WoodStock Grants to support climate-smart wood construction solutions

WoodStock is offering cascade grant funding under Horizon Europe for SMEs, start-ups, non-profit organisations or consortia led by one of these entities to develop climate-smart, zero-waste wood construction solutions with a total budget of €200,000 and up to four awards of €50,000 each (deadline 15 December 2026). Projects must run for one year, advance solutions beyond TRL 5, and demonstrate activities such as prototyping, testing, certification preparation, co-creation with local actors and dissemination aligned with New European Bauhaus values. Eligible lead applicants must be established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country and selected projects must organise one co-creation session with a WoodStock Living Lab in specified partner countries. Applications are submitted via the Evalato portal on the WoodStock website, selected projects receive €30,000 on signature and must provide a six-month progress report and a final report at 12 months.

Call snapshot

Essential facts

One-year cascade grants to develop, test and validate climate-smart, zero-waste wood construction solutions that use underutilised wood (hardwood, damaged, low-quality, post-consumer and residual wood) and embed New European Bauhaus values.

Who can apply:Lead applicants must be an SME, a start-up or a non-profit, or a consortium led by one of these; applicants must be based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country.

1. 1Eligible activities: demonstration, prototyping, physical/mechanical testing, certification prep, co-creation with local actors, training, dissemination (max 20% of budget).
2. 2Project expectations: progress beyond TRL5, one joint co-creation session with a WoodStock Living Lab (NL, FR, SI, PL, IE or NO), documentation of lessons learned, contribution to WoodBook and EWCO.
3. 3Submission: single-stage via the Evalato portal on the WoodStock website. Only one application per solution; strict prohibition of double EU funding.

Deadline:15 December 2026, 17:00 CET. Expected project start March–April 2027; progress report at 6 months and final report at 12 months. Selection: proposals scored against NEB alignment, circularity, community integration, scalability, systemic impact and applicant capacity.

How to apply:Register and submit your full application through the Evalato WoodStock application portal before the deadline; upload required templates and supporting documents. Contact: grants@woodstockproject.eu ¹.

1. 1Create an Evalato account via the WoodStock grants page and receive personal login link and PIN.
2. 2Complete the application form and budget template, attach visuals and letters of support (for consortia).
3. 3Submit before 15 December 2026 17:00 CET; you will receive confirmation by email.

Footnotes

1. 1Email grants@woodstockproject.eu. Start applications and find call documents (guidelines, templates, info session slides) on the WoodStock grants portal: WoodStock grants.

Call identity and administrative details

Key dates, budget and duration

Call title:WoodStock Grants to support climate-smart wood construction solutions. Opening date: 15 September 2026. Deadline (single-stage): 15 December 2026 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time). Expected project duration: 1 year. Total cascade funding available: €200,000 (four grants of up to €50,000 each). Pre-financing: €30,000 paid upon signing the grant agreement; final payment after positive evaluation and submission of final report. Timeline: evaluation in January 2027; information to applicants in February 2027; signature of grant agreements February–March 2027; projects start March–April 2027 (at the latest); six-month progress report; final reporting at 12 months; actions evaluated September 2028; final payments October 2028.

Funding body and programme:Funding body: Ghent University as Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) implementer under the WoodStock Horizon Europe project (Grant Agreement number 101181021; HORIZON-CL6). This is a cascade funding call managed by the WoodStock consortium WoodStock project page. ¹

Objective and scope

Purpose:accelerate development, testing, validation and early real-world deployment of climate-smart, circular, and zero-waste wood construction solutions that make use of underutilised wood resources and embed New European Bauhaus (NEB) values (together, sustainable, beautiful). Projects must progress solutions beyond TRL 5 and combine innovation, circularity and community engagement. Grant recipients will be integrated into WoodStock activities (contribute to the WoodBook, the European Wood Construction Observatory (EWCO), share lessons with the consortium, align dissemination with the WoodStock communication partner).

