Advanced recovery of critical raw materials from Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

The Horizon Europe funding opportunity identified as HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-03 focuses on the advanced recovery of critical raw materials from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). This program aims to enhance the recycling and recovery processes of vital materials, addressing Europe’s dependency on external supplies and minimizing environmental impact.

The project budget totals 10 million euros, with two expected grants of approximately 5 million euros each. This initiative involves a single-stage application process, commencing with an opening date of April 17, 2026, and a submission deadline of September 17, 2026.

Eligible applicants include diverse entities such as research organizations, universities, enterprises (including SMEs), public bodies, and non-profits from EU member states, EEA countries, and associated nations. The funding mechanism is a lump sum grant, allowing for a predetermined amount to be received instead of reimbursement based on costs incurred.

While the call does not specify mandatory consortia, collaboration is commonly encouraged within Horizon Europe projects to leverage various expertise. The opportunity is geared towards projects that can advance scalable, efficient, and economically viable technologies and processes for collecting, sorting, and recycling materials such as rare earth elements and precious metals from electronic waste.

The focus of the proposals should include innovative technologies and approaches for recycling, including automation and bio-inspired methods, ensuring that recovered materials meet necessary quality and cost standards, thereby fostering a sustainable secondary materials market.

The initiative aligns with EU policy frameworks such as the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan, and the Critical Raw Materials Act, reflecting the commitment to environmental sustainability and reducing resource dependency. Successful projects are expected to not only advance the technology but also contribute to EU objectives for waste management and the circular economy.

Overall, this funding call is significant as it promotes the development of cutting-edge recycling processes that can transform WEEE into valuable resources while supporting EU’s environmental goals. The timeline for project commencement is set for late 2026 or early 2027 following the signing of grant agreements, with a competitive application environment anticipated given the strategic importance and funding scale.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-03, focusing on advanced recovery of critical raw materials from Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). It falls under the Horizon Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) funding scheme with a lump sum grant agreement (HORIZON-AG-LS). The call is a single-stage process with a planned opening date of April 17, 2026, and a deadline of September 17, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for the topic is 10,000,000 EUR for the year 2026, and it is expected that around 2 grants will be awarded.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this call are: improved collection, sorting, and recycling technologies that significantly enhance the recovery rates of strategic and critical raw materials from WEEE, reducing dependence on imported materials and mitigating climate and environmental impacts, including biodiversity loss; and strengthened waste market creation through economically viable and environmentally sound recovery and recycling practices and technologies, with an emphasis on secondary strategic raw materials of lower costs and high quality, promoting a circular economy for electrical and electronic equipment.

The scope of the call is to address the urgent need to enhance the recovery and recycling of critical raw materials (CRMs) from WEEE due to increasing global demand. Proposals should develop new or improve existing scalable processes and technologies, including AI and innovative recovery and recycling methods, to efficiently collect, sort, recover, and recycle strategic and critical raw materials from electrical and electronic equipment waste. These materials include rare earth elements, precious metals, and other valuable materials vital for green and digital transitions, as well as EU aerospace and defense. Proposals should also develop standards, technologies, and processes that ensure the quality, cost, and safety of recycled strategic and critical raw materials for the creation of an economically viable and sustainable waste market. This includes reducing the environmental footprint, supporting biodiversity preservation, and optimizing the efficiency and effectiveness of recovering multiple CRMs.

The call supports EU policies such as the European Green Deal, the EU Circular Economy Act, the Clean Industrial Deal, the Critical Raw Materials Act, the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Waste Directive, and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Synergies with Cluster 4, the European Partnership on Raw Materials, and ongoing Cluster 6 projects are encouraged.

The general conditions for this call include: Admissibility Conditions related to proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form; Eligible Countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries; Other Eligible Conditions as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes; Financial and operational capacity and exclusion as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes; Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes; Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual; Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes; and Legal and financial set-up of the grants, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme and Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Additional guidance and documents include the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, detailed budget table, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and various other documents related to legal entity validation, financial capacity assessment, and the Funding & Tenders Portal.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster research and innovation in the advanced recovery of critical raw materials from electronic waste. It seeks to improve recycling technologies, reduce Europe's dependence on imported materials, and promote a circular economy. The call encourages proposals that develop scalable processes, technologies, and standards for the efficient and sustainable recovery of valuable materials from WEEE, aligning with key EU policies and promoting synergies with related initiatives. The funding will be provided as a lump sum, and the application process involves a single stage with a deadline in September 2026.

Eligible Applicant Types: The raw content does not explicitly list eligible applicant types. However, given that it is part of the Horizon Europe program and includes Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), eligible applicants are likely to include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The mention of Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) suggests that non-profits and other support organizations could also be eligible.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically through HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA), and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The content does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, Horizon Europe projects typically favor consortia to bring together diverse expertise and resources. Partner search announcements are mentioned, suggesting that consortia are common and encouraged.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be EU member states and associated countries. The text mentions that "A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects," indicating that some third-country participation is possible.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: circular economy, cleantech, biotech/medtech, advanced materials, recycling technologies, critical raw materials recovery, waste management, electronic waste (WEEE) processing, green technologies, digital technologies, aerospace, and defense.

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to "EU member states" and "non-EU/non-Associated Countries." Therefore, the regions mentioned are the EU and non-EU associated countries.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the type of action:
Research and Innovation Actions (RIA): These projects typically focus on research, development, and validation stages.
Innovation Actions (IA): These projects focus on demonstration, piloting, commercialization, and scale-up stages.
Coordination and Support Actions (CSA): These projects focus on networking, coordination, and dissemination activities.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action. Based on the "Budget overview," the funding ranges are:
Under €50k: No explicit mentions
€50k–€200k: No explicit mentions
€200k–€1M: No explicit mentions
€1M–€5M: Many projects fall within this range, particularly the CIRCBIO and BIODIV actions, with "around" values specified.
Over €5M: Several projects, especially the CIRCBIO and ZEROPOLLUTION actions, have budgets in the €5M to €18M range.
Variable: Yes, the funding is variable depending on the action.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe funding opportunity focuses on advancing the recovery of critical raw materials from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). It aims to improve recycling technologies, enhance the recovery rates of strategic materials, and strengthen the waste market, thereby reducing Europe's dependence on imported raw materials and promoting a circular economy. The program supports various EU policies, including the European Green Deal and the Critical Raw Materials Act. The funding is provided through different types of actions: Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), each with varying funding amounts and project stages. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The geographic scope is primarily EU member states and associated countries, with some provisions for third-country participation. The application process involves a single-stage submission, and the funding is provided as a lump sum grant. The overall goal is to foster innovative and economically viable recycling processes that contribute to a sustainable and circular economy in Europe.