WoodStock Grants for Innovative Wood Construction

WoodStock is a Horizon Europe project aimed at transforming the European construction sector towards climate-smart and zero-waste use of wood. Currently, significant volumes of hardwood, as well as damaged, low-quality, post-consumer, and residual wood remain underutilized. Unlocking this potential will reduce waste, strengthen local value chains, and open up new economic opportunities.

The goal of the grant program is to activate the market and practically demonstrate the feasibility of replicating and scaling such solutions. It is expected that the supported initiatives will be systemic and stimulate close cooperation between various actors in the wood construction market. In addition to funding, the winners will receive expert guidance from the Innovation Support Task Force, as well as access to the first zero-waste design guidelines and concepts created within the WoodStock Living Labs.

An important requirement is mandatory documentation and knowledge sharing: all successful and unsuccessful development steps must be shared with the consortium. These practical data will be used to form sustainable business models, overcome regulatory barriers, and will be published in the final WoodBook publication and on the European Wood Construction Observatory (EWCO) platform.

• Organization type: Applications can only be submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups, non-profit organizations (NGOs), or consortia led by one of the listed organizations.
• Geography: The lead applicant must be registered in an EU Member State or in a country associated with Horizon Europe (Pillar 2).
• Technology Readiness Level: The proposed solutions must relate to climate-smart wood construction and be at a stage beyond TRL 5 (Technology Readiness Level 5).
• Use of raw materials: The project is obliged to facilitate the use of at least one type of "underutilised wood" defined by the program: hardwood, damaged wood, low-quality wood, or post-consumer and residual wood.
• NEB Values: The project must achieve at least ambition level I for each of the New European Bauhaus values (together, sustainable, beautiful).

• Grant amount: Each of the four selected projects can receive financial support of up to 50,000 EUR.
• Payment scheme: The budget is transferred directly to the grantee in two instalments. The first instalment of 30,000 EUR is paid after signing the grant agreement. The second (final) instalment for the remaining balance will be paid in October 2028, following a positive evaluation of the final report and financial reporting.
• Limitations for SMEs: If a single small or medium-sized enterprise participates in multiple project applications, the total amount of funding it can receive under the WoodStock grants cannot exceed 60,000 EUR (in accordance with FSTP regulations for support to third parties).

The allocated funds may be directed exclusively to the following categories of activities (expenses may cover equipment, laboratory tests, materials, logistics, and staff costs):

• Demonstration: Prototyping and experimental setups of innovations.
• Testing: Physical and mechanical validation of the solution, as well as work aimed at obtaining certification.
• Co-creation: Activities organized with local actors and potential users to improve the solution.
• Training: Holding workshops/master classes to develop new skills and knowledge.
• Dissemination: Communication about the developed solution to a wide audience (including video production). These expenses can account for a maximum of 20% of the total budget.

• September 15, 2026 — Official publication of the call.
• December 15, 2026 (17:00 CET) — Deadline for submitting applications.
• January 2027 — Project evaluation period by the committee.
• February 2027 — Informing applicants about the selection results.
• February – March 2027 — Signing of grant agreements.
• March – April 2027 — Latest start date for project implementation.
• After 6 months (half a year) from the start — Submission of the progress report.
• After 1 year from the start — Submission of the final project report.
• September 2028 — Evaluation of reports by the organizers.
• October 2028 — Final payments.

1. All applications are submitted exclusively online through the dedicated Evalato platform at::https://woodstockproject.eu/woodstock-grants.. Applications via email are not accepted.
2. The applicant must create an account on the platform or log into an existing one using their email address.
3. Select the "WoodStock Grants" program and click "Apply".
4. Fill out the online application form and upload the mandatory supporting documents into the appropriate fields.
5. Each uploaded file must not exceed 20 MB. Larger files must be compressed.
6. The platform allows saving the application as a draft and returning to it later.
7. After completing all sections, click the "Submit" button before the set deadline. Only one application can be submitted per solution idea.

After passing the basic eligibility check (Step 1), applications undergo direct evaluation (Step 2) in six main categories. Each criterion is scored from 0 to 5 points. To qualify for a grant, the proposal must score a minimum of 3 points for each criterion. The committee will aim to select a maximum of one project per country and ensure an even distribution among the four types of wood.

1. New European Bauhaus (NEB): Embedding the values (together, sustainable, beautiful) with a demonstration of participatory processes, multi-level engagement, and a transdisciplinary approach.
2. Circularity: Qualitative and quantitative benefits in local wood use, resource efficiency, zero-waste design, longevity, and environmental gains are evaluated.
3. Community-based: Integration into the local community through co-creation activities, local employment, or positive social impact.
4. Scalability: The presence of a realistic and concise plan for scaling and replicating the innovation to increase its positive impact.
5. Systemic: The ability to contribute to systemic change in the wood construction value chain (preference is given to consortia that bring together previously disconnected actors).
6. Capacity of the applicant: Having sufficient expertise, experience, equipment, and network to achieve the project's goals.

• Added value criteria (bonus): Preference will be given to projects with a clear plan for an environmentally and socially sustainable circular business model, as well as solutions applicable to upgrading the existing building stock (renovation, extensions, etc.).

1. Grant Proposal (Word): A file based on the organizers' template containing the project description, timeline, activities, dissemination plan, and responses to the evaluation criteria.
2. Budget Table (Excel): A file based on the template containing a detailed breakdown of costs.
3. Visuals (PDF): One combined file up to 20 MB illustrating the idea (sketches, technical drawings, renders, prototype photos). A short explanatory caption must be added to each image.
4. Organization status confirmation (PDF):

• • For SMEs and start-ups: SME self-assessment report generated on the EU Funding & Tenders portal.
  • For non-profit organizations (NGOs): Provide a PIC code (if available) OR upload a package of three documents: a copy of the national registration extract, a full copy of the statutes (stating that profits are not distributed), and a tax document confirming non-profit status.

• Reports: Participants are obliged to provide a progress report six months after the project starts, as well as a final report (along with a financial report) after 1 year.
• Integration with WoodStock: Grantees must co-organize one co-creation session with a WoodStock Living Lab (in the Netherlands, France, Slovenia, Poland, Ireland, or Norway).
• Knowledge sharing: It is necessary to document successful and unsuccessful steps, as well as lessons learned, to share them with the WoodStock consortium. Participants must also provide materials for the WoodBook publication and the European Wood Construction Observatory (EWCO).
• Double funding: It is prohibited to receive funding from other EU grants for the same project. Applicants must officially confirm that their proposal has not received and will not be submitted for other EU grants.

• Prohibition of double funding: There is a strict prohibition on double funding from the EU budget. Applicants must officially confirm that the project (in whole or in part) has not received funding from any other EU grant, and has not been and will not be submitted for other EU funding.
• Financial limitations for a single applicant: According to the European rules for Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP), if a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) is involved in multiple project applications, the total amount of funding it receives under the WoodStock grants cannot exceed 60,000 EUR.
• Grant agreement and responsibility: In case of winning, the organizers (on behalf of Ghent University) sign an official grant agreement with the lead applicant. It is the lead applicant who signs the agreement and bears legal responsibility for project implementation.
• Open Data commitment: Winners make a legal commitment to document all stages of the innovation process (including successful and unsuccessful steps) and share the lessons learned with the WoodStock consortium for publication in the WoodBook and on the EWCO platform.
• Responsibility for accuracy: By submitting an application, the participant commits to providing only truthful and accurate information about their organization and project.