Advancing recycling technologies for mixed post-consumer textiles waste from blended products

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity, designated as HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-02, focuses on advancing recycling technologies for mixed post-consumer textiles waste derived from blended products. This call for proposals has a total budget of €11 million, targeting suitable projects aimed at improving the recycling of contaminated and complex textile waste. The call is set to open on April 17, 2026, and will close on September 17, 2026, with a funding mechanism that operates as a lump sum grant.

Eligible applicants include a diverse range of parties such as small and medium enterprises, large companies, research organizations, universities, and public institutions situated within EU member states or associated countries. Participants can apply individually or as part of a consortium, although collaborations typically enhance competitiveness due to the multifaceted expertise required for such projects.

The key aim of the grant is to foster innovative solutions for effectively collecting, sorting, disassembling, and recycling textile waste, especially from blended fibers like polycotton. Proposals must demonstrate the economic viability of these solutions and align with sustainable practices, emphasizing the removal of hazardous substances such as persistent chemicals.

Individual funding is projected to be in the range of €5 million to €6 million per project, with the expectation of supporting up to two successful grants. The application process is a single-stage submission, where complete proposals are evaluated based on criteria such as excellence, impact, and implementation quality.

The overarching goal is to transition European textile manufacturing and recycling towards more sustainable practices, addressing environmental concerns associated with textile waste, such as microplastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. This initiative aligns with broader EU strategies related to the circular economy, sustainability, and industry innovation. Successful projects should also utilize lifecycle assessment methods to validate their approaches and contribute positively towards the EU's Green Deal objectives.

Additional insights into eligibility criteria, application formats, and funding specifics can be found in the Horizon Europe Work Programme and related documents available on the EU’s funding and tenders portal.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call, specifically Call 01 single stage (2026) (HORIZON-CL6-2026-01), focusing on "Advancing recycling technologies for mixed post-consumer textiles waste from blended products" with topic ID HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-02. It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The deadline model is single-stage, with a planned opening date of April 17, 2026, and a deadline of September 17, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this call are: European textiles manufacturers having access to novel technologies for fibre-to-fibre recycling of post-consumer textile waste; local authorities and consumers benefiting from resource and cost-efficient waste management of post-consumer blended textiles; and European recyclers being equipped with properly characterised mixed post-consumer textile waste.

The scope of the topic is to improve the management of the end-of-life phase of textile products. Textiles are identified as the fourth highest-pressure category for primary raw material and water use, and fifth for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as a major source of microplastic pollution. They are also a key material and product stream in the circular economy action plan. The call seeks proposals that demonstrate and deploy innovative solutions for increased quality, non-toxicity, and durability of secondary textile materials and their processing and treatments.

Proposals should:

Address textile consumer products made of fibre blends (e.g., polycotton, or other blends of multiple materials in combination such as synthetic, semi-synthetic, and natural fibres).
Demonstrate and test novel and marketable solutions for post-consumer textile waste (apparel and home textiles) enabling effective end-of-life collection, sorting, and fibre-to-fibre recycling, possibly including biotech solutions.
Demonstrate and test innovative techniques for effectively disassembling complex products, separating multi-material layers and fibre blends, and removing non-textile components, coatings, or contaminants to facilitate efficient recycling processes.
Assess the recyclability limits of textiles by determining the number of recycling cycles a fibre can undergo. When further fibre-to-fibre recycling is no longer viable, alternative applications should be explored to extend the material's value. Solutions should address recycling of products made of natural fibres (e.g., cotton) and/or semi-synthetic fibres, i.e., modified natural fibres (e.g., viscose), blended with synthetic fibres, ensuring optimal resource efficiency and minimizing waste throughout the textile lifecycle.
Characterize post-consumer textile waste to define appropriate management practices, particularly if the technology is developed within an industrial and urban symbiosis.
Advance recycling technologies that remove persistent chemicals (e.g., PFAS) from post-consumer textile waste which may harm human health and the environment, and that minimize the release of hazardous chemicals and microplastics during the recycling process.

A lifecycle perspective using LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and LCC (Life Cycle Costing) should be used when validating the technical and economic feasibility of the developed, improved, demonstrated, and up-scaled processes. For comparability, LCAs should use well-established methods and be based on PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) wherever feasible. Proposals should fully incorporate the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach.

Proposals are expected to contribute to the objectives of the Textiles of the Future partnership and to build on/coordinate with EU projects funded under the partnership and previous textile-related Horizon Europe calls. Clustering with other relevant Horizon Europe projects is encouraged.

The topic supports the European Green Deal, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and its working plan, the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, the Waste Framework Directive, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the upcoming Circular Economy Act, and contributes to Europe’s efforts to develop a single market for sustainable products. It also contributes to the Start-ups and Scale-ups strategy.

Regarding the conditions and documents for this call, the following general conditions apply:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
Eligible Countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may apply to non-EU/non-Associated Countries, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Other Eligible Conditions are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. Further details are in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information:

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA).
Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).
Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA.
Call-specific instructions and a detailed budget table (HE LS) are provided, along with guidance on "Lump sums - what do I need to know?".

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview for the call indicates that there are multiple topics, each with its own budget and indicative number of grants. The HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-02 topic has a budget of 11,000,000 EUR for the year 2026, with contributions ranging from 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 EUR, and an indicative number of 2 grants.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the Portal. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

For support, applicants are encouraged to read the provisions carefully, consult the Online Manual and Horizon Europe Programme Guide, check the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, use the Research Enquiry Service, contact National Contact Points (NCPs) or the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), and use the IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment should also be consulted. Partner Search tools are available to find partner organizations.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster innovation in textile recycling, specifically targeting blended textile waste. It seeks projects that can demonstrate effective and sustainable solutions for collecting, sorting, disassembling, and recycling these complex materials, while also addressing the removal of hazardous substances and minimizing environmental impacts. The call encourages collaboration, coordination with existing initiatives, and alignment with EU Green Deal objectives. Funding will be provided as a lump sum, and applicants should carefully review all guidelines and seek support from available resources. The overall goal is to equip European textile manufacturers and recyclers with the technologies and knowledge needed to create a circular and sustainable textile industry.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of Horizon Europe calls, eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations involved in research and innovation activities. The mention of "Start-ups and Scale-ups strategy" suggests that startups and scale-ups are also encouraged to apply.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a "HORIZON Lump Sum Grant" as indicated by the type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) listed as "HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]". The actions are HORIZON Innovation Actions and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, the encouragement of "clustering with other relevant Horizon Europe projects" and the partner search tool suggests that collaborative projects, potentially involving a consortium, are favored.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be focused on EU member states and associated countries, as indicated by the reference to "non-EU/non-Associated Countries" having specific funding provisions. The Horizon Europe Programme Guide provides further details on eligible countries.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is the circular bioeconomy, specifically focusing on "Advancing recycling technologies for mixed post-consumer textiles waste from blended products". This includes aspects of waste management, textile manufacturing, recycling technologies, and sustainable materials processing. The call also aligns with broader themes of biodiversity and zero pollution.

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions "non-EU/non-Associated Countries," indicating a focus on the European Union and its associated countries. No specific countries are named, but the eligibility extends to countries that have made specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Project Stage: The project stage targets both research and innovation actions, as well as innovation actions. This suggests a focus on projects ranging from development and demonstration to validation and up-scaling of technologies. The emphasis on "demonstrate and deploy innovative solutions" indicates a preference for projects that are at least at the demonstration stage, if not closer to commercialization.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview lists various topics (HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-XX, HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-XX, HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-XX) with budgets ranging from €3,000,000 to €18,000,000. The indicative grant amounts for individual projects range from around €3,000,000 to around €10,000,000, with some Innovation Actions having budgets between €5,000,000 and €6,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is an "open call" with a "single-stage" submission process. This means applicants submit a full proposal by the specified deadline.

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

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage, meaning applicants submit a complete proposal for evaluation.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

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

Summary:

This opportunity is a Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-CL6-2026-01) focused on advancing recycling technologies for mixed post-consumer textile waste from blended products (HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-02). It aims to improve the end-of-life management of textile products by supporting projects that demonstrate and deploy innovative solutions for increased quality, non-toxicity, and durability of secondary textile materials. The call is open to a variety of applicants, including textile manufacturers, local authorities, recyclers, research institutions, SMEs, and startups from EU member states and associated countries, as well as non-EU countries with specific funding provisions.

The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with project budgets ranging from approximately 3 million to 18 million EUR depending on the specific topic, and individual grants ranging from around 3 million to 10 million EUR. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of September 17, 2026.

Projects should address textile consumer products made of fibre blends, demonstrate novel solutions for textile waste collection, sorting, and recycling, and assess the recyclability limits of textiles. They should also characterize post-consumer textile waste and advance recycling technologies that remove persistent chemicals and minimize the release of hazardous substances. A lifecycle perspective, incorporating LCA and LCC, is required to validate the technical and economic feasibility of the proposed processes, and the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach should be fully integrated.

The call supports the objectives of the Textiles of the Future partnership and aligns with the European Green Deal, the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, and other relevant EU policies and regulations. Overall, this call seeks to foster innovation and collaboration in the textile recycling sector, promoting a more circular and sustainable economy in Europe.