Expert network on Critical raw materials (CSA)

Expected outcomes

• The topic does not say whether all outcomes must be addressed; treat them all as relevant.
• For each outcome (EO1 to EO3), name who will use or adopt your results (a specific group, not “industry” or “society”), how they get them, and the indicator that shows the change, with baseline, target and date.
• Use the topic's own words for each outcome, so the evaluator can tick it off.

What the scope asks for

Evaluators check the proposal against these sentences of the scope. Answer each one visibly, in the call's own words.

• “Actions should strengthen an EU expert network and community covering all raw materials screened in the critical raw materials assessment of 2027.”
• “The consortium should build the EU expert community covering each screened raw material with expertise on primary and secondary resources; production, including exploration, mining, processing, recycling and refining; substitution of critical raw materials; raw materials markets; future demand and supply; supply risk management and stress tests; materials flows; raw materials standardisation; environmental footprint, socio-economic analysis,…”
• “The actions should contribute to the EU policy making related to critical raw materials, in particular to the implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act, including the development of the new list of critical raw materials and their specific applications or sectors.”
• “The action is expected to coordinate with the Commission regarding the events and reflect the EU policy planning.”
• “The actions should also improve data and knowledge on all screened raw materials and the analysis of the future supply and demand of raw materials, their environmental footprint, technology gaps and innovation potential along the raw materials value chains.”
• “The action should update the data and information fact sheets from the previous criticality exercise for all screened raw materials, and ensure their quality by relevant raw material experts.”
• “The action is expected to organise two expert validation workshops in 2029 to support the EU criticality assessment, and validate draft factsheets for all screened materials.”
• “The action should envisage clustering activities with other relevant selected projects for cross-projects co-operation, consultations and joint activities on cross-cutting issues and share of results as well as participating in joint meetings and communication events.”
• “To this end proposals should foresee a dedicated work package and/or task, and earmark the appropriate resources accordingly.”

Conditions that shape the proposal

• Part B, sections 1–3: 28 pages (standard application form). Text beyond the limit is not read; tables and figures count.
• Lump sum: the budget is fixed per work package and paid when each work package is completed. Every work package needs activities and deliverables an evaluator can verify, and the effort must match the money.
• Coordination and support action: no research is funded. Evaluators look for coordination, networking, dissemination or policy support with a clear audience.
• Other Eligible Conditions: “To increase EU resilience in raw materials supply chains and thus reduce the serious risk to the Union's strategic assets, economic and societal interests, autonomy and security associated with the current EU reliance on a few third countries for critical raw materials, by increasing sustainable and responsible…”
• Other Eligible Conditions: “]], participation in this topic is limited to legal entities established in Member States, associated countries, OECD countries, African Union Member States, MERCOSUR, CARIFORUM, Andean Community and countries with which the EU has concluded strategic partnerships on raw materials[[…”
• Other Eligible Conditions: “]] as well as trade agreements (or association/economic partnership or equivalent agreements, including the new Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships) containing raw materials cooperation provisions (i.e. Energy and Raw materials…”
• Other Eligible Conditions: “Proposals including legal entities which are not established in the countries that fall under the criteria above will be ineligible.”
• Other Eligible Conditions: “For the duly justified and exceptional reasons listed above, in order to guarantee the protection of the strategic interests of the Union and its Member States, entities established in an eligible country listed above, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or a non-eligible country…”

Impact pathway and traps

• Standardisation is mentioned. Name the committees or bodies and the partner who engages with them.
• The topic expects cooperation with other projects or initiatives. Reserve effort and budget for it in the work plan.
• Policy or regulation is in scope. Name the policy owners you will reach and what you will give them.
• Keep outputs, outcomes and impacts apart: what you deliver, what changes when others use it, and the long-term effect.
• For each destination impact you claim, show which of your outcomes feeds it. Destination impacts are long-term effects, not project deliverables.
• Name the barriers outside the project (regulation, markets, user behaviour) that could block uptake, and what you will do if they do.
• Section 2.3 (the summary canvas) is optional on this call; the old split into scientific, economic and societal impact is no longer required.