Addressing separation and purification challenges in biorefineries

HORIZON-JU is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action under the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking seeking scalable separation and purification technologies for industrial biorefineries. The topic has an indicative budget of approximately €6.5 million, is part of a €170.7 million call, and follows a single-stage submission with deadline 22 September 2026 17:00 CET via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Consortia must comply with Horizon Europe eligibility (minimum three independent legal entities from different eligible countries) and projects must validate solutions on at least three industrial or demonstration-scale use cases. Proposals must address resource and energy efficiency improvements, demonstrate integration with upstream processes, and include a dedicated task applying the EU Safe and Sustainable by Design framework.

Call HORIZON-JU-CBE-2026-RIA-01 (Research and Innovation Action)

One-line summary

Develop scalable, efficient separation and purification technologies for industrial biorefineries; validate technologies on at least three industrial or demo-scale biorefinery use cases and apply the EU Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework in the project ¹.

Who can apply:Consortia of research organisations, industry (including SMEs), pilot/demo facilities and other legal entities from eligible EU and associated countries participating in Horizon Europe calls.

1. 1Topic requires testing on at least 3 industrial or demo-scale biorefinery use cases.
2. 2Each separation technology must address at least two: use of green solvents/minimise harsh solvents, process intensification (fewer steps), or reduced thermal/electric energy and water consumption.
3. 3Demonstrate compatibility with existing upstream processes and validate product purity/stability for downstream conversion.
4. 4Include a task to apply the SSbD framework and ensure complementarities with past/ongoing R&I projects.

Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Follow Horizon Europe rules for eligibility, evaluation and grant management; use the application form in the Submission System and consult the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2026 for topic-specific conditions ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1CBE JU reference documents and Annual Work Programme: CBE JU reference documents

Call overview and objectives

Programme:Horizon Europe (HORIZON) implemented by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). Type of action: HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions (RIA). Call identifier: HORIZON-JU-CBE-2026. Opening date: 23 April 2026. Deadline: 22 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Submission model: single-stage through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal submission system. Type of Model Grant Agreement: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Expected impact and strategic links:Proposals are expected to contribute to the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the Circular Economy Act, the Clean Industrial Deal, the European Chemical Industry Action Plan and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. Project-level expected outcomes include enhancing competitiveness, efficiency, sustainability, circularity and safety of industrial biorefineries; delivering efficient, selective and scalable separation and purification technology platform(s) suitable for integration into existing and/or new biorefineries; and achieving purity and stability of targeted intermediates/products compatible with downstream conversion requirements.

Scope and technical requirements

Context:Separation and purification steps, upstream and downstream of biorefinery processes, remain key cost and performance bottlenecks limiting full-scale deployment and commercialisation of bio-based intermediates, chemicals, ingredients and materials. The call emphasises the need for technologies that improve separation and purification performance while increasing resource efficiency and reducing costs.

1. 1Develop scalable separation and purification technologies and test the developed innovative solutions on at least three use cases from biorefinery processes at industrial or demonstration scale.
2. 2Each developed technology must address at least two of the following performance improvements: increase efficiency when using available green solvents (including water) or develop novel green solvents while minimising use of harsh solvents; apply process intensification including reduction of process steps; reduce thermal and/or electric energy and water consumption.
3. 3Demonstrate compatibility of the innovative separation and purification solutions with existing upstream technologies or develop solutions that simultaneously address upstream and downstream challenges.
4. 4Test and validate the performance of the targeted technologies and quantify their effect on selected bio-based product(s). Both novel (not yet on the market) and established bio-based products are within scope.
5. 5Include a dedicated task to apply the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework developed by the European Commission for assessment of targeted biorefinery products obtained using the developed separation and purification processes ¹.
6. 6Ensure complementarities with past and ongoing R&I projects (Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe Cluster 6 and others, BBI JU/CBE JU projects) and demonstrate awareness and coordination to avoid duplication.

Eligible applicants and consortium structure

Eligible applicant types follow Horizon Europe and CBE JU rules. Typical eligible participants include research organisations, universities, public sector bodies, non-profit organisations, SMEs, large enterprises and other legal entities established in eligible countries listed in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Specific national eligibility exceptions for some non-EU/non-Associated Countries may apply as described in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and the relevant Annexes.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, public bodies, non-profit organisations, technology providers, industrial biorefineries, pilot/demonstration facilities, RTOs and other legal entities as defined in Horizon Europe rules.
2. 2Consortium Requirement: consortium is expected for RIAs under Horizon Europe. Research and Innovation Actions normally require at least three independent legal entities from three different eligible Member States or Associated Countries. Confirm exact minima in Annex B and section 2.2.3.1 of the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2026.
3. 3Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): mainly EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries as set out in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes; a number of third countries may participate subject to special conditions and national provisions for funding their participants.

Funding, budget and financial conditions

Overall CBE JU 2026 call budget:€170,760,699 allocated across multiple topics. For this specific topic (Addressing separation and purification challenges in biorefineries), the CBE JU indicates an indicative contribution under the RIA category. The CBE JU call-level budget overview shows research and innovation actions in this call typically have indicative contribution amounts around €6,500,000 each, subject to final decision and number of awards.

Funding Type:Grant: direct financial contribution (Horizon Action Grant, budget-based). The Model Grant Agreement follows the Horizon Europe MGA (HE MGA).

Co-funding and cost rules:standard Horizon Europe financial rules apply (eligible costs, reimbursement rates, lump sums where applicable, reporting and audit requirements). Applicants must comply with the legal and financial set-up described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the HE MGA. Financial and operational capacity assessments and exclusion rules apply as per Annex C of the General Annexes.

Application process, evaluation and timelines

Submission:single-stage electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Use the application form found in the Submission System (Part B for technical description and page limits). Applicants must select HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions [HORIZON-JU-RIA] and the HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model when starting submission. The submission session opened on 23 April 2026.

1. 1Application Type: open call via single-stage proposal submission on Funding & Tenders Portal.
2. 2Application Stages: 1 (single-stage submission; evaluation and grant agreement negotiation follow standard Horizon Europe multi-step evaluation/administrative processes).
3. 3Evaluation and Award: award criteria, scoring and thresholds follow Annex D of the Horizon Europe General Annexes; submission and evaluation processes and indicative timelines follow Annex F of the General Annexes and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.
4. 4Success Rates: not published for this specific topic. Success rates depend on number and quality of proposals submitted and available budget; applicants should assume competitive selection and align proposals tightly with topic scope and evaluation criteria.

Project maturity and expected activities

Project Stage:Research and Innovation Actions are intended to establish new knowledge or explore feasibility of improved technologies; they may include technology development, integration, testing, demonstration and validation at pilot or demonstration scale. For this topic, projects must test solutions on at least three use cases at industrial or demonstration scale, so expected maturity spans from development through validation and demonstration, approaching pre-commercial readiness for separation and purification platforms.

Nature of support and deliverables

Nature of Support:monetary grants to third-party beneficiaries under Horizon Europe budget-based Action Grants. Projects will receive financial support to cover eligible costs related to RIA activities including R&D, pilot/demonstration testing, validation, consortium management and dissemination. Non-monetary support includes access to CBE JU guidance, SSbD community resources, and alignment with EU policy frameworks and stakeholder networks.

Application templates, required documents and compliance

Application forms and templates:use the application form available in the Submission System. Applicants should follow Part B page limits and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe General Annexes. Evaluation form templates (standard evaluation form HE RIA/IA) will be used with necessary adaptations. The Model Grant Agreement (HE MGA) and associated guidance documents (HE Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual) apply. Call-specific instructions are provided in the CBE JU Call for proposals 2026 and section 2.2.3.1 of the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2026.

1. 1Mandatory documents: application form (Parts A and B), administrative forms, budget tables, ethics self-assessment, and any call-specific annexes. For IA-Flagship actions a business plan annex is required; not applicable for this RIA topic.
2. 2Suggested attachments: letters of support from industrial partners providing demo/industrial scale use cases, evidence of access to demo facilities, prior art and complementarities with previous projects, plan for applying SSbD framework and references to methodological guidance or case studies.
3. 3Legal and financial checks: Legal Entity Validation (LEV), LEAR appointment and financial capacity assessment rules apply as per the Rules for Legal Entity Validation and associated guidance.

Assessment and compliance with SSbD

Proposals must include a task to apply the European Commission SSbD framework for assessing the safety and sustainability of targeted biorefinery products produced using the developed separation and purification processes. Applicants should refer to the SSbD resources including the revised Commission Recommendation, the JRC Methodological Guidance, PARC toolbox and SSbD community materials. Practical guidance and bootcamps are available and should be referenced where relevant ¹.

Evaluation expectations and complementarities

Proposals will be evaluated against standard Horizon RIA award criteria (excellence, impact, quality and efficiency of implementation) with the specific emphasis on industrial relevance, scalability, integration potential in biorefineries, resource efficiency gains, demonstrable performance improvements across at least three industrial/demo use cases, and compliance with SSbD principles. Projects must demonstrate clear complementarities with past and ongoing R&I projects (Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, BBI JU, CBE JU) and explain how duplication is avoided.

Indicative budget per project and call-level budget

Call-level budget across topics in the CBE JU 2026 call is €170,760,699. The RIA topics in the 2026 call (including this topic) are indicated at around €6,500,000 each as an indicative contribution. Final grant amounts will depend on the number of projects funded and budget allocation decisions by CBE JU. Applicants should prepare realistic budgets in line with Horizon costing rules and justify requested amounts.

Key links and reference documents

• CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2026 and section 2.2.3.1 for specific RIA requirements.
• Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annex A–G) for admissibility, eligibility, evaluation and grant rules.
• EU Funding & Tenders Portal submission system and online manual.
• SSbD framework resources: Safe and sustainable by design pages and JRC Methodological Guidance ¹.
• CBE JU reference documents and call documents available at the CBE JU website (reference-documents and open calls pages).

Quick checklist for applicants

1. 1Confirm eligibility of all consortium members against Annex B of the Horizon Europe General Annexes and national rules for third-country participants if relevant.
2. 2Assemble a consortium that provides access to at least three industrial or demonstration-scale use cases for testing separation and purification technologies.
3. 3Prepare a workplan that demonstrates development, integration, testing and validation across at least three use cases and addresses at least two of the specified performance improvements (green solvents, process intensification, energy/water reduction).
4. 4Include a dedicated task to apply the SSbD framework and reference JRC/ PARC guidance; provide clear assessment methods and deliverables related to SSbD.
5. 5Document complementarities with previous and ongoing projects and include letters of support or collaboration where relevant.
6. 6Use the application form in the Submission System and follow Part B page limits and layout; complete required administrative forms and budget tables.
7. 7Ensure Legal Entity Validation (LEV) and appoint LEARs where required before submission; be ready for financial capacity checks.

Mentioned Countries:The topic text and call documents reference eligibility per Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes which covers EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. No specific individual countries are listed in the topic text; applicants should consult Annex B for a complete list of eligible countries and check national rules for third-country participation and funding.

Project stage:development through validation and demonstration at industrial/demo scale; applicants must provide evidence of access to demo or industrial facilities and plan tests across at least three use cases.

Success rates and competitiveness:Success rates are not published for this specific topic. Selection is competitive and evaluated against Horizon RIA criteria. Applicants should assume limited slots and align proposals tightly to topic scope, demonstrate industrial demonstration capability, economic and environmental impact, and strong consortium implementation capacity.