Eligibility and applicant types

Eligible applicant types:SMEs, start-ups, and non-profit organisations. Consortia led by an SME, start-up or non-profit are also eligible. Applicants must be established in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe (Pillar 2). The call explicitly encourages professionals and organisations across architecture, design, forestry, wood industries, construction, green building sectors and the New European Bauhaus community. Interdisciplinary collaboration across the wood construction value chain is strongly encouraged.

What the grant can fund and eligible costs

Permitted activities:demonstration (prototyping, experimental set-ups), testing (physical and mechanical validation, certification preparation), co-creation with local actors and users, training (workshops to transfer skills and knowledge), dissemination (communications and outreach, including video production). Dissemination is capped at a maximum of 20% of the total budget. Eligible expense categories: equipment, laboratory testing, materials, logistics, multimedia production, staff costs directly related to the listed activities. Financial restrictions: applicable FSTP and EU financial rules; strict prohibition of double funding from the EU budget.

Number of grants and allocation rules:Four projects will be selected. Each selected project may receive up to €50,000. The selection committee will award a maximum of one grant per EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country based on the country of the lead applicant. One project will be granted per underutilised wood source type (hardwood, low-quality wood, damaged wood, post-consumer and residual wood). If no application for a given wood source type meets the evaluation thresholds, the committee may award the grant to the next-best qualifying proposal from other categories.

Evaluation and selection process

Submission medium and mandatory steps:Applicants must submit applications through the Evalato application platform (WoodStock grants portal). Applications by email or any other channel will not be accepted. Registration on Evalato is required; applicants receive a personal login link and PIN. File size limit per upload: 20 MB. Only one application per solution allowed; an SME involved in multiple applications is subject to a cumulative funding cap of €60,000 across WoodStock grants.

Selection process:two-step. Step 1: eligibility screening — proposals must be submitted via Evalato before the deadline; involve participants from EU Member State(s) or Horizon Europe associated countries; demonstrate achieving at least Ambition Level I for each NEB value (together, sustainable, beautiful) using the NEB Compass; demonstrate facilitation of use of at least one underutilised wood type (hardwood, damaged wood, low-quality wood, post-consumer/residual wood) as defined by WoodStock. Step 2: evaluation — eligible proposals scored 0–5 per criterion; proposals must obtain at least 3 points on each evaluation criterion to pass the threshold. Proposals meeting thresholds are ranked by total score for award decisions.

1. 1NEB: Embedding New European Bauhaus values and use of NEB working principles (participatory processes, multi-level engagement, transdisciplinary approach). Applicants must specify ambition levels and how they use the NEB Compass.
2. 2Circularity: qualitative and quantitative demonstration of benefits in local wood use, resource efficiency, zero-waste design, longevity and environmental gains; assessed with WoodStock design guidelines.
3. 3Community-based: clear integration into local community via co-creation, local employment or positive social impact.
4. 4Scalability: realistic, concise plan for scaling and replicating the innovation.
5. 5Systemic: contribution to systemic change across the wood construction value chain; preference for consortia bridging otherwise disconnected actors.
6. 6Capacity of the applicant: proven expertise, experience, equipment and networks to achieve objectives.

Two additional criteria provide added value but are not subject to the 3-point per-criterion minimum threshold: Innovative business model (use of NEB sustainable business model canvas) and applicability to existing building stock (renovation, extensions, valorisation of underused urban spaces).

Application process and templates

Application window and portal:call open 15 September 2026 to 15 December 2026 at 17:00 CET. Applications must be prepared in the WoodStock grant proposal template (Word) and budget template (Excel) available on the WoodStock grants page. Applicants should consult the WoodStock Design Guidelines and the NEB Compass to structure responses on NEB values and circularity.

