Description

HORIZON-CL4-2026-01-MAT-PROD-12

Expected Outcomes

Projects under this topic are expected to deliver outcomes that advance sustainable and efficient raw materials extraction within the EU. Expected results include:

• Increased availability of innovative extraction technologies: Development of efficient, cost-effective, and technologically advanced methods for mining challenging mineral deposits.
• Enhanced domestic raw materials sourcing: Improved potential for primary sourcing of EU-based raw materials, contributing to the objectives of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA, Article 1).
• Reduced environmental footprint: Substantially lower greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions per ton of extracted material, with measurable improvements in habitat protection, ecosystem health, and biodiversity.

Scope

Proposals should focus on the development and validation of new sustainable mining concepts and technological solutions for:

• Complex or difficult-to-access deposits: Including abandoned mines and sites with challenging geology or restricted access.
• Environmental and social sustainability: Addressing water, soil, and air pollution; deforestation; biodiversity loss; erosion; desertification; and GHG intensity. Proposals should assess measurable biodiversity outcomes.
• Industrial viability and safety: Ensuring technologies are efficient, scalable, and safe for workers and surrounding communities.

Key expectations

• Stakeholder involvement: Mining companies and users of targeted raw materials should actively participate, with clear justification for the relevance of selected minerals and metals, prioritizing EU critical raw materials. Deep-sea mining is excluded.
• Cross-project collaboration: Projects should include a dedicated work package for clustering activities with other funded initiatives, enabling knowledge exchange, joint consultations, and communication events.
• Business case and exploitation strategy: Proposals must provide a credible exploitation plan, addressing all elements outlined in the Destination introduction.
• International cooperation: Encouraged with countries holding Strategic Partnerships on raw materials, particularly Ukraine.