Strategic Partnerships for Raw Materials: Innovative Approaches for sustainable production of Critical Raw Materials (IA)
HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-MATERIALS-62
Funding Amount
Amount not specified
Deadline
23/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Strategic Partnerships for Raw Materials: Innovative Approaches for sustainable production of Critical Raw Materials (IA) Call?
Grant Description
Support development and demonstration of novel extraction, processing and refining technologies for primary critical raw materials (minerals and metals only) in collaboration with strategic partner countries. Projects must measure and assess reduced environmental and social impacts, include a business case and exploitation strategy, and foster clustering for cross-project cooperation. Address raw material supply security, sustainability and diversification, and contribute to implementation of th...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
• Enhanced supply security and access to more sustainably produced primary and secondary raw materials, notably critical and strategic raw materials for EU industrial value chains and strategic sectors
• Strengthened EU cooperation with strategic partnership countries on raw materials
• Improved industrial viability, safety and environmental performance with measurable improvements in partner-country operations
• Diversified EU sourcing of critical raw materials from third countries
• Responsible raw materials supply aligned with EU principles for sustainable raw materials (social, environmental, economic performance)
• Tailored dissemination and exploitation of project outputs to EU and partner-country industry stakeholders
• Promotion and uptake of UNFC (United Nations Framework Classification for Resources) and UNRMS (United Nations Resource Management System)
• Contribution to the implementation of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act
• Strengthened EU cooperation with strategic partnership countries on raw materials
• Improved industrial viability, safety and environmental performance with measurable improvements in partner-country operations
• Diversified EU sourcing of critical raw materials from third countries
• Responsible raw materials supply aligned with EU principles for sustainable raw materials (social, environmental, economic performance)
• Tailored dissemination and exploitation of project outputs to EU and partner-country industry stakeholders
• Promotion and uptake of UNFC (United Nations Framework Classification for Resources) and UNRMS (United Nations Resource Management System)
• Contribution to the implementation of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
• Focus on primary EU critical raw materials (minerals and metals only; sea mining excluded)
• Justify relevance of all targeted minerals and metals, prioritising EU critical raw materials
• Collaborate with one strategic partnership country group (Group 1: Argentina, Chile; Group 2: DR Congo, Namibia, Rwanda, Zambia; Group 3: Kazakhstan, Serbia, Uzbekistan; Group 4: Australia, Greenland, plus future signatories) including both partner‐country industry and EU downstream users, focusing on a single group
• Demonstrate and measure environmental (GHG, air pollutants, water, soils, biodiversity) and social impacts of proposed technologies in the partner country context
• Include a dedicated work package/task and allocate resources for clustering activities with other selected projects
• Ensure multidisciplinary consortia cover the relevant value chain and consider standardisation where relevant
• Provide a business case and initial exploitation strategy per Destination guidance, addressing market opportunities, replication and circular business model viability
• Outline financial analyses to secure market uptake and replication
• Optional but encouraged: integration of sex/gender analysis in R&I content
• Justify relevance of all targeted minerals and metals, prioritising EU critical raw materials
• Collaborate with one strategic partnership country group (Group 1: Argentina, Chile; Group 2: DR Congo, Namibia, Rwanda, Zambia; Group 3: Kazakhstan, Serbia, Uzbekistan; Group 4: Australia, Greenland, plus future signatories) including both partner‐country industry and EU downstream users, focusing on a single group
• Demonstrate and measure environmental (GHG, air pollutants, water, soils, biodiversity) and social impacts of proposed technologies in the partner country context
• Include a dedicated work package/task and allocate resources for clustering activities with other selected projects
• Ensure multidisciplinary consortia cover the relevant value chain and consider standardisation where relevant
• Provide a business case and initial exploitation strategy per Destination guidance, addressing market opportunities, replication and circular business model viability
• Outline financial analyses to secure market uptake and replication
• Optional but encouraged: integration of sex/gender analysis in R&I content
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
• Eligibility restricted to legal entities established in EU Member States, Associated Countries, OECD countries, African Union Member States, MERCOSUR, CARIFORUM, Andean Community, and countries with EU strategic partnerships or raw materials trade agreements; entities outside these are ineligible (except partner-country entities funded exceptionally)
• Balanced portfolio requirement: at least one top-ranked proposal funded per strategic partnership group, subject to meeting thresholds
• Innovation Actions: legal entities from China are not eligible
• Mandatory use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation or timing services
• Actions must contribute to implementation of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and promote UNFC/UNRMS in the raw materials sector
• Single-stage submission under a Horizon Europe budget-based Action Grant (HORIZON-IA)
• Projects expected to demonstrate technologies up to TRL 6–7 and include strategy for future full-scale deployment
• Balanced portfolio requirement: at least one top-ranked proposal funded per strategic partnership group, subject to meeting thresholds
• Innovation Actions: legal entities from China are not eligible
• Mandatory use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation or timing services
• Actions must contribute to implementation of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and promote UNFC/UNRMS in the raw materials sector
• Single-stage submission under a Horizon Europe budget-based Action Grant (HORIZON-IA)
• Projects expected to demonstrate technologies up to TRL 6–7 and include strategy for future full-scale deployment
Important dates
Open from: 22/05/2025
Deadline:23/09/2025
Application period has ended
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