Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Along with the current paradigm shift towards a sustainable and circular bioeconomy and the use of circular design principles in the built environment, new materials and innovative technologies are emerging to help reach zero-waste goals and the lowest environmental impact. Bio-fabricated materials open new avenues for reaching higher ambitions in terms of sustainability, especially if associated with high-technological solutions that can accelerate and simplify their manufacturing, retrofitting and renewal.
Bio-fabricated materials and their potential as an alternative to conventional materials are still underexplored. The widespread integration of bio-fabricated materials in the built environment[1] faces several barriers, from technical and regulatory hurdles to high production costs, limited knowledge and expertise among construction professionals, and low acceptance by the construction ecosystem. Bio-fabricated materials and their potential as an alternative to conventional materials are underexplored.
Research is required to investigate new ways to address the main technical challenges of bio-fabricated materials.
Detailed Call Description
Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Bio-fabricated construction materials and their beneficial properties are better known and accepted by construction ecosystem professionals.
- Innovative, sustainably sourced, beautiful bio-fabricated construction materials can be produced at mass-scale at competitive costs.
Proposals are expected to address all of the following:
- Develop and test at least two innovative sustainable bio-fabricated construction materials that:
- Have innovative features compared to current materials on the market (such as, but not limited to, the capacity to self-repair, to adapt to an evolving environment, to store carbon or act as a carbon sink, to heat and/or cool buildings, extended lifespan, etc.).
- Can be used for interior, exterior or structural purposes.
- Comply with relevant EU standards and regulatory frameworks.
- For each material developed:
- Assess its properties, benefits, as well as design and construction applications. This should cover at least the structural, mechanical, thermal, acoustic, health-related, durability and aesthetic properties and take into consideration the variations within a changing environment (e.g. weather conditions).
- Study the feasibility for mass-scale production to increase production volumes and affordability. This should consider the use of high-technological manufacturing techniques and processes (such as 3D printing, robotics, building information modelling (BIM), parametric design, high-performance sensor, artificial intelligence (AI), etc.).
- Analyse the environmental footprint of the bio-fabricated materials following a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to validate their contribution to the reduction of the whole life carbon emissions in the built environment.
- Analyse the social and economic impacts throughout the material’s whole life cycle, for example using social life-cycle assessment (SLCA) and life-cycle costing (LCC) approaches.
Proposals are expected to follow a participatory and transdisciplinary approach through the integration of different actors (such as public authorities, local actors from the targeted neighbourhoods, civil society, private owners, etc.) and disciplines (such as architecture or design, arts, (civil) engineering, etc.).Proposals are expected to dedicate at least 0.2% of their total budget to share their intermediate and final results and findings with the Coordination and Support Action ‘New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact’ (HORIZON-MISS-2024-NEB-01-03).
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
Expected EU contribution per project (EUR million): Around 5.00
Indicative number of projects expected to be funded: 2
Thematic Categories
- Culture
- Environment and Climate Change
- Industry
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Urban Development
Eligibility for Participation
- Businesses
- Educational Institutions
- International Organisations
- Local Authorities
- NGOs
- Non Profit Organisations
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia
P.O. Box 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
EU Contact Point
Please read carefully all provisions below before the preparation of your application.
Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular.
National Contact Points (NCPs) – get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’).
Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.
European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk – the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal.
The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment – consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers.
Partner Search help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.