Deadline: 16-Sep-2026
The European Commission is inviting applications for innovative pilot and demonstration projects in the steel sector for civil and defence applications. The call has a total budget of EUR 25,000,000 and supports sustainable steelmaking, low-carbon steel processes, advanced steel grades, dual-use applications, emissions reduction, and industrial integration of project outcomes.
The call supports RFCS Pilot and Demonstration Projects that help bridge the gap between research and industrial innovation. Projects are expected to progress from early-stage technology development toward Technology Readiness Levels 5 to 8 by the end of the project.
What is this European Commission Steel Sector Call?
This European Commission call supports pilot and demonstration projects in the steel sector.
The funding is intended for innovative technologies that can improve steel production, finishing processes, industrial competitiveness, emissions performance, and strategic autonomy.
The call is relevant to both civil and defence applications, especially where steel technologies can strengthen European industrial capacity and security-related supply chains.
Main Purpose of the Call
The main purpose of the call is to support innovation in the European steel sector by funding projects that move promising research closer to industrial use.
The call aims to bridge the gap between research and innovation through pilot-scale and demonstration-scale activities.
It supports technologies that can improve sustainability, reduce emissions, develop advanced steel grades, and strengthen steel production capacities for strategic civil and defence needs.
Available Budget
The available budget for this call is EUR 25,000,000.
Funding is available for eligible RFCS Pilot and Demonstration Projects that address at least one of the call’s specified objectives.
Focus Areas and Priorities
The call focuses on sustainable steel innovation, industrial deployment, and dual-use applications.
Key focus areas include:
- Sustainable steelmaking
- Low-carbon steelmaking processes
- Steel finishing processes
- Advanced steel grades
- Advanced steel applications
- Civil applications of steel technologies
- Defence-related steel applications
- Dual-use technologies
- Pilot projects
- Demonstration projects
- Industrial integration
- Economic viability assessment
- Energy system assessment
- Material balance assessment
- Emissions reduction
- Strategic autonomy in steel production
- Defence-oriented steel production capacities
There are no specific priorities under this topic, but proposals must address at least one of the stated objectives.
Key Concepts Explained
RFCS Pilot and Demonstration Projects
RFCS refers to the Research Fund for Coal and Steel.
RFCS Pilot and Demonstration Projects support technologies that are beyond basic research but still require validation, testing, scaling, or demonstration before wider industrial use.
These projects help convert research results into practical industrial applications.
Pilot Projects
Pilot projects test innovative technologies at a smaller or intermediate scale.
They are used to validate technical feasibility, process performance, energy use, material flows, safety, emissions, and potential industrial application.
Demonstration Projects
Demonstration projects test technologies in more advanced, relevant, or industrial environments.
They are designed to show that a technology can work under realistic operating conditions and may be suitable for future commercial deployment.
Dual-Use Applications
Dual-use applications are technologies that can serve both civil and defence markets.
In this call, projects addressing dual-use applications must clearly explain how the research and innovation activities relate to both civil and defence needs.
Strategic Autonomy
Strategic autonomy refers to Europe’s ability to maintain secure, reliable, and independent industrial capacities in areas considered important for economic security, defence, and technological sovereignty.
For this call, strategic autonomy relates to steel production capacities that can support defence, aerospace, internal security, preparedness, and broader industrial resilience.
Technology Readiness Level
Technology Readiness Level, or TRL, measures how mature a technology is.
Projects under this call are expected to begin around TRL 3 or TRL 4 and progress to at least TRL 5 or TRL 6 in a relevant environment.
By the end of the project, activities should reach TRL 5 to TRL 8, depending on the project type and ambition.
Expected Technology Readiness Levels
Projects are expected to progress toward higher technology readiness.
Expected TRL pathway includes:
- Starting point: TRL 3 or TRL 4
- Minimum progress: TRL 5 or TRL 6 in a relevant environment
- Expected end level: TRL 5 to TRL 8
Applicants should clearly explain the current TRL of the technology and the expected TRL at the end of the project.
What Types of Projects are Supported?
The call supports pilot and demonstration projects related to innovative steel technologies.
Eligible projects may include:
- New steelmaking processes
- Sustainable steel production technologies
- Low-carbon steelmaking systems
- Steel finishing innovations
- Advanced steel grade development
- Advanced steel applications
- Civil and defence steel applications
- Technologies that reduce emissions
- Technologies that improve energy efficiency
- Technologies that improve material efficiency
- Industrial-scale testing of steel innovations
- Demonstration installations for steel production or processing
Projects must address at least one of the objectives specified in the call.
Exploitation Strategy Requirement
Every proposal must include an exploitation strategy.
The exploitation strategy should explain how project results may be used after the project ends.
It should describe:
- Potential industrial integration of project outcomes
- Use of pilot or demonstration installations
- Possible scale-up pathways
- Market or industrial relevance
- Future users or adopters
- Commercialization potential
- Strategic relevance for civil or defence markets
The exploitation strategy should be realistic and connected to the project’s technical outputs.
Economic Viability Assessment
Applicants must include a preliminary assessment of economic viability.
This assessment should show whether the proposed technology has potential for industrial or commercial use.
It may include:
- Estimated capital costs
- Operating costs
- Energy costs
- Material costs
- Cost savings
- Revenue potential
- Market opportunities
- Payback considerations
- Scale-up costs
- Industrial deployment risks
The assessment should help evaluators understand whether the project can move beyond the pilot or demonstration stage.
Energy, Material, and Emissions Assessments
Proposals must clearly quantify targeted improvements.
Applicants must include energy system and material balance assessments, including emissions.
These assessments should be clearly defined in the proposal.
They may include:
- Energy inputs
- Energy savings
- Energy efficiency improvements
- Material inputs
- Material losses
- Waste reduction
- Emissions baseline
- Expected emissions reduction
- Process efficiency gains
- Environmental performance indicators
Applicants should avoid vague claims and provide measurable targets where possible.
Requirements for Dual-Use Projects
Projects addressing dual-use applications must explain both civil and defence relevance.
The proposal should clearly show:
- How the technology can be used in civil markets
- How the technology can support defence-related applications
- Why the innovation is relevant to European strategic autonomy
- How the project supports industrial security or resilience
- How the results may strengthen steel production capacity for defence needs
Proposals must not contain EU classified information.
Security and Classification Rules
The call does not allow proposals containing EU classified information.
Applicants working on defence-related or dual-use topics must ensure that their proposals remain suitable for submission under the call rules.
Sensitive details should be handled carefully, and proposals should focus on eligible unclassified research and innovation activities.
Why the Steel Sector is Strategically Important
The call recognizes the steel sector as important for Europe’s economic security and strategic resilience.
Steel is relevant to:
- Defence capabilities
- Preparedness
- Internal security
- Aerospace needs
- Infrastructure
- Industrial competitiveness
- Technological sovereignty
- Low-carbon industrial transformation
Supporting innovation in steel production helps Europe reduce emissions while maintaining critical industrial capacity.
Who is Eligible?
Eligible applicants include public and private legal entities that carry out research and technological development activities or make a substantial contribution to such activities.
Eligible applicant types may include:
- Undertakings
- Public bodies
- Research organisations
- Higher education establishments
- Secondary education establishments
- Other legal entities involved in research and technological development
Applicants must be established in eligible countries, including EU Member States, overseas countries and territories, and countries associated with the RFCS, subject to the topic-specific restrictions.
Topic-Specific Participation Restrictions
Participation is restricted because of the strategic importance of the call.
Participants must be legal entities established in EU Member States.
Participants must not be directly or indirectly controlled by countries outside the European Union or by legal entities established outside the European Union.
These restrictions are intended to protect European strategic autonomy, defence-related industrial capacity, and technological sovereignty.
How the Call Works
Applicants submit proposals for either pilot projects or demonstration projects.
Projects must focus on innovative steel technologies and must address at least one of the call objectives.
The proposal should describe the technology, starting TRL, expected TRL progression, testing environment, industrial relevance, exploitation strategy, economic viability, and quantified improvements in energy, material use, and emissions.
For dual-use projects, the proposal must also explain the civil and defence relevance of the technology.
How to Apply
Applicants should first confirm that their organisation meets the eligibility and control requirements.
They should then identify whether the proposal is best suited as a pilot project or a demonstration project.
