RFCS-2025 Steel Research Projects
RFCS Project Grants
Funding Amount
Amount not specified
Deadline
24/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the RFCS-2025 Steel Research Projects Call?
Grant Description
The call supports research and innovation projects aimed at developing, demonstrating, and improving near-zero-carbon steel production processes, advanced steel grades, resource conservation, circular economy, and workforce management to contribute to the European Green Deal objectives. Projects should assess industrial, economic, social, and environmental benefits and focus on decarbonisation, energy efficiency, resource recycling, and advanced technologies.
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
• Demonstration of breakthrough near-zero-carbon steelmaking and finishing process technologies, ready for scale-up.
• Quantified reductions in CO₂ emissions, energy consumption, carbon footprint and other environmental impacts across the steel value chain.
• Improved product quality, productivity and resource efficiency, supporting cost-competitiveness of EU steel.
• Enhanced circularity through higher scrap yield, secondary raw material recovery and eco-designed steel products.
• Development of advanced steel grades with superior mechanical, physical and functional properties for new market applications.
• Predictive digital tools (modelling, AI) enabling optimized process control and accelerated innovation cycles.
• Standardised testing and evaluation methods facilitating market uptake and harmonisation across the EU.
• Cross-sector integration of zero-carbon energy solutions (e.g. clean hydrogen) and demonstration of full value-chain decarbonisation.
• Improved workforce skills aligned with digitalisation and low-carbon processes; enhanced health, safety and ergonomic conditions at steel plants.
• Comprehensive life-cycle assessments informing policy and investment decisions toward a sustainable, circular European steel industry.
• Quantified reductions in CO₂ emissions, energy consumption, carbon footprint and other environmental impacts across the steel value chain.
• Improved product quality, productivity and resource efficiency, supporting cost-competitiveness of EU steel.
• Enhanced circularity through higher scrap yield, secondary raw material recovery and eco-designed steel products.
• Development of advanced steel grades with superior mechanical, physical and functional properties for new market applications.
• Predictive digital tools (modelling, AI) enabling optimized process control and accelerated innovation cycles.
• Standardised testing and evaluation methods facilitating market uptake and harmonisation across the EU.
• Cross-sector integration of zero-carbon energy solutions (e.g. clean hydrogen) and demonstration of full value-chain decarbonisation.
• Improved workforce skills aligned with digitalisation and low-carbon processes; enhanced health, safety and ergonomic conditions at steel plants.
• Comprehensive life-cycle assessments informing policy and investment decisions toward a sustainable, circular European steel industry.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
• Alignment with the European Green Deal and RFCS Regulation (Council Decision 2008/376/EC as amended by Decision EU 2021/1094), supporting the transition to a zero-carbon steelmaking process by 2030 and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
• Each proposal must include an assessment of anticipated industrial, economic, social and environmental benefits (Article 26, RFCS Regulation).
• Proposals must target one or more of the research areas defined under Articles 8, 9, 10 and 10a.
• Single-stage submission by 24 September 2025, 17:00 Brussels time, via the Funding & Tenders Portal, selecting the RFCS Project Grants (RFCS-PJG) model.
• Comply with admissibility conditions: page limits and layout as per Part B of the Application Form (section 5 of the call document).
• Consist of eligible applicants from RFCS-eligible countries (section 6) satisfying financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria (section 7).
• Follow the evaluation and award procedures, criteria, scoring, thresholds (section 9) and indicative timeline (section 4) as detailed in the call document and Online Manual.
• Legal and financial set-up must conform to the RFCS Action Grant Budget-Based Model Grant Agreement and relevant EU financial regulations (section 10).
• Each proposal must include an assessment of anticipated industrial, economic, social and environmental benefits (Article 26, RFCS Regulation).
• Proposals must target one or more of the research areas defined under Articles 8, 9, 10 and 10a.
• Single-stage submission by 24 September 2025, 17:00 Brussels time, via the Funding & Tenders Portal, selecting the RFCS Project Grants (RFCS-PJG) model.
• Comply with admissibility conditions: page limits and layout as per Part B of the Application Form (section 5 of the call document).
• Consist of eligible applicants from RFCS-eligible countries (section 6) satisfying financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria (section 7).
• Follow the evaluation and award procedures, criteria, scoring, thresholds (section 9) and indicative timeline (section 4) as detailed in the call document and Online Manual.
• Legal and financial set-up must conform to the RFCS Action Grant Budget-Based Model Grant Agreement and relevant EU financial regulations (section 10).
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
• Admissibility conditions: maximum page limits and formatting rules strictly enforced (section 5).
• Eligibility restricted to entities in RFCS-eligible EU Member States and associated countries (section 6).
• Consortium projects must meet minimum participation rules, if applicable (section 6).
• Applicants must demonstrate sound financial and operational capacity; exclusions apply for entities under EU financial regulation exclusions (section 7).
• Evaluation is a single-stage, remote peer-review process; proposals scored against excellence, impact and quality/efficiency of implementation (section 9).
• Minimum thresholds apply to each criterion; only proposals above all thresholds are considered for funding.
• Proposals must be submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal; late or incorrect submissions are ineligible.
• Grant agreements follow the RFCS MGA, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 and the annotated AGA; specific cost eligibility and reporting rules apply.
• Eligibility restricted to entities in RFCS-eligible EU Member States and associated countries (section 6).
• Consortium projects must meet minimum participation rules, if applicable (section 6).
• Applicants must demonstrate sound financial and operational capacity; exclusions apply for entities under EU financial regulation exclusions (section 7).
• Evaluation is a single-stage, remote peer-review process; proposals scored against excellence, impact and quality/efficiency of implementation (section 9).
• Minimum thresholds apply to each criterion; only proposals above all thresholds are considered for funding.
• Proposals must be submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal; late or incorrect submissions are ineligible.
• Grant agreements follow the RFCS MGA, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 and the annotated AGA; specific cost eligibility and reporting rules apply.
Important dates
Open from: 18/06/2025
Deadline:24/09/2025
Application period has ended
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