Renovating the built environment through design for adaptability and disassembly.
HORIZON Innovation Actions
Basic Information
- Identifier
- HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-BUSINESS-01
- Programme
- A research agenda for a beautiful, inclusive and sustainable transformation of neighbourhoods
- Programme Period
- 2021 - 2027
- Status
- Closed (31094503)
- Opening Date
- May 6, 2025
- Deadline
- November 12, 2025
- Deadline Model
- single-stage
- Budget
- €12,000,000
- Min Grant Amount
- €6,000,000
- Max Grant Amount
- €6,000,000
- Expected Number of Grants
- 2
- Keywords
- HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-BUSINESS-01HORIZON-NEB-2025-01Business modelsCircular economyEnvironment, resources and sustainabilityNew business opportunitiesRenovation
Description
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- More sustainable[1] and inclusive[1] renovation of existing buildings and common spaces and/or infrastructures based on design for adaptability and disassembly.
- Processes, methods, and/or techniques are available for the modular adaptation and repurposing of existing buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures, drawing on historical knowledge and assessments of their past and present condition and functions to inform renovation strategies.
- Public authorities, investors, construction project owners, developers, architects, designers, and SSH actors have access to evidence of the economic, environmental, social, cultural, financial, and regulatory impacts and understand the business case for design for adaptability and disassembly-based renovation processes, methods, and/or techniques compared to conventional renovations.
Design for adaptability and disassembly is a concept for the design of buildings, common spaces[1], and infrastructures integrating circular economy[1] principles for greater economic, environmental and social sustainability. It presents significant potential for the renovation of the built environment by allowing for easy adaptation of spaces and structures to changing needs and uses or technological advancements.
Renovating with modular components and elements that can be dis- and re-assembled and thereby repurposed across different applications further supports the long-term use, adaptation, and repurposing of buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures. This maximises their economic value (by retaining the embedded value of construction materials, components, and elements), improves their environmental performance (by reducing waste and the extraction of new raw materials and resources), and avoids their demolition as well as the construction of new structures.
The application of design for adaptability and disassembly has focused on new constructions. However, most structures and spaces in urban, peri-urban and rural areas have already been built and require adaptation and repurposing for new and updated uses and functions. Therefore, research should address design for adaptability and disassembly for the renovation of existing buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures.
Proposals are expected to address all of the following:
- Develop at least two renovation processes, methods, and/or techniques based on design for adaptability and disassembly that enable the future adaptation and repurposing of buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures with minimal usage disruption.
- Demonstrate the developed solutions in at least two pilots in at least two Member States or Associated Countries. At least one of the pilots must target a building and at least one of the pilots must target a common space and/or an infrastructure.
- Assess the barriers (including economic, environmental, cultural, social (including related to human capital and skills), and regulatory) to the market uptake of the developed solutions compared to conventional renovation processes, methods, and techniques, and propose solutions to overcome them.
- Quantify, wherever feasible, the environmental (including whole life carbon assessments, carbon pricing, energy efficiency[5], ecosystem services), economic (including reduced resource consumption costs), social (including the response to changing neighbourhood[1] needs), cultural (including the regeneration of cultural meanings and heritage in neighbourhoods), financial and regulatory impacts of the processes, methods, and techniques, while considering the specificities of the local context.
- Use and build on indicators provided in the European framework for sustainable buildings ‘Level(s)’[7].
Proposals are expected to follow a participatory and transdisciplinary approach[8] through the integration of different actors (such as public authorities, local actors from the targeted neighbourhoods, construction project owners, developers, investors, etc.) and disciplines (such as architecture or design, (civil) engineering, etc.).
This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.
Proposals are expected to dedicate at least 0.2% of their total budget to share their 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).
[1] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[2] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[3] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[4] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[5] Using tools or frameworks such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
[6] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[7] For additional information: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/circular-economy/levels_en
[8] See definition on NEB working principles in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
Destination & Scope
The built environment[1] faces diverse challenges that hinder its transition towards greater sustainability[1], circularity[1], and social inclusion[1]. It has traditionally been resistant to change due to established norms, practices, and a conservative mindset, especially regarding the renovation of existing buildings and infrastructures. For the built environment to change and adapt, appropriate market conditions and business demand and incentives must be in place.
New business models can disrupt the status quo by providing a framework to rethink how renovation projects are designed, planned, and executed and how they contribute to shaping and re-shaping neighbourhood[1] structures and spaces and support initiatives such as the EU Renovation Wave[6]. Demonstrating their economic, environmental, societal, and cultural feasibility and benefits can drive the built environment and other related ecosystems (e.g. financial, insurance, social economy) towards circular and sustainable practices that are resilient to natural, including climate change-induced, and human-made hazards. At the same time, new business models can promote new values such as affordability, inclusion, diversity, functionality, and beauty[1].
Developing new business models and coupling them with innovative funding mechanisms is crucial to encourage the uptake of new practices and approaches that do not only ensure cost-effectiveness and efficiency but align with and contribute to larger societal goals and values, driving positive cultural, social, and environmental change in the built environment and enhancing the ecosystem’s long-term sustainability and competitiveness.
In Work Programme 2025, this Destination contributes to the following expected impacts set out in the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027:
- 8. Realising the full potential of cultural heritage, arts, and cultural and creative sectors
- 9. Strengthening social and economic resilience and sustainability
- 15. Achieving global leadership in climate-neutral, circular and digitized industrial and digital value chains
Proposals for topics under this Destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to innovative funding and new business models for the transformation of neighbourhoods, and more specifically to one or several of the following impacts:
- Innovative supply chains and new incipient business models in the built environment are based on circular economy[1] principles, life cycle thinking, and sustainable practices and are economically attractive. They reclaim, reuse, and re-assemble construction products at local and regional scales, reducing resource consumption, waste and litter generation, environmental footprint, and reliance on resource-intensive, linear practices.
- Innovative processes, methods, and techniques for the renovation of buildings and infrastructures leverage design innovation, creativity, cultural heritage, economies of scale, and cost-effective technologies. They are economically attractive and affordable and contribute to the high-quality, sustainable, inclusive, and resilient revitalisation of neighbourhoods in urban, peri-urban and rural environments.
- Public authorities, investors, construction developers, inhabitants and community[1] groups, and other relevant neighbourhood and built environment stakeholders overcome perceived barriers and risks (e.g. market demand, consumer preferences, and price sensitivity) associated with renovation projects in line with the New European Bauhaus. Incentives, including financial rewards, regulatory advantages, and positive public perception are in place and contribute to the wider adoption of innovative funding and new business models for the sustainable, inclusive and beautiful revitalisation of neighbourhoods.
- Inhabitants and other neighbourhood stakeholders, including marginalised and vulnerable groups, engage in public decision-making, co-create their neighbourhoods in response to local needs and specificities, and benefit from increased well-being and living conditions.
- Increased investment in neighbourhood transformation projects in line with the New European Bauhaus. Projects generate and investors receive returns beyond financial capital, including environmental, aesthetic, social, and cultural value.
This Destination considers neighbourhoods in urban, peri-urban, and rural environments.
[1] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[2] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[3] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[4] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[5] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[6] Additional information at: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings/renovation-wave_en
[7] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[8] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
[9] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.
Eligibility & Conditions
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
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
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 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB)
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. 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 & Resources
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