funding levels, ranging from research and innovation actions to innovation actions. Eligible applicants include a wide range of legal entities from EU member states and associated countries, with specific restrictions for entities established in China. Projects should focus on researching existing policies, validating methodologies for comparing affordability, and designing new solutions to improve affordability while meeting decarbonization targets. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a single-stage submission. The call contributes to the broader destination of using energy in buildings and industry in an efficient, affordable, and sustainable way, aligning with the EU's strategic orientations for a green and digital transition.