The project concept should clearly relate to sustainable steelmaking, low-carbon processes, advanced steel grades, dual-use applications, emissions reduction, or strategic steel production capacity.
Applicants must prepare a technical proposal that explains the innovation, methodology, expected outputs, TRL pathway, industrial integration plan, economic viability, and measurable environmental improvements.
Suggested Application Steps
- Confirm that the applicant is an eligible legal entity.
- Confirm that the applicant is established in an EU Member State and is not controlled by non-EU countries or non-EU legal entities.
- Select the correct project type: pilot project or demonstration project.
- Define the steel technology, process, product, or application being developed.
- Identify the starting Technology Readiness Level.
- Explain how the project will reach TRL 5 to TRL 8 by the end of the project.
- Clearly identify the civil, defence, or dual-use relevance of the project.
- Prepare an exploitation strategy for industrial integration.
- Include a preliminary economic viability assessment.
- Provide energy system, material balance, and emissions assessments.
- Quantify expected improvements in sustainability, efficiency, or emissions performance.
- Ensure the proposal does not include EU classified information.
- Submit the application through the official European Commission process.
Why It Matters
The steel sector is essential for industry, infrastructure, energy systems, transport, defence, aerospace, and security.
At the same time, steel production must reduce emissions and modernise processes to meet climate and competitiveness goals.
This call matters because it supports technologies that can make steel production cleaner, more efficient, more advanced, and more strategically secure.
By funding pilot and demonstration projects, the programme helps promising innovations move closer to industrial deployment.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid submitting proposals that remain at a purely research stage and do not clearly progress toward pilot or demonstration validation.
Projects should not lack a clear TRL pathway.
Applicants should avoid vague claims about emissions reduction without energy, material, and emissions assessments.
Proposals should not omit the exploitation strategy or economic viability assessment.
Dual-use projects should not fail to explain both civil and defence relevance.
Applicants should not include EU classified information.
Organisations should also ensure they comply with the topic-specific restrictions on non-EU control.
Tips for Strong Applications
A strong application should clearly explain the innovation and why it matters for the steel sector.
The proposal should show how the project bridges the gap between research and industrial use.
Applicants should present measurable targets for energy efficiency, material efficiency, emissions reduction, or process improvement.
The TRL progression should be realistic and supported by a clear technical work plan.
The exploitation strategy should explain how results can be integrated into industry after the project.
For dual-use applications, applicants should clearly describe both civil market value and defence-related relevance.
The strongest proposals will combine technical innovation, measurable sustainability gains, industrial feasibility, and strategic European relevance.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the purpose of this European Commission steel sector call?
The call supports innovative pilot and demonstration projects in the steel sector for civil and defence applications, with a focus on sustainable steelmaking, advanced steel technologies, emissions reduction, and industrial integration.
2. How much funding is available?
The available budget for this call is EUR 25,000,000.
3. What types of projects are supported?
The call supports RFCS Pilot and Demonstration Projects that address at least one specified objective and help bridge the gap between research and innovation.
4. What Technology Readiness Levels are expected?
Projects should generally begin at TRL 3 or TRL 4 and progress to at least TRL 5 or TRL 6 in a relevant environment. By the end of the project, projects are expected to reach TRL 5 to TRL 8.
5. What must proposals include?
Proposals must include an exploitation strategy, a preliminary economic viability assessment, and clearly defined energy system, material balance, and emissions assessments.
6. Are dual-use projects eligible?
Yes. Dual-use projects are eligible if they explain how the proposed activities relate to both civil and defence applications. However, proposals must not contain EU classified information.
7. Who can apply?
Eligible applicants include public and private legal entities such as undertakings, public bodies, research organisations, higher or secondary education establishments, and other entities involved in research and technological development, subject to the call’s EU establishment and control restrictions.
Conclusion
The European Commission’s RFCS steel sector call supports pilot and demonstration projects that advance sustainable, low-carbon, and strategically important steel technologies.
With EUR 25,000,000 available, the call funds innovations that can improve steelmaking, develop advanced steel applications, reduce emissions, and support civil and defence-related industrial capacity.
Applicants should present technically strong proposals with clear TRL progression, measurable energy and emissions improvements, a realistic exploitation strategy, economic viability analysis, and full compliance with eligibility and security requirements.
For more information, visit European Commission.
