Bio-based chemicals and/or materials from woody residues

HORIZON-JU is a Horizon Europe Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking Innovation Action to demonstrate innovative technologies converting woody residues into higher-value bio-based chemicals and materials. The topic has an indicative budget of around €14 million, opens 23 April 2026 and closes in a single-stage call on 22 September 2026 at 17:00 CET, with proposals submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Projects must demonstrate conversion technologies at TRL 6 or above and validate products at TRL 5 or above, apply the Safe and Sustainable by Design framework and ecodesign principles for sustainable end-of-life (incineration excluded). Consortia must meet Horizon Europe eligibility rules and implement a multi-actor approach with close collaboration with local forest owners, managers or cooperatives and relevant supply-chain partners.

Call HORIZON-JU-CBE-2026-IA-03 (Innovation Action)

Quick summary

Funds demonstration and validation of innovative, scalable valorisation pathways to produce bio-based chemicals and/or materials from woody residues (e.g., bark, sawdust, harvesting/processing residues). Projects must address feedstock variability, upstream fractionation, conversion and separation, and apply eco-design and SSbD principles. Incineration of end-products is excluded. TRL requirements: demonstration TRL 6+, validation into end-products TRL 5+.

Who can apply:Consortia of organisations eligible under Horizon Europe (industry including SMEs, research organisations, universities, public bodies, NGOs). Proposals must include multi-actor engagement with local forest owners/managers or cooperatives and show complementarities with past/ongoing R&I projects Topic page ¹.

1. 1What it funds: Demonstration and validation of technology chains converting woody residues into bio-based chemicals/materials, plus supply-chain optimisation and EoL testing (no incineration).
2. 2Applicants: Horizon Europe eligible legal entities forming consortia; must engage local forest stakeholders and apply Safe and Sustainable by Design and Ecodesign principles.
3. 3TRL focus: Demonstration TRL 6 and above; product validation TRL 5 and above.

Prepare proposals following Horizon Europe rules on eligibility, page limits and evaluation; use the application form in the submission system and show financial/operational capacity. Submission is single-stage. For topic-specific requirements consult the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2026 ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1CBE JU reference documents and the 2026 Annual Work Programme are available at cbe.europa.eu and the topic page on the Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu.

Call and administrative details

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

Overall call budget and indicative topic contribution:Total budget across the CBE JU 2026 call package: €170,760,699. Indicative contribution for the topic 'Bio-based chemicals and/or materials from woody residues': around €14,000,000. The call-level budget breakdown and indicative amounts per topic are provided in the CBE JU call documents and Annual Work Programme.

Objective, expected outcomes and scope

Objective:Demonstrate and validate innovative, scalable valorisation pathways that convert woody residues from forestry and forest-industry operations into higher-value bio-based chemicals and/or materials, improving techno-economic feasibility and sustainability relative to current low-value or energy uses.

Expected outcomes:increased availability of bio-based chemicals/materials from woody residues; increased sustainability of forest-based value chains through cooperation with local forest owners/cooperatives; improved end-of-life (EoL) performance of bio-based products derived from woody residues.

Scope and required technical work:Proposals must demonstrate technologies at TRL 6 and above for conversion of woody residues (examples: bark, sawdust, residues from harvesting and processing) into bio-based chemicals/materials. Demonstration work should optimise combinations of upstream pretreatment/fractionation, conversion, and separation/purification to maximise yield, selectivity and productivity and address feedstock quality variability. Validation of the obtained chemicals/materials into end products must be performed at TRL 5 and above, assessing product performance against end-market technical requirements. Eco-design principles must be applied to ensure sustainable EoL in line with the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation; incineration as EoL is out of scope. Proposals must also optimise biomass supply chain models (sourcing, storage, transport) as relevant for the selected residues, and include application of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework for targeted chemicals/materials and derived products.

Policy alignment and complementarities:Proposals should contribute to the EU Forest Strategy for 2030, EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Carbon Removal Certification Framework Regulation, the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the forthcoming Circular Economy Act. Projects must ensure complementarities with past and ongoing R&I projects (Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe Cluster 6 and others, BBI JU/CBE JU projects). Reference documents required by applicants include the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2026 CBE JU reference documents. ¹

Applicant eligibility and who should apply

Eligible applicant types:The call follows Horizon Europe eligibility rules. Typical eligible participants include: SMEs, startups, mid-cap and large enterprises active in bio-based industries and processing; universities and higher education institutions; public research organisations and research institutes; technology centres and pilot/demonstration facilities; non-profit organisations and NGOs; public authorities and operators responsible for forest management; cooperatives and sector associations; and other legal entities able to participate under Horizon Europe rules. Individual natural persons are not eligible as project participants. Specific eligibility conditions and eligible countries are set out in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annex B) and related documents.

1. 1Applicant organisation types: SMEs and startups, large enterprises, universities, public and private research organisations, technology transfer organisations, demonstration/pilot facilities, non-profits, cooperatives, forest owners’ associations and public bodies involved in forestry.
2. 2Multi-actor requirement: The topic requires a multi-actor approach (MAA) with close collaboration with local forest owners and managers (including cooperatives/sector associations) and actors across the supply chain.

Financial and operational conditions

Funding type:EU grant delivered under Horizon Europe (direct grant). The specific action is an Innovation Action (IA) grant under the CBE JU. Legal and financial provisions, funding rates and eligible costs follow Horizon Europe rules and the CBE JU Annual Work Programme and associated General Annexes.

Co-funding requirement:The call text refers applicants to the Horizon Europe General Annexes for financial conditions. The exact co-financing proportions and eligible cost rules for Innovation Actions are governed by Horizon Europe and the Model Grant Agreement; applicants must consult Annex G and the HE Programme Guide for details. The topic text itself does not provide a specific percentage for co-funding in this scraped content and applicants must verify funding rates in the official General Annexes.

Legal, financial capacity and exclusion checks:Applicants are subject to the standard Horizon Europe checks on financial and operational capacity and exclusion grounds (see Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes and Rules for Legal Entity Validation and Financial Capacity Assessment).

Consortium and project structure

Consortium requirement:The topic imposes multi-actor collaboration obligations and requires involvement of local forest owners/managers and relevant supply chain actors; while the scraped content does not give a strict minimum number of participants for this specific topic, Innovation Actions normally expect consortia with complementary partners across TRL, technical, industrial and supply chain capabilities. Applicants must follow Horizon Europe eligibility rules for minimum consortium composition applicable to the type of action and country participation (Annex B).

• Suggested consortium composition: process technology developers (TRL 6+ demonstrators), biorefinery operators or pilot facilities, material/chemical formulators, end-user companies for product validation, local forest owner cooperatives or representative organisations, logistics/supply chain partners, LCA/SSbD assessment experts, regulatory and market experts.

Project maturity and technical readiness

Expected project stage:Demonstration at TRL 6 and above for conversion technologies; validation of chemicals/materials into end-products at TRL 5 and above. The topic requires scale-up demonstration, techno-economic feasibility assessment, product performance validation and EoL/ecodesign testing.

Geographic eligibility and mentioned countries

Beneficiary scope (geographic eligibility):Horizon Europe and CBE JU eligibility rules apply. The scraped content references eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and notes that some non-EU/non-associated countries may provide national co-funding arrangements. No individual Member States are explicitly singled out in the topic text; the region is the EU and associated countries as per Horizon Europe eligibility rules.

Evaluation, selection and procedures

Evaluation and award:Proposals are evaluated under Horizon Europe standard award criteria, scoring and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes follow Annex F and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual. Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is provided in Annex F.

Application type and stages:Single-stage open call (applicants submit full proposals in one submission). Number of selection stages: 1 (single-stage submission; evaluation and award follow standard review and possible request-for-modifications before grant signature).

Success rates:The scraped content does not provide historical or expected success rates for this topic. Applicants should consult CBE JU statistics or previous call results for typical success rates; this information is not included in the topic text provided here.

Technical and regulatory obligations to include in proposals

1. 1Demonstration at TRL 6+ of innovative, scalable conversion pathways for woody residues, covering pretreatment/fractionation, conversion, separation and purification.
2. 2Demonstrate flexibility to accommodate feedstock variability (different types and qualities of woody residues).
3. 3Validation of produced chemicals/materials into end-products at TRL 5+ and assessment against technical performance requirements for target applications.
4. 4Apply eco-design principles aligned with the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and test sustainable EoL (excluding incineration).
5. 5Include optimisation of biomass supply chain models (sourcing, storage, transport) for selected residues.
6. 6Apply the EU Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework to targeted chemicals/materials and derived products.
7. 7Ensure complementarities with earlier and ongoing R&I projects (Horizon 2020 / Horizon Europe, BBI JU / CBE JU projects) and document links to relevant projects.

Application templates and documents

Application form and templates:Use the application form available in the Submission System. Proposal page limits and layout follow Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System. Evaluation form templates (standard HE RIA/IA evaluation form) will be used with adaptations. Applicants must consult the CBE JU Call for Proposals 2026, CBE JU Annual Work Programme and the HE Programme Guide for full instructions.

Application form structure guidance (what to prepare):Prepare the following sections and supporting annexes: administrative forms and legal entity validation information; Part A details in the portal (participants, budget, ethics, call topic); Part B technical proposal including excellence (objectives, state of the art, innovation beyond state of the art), impact (expected outcomes, market uptake, exploitation and dissemination), implementation (work plan, work packages, milestones, deliverables, Gantt, risk management), consortium description and roles, resources and budget justification, sustainability and SSbD application, supply chain and stakeholder engagement plan (including local forest owners/cooperatives), description of demonstrators and TRL progression, and ethics and regulatory compliance. For IA-Flagship actions an additional business plan annex is required; for this IA topic the standard application form in the Submission System should be used.

Support, reference and guidance documents

Applicants must consult the following documents referenced in the topic text and call pages: CBE JU Annual Work Programme and Budget 2026; CBE JU Call for proposals 2026 and Call-specific instructions; Horizon Europe Main Work Programme 2026-2027 and General Annexes (including Annexes A, B, C, D, E, F, G); HE Programme Guide; Model Grant Agreement (HE MGA); EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509; Rules for Legal Entity Validation and Financial Capacity Assessment; Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual; Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) guidance; SSbD methodological guidance and related Commission Recommendation documentation. The CBE JU reference documents page contains call-related legal and procedural documents CBE JU reference documents.

What is not specified in the scraped topic text

The scraped content does not specify exact success rates, the exact minimum consortium size for this topic, nor the precise funding rate or co-funding percentage for this Innovation Action in this text extract. Applicants must consult the Horizon Europe General Annexes, the HE Programme Guide, the Model Grant Agreement and the CBE JU call documents for the precise financial rules, eligible costs, and country-specific eligibility provisions.

Practical recommendations for applicants (summary checklist)

1. 1Assemble a multi-actor consortium including technology demonstrators, end-users, and local forest owner organisations or cooperatives.
2. 2Design demonstration activities at TRL 6+ and product validation at TRL 5+ with clear milestones, deliverables and scale-up plan.
3. 3Document how feedstock variability will be addressed and how supply chain logistics will be optimised.
4. 4Include SSbD assessments and eco-design deliverables aligned with ESPR; explicitly state sustainable EoL pathways (excluding incineration).
5. 5Perform techno-economic and life-cycle assessments and show complementarities with past/ongoing projects.
6. 6Use the Submission System application form and follow the Part B page limits and layout rules in the General Annexes.

This topic form and related templates (application form, evaluation form templates, HE MGA and call-specific instructions) are available in the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System and the CBE JU call pages. Use the Portal to start submission and to access the Part A and Part B forms and supporting annex templates.

Footnotes

1. 1CBE JU reference documents and the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2026 are available at cbe.europa.eu

Funding Opportunity Overview

This is an Innovation Action (IA) call under the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), part of the Horizon Europe programme. The call aims to demonstrate innovative technologies for converting woody residues from forestry and forest industry operations into high-value bio-based chemicals and materials. The opportunity aligns with the EU Forest Strategy 2030, EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Carbon Removal Certification Framework Regulation, updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy, and the upcoming Circular Economy Act.

Call Identifier and Type:HORIZON-JU is classified as a HORIZON JU Innovation Action with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based model (HORIZON-AG).

Funding and Budget Details

Total Budget Allocation:Approximately €14 million is allocated to this specific topic within the overall CBE JU 2026 call budget of €170.7 million.

Indicative Number of Grants:The call structure suggests funding for multiple projects, though the exact number of grants is not specified in available documentation.

Call Timeline and Deadlines

Opening Date:23 April 2026

Submission Deadline:22 September 2026 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time). This is a single-stage submission process.

Pre-Call Activities:

• CBE JU Online Info Day: 12 March 2026
• Networking Event in Brussels: 21 April 2026

Scope and Technical Requirements

Proposals must address the valorisation of woody residues that are typically used for low-value applications or energy. The focus is on demonstrating techno-economic feasibility of innovative pathways that increase value while improving sustainability compared to current practices.

Eligible Feedstock:

Woody residues generated at forestry and/or industrial processing sites, including but not limited to bark, sawdust, and residues from wood harvesting and processing. Thin branches, leaves, and needles left on soil to maintain forest viability are excluded.

Technology Demonstration Requirements:

1. 1Demonstrate innovative technologies at TRL 6 and above to obtain bio-based chemicals and/or materials from woody residues
2. 2Cover optimal combination of innovative and scalable technologies maximizing yield, selectivity, and productivity across upstream pretreatment/fractionation, conversion into chemicals/materials, and separation/purification processes
3. 3Address flexibility to feedstock quality variability
4. 4Validate obtained chemicals/materials into end products at TRL 5 and above
5. 5Assess product performance and ensure fulfillment of technical requirements for end market applications
6. 6Apply eco-design principles in line with the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation to end-products and test at TRL 5 and above. Incineration is not in scope.

Specific Requirements for Applicants

Multi-Actor Approach (MAA):

Proposals must ensure close collaboration with local forest owners and managers, including cooperatives and/or sectorial associations as part of the consortium structure.

Biomass Supply Chain Optimization:

Projects must optimize biomass supply chain models, including sourcing, storage, and/or transport as relevant for selected woody residues.

Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) Framework:

Proposals must include a dedicated task to apply the SSbD framework, developed by the European Commission, for assessment of targeted chemicals/materials and derived bio-based products. The revised SSbD framework was updated in March 2026 to guide innovation towards chemicals and materials that are safer and more sustainable over their entire life cycles.

Complementarity and Synergies:

Proposals must ensure 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.

Expected Outcomes

• Increased availability of bio-based chemicals and/or bio-based materials from woody residues
• Increased sustainability of forest-based value chains in cooperation with local forestry owners and cooperatives
• Improved end-of-life management of bio-based products from woody residues

Eligibility Conditions

Consortium Composition:

Standard Horizon Europe eligibility conditions apply. Collaborative projects must be composed of at least three legal entities independent from each other, each established in a different country. Eligible countries include EU Member States and Associated Countries as defined in Horizon Europe regulations. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may participate if they have made specific provisions for funding availability in Horizon Europe projects.

Financial and Operational Capacity:

Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity to carry out the proposed project. Exclusion criteria as defined in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes apply.

Evaluation and Award Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated according to standard Horizon Europe evaluation criteria for Innovation Actions. Award criteria, scoring thresholds, and evaluation processes are described in Annex D and Annex F of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. The evaluation will assess excellence, implementation quality, and impact potential of proposed projects.

Application Process and Documentation

Submission System:

Proposals must be submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal electronic submission system. Applicants must select the submission type as HORIZON JU Innovation Actions (HORIZON-JU-IA) with HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based (HORIZON-AG) model. This choice cannot be changed after confirmation.

Required Documents:

• Application form (available in the submission system)
• Standard evaluation form for HE RIA/IA (used with necessary adaptations)
• Model Grant Agreement (HORIZON-AG)

Proposal Page Limits and Layout:

Page limits and layout requirements are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and in Part B of the Application Form available in the submission system.

Grant Agreement and Financial Setup

Successful projects will be awarded grants under the HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based model. The legal and financial setup of grants is described in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Grants follow Horizon Europe rules and the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.

Support and Guidance Resources

• Horizon Europe Programme Guide: comprehensive guidance on programme structure, budget, and political priorities
• Funding and Tenders Portal Online Manual: procedures from proposal submission to grant management
• Funding and Tenders Portal FAQ: answers to frequently asked questions
• National Contact Points (NCPs): guidance and practical assistance on Horizon Europe participation
• Enterprise Europe Network: support for businesses and SMEs
• IT Helpdesk: technical support for portal access and submission
• European IPR Helpdesk: intellectual property advice
• CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesk: standardisation guidance
• Partner Search function: assistance in finding consortium partners
• Proposal Pre-Check Service: professional pre-check offered by NCP_WIDERA.NET project for eligible countries

Contextual Information

This call is part of the CBE JU's 2026 Annual Work Programme, which includes 13 topics with a total budget of €170.7 million. The CBE JU is a public-private partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium, operating under Horizon Europe rules. The partnership builds on the success of its predecessor, the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU), while addressing current challenges in the bio-based industries sector. The 2026 work programme aligns with the European Commission's Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy and reflects priorities outlined in the CBE JU's Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for 2022-2030.

Footnotes

1. 1Complete topic descriptions and specific requirements are available in the CBE JU 2026 Annual Work Programme and Budget, available at CBE JU Reference Documents. Additional guidance on SSbD framework application is available at Safe and Sustainable by Design. Information on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation is available at ESPR Overview.