Templates and application structure guidance

Use the application form in the Submission System. Part B must follow page limits and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe General Annexes. Typical RIA Part B structure to prepare (align content to sections in the portal application form):

1. 1Excellence: objectives, relation to topic, concept and methodology, innovation potential and position relative to state of the art, description of the three or more industrial/demo use cases and target products/intermediates.
2. 2Impact: expected outcomes and contributions to EU strategies (bioeconomy, circular economy, Clean Industrial Deal, EC Chemical Industry Action Plan), market uptake pathway, scalability and business case, exploitation and dissemination measures, environmental and socio-economic impacts.
3. 3Implementation: work package structure, detailed tasks including SSbD task, milestones, deliverables, Gantt chart, management and consortium description, roles and responsibilities, risk management and mitigation, resources and budget justification.
4. 4Consortium: description of partners, complementary expertise, access to demo/industrial facilities, letters of support, previous relevant projects and complementarities with Horizon/BBI/CBE projects.
5. 5Ethics and security: ethics self-assessment and compliance with relevant regulations.
6. 6Budget annexes: detailed budget per partner, justification of major cost items, subcontracting and third-party arrangements if any.

Applicants must consult the HE Programme Guide, the Online Manual, the CBE JU Call for proposals 2026 and the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2026 for detailed instructions, admissibility criteria, evaluation templates and the Model Grant Agreement.

Concluding summary

This CBE JU Research and Innovation Action topic seeks proposals that develop and demonstrate scalable, efficient, selective and resource-efficient separation and purification technologies for industrial biorefineries. Projects must validate solutions across at least three industrial or demonstration-scale use cases, address multiple performance improvement levers (green solvents, process intensification, energy/water reduction), ensure compatibility with upstream processes, and explicitly apply the EU Safe and Sustainable by Design framework to assess targeted biorefinery products. Funding is provided as Horizon Europe budget-based grants; applicants must form consortia compliant with Horizon eligibility rules, prepare a single-stage proposal in the Funding & Tenders Portal by 22 September 2026, follow HE application templates and Annex requirements, and demonstrate clear industrial relevance, scalability and complementarity with prior EU-funded R&I projects. For SSbD guidance and resources see the referenced SSbD materials ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) resources and methodological guidance are available from the European Commission and JRC: Safe and sustainable by design pages and Methodological Guidance (JRC), including Commission Recommendation on SSbD and related toolbox materials (see research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu).

Opportunity Overview

This is a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) call under the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), a public-private partnership within Horizon Europe. The call focuses on developing scalable separation and purification technologies for biorefineries to address a critical bottleneck in the commercialisation of bio-based products. Separation and purification processes typically account for a significant share of total process costs and are often the limiting factor preventing full-scale deployment of bio-based chemicals, materials, and intermediates.

Call Details and Timeline

Call Identifier:HORIZON-JU

Opening Date:23 April 2026

Submission Deadline:22 September 2026 at 17:00 CET (single-stage submission)

Submission Model:Single-stage (all proposals submitted by the same deadline)

Funding Information

Budget for This Topic:Approximately €6.5 million

Total Call Budget:€170.7 million across 13 topics within HORIZON-JU-CBE-2026

Funding Rate for Universities:100% of eligible costs for RIA projects submitted by universities. A minimal amount of in-kind contribution to operational activities (IKOP) from Bio-based Industries Consortium members is expected ¹.

Grant Type:HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based (HORIZON-AG)

Scope and Expected Outcomes

Successful projects will contribute to the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the Circular Economy Act, the Clean Industrial Deal, the European Chemical Industry Action Plan, and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. The expected outcomes include enhancing competitiveness, efficiency, sustainability, circularity and safety of industrial biorefineries; developing efficient, selective and scalable separation and purification technology platforms with high potential for integration into existing or new biorefineries; and ensuring purity and stability of targeted intermediates and products compatible with further conversion requirements.