1. 1Step 1: Register on Evalato and create an account using the personal login link and PIN sent after registration.
2. 2Step 2: Select the WoodStock Grants programme and start the application.
3. 3Step 3: Complete the WoodStock application form in Evalato and upload supporting documents: proposal (Word template), budget (Excel template), visual materials as PDF, letters of support for consortia.
4. 4Step 4: Validate mandatory fields and ensure file sizes are below 20 MB per file.
5. 5Step 5: Submit the application before the deadline. Applicants will receive an automatic confirmation email from Evalato as proof of timely submission.
6. 6Step 6: Await evaluation results. Information to applicants expected February 2027.

Award management, reporting and payments

Payment schedule:€30,000 pre-financing upon signature of grant agreement; remaining balance up to €50,000 released after positive evaluation of the final report at 12 months. Reporting: compulsory progress report after six months and a final technical and financial report at project end. The selection committee may adjust proposed budgets (but not exceed €50,000). Funding restrictions defined by the European Commission or Research Executive Agency for FSTP apply. Final payments anticipated October 2028 following evaluation and processing.

Detailed answers to the structured extraction questions

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicant types:small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups, and non-profit organisations. The call also accepts consortia provided the consortium is led by an SME, start-up or non-profit. The call explicitly targets professionals and organisations from architecture, design, forestry, wood industries, construction, green building sectors, and members of the New European Bauhaus community. Universities and research institutes are not listed as direct eligible lead applicants unless they are organised as an eligible non-profit entity; however, they can be partners within consortia where the lead meets the eligibility requirements.

Funding Type

Primary financial mechanism:grant (cascade funding / Financial Support to Third Parties under the Horizon Europe-funded WoodStock project).

Consortium Requirement

Consortium status:single applicants are eligible (SME, start-up, non-profit). Consortia are permitted but must be led by an SME, start-up or non-profit. The call therefore allows both single and consortium-led submissions, with the lead applicant determining the country-of-lead eligibility and national award cap rules (one grant per Member State/associated country).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Geographic eligibility:applicants must be based in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe (Pillar 2). Association status follows Horizon Europe association rules. The call will award a maximum of one grant per EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country based on the country of the lead applicant.

Target Sector

Target sectors and themes:construction and built environment with a focus on wood construction; circular bioeconomy and circular construction; architecture and design; forestry and wood industries; green building and sustainability; innovation in materials and processing of underutilised wood; community co-creation and social innovation aligned with New European Bauhaus values.

Mentioned Countries

Countries explicitly mentioned in the call text:Netherlands, France, Slovenia, Poland, Ireland, Norway. Note: Norway is included among WoodStock Living Labs and co-creation locations; Norway is not an EU Member State but is a Horizon Europe associated country (EFTA/EEA) eligible under association rules. The call otherwise applies to all EU Member States and Horizon Europe associated countries for applicant eligibility.

Project Stage

Expected project maturity:development beyond TRL 5 (system/subsystem demonstration in relevant environment). Call targets advanced prototypes, validation, testing, demonstration, and early deployment steps — bridging from development/validation to demonstration and market replication readiness.

Funding Amount

Funding scale:up to €50,000 per selected project. Total cascade budget €200,000. €30,000 pre-financing is paid upon signature; remainder following satisfactory progress and final reporting. Note: an individual SME involved in multiple successful applications cannot receive more than €60,000 in total under the WoodStock grants (FSTP rules).

Application Type

Method of application:open competitive call (single-stage) via an open call published on the WoodStock website and EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Applications must be submitted through the Evalato online portal. The call is not by invitation; it is a competitive open call with a fixed deadline.

Nature of Support

Type of support provided:financial support in the form of grant funding (monetary). Projects will also receive non-monetary integration into the WoodStock consortium activities, visibility through WoodBook and EWCO, and access to WoodStock Living Labs and communication support, but the primary deliverable is monetary grant funding for project activities.

Application Stages

Number of application stages:two-step selection consisting of Step 1 eligibility screening and Step 2 full evaluation. The submission itself is single-stage (i.e., applicants submit one full application by the deadline); selection involves an eligibility filter then an evaluation scoring and ranking.

Success Rates

Success rate estimate:four awards from all eligible submissions. Because the number of applicants is unknown, an exact success rate cannot be calculated from the call text. Selection constraints include one award maximum per country and one award per underutilised wood type. Realistic expectation: highly competitive with limited number of awards (4), so success rate will be low especially within countries with multiple strong applicants.

Co-funding Requirement

Co-funding requirement:not explicitly required in the call text as a mandatory financial co-contribution. However, applicants must ensure compliance with EU rules on double funding and any FSTP requirements. Projects should present realistic budgets and may include co-funding or in-kind contributions to demonstrate capacity and scalability, but the call does not require a fixed percentage co-funding.

Templates and application form structure

Available templates:Template WoodStock grants proposal (Word), Template WoodStock grants budget (Excel), WoodStock Design Guidelines, Terms of the call, and SME Self-assessment. These documents are downloadable from the WoodStock grants page and are mandatory reference materials for applicants.

Practical tips for applicants:use the WoodStock proposal and budget templates; consult the WoodStock design guidelines and NEB Compass for structure and evidence; carefully document how the project will use one or more underutilised wood types; include a clear plan to organise one co-creation session with a WoodStock Living Lab in the listed countries; ensure that dissemination costs do not exceed 20% of the requested budget; confirm country-of-lead to respect the one-award-per-country rule; and ensure no overlap with other EU funding sources (double funding prohibition).

Specific technical and project expectations

Technical expectations:projects must demonstrate advancement of an innovation beyond TRL 5 through practical prototyping, validation, testing and demonstration in a relevant real-world environment. Testing work may include mechanical and physical validation, preparation for certification, and performance measurement (thermal, structural, acoustic, fire, durability as applicable). Projects should deliver documented lessons learned (including failed steps), datasets and technical outputs to feed into WoodBook and EWCO. BIM-compatible deliverables or technical drawings with performance parameters are encouraged where relevant.

Living Lab and co-creation requirement:each project must jointly organise one co-creation session with one of the WoodStock Living Labs located in the Netherlands, France, Slovenia, Poland, Ireland or Norway. Living Labs are collaborative environments for testing and co-creation across value chain actors; session types include development, validation, policy and health/well-being stimuli. Projects should budget for travel/logistics, facilitation and documentation for this co-creation session.

Contact and helpdesk

For questions:grants@woodstockproject.eu. Applicants should also consult the WoodStock grants web page for call documents, templates, FAQ and information session slides (info sessions held 5 June 2026 and 1 September 2026). Application portal and submission via Evalato is available from the WoodStock grants page Start your application here.

Source and citation:content derived from the WoodStock cascade call description and related WoodStock project pages hosted on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the WoodStock project website. For the NEB Compass referenced in the eligibility criteria and mapping, see the New European Bauhaus Compass guidance NEB Compass. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Primary call page and detailed task description available at the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu and WoodStock call materials at woodstockproject.eu.

This is a cascade funding opportunity under the WoodStock Horizon Europe project for SMEs, start-ups, non-profit organisations, or consortia led by one of these entities to develop climate-smart, zero-waste wood construction solutions beyond TRL 5. The call supports one year projects that combine innovation, circularity, community engagement, and New European Bauhaus values, with four grants of up to €50,000 each available from a total budget of €200,000.[1][2][11]

Key facts for applicants

Who can apply

Eligible applicants are SMEs, start-ups, or non-profit organisations, as well as consortia led by one of these entity types. Applicants must be established in an EU Member State or in a country associated with Horizon Europe Pillar 2, and interdisciplinary teams from architecture, design, forestry, wood industries, construction, green building, and the European Bauhaus community are explicitly encouraged.[2]

• Individual applications are allowed from an SME, start-up, or non-profit organisation.[2]
• Consortia are allowed if they are led by an SME, start-up, or non-profit organisation.[2]
• Applicants must be based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country.[2]
• Interdisciplinary collaboration across the wood construction value chain is strongly encouraged.[2]

