EU-Wide Advantages and Opportunities for **EIT RawMaterials KAVA CALL 13 – UPSCALING**

1. Single Market Access

- Immediate reach to the EU’s 450 + million consumers and >23 million companies through the free circulation of goods, services and capital.

- Harmonised CE-marking and REACH compliance enables faster market entry for up-scaled raw-material innovations (e.g. recycled critical minerals, substitute materials).

- Public-procurement opportunities via EU directives open additional demand in strategic value chains such as batteries, electronics, construction and mobility.

2. Cross-Border Collaboration

- The EIT RawMaterials Knowledge & Innovation Community (KIC) already connects 300 + partners in 22 countries—projects can tap into this ready-made, transnational consortium pool.

- Encourages tri-lateral consortia (industry + RTO + university) thereby blending complementary competencies (mining know-how in SE/PL, process optimisation in DE, circular-design expertise in NL).

- Facilitates mobility of researchers and staff under the EU’s freedom of movement rules, reducing HR and visa barriers.

3. EU Policy Alignment

- Direct contribution to the European Green Deal, especially the Critical Raw Materials Act, Circular Economy Action Plan and the Zero-Pollution Initiative.

- Supports REPowerEU by scaling technologies that reduce dependency on imported fossil-based or geopolitically sensitive raw materials.

- Fits the Industrial Strategy and Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) by strengthening autonomy in battery, renewable and digital value chains.

4. Regulatory Harmonisation

- One-stop compliance: conformity with EU regulations (e.g., Waste Framework Directive, Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation) applies across all Member States, avoiding 27 separate certification tracks.

- Uniform State-aid rules create clarity for blending KAVA funding with national incentives without breaching de-minimis ceilings.

5. Innovation Ecosystem Connectivity

- Seamless access to Europe’s leading raw-materials labs (e.g., Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden, VITO, SINTEF) and test beds through the KIC’s infrastructure catalogue.

- Synergies with other EIT KICs (InnoEnergy, Manufacturing, Digital) enable cross-sector pilot lines, fostering integrated battery-to-grid or hydrogen-steel demonstrators.

- Participation in EU-wide matchmaking, accelerator programs and raw-materials investor forums boosts visibility to venture capital and corporate strategic investors.

6. Funding Synergies

- Cascade funding model allows combination with Horizon Europe Cluster 4 & 5 projects for TRL 4-6 R&D, while KAVA supports TRL 7-9 up-scaling.

- Compatible with Cohesion Policy funds (ERDF) for regional pilot plants, and with the Innovation Fund for large-scale industrial deployments exceeding €7.5 M CAPEX.

- Follow-on access to the European Investment Bank’s InnovFin Energy Demo Projects and the new InvestEU “Sustainable Infrastructure” window.

7. Scale and Impact Potential

- Pan-European deployment accelerates time-to-volume: simultaneous multi-site roll-outs (e.g., recycling hubs in ES, BE, SE) can hit economies of scale quicker than isolated national pilots.

- Visibility in the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities enhances ESG investment attractiveness and paves the way for green bond financing.

- Standardised Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies endorsed by the EU improve comparability and acceptance of environmental claims.

8. Strategic Value Proposition (EU vs. National Level)

- EU-level KAVA grants de-risk cross-border investments, leveraging the collective market size to justify high CAPEX required for demonstration plants (hydrometallurgical processing, rare-earth magnet recycling, etc.).

- Opens doors to joint IP portfolios managed under EU IPR rules, enabling faster freedom-to-operate clearances across 27 jurisdictions.

- Strengthens Europe’s strategic autonomy by nurturing raw-material supply chains that are resilient and diversified within the Single Market.

Bottom Line: Leveraging the EIT RawMaterials KAVA CALL 13 at EU scale maximises commercial uptake, policy alignment and financial leverage—turning innovative raw-material solutions into continent-wide industrial reality.