Overall Strategy
The Foundation pursues a diversified funding strategy across five pillars, with a target of securing €500,000–€1,000,000 in funding within the first 24 months. The strategy is designed for parallel application — multiple programmes can be pursued simultaneously because each addresses a different aspect of the Foundation's work.
EU Context: Since 2013, house prices in the EU have risen by over 60%, while average rents have risen around 20%. Only 6–7% of EU housing stock is social housing, while 20% of homes remain unoccupied. Short-term rentals have surged 93% between 2018 and 2024. The Commission estimates Europe will need to build more than two million homes per year. More than €43 billion has been mobilised by the EU in housing under the 2021–2027 budget period, with €10 billion additional in 2026 and 2027, and €375 billion mobilised by partner financial institutions by 2029.
Dual Structure: The Hestia Foundation (non-profit) holds the intellectual property, research data, and open-source protocols. Hestia Build (commercial) executes construction, workshops, and material supply. This separation protects the open-source mission while enabling sustainable revenue.
Funding Mix (Target)
| Source | Target % | Target € |
|---|
| EU Programmes | 70% | 350,000–700,000 |
| Private Foundations | 15% | 75,000–150,000 |
| Workshop Revenue | 10% | 50,000–100,000 |
| Individual Donations | 5% | 25,000–50,000 |
| Total Year 1–2 | 100% | €500,000–1,000,000 |
Pillar 1: New European Bauhaus (NEB)
The NEB is the single best fit for the Hestia Foundation. The NEB's stated values — sustainability, inclusivity, and beauty — map directly onto the Foundation's mission.
🔥 HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-01 — OPEN CALL
"Sustainable, inclusive, affordable and beautiful solutions for thermal comfort in buildings."
- Indicative budget: €12 million total
- Expected EU contribution per project: €4 million
- Deadline: 01/12/2026
- Fit: Direct match for the Hestia Home's passive cooling system and RCP wall thermal performance
This is the highest-priority application. The RCP wall system's thermal mass, cross-ventilation protocol, and evaporative cooling deliver exactly what this call asks for — at a fraction of conventional construction cost.
NEB Boost — MOST ACHIEVABLE NOW
The NEB Boost awards €30,000 to 20 projects in rural settings or communities under 20,000 residents. Lagos qualifies.
- Eligible: Built environment projects focusing on construction, renovation, and adaptation
- Priorities: Circularity, carbon neutrality, affordable housing
- Requirement: A completed prototype with documentation is the application
- Timeline: Apply as soon as prototype is built and documented
NEB Facility
- Budget: €120M/year (2021–2027)
- Funding range: €50,000–€5M per project
- Timeline: Annual calls, typically Q1
- Eligibility: Public bodies, private entities, NGOs, research organisations
Relevant NEB Pathways
- NEB Facility (Lump Sum): Up to €1.5M for innovative projects. The prototype build + monitoring qualifies directly.
- NEB Boost: €30,000 for rural/community projects under 20,000 residents. Lagos qualifies. Immediate target.
- France–Germany–EU Cross-Border NEB Partnership: €100K–€500K for cross-border housing innovation.
- NEB Portugal National Hub: Direct national channel for Portuguese projects.
Application Angle
Frame the RCP system as:
- Sustainability: Zero concrete, zero steel, carbon-negative timber construction, upcycled industrial materials
- Inclusivity: Housing accessible to median-income families, non-specialist buildable, eliminates 30-year mortgage dependency
- Beauty: Interior finishes that do not look like "affordable housing" — walnut, bronze, pine tar, engineered oak
Pillar 2: Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe funds research and innovation. The Foundation's prototype + monitoring programme is a natural research project.
Relevant Clusters
- Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry & Space): Innovative construction methods, digital fabrication protocols
- Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy & Mobility): Climate-resilient housing, near-zero energy buildings
- Cluster 6 (Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment): Circular bio-based materials, sustainable forestry
Specific Calls
| Call | Budget | Deadline |
|---|
| HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-01 — Thermal comfort in buildings | €12M (€4M/project) | 01/12/2026 |
| HORIZON-CL5-2026-D2-01 — Innovative construction systems | €2–4M | Typically Q3 |
| HORIZON-CL5-2026-D3-02 — Decarbonising buildings | €2–8M | Typically Q2 |
| HORIZON-CL4-2026-FACTORIES-01 — Digital construction | €1.5–3M | Typically Q1 |
| HORIZON-CL6-2026-BIOECONOMY — Bio-based construction | €1–2M | Typically Q2 |
Application Angle
Emphasise the research novelty:
- No peer-reviewed literature on EPAL pallet-core composite panels
- First systematic study of pallet-based structural adequacy
- 12-month continuous monitoring dataset
- Digital fabrication protocol for non-specialist assembly
- University partnership for independent verification
Pillar 3: LIFE Programme
LIFE funds environmental and climate action. The Foundation's environmental case is exceptionally strong.
LIFE Sub-Programmes
- LIFE Clean Energy Transition: Near-zero energy buildings, passive design, renewable integration
- LIFE Nature & Biodiversity: Not directly relevant unless site has ecological value
- LIFE Circular Economy: Upcycled materials, waste reduction, demountable construction
- LIFE Climate Change Mitigation: Carbon-negative construction, embodied carbon reduction
Application Angle
- Zero concrete: Avoids 5% of global GHG emissions from cement production
- Upcycled pallets: Diverts industrial waste from landfill or incineration
- Carbon storage: Timber sequesters CO₂; every house is a carbon bank
- Off-grid default: Eliminates lifetime energy grid dependency
- Scalability: 500M pallets in circulation = 5M homes without manufacturing anything new
Pillar 4: Portugal 2030
Portugal 2030 is the national cohesion policy programme with direct relevance to affordable housing in the Algarve.
Key Partnership Targets
- LNEC (Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil): National civil engineering laboratory — ideal partner for structural testing and certification
- University of Algarve (UAlg): Local university with civil engineering and environmental science faculties
- Municipality of Lagos: Municipal site access, planning permission support, joint UIA application
- IHRU (Instituto da Habitação e da Reabilitação Urbana): National housing and urban rehabilitation institute — policy alignment and programme access
Relevant Programmes
- PO SEUR (Sustainability and Efficiency in Resource Use): Near-zero energy buildings
- PO Regional Algarve: Regional development, affordable housing, rural revitalisation
- COMPETE 2030: Innovation in SMEs and manufacturing
- PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan): Housing component of the national recovery plan
Application Angle
The Algarve has specific challenges:
- Housing prices rising 16.6% year-on-year
- Median property price €3,203/m² — unaffordable for median earners
- Young people leaving for Lisbon/Porto due to housing costs
- Tourism-driven pressure on housing stock
The RCP system directly addresses the Algarve housing crisis with a locally appropriate, climatically optimised solution. The Foundation's key partnership targets in Portugal are LNEC (structural testing), University of Algarve (research), Lagos Municipality (site and planning), and IHRU (housing policy alignment).
Pillar 5: Urban Innovative Actions (UIA)
UIA funds urban innovation projects. While primarily urban, the "housing innovation" theme can accommodate rural/peri-urban solutions if framed as addressing housing affordability in a municipality.
Potential Angle
Partner with Lagos municipality or another Algarve council to frame the prototype as a "municipal housing innovation pilot" — demonstrating an alternative to conventional social housing procurement.
Private Foundations
Target housing-focused philanthropies and impact investors:
- European Climate Foundation: Climate-positive construction
- Laudes Foundation: Regenerative built environment
- Rockwool Foundation: Insulation innovation, affordable housing
- Habitat for Humanity (Europe): Affordable housing, self-build
- Aga Khan Foundation: Housing in developing contexts
- ING Foundation: Affordable housing in Europe
Application Sequence
Month 1–2
Foundation registration + NEB Facility
Register non-profit. Submit NEB Facility Expression of Interest (if open). Begin NEB Portugal Hub engagement.
Month 3–4
Horizon Europe + LIFE
Submit Horizon Europe pre-proposal (if call open). Submit LIFE programme concept note. Begin partner negotiations (university, engineer).
Month 5–6
Portugal 2030 + UIA
Submit Portugal 2030 regional application. Engage Lagos municipality for UIA partnership.
Month 7–12
Prototype build + monitoring start
Build prototype. Begin sensor logging. Document everything. Generate "first results" for ongoing applications.
Month 12–18
Results-based applications
Use 6-month monitoring data to strengthen second-round applications. Apply for scale-up funding.
Month 18–24
Scale-up + replication
Second build (workshop model). Publish all data. Apply for multi-house programmes.