What the funding supports

The grants are designed for practical development work on underutilised wood in construction, especially hardwood, damaged wood, low-quality wood, post-consumer wood, and residual wood. Funded activities may include prototyping and demonstration, physical and mechanical testing, certification preparation, co-creation with local actors and users, training, and dissemination, with dissemination capped at 20 percent of the total budget.[1][2]

• Demonstration through prototyping or experimental set-up.[1][2]
• Testing through physical and mechanical validation and preparation for certification.[1][2]
• Co-creation with local actors and users to improve the solution and embed it in the local value chain.[1][2]
• Training workshops to develop new skills and knowledge.[1][2]
• Dissemination and communication, including video production, subject to a maximum of 20 percent of the total budget.[1][2]

Eligible costs may include equipment, laboratory testing, materials, logistics, multimedia production, and staff costs linked to the funded activities.[1][2]

Selection process and evaluation criteria

The call uses a single-stage submission model, followed by a two-step assessment. First, proposals are checked for eligibility, including submission through the correct form, alignment with the call scope, participation from eligible countries, use of the NEB Compass at least at ambition level I for each New European Bauhaus value, and a clear link to at least one underutilised wood source type. Proposals that pass eligibility are then scored from 0 to 5 against six criteria, and each criterion must score at least 3 points to remain in the ranking.[2]

1. 1New European Bauhaus values and working principles, including participatory processes, multi-level engagement, and a transdisciplinary approach.[2]
2. 2Circularity, including qualitative and quantitative benefits in local wood use, resource efficiency, zero-waste design, longevity, and environmental gains.[2]
3. 3Community-based impact through co-creation, local employment, or positive social impact.[2]
4. 4Scalability, with a realistic plan for replication and wider uptake.[2]
5. 5Systemic contribution across the wood construction value chain, with preference for meaningful collaboration among otherwise disconnected actors.[2]
6. 6Capacity of the applicant, including expertise, experience, equipment, and networks.[2]

Two additional aspects can strengthen an application even though they are not mandatory for eligibility: a clear circular and environmentally and socially sustainable business model, and solutions that apply to existing building stock such as renovation, extensions, or underused urban spaces.[2]

Main conditions and obligations

Selected projects are expected to develop solutions beyond TRL 5, organise one co-creation session with a WoodStock Living Lab in the Netherlands, France, Slovenia, Poland, Ireland, or Norway, document both successful and unsuccessful innovation steps, share lessons learned with the WoodStock consortium, contribute to the WoodBook and the European Wood Construction Observatory, and align dissemination with the WoodStock communication partner.[1][2]

• A maximum of one grant is awarded per EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country, based on the country of the lead applicant.[2]
• One project is intended for each underutilised wood source type, and the call may reallocate if a category does not produce a compliant top-ranked application.[2]
• There is a strict prohibition on double funding from the EU budget, and applicants must confirm the project has not received and will not receive other EU grant funding for the same activities.[2]
• The selection committee may adjust budgets if needed, provided the grant does not exceed €50,000.[2]
• If an SME participates in multiple project applications, its total funding under WoodStock cannot exceed €60,000.[2]

Payment, reporting, and timeline

The public call summary indicates that €30,000 is paid upon signature of the grant agreement, followed by a progress report after six months and a final report after one year, with the final payment made after positive evaluation. The anticipated timeline is evaluation in January 2027, applicant notification in February 2027, grant signature in February to March 2027, and project start in March to April 2027 at the latest.[2]

Assessment of the opportunity

This is a targeted but attractive funding opportunity for applicants with a near-market or demonstrator stage solution that can show strong circularity, community value, and credible scaling potential. Projects that can credibly use one of the underutilised wood streams, demonstrate a practical New European Bauhaus approach, and connect technical validation with local co-creation are likely to fit best.[1][2][11]