Key Technical Requirements

Proposals must address the following core requirements:

1. 1Develop scalable separation and purification technologies and test innovative solutions on at least 3 use cases from biorefinery processes at industrial or demonstration scale
2. 2Each technology must address at least two of the following: increase efficiency using available green solvents (including water) or develop novel ones while minimising harsh solvents; apply process intensification including reduction of process steps; reduce thermal and/or electric energy and water consumption
3. 3Address compatibility of innovative separation and purification solutions with existing upstream technologies or develop solutions addressing both upstream and downstream challenges simultaneously
4. 4Test and validate performance of targeted technologies and their effect on selected bio-based products, including both novel products not yet on the market and well-established bio-based products
5. 5Include a dedicated task applying the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework developed by the European Commission for assessment of targeted biorefinery products obtained using the developed separation and purification processes ²
6. 6Ensure complementarities with past and ongoing research and innovation projects addressing similar challenges, including projects funded under Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe (Cluster 6 and other clusters) and BBI JU/CBE JU projects

Eligible Applicants and Consortium Requirements

Standard Horizon Europe eligibility conditions apply. For collaborative projects, consortia must be composed of at least three legal entities that are independent from each other and each established in a different country. Eligible applicants include research organisations, universities, public entities, private companies, and international organisations. Eligible countries include EU Member States and Associated Countries, with specific provisions available for certain non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Application Process and Support

Proposals must be submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal using the application form available in the submission system. The call follows Horizon Europe rules and procedures. Applicants should consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2026, the Horizon Online Manual, and call-specific instructions for detailed guidance. Pre-call support activities were scheduled, including a CBE JU Online Info Day on 12 March 2026 and a Networking Event in Brussels on 21 April 2026.

Evaluation and Award Criteria

Evaluation follows standard Horizon Europe RIA evaluation procedures as described in Annex D and Annex F of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposals are assessed on excellence, implementation, and impact criteria. The evaluation form templates and detailed scoring thresholds are available in the submission system. An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement conclusion is provided in the Work Programme General Annexes.

Key Contextual Information for Applicants

Separation and purification processes are critical to biorefinery success but remain a significant technical and economic bottleneck. These processes account for substantial capital and operating costs and are highly energy intensive. The CBE JU 2026 call recognises that while core biorefinery processes have advanced significantly, separation and purification challenges persist. This RIA topic specifically targets the development of innovative technologies that can improve efficiency, reduce resource consumption, and enable commercial viability of bio-based products across diverse applications including chemicals, ingredients, and materials.

The Safe and Sustainable by Design framework requirement reflects EU policy priorities for ensuring that innovations in chemicals and materials are developed with systematic consideration of safety and sustainability throughout their entire life cycles. The SSbD framework, revised in March 2026, provides a voluntary decision-making approach to guide innovation towards safer and more sustainable alternatives. Applicants should familiarise themselves with the SSbD Methodological Guidance and related resources available through the European Commission's research and innovation website.

Additional Resources and Support

Applicants can access the following support mechanisms:National Contact Points (NCPs) provide guidance and practical assistance on Horizon Europe participation; the Enterprise Europe Network offers advice particularly for SMEs; the European IPR Helpdesk assists on intellectual property issues; the IT Helpdesk addresses technical submission questions; and the Research Enquiry Service answers general questions about European research and framework programmes. The CBE JU website provides the Annual Work Programme 2026, Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, and call-specific instructions. A proposal pre-check service is available through the NCP_WIDERA.NET project for eligible country applicants.

Legal and Financial Framework

Grants are governed by the HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based model agreement and the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509. The CBE JU implements the financial rules of its predecessor, the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking. Applicants must comply with Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment, and Financial Capacity Assessment. The EU Grants Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA) provides detailed guidance on grant conditions, eligible costs, and financial management requirements.

Footnotes

1. 1For universities, RIA projects are funded at 100% of eligible costs. A minimal amount of in-kind contribution to operational activities (IKOP) from Bio-based Industries Consortium members is expected as part of the public-private partnership structure.
2. 2The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework is a voluntary assessment framework developed by the European Commission to guide innovation towards chemicals and materials that are safer and more sustainable over their whole life cycles. Updated Methodological Guidance was expected to be published in April 2026. For more information, applicants should consult the SSbD resources at research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu.