Cluster 4 - Digital, Industry, and Space: Development of safe and sustainable by design alternatives to Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Program Code: HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-MATERIALS-51-two-stage

Research Areas: 

PFAS are a large class of substances used in a wide range of applications (e.g., as adhesives, coatings, lubricants, sealants, surfactants) for their technical and/or safety functions (e.g., water and oil repellence, antiadhesion, thermal & chemical stability). Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

• Make safer and more sustainable alternatives to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) available to industries offering products with targeted performances supporting their competitiveness
• Give the Commission, regulatory agencies, Member States and associated countries access to new and publicly available knowledge about PFAS alternatives
• Demonstrate the applicability of the ‘Safe and Sustainable by Design’ (SSbD) framework to avoid regrettable substitution when developing innovative safe alternatives to PFAS.

Proposals should address at least one industrial application and should develop one or more new chemical substances or technologies to replace existing PFAS used, according to abovementioned applications and functions, in one of the following areas:

• Electronics, electrical appliances and grids
• Construction technologies
• Technical textiles
• Automotive parts

All actors along the value chain should be involved. SSH expertise should be included.

MPO Deadline: Contact MPO as soon as possible in the project planning stage
Agency Application Deadline: 23 Sept 2025 (First Stage), 14 Apr 2026 (Second Stage)