Integrating circularity in LCA-based modelling frameworks for renovation of buildings (Built4People Partnership)
Develop integrated circularity and LCA modelling frameworks for net-zero carbon building renovations across Europe.
This call seeks projects to create advanced modelling tools that combine circularity and life cycle assessment for building renovations. Projects must test these tools on real buildings in different European climates. The goal is to reduce material use, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions in building renovations.
Likely relevant for
- Building renovation technology developers
- Environmental impact modelers
- Circular economy researchers
- Sustainability consultants in construction
- Life cycle assessment experts
Project signals
What it funds
- Development of comprehensive modelling frameworks integrating circularity and life cycle assessment for buildings
- Application of modelling frameworks to at least three real-life renovated buildings in different EU or Associated countries
- Assessment of embodied and operational emissions over entire building life cycle referencing EN 15978 standard
- Support for achieving net-zero whole life carbon buildings through circularity strategies
Expected outcomes
- Demonstrable reductions in material flows, life cycle energy use, and GHG emissions in renovated buildings
- More robust and comprehensive modelling frameworks reflecting circularity complexities
- Contribution to Built4People partnership objectives and KPI monitoring
- Advancement of TRL to levels 6-8 by project end
Who can apply / participate
- Legal entities established in EU Member States or Associated Countries
- Research organizations
- Industry partners
- SMEs
- Consortia including renovation project developers
- Projects should involve multiple partners including those with access to real-life building renovation projects
- Consortium must align with Built4People partnership requirements
- At least three buildings in different climatic regions within different Member States or Associated Countries
- Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate
- Participants must comply with Horizon Europe eligibility rules
- Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data if satellite-based earth observation is involved
- Exact minimum and maximum consortium size
- Specific funding rates and co-financing requirements
Must check before shortlisting
- Eligibility of participant countries especially regarding China restrictions
- Specific consortium composition rules under Built4People partnership
- Budget and funding rate details
- Exact evaluation criteria and scoring thresholds
Money
Total budget of approximately EUR 27 million for 4 expected grants in 2027. Individual grants around EUR 6.75 million each.
- Total budget for 2027 — 27000000EURFor 4 expected grants
- Minimum contribution per grant — 6750000EURApproximate per grant funding
Application notes
- Single-stage submission procedure with deadline on 15 September 2027.
- Proposal page limits and layout as per Horizon Europe General Annexes
- Eligibility conditions as per Horizon Europe Annex B
- Use of Copernicus/Galileo data if applicable
- Financial and operational capacity requirements per Annex C
- Evaluation criteria and scoring thresholds per Annex D
- Prepare proposal following application form templates in Submission System
- Ensure compliance with eligibility and admissibility conditions
- Submit proposal by deadline 15 September 2027
- Follow evaluation and award procedures as described in General Annexes
- Legal entities established in China are not eligible
- Projects must align with Built4People partnership objectives
- Lump sum funding model applies
Derived from official EU Funding portal source · updated 22 Jun 2026, 15:40 UTC. Use this as a shortlisting aid; the official call text remains authoritative.
Related calls
These funding calls are closely related and may be worth considering as part of the same funding landscape.
Official source text
Fine print from the EU source record. Expand when you need the original wording.
Topic description
Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Demonstration of measurable reductions in material flows, life cycle energy use and GHG emissions in building renovations that integrate circularity strategies to contribute to achieving net-zero whole life carbon buildings; More robust approach to current modelling frameworks to comprehensively reflect the complexity of circularity strategies in life cycle assessments at building scale. Scope: European buildings are increasingly adopting circularity strategies in renovations to reduce life cycle environmental impacts and improve resource efficiency in response to the requirements based on current frameworks, such as Level(s) and WLC models used by Member States based and EN 15978 standard. The complexity of these circularity strategies, such as material reuse and recycling, and addressing the changing nature of assessed systems with long life cycles are critical for achieving more reliable assessment results. Further work is needed to advance and achieve more detailed modelling frameworks that integrate circularity assessment with life cycle assessment, supporting the delivery of net-zero whole-life carbon buildings. Proposals should address all of the following: Develop a comprehensive modelling framework that integrates circularity assessment in life cycle, covering cradle to cradle system boundary; Apply the developed modelling framework to at least three real-life buildings in different climatic regions in different Member States or Associated Countries, for which renovation project developers have adopted ambitious circularity strategies to achieve zero whole-life carbon buildings. Circularity strategies should include reuse and/or recycle, as well as at least one of the following: reduce, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, and repurpose; Assess the embodied emissions (from materials, products, and construction processes) and operational emissions (from energy use for HVAC, DHW, electrical appliances, lighting) of the real-life buildings subjected to renovations during their entire life cycle, referencing life cycle stages in EN 15978. This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘People-centric sustainable built environment’ (Built4People). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to contribute to the objectives of Built4People, transfer knowledge to its network of innovation clusters [1] and report on results in support of the monitoring of the Built4People KPIs. null Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL. [1] https://built4people.eu/b4pic_network/
Destination
This Destination targets the energy demand side, notably a more efficient use of energy in buildings and industry. It contributes to the activities of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) and its implementation working groups. This Destination contributes directly to the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic Orientations ‘ Green transition ’, ‘ Digital transition ’ and ‘ A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe ’. In line with the Strategic Plan, the overall expected impact of this Destination is to contribute to the ‘Using energy in buildings and industry in an efficient, affordable and sustainable way’ . The main impacts to be generated by topics under this Destination are: Highly energy-efficient and climate neutral European building stock The energy performance of the European building stock is improved at an accelerated pace, contributing to the EU's energy security, while the buildings and the built environment have reduced climate and environmental impact throughout their life cycle. The energy renovation and construction of buildings are cost-efficient, affordable and less disruptive. The buildings are increasingly interacting with the users, energy system and their environment while operating in an integrated, resilient, secure, smart and flexible manner. The buildings and the built environment are more climate resilient, accessible, inclusive and delivers multiple benefits which improve the quality of life, health and well-being for all users. Industry The energy efficiency of EU energy intensive industries is improved, their consumption of fossil fuel and their GHG and other pollutants emissions are drastically reduced, notably through cost-effective electrification, use of renewable energy, heat recovery, thereby preserving / enhancing their global competitiveness. Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.
Conditions and documents
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
2. Eligible Countries
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligible Conditions
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
Guidance
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Call-specific instructions
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Support information
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.
Raw budget overview
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