HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MATERIALS-PRODUCTION-22

Reducing dependence on critical raw materials through advanced materials and innovative processes

Key Dates

• Call for proposals opens: September 22, 2026
• Application deadline: February 2, 2027

Funding

• Action Type: Innovation Action (IA)
• Total budget: €36 million
• Estimated contribution per project: ~€6 million

Objective

This call aims to reduce Europe’s dependence on critical and strategic raw materials by developing:

• advanced, safe, and sustainable alternative materials
• industrial processes that are more efficient in their use

The challenge is twofold: securing supply chains and strengthening European industrial sovereignty.

Expected results

Projects must demonstrate:

• Partial or complete substitution of critical materials in products and processes
• A significant reduction in their use
• Accelerating innovation in strategic value chains
• Strengthening European industrial competitiveness
• The development of safe and sustainable solutions aligned with a clean economy
• The Integration of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) Framework

Scope: What Projects Must Cover

Proposals must include:

Materials & Innovation

• Design of advanced materials to replace critical materials
• Goals: performance, safety, sustainability

Industrial processes

• Development of innovative processes allowing:
  • reduction of critical materials
  • improved sustainability and safety
  • cost optimization and flexibility

Integrated approach

• Joint development of materials and processes
• Validation through real-world industrial use cases

Industrialization

• Upgrading existing production lines
• Identification of technical and economic barriers to substitution
• Proposed solutions to overcome these obstacles

Environmental Framework

• Application of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework throughout the project

Priority Areas of Application

The solutions should target strategic sectors:

• Energy
• Mobility
• Construction
• Electronics
• Health / Medical Devices

European Strategic Alignment

This call is part of major European initiatives:

• Processes4Planet Partnership
• Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU (IAM4EU)
• EU Critical Raw Materials Act
• EU Circular Economy Action Plan

Why apply?

• Addressing the major challenges facing European industrial sovereignty
• Reducing geopolitical dependence on critical materials
• Establishing a presence in strategic markets undergoing rapid transformation
• Accelerate the transition to sustainable and circular industries
• Key opportunity for stakeholders:
  • advanced materials
  • industrial processes
  • circular economy

Who is this for?

This call is directed in particular to:

• Manufacturers (large corporations, mid-sized companies, small and medium-sized enterprises)
• Technical Centers & Laboratories
• Deep tech startups
• Key Players in Materials and Process Innovation