Bioeconomy policy support hub for Member States, regions and sectors

The Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-06 seeks to establish a European Bioeconomy Policy Support Hub aimed at promoting bioeconomy strategies across EU Member States and regions. This opportunity is classified under Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and will provide a lump sum grant of €3,000,000. The call opens on April 17, 2026, with a submission deadline set for September 17, 2026.

The initiative's primary goals include enhancing bioeconomy policy development, coordinating action plans across governmental and societal sectors, and fostering awareness of bioeconomy potential. It is expected that most Member States will establish bioeconomy as a key policy area.

Eligible applicants must form a consortium, likely including universities, research institutes, and other organizations with expertise in bioeconomy policy. The Joint Research Centre's participation is encouraged, whether as a beneficiary or associated partner. While the call does not explicitly require co-funding, partnerships with various stakeholders, including initiatives like the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking and BIOEAST, are emphasized to enhance project impact.

The hub will focus on a broad range of activities such as developing tools for policy assessment, providing tailored guidance for regions with varying levels of bioeconomy maturity, and facilitating policy dialogues to advance skills among policymakers. The initiative aims to create a structural dialogue with European Commission services, ensuring alignment with larger EU objectives.

The application process involