Coal & steel

The Research Fund for Coal and Steel  has its origins in the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The European Coal and Steel Community Treaty of 1952 expired in 2002. In view of this, a resolution was passed by the European Council in Amsterdam in 1997, which paved the way for a new research program under the name ''Research Program of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel''.

The Austrian Energy Agency supports the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology [please provide link www.bmk.gv.at]  in disseminating the activities of the research fund.

The fund has an annual budget that is financed from the assets of the former European Coal and Steel Community. The distribution between coal and steel is fixed (27.2% for coal, 72.8% for steel). The independent program, which complements the Horizon Europe research framework program, is based on the objectives of the European Green Deal. To this end, the legal basis was adapted in 2021, which will increase the annual funding available from 2022 onwards.

The maximum rate of financial project support is:

1. for research projects up to 60%,
2. for pilot and demonstration projects up to 50%,
3. for accompanying, supporting and preparatory measures up to 60%. In exceptional cases, 100% is funded.

In 2022, there were two calls for tenders with a total volume of around 170 million euros. Two tenders are also expected in 2023, at the beginning of the year for pilot and demonstration plants and over the summer with a focus on R&E.

Up-to-date information on the tenders can be found here.