Deadline: The call remains open until the available grant funding has been allocated, or until 14.06.2028, 13:00 CEST (Oslo Time) at the latest. Proposals may be submitted at any time during the call period.
Available Budget: up to 24 600 000 NOK.
Maximum amount of funding that may be applied for: Up to 1 000 000 NOK per project, with a project duration of up to one year.
Background
The transition towards a sustainable and digital economy in Europe necessitates a resilient and responsible raw materials value chain. This shift is driven by increasing demand for critical metals and minerals, essential for technologies such as electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and digital infrastructure. Projections indicate a dramatic rise in the consumption of key raw materials, notably energy transition minerals, underscoring the importance of securing sustainable access while minimising negative environmental impacts, such as pollution, and conflicts relating to land use.
Europe's reliance on imports from limited third-country sources presents a strategic vulnerability that the European Union aims to address through comprehensive policy initiatives. The Critical Raw Materials Act sets ambitious targets for extraction, processing and recycling, complemented by the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Clean Industrial Deal, all aimed at reducing dependency and fostering circularity.
The Raw Materials Partnership for the Green and Digital Transition (RAMP), launched in late 2025, will support research and innovation projects across the raw materials value chain over its 11-year lifespan. RAMP will facilitate seven annual transnational calls, aiming to fund well over 100 projects, and will complement Horizon Europe and other initiatives such as EIT RawMaterials. The partnership is coordinated by Vinnova (Sweden) and involves agencies representing all Nordic countries.
Aim and scope of the call
This call aims to catalyse research and innovation co-operation among Nordic stakeholders in the metals and minerals sector.
The thematic scope of the call encompasses the entire raw materials value chain, from exploration and mining to efficient processing, design and manufacture, recycling, and effective use. It also considers the socio-ecological impacts associated with raw material extraction and processing, aligning with broader EU policies aimed at sustainability and circularity. Projects should focus on strategic planning, stakeholder engagement and capacity building, with an emphasis on fostering innovation, knowledge exchange and regional integration.
Projects funded under this call are expected to:
- actively seek information on calls for proposals launched by RAMP or complementary organisations or programmes such as EIT or Horizon Europe;
- design a strategy and action plan for submitting competitive proposals to such calls, also beyond the period of the project;
- contribute to aligning and creating synergies between Nordic research efforts in areas of particular importance to the raw materials sector in the Nordic region;
- build on the strengths of Nordic research and innovation and address needs that are particular to the Nordic countries;
- operate across Nordic countries, topics and sectors;
- distil insights and findings from ongoing projects and research and draw on existing knowledge to develop cutting-edge research ideas and proposals in response to RAMP and other relevant calls;
- involve a wide range of stakeholders (research institutes, companies, public-sector bodies, NGOs and other relevant actors) in the preparatory actions to develop proposals to RAMP and complementary calls;
- generate new expertise that is expected to enhance the long-term competitiveness of Nordic companies and the sustainability of the Nordic raw materials sector.
In addition, projects are encouraged to address issues related to land use and the rights of Indigenous and local communities as relevant.
Funding
This call is announced as a collaborative effort between Innovaatiorahoituskeskus Business Finland, Nordic Innovation, the Research Council of Norway, Vinnova, and NordForsk.
Webinar
Questions and answers
Do you have questions related to the call? Please contact: prepRAMP26-QA@nordforsk.org
Phrase the question in general terms as the question and the answer will be published. We update the questions & answers section continuously, and you will shortly find a reply to your question below.
Funding and budget
What is the funding rate for a consortium with a Nordic project owner and partners from Sweden, Norway and Finland? Is it 100%?
The call text does not set a co-financing requirement.
For project partners in Sweden, Norway and Finland, funding rates follow the rules of Vinnova, the Research Council of Norway and Business Finland respectively (Annex 1).
Is it correct that Danish partners cannot receive funding, except when they act as project owner?
Danish organisations can receive funding under this call only as project owner, from the Nordic component. The project owner may receive up to NOK 400 000 and no more than 40% of the total grant to the consortium. Danish organisations participating as project partners do so with their own funding, but they count towards the requirement of organisations from at least three Nordic countries. The same principle applies to partners from Nordic countries other than Sweden, Norway and Finland.
Can another Swedish partner join the consortium and receive funding from Vinnova?
Each project partner from Sweden, Norway or Finland may be awarded up to NOK 300 000 from its national funding organisation, subject to that organisation's national eligibility rules (Annex 1) and to the maximum of NOK 1 000 000 per project.
Please note that a Swedish project owner and a Swedish partner together count as one Nordic country: the consortium must include organisations from at least three Nordic countries and at least one private sector partner. Swedish partners are advised to contact Vinnova early in the preparation process.
Can the budget for travel of external participants and speakers to seminars and workshops be split between partners, or must it sit in the project owner's grant?
Travel and accommodation costs for other relevant participants (stakeholders, potential collaborators) are eligible when necessary to implement the project, and each funded organisation may budget such costs within its own grant. This is subject to the rules of its funder and to the individual grant ceilings. Physical meetings and events must take place in a Nordic country, and all costs must be explained and justified in the budget.
If LTU leads the project, will LTU be funded by NordForsk? Where can a partner from Iceland receive funding?
Yes. As project owner, LTU would sign the contract with NordForsk and be funded from the Nordic component, up to NOK 400 000 and no more than 40% of the total grant to the consortium. Partners from Iceland are, as a rule, not eligible for funding under this call and participate with their own funding. An Icelandic research-performing organisation could, however, receive funding if it acts as project owner.
Relation to RAMP
Can more researchers or team members be added later to the main RAMP application?
The preparatory project and the later RAMP application are separate. The composition of the consortium for the RAMP application is governed by the rules of the RAMP call, and broadening the consortium is one of the purposes of a preparatory project.
For the preparatory project itself, the project owner, project leader and partners are those named in the application; any changes after a grant has been awarded must be agreed with NordForsk and, for partners, with the relevant national funding organisation.
Is a 'Level 1' interdisciplinary component required in the preparatory project, or is this a requirement for the RAMP pre-proposals?
This call has no such formal requirement. In this call, integration of relevant disciplines and perspectives across technology, environment and society is part of the assessment criterion 'Quality of the consortium and the planned activities'. The call is open to the natural sciences, engineering and technology as well as the social sciences, humanities, law and economics.
We have already submitted a proposal to the RAMP call. Can we still apply for a preparatory project, and can funds be granted but only used if we are invited to the second stage?
Having already submitted a proposal to RAMP does not in itself affect eligibility. However, it is not possible to receive a conditional grant that is activated only if you are invited to the second stage.
The call supports consortium building and proposal preparation for RAMP and complementary calls. A project that prepares a consortium for a second-stage proposal or for later RAMP calls can be within scope and will be assessed on its merits like any other proposal.
Eligibility
Must the project leader be employed in a 100% position by the project owner?
The call does not require a specific employment percentage. The project leader must hold a PhD and be employed by the project owner for the full duration of the project. The project leader's time allocation should be reflected in the budget, and the feasibility of the budget is part of the assessment.
Must the project leader be an active researcher at the time of writing the proposal, or can the project owner hire them only for the duration of the project?
The call requires that the project leader holds a PhD and is employed by the project owner for the duration of the project. The project leader submits the application on behalf of the consortium, and the project owner's signed Letter of Commitment must cover the project, where the project owner should confirm that the project leader will be employed for the full project period.
The project leader must be a qualified researcher, and the CV is part of the assessment. Please note that the project owner must be an established research-performing organisation based in a Nordic country.
Scope
Is the call only for critical metals and minerals, or does it also cover other raw materials?
The call is oriented towards the metals and minerals sector, and its purpose is to help Nordic consortia prepare applications to the EU co-funded Raw Materials Partnership (RAMP) and complementary calls. Proposals should therefore show a clear link to the scope of the RAMP or complementary calls they target. Relevance to the aim and objectives of the call is assessed under the criterion 'Contribution to call aim and objective'.
The thematic scope covers the entire raw materials value chain, from exploration and mining to processing, design and manufacture, recycling and effective use, including the socio-ecological impacts of extraction and processing.
Consortia
Can a research organisation from Poland join a Nordic consortium as a partner?
Organisations based outside the Nordic countries may participate as partners with their own funding. They cannot act as project owner, cannot claim salary costs from the grant, and do not count towards the requirement of organisations from at least three Nordic countries. Travel and accommodation costs for their participation may be covered from the budgets of funded consortium members when necessary to implement the project, subject to the applicable national rules. Physical meetings and events funded by the project must take place in a Nordic country.
Can a UK-based company in a Nordic consortium participate and be funded for travel and work on the proposal?
Organisations based outside the Nordic countries can participate as partners with their own funding. They cannot act as project owner and cannot receive a grant under this call and cannot claim salary costs.
Travel and accommodation costs for their participation may be covered from the budgets of funded consortium members when necessary to implement the project, subject to applicable national rules. Physical meetings and events must take place in a Nordic country. Non-Nordic participants do not count towards the requirement of organisations from at least three Nordic countries.
Other
What is the expected processing time for applications under the rolling call?
With reference to the call text, proposals are processed in the order in which they are received. Processing and selection are expected to be completed within eight weeks of submission (eligibility check, assessment by at least three international experts, recommendation by the Call Committee and funding decision by the NordForsk Director). The period may be extended due to public holidays, high application volumes or other operational circumstances. Funding is allocated on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to submit early.
Can NordForsk help identify potential partners in Finland?
NordForsk does not broker partners for individual consortia. We recommend contacting the relevant national contact point, as well as using the partner search and networking opportunities offered through RAMP and related networks.
