Innovative approaches for sustainable, inclusive and beautiful social and affordable housing

This grant aims to foster innovative approaches for sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful social and affordable housing.

The core objective is to reduce costs, increase availability and affordability of quality housing, significantly cut energy consumption, carbon emissions, and resource use, and improve climate adaptability and resilience in the social and affordable housing sector across Europe. It also seeks to raise awareness within the construction and real estate sectors regarding innovative, affordable, and sustainable housing solutions.

Funding Organization: The funding is provided by the European Commission, under the Horizon Europe framework.

Target Recipients: The grant targets project consortia comprised of various actors including public authorities, local actors, civil society, private owners, architects, designers, engineers, health experts, and SSH experts. It also allows for Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) for SMEs and social housing actors.

Sector Focus: This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant primarily focusing on the construction and social housing sectors, with strong emphasis on environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, circular economy principles, and the integration of digital technologies like AI and BIM.

Geographic Scope: While specific eligible countries are detailed in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, the overarching scope is European, covering both EU and potentially some non-EU/associated countries.

Key Filtering Criteria: Projects must demonstrate innovative approaches to new construction or renovation/retrofitting of social and affordable housing, focusing on sustainability, affordability, inclusivity, aesthetic quality, and resilience to climate change. Proposals must involve multi-actor consortia and address all specified requirements.

This grant is provided as financial support (funding) for Innovation Actions.

• Funding Range: The grant targets two projects, with an estimated total budget of 16,000,000 EUR for this specific topic in 2025.
  • Minimum grant amount: 8,000,000 EUR per project.
  • Maximum grant amount: 8,000,000 EUR per project.
• Co-financing: Not specified in the provided document. Details regarding co-financing requirements would typically be found in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
• Eligible Costs: What the grant money can be spent on is not explicitly detailed here, but is generally outlined in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. It is expected to cover costs related to developing and implementing innovative construction and renovation approaches, including personnel, equipment, travel, and other direct and indirect costs necessary for project execution. Costs associated with providing financial support to third parties (SMEs and social housing actors) are also eligible.
• Ineligible Costs: Not explicitly detailed in the provided document, but will adhere to general Horizon Europe rules as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
• Payment & Reporting:
  • Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (SMEs and social housing actors).
  • This support can only be in the form of grants.
  • The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60,000.
  • Details on the overall legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

To be eligible for this grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Formal Criteria:
  • Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout requirements specified in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
  • Applicants must be from countries deemed eligible as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Special provisions may exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.
  • Compliance with other eligible conditions detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes is required.
  • Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity and not be subject to exclusion criteria, as outlined in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
• Organizational Status:
  • Applications are expected to come from project consortia, integrating diverse actors. These may include, but are not limited to, public authorities, local community actors, civil society organizations, private owners, SMEs, and social housing actors.
  • Social care homes, elderly houses, and other inclusive housing forms with residential functions complemented by social welfare are considered eligible for development and testing of solutions.
• Technical Expertise:
  • Projects must apply existing building technologies and construction methods that improve efficiency, speed, and sustainability (e.g., off-site construction, modular systems, smart meters, big data analysis, sensors, predictive maintenance).
  • Integration of environmentally sustainable practices such as nature-based solutions or carbon-storing materials is mandatory.
  • Projects must ensure aesthetic appeal, respect local context and architectural heritage.
  • A strong focus on user well-being, inclusion, and general living conditions for inhabitants is required.
  • For renovations/retrofitting, minimization of resident disruption and improvement of accessibility are key.
  • The effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts and institutions are explicitly required to enhance societal impact.
• Exclusion Criteria: Not explicitly detailed in the provided grant material, but general exclusion criteria for Horizon Europe apply as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Prospective applicants should be aware of the following practical information:

• Deadlines:
  • Submission Deadline: 2025-11-12 00:00:00+00:00 (UTC).
  • Planned Opening Date: 2025-05-06.
• Required Documents:
  • Application Form: Standard application form for HE RIA, IA is available in the Submission System. Part B of the form describes proposal page limits and layout.
  • Work Programme General Annexes: Applicants must consult Annex A, E, B, C, D, F, and G for detailed conditions and requirements.
  • Information on financial support to third parties (HE): A specific document for this is available.
• Application Process:
  • The submission procedure is single-stage.
  • Applications are submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service. Applicants select the specific 'type of action' (HORIZON Innovation Actions) and 'type of model grant agreement' (HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based).
  • Access to existing draft proposals is available via the 'My Proposals' page in the 'My Area' section of the Portal.
• Support:
  • Extensive support resources are available, including the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, and Partner Search functionality.
  • The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment provide general principles for researchers, employers, and funders.
• Post-Award Obligations:
  • Projects are expected to dedicate at least 0.2% of their total budget to share 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).
  • The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The evaluation criteria, scoring, and thresholds for this grant are generally described in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. While the specific weightings are not in this document, proposals will typically be assessed on:

• Innovation & Impact:
  • Reduced costs for construction and renovation of social and affordable housing without compromising quality.
  • Increased availability and affordability of quality housing for diverse and vulnerable populations across Europe.
  • Significant reduction in energy consumption, carbon emissions, and resource use, coupled with improved climate adaptability and resilience of social and affordable housing.
  • Higher awareness among the construction ecosystem and real estate sector regarding innovative, affordable, and sustainable housing approaches.
  • Novelty of the proposed approaches in defining, procuring, delivering, financing, and/or managing construction and renovation services.
  • Contribution to the development of a circular and regenerative European construction ecosystem.
• Project Quality:
  • Excellence of the proposed solutions, including the innovative approaches for new construction and renovation/retrofitting.
  • Feasibility and soundness of the methodology, particularly for the implementation of two ambitious packages of measures in distinct social and affordable housing projects (one new construction, one renovation/retrofitting).
  • Appropriate use of existing building technologies (e.g., off-site construction, modular systems, smart meters, AI, BIM, digital fabrication) to improve efficiency, speed, and sustainability.
  • Robustness of environmentally sustainable practices and nature-based solutions employed.
  • Clarity on how the project will minimize and mitigate disruptions for residents and improve accessibility during renovations.
  • Quality of the proposed participatory and transdisciplinary approach, integrating various actors and disciplines effectively.
• Strategic Fit:
  • Alignment with the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027 expected impacts, specifically regarding a health-promoting environment, global leadership in climate-neutral/circular/digitised value chains, biodiversity recovery, and sustainable development of areas.
  • Contribution to the New European Bauhaus (NEB) objectives of sustainability, inclusivity, and beauty.
  • Demonstrated understanding and integration of user-centred, place-based solutions that connect with local cultural identity, historical knowledge, and cultural heritage.
• Cross-cutting Themes:
  • Inclusion: Ensuring solutions answer the needs of and are accepted by people on the ground, including minorities, vulnerable, and underrepresented groups.
  • Sustainability: Integration of circular economy, regenerative design, and nature-based solutions.
  • SSH Integration: Effective contribution and involvement of SSH disciplines and experts to produce meaningful societal impact.
  • Data and Technology: Utilization of data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in combination with Building Information Modelling (BIM), and digital fabrication to reduce costs and optimize processes.

Applicants and projects under this grant must adhere to several compliance and special requirements:

• Regulatory Compliance:
  • All project activities must comply with relevant EU and national regulations. This includes standards for energy efficiency, carbon footprint reduction, and broader environmental sustainability.
  • Reference is made to the EU-level technical guidance on adapting buildings to climate change, highlighting the importance of resilience in built environments.
• IP Policy: Not explicitly detailed in the provided grant material. General IP rules for Horizon Europe projects would apply, typically outlined in the Model Grant Agreement (MGA).
• Unique Aspects:
  • New European Bauhaus (NEB) Alignment: The grant strongly emphasizes the NEB principles of 'beautiful, inclusive, and sustainable' transformations. Projects must contribute to these values in social and affordable housing.
  • Participatory and Transdisciplinary Approach: Proposals must involve a wide range of actors (public authorities, local communities, civil society, private owners) and disciplines (architecture, engineering, health, SSH) to ensure user-centred and place-based solutions.
  • Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP): Projects have the option to provide financial support to SMEs and social housing actors, with a maximum of EUR 60,000 per third party.
  • SSH Integration: The effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and experts is a mandatory requirement, crucial for achieving meaningful societal impact.
  • Data and Digitalization: Projects are encouraged to utilize technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) in combination with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and digital fabrication to optimize processes and reduce costs.
• Industry-Specific Rules: The grant is specific to the construction and social housing sectors. Compliance with relevant building codes, environmental standards, and social equity considerations pertinent to these industries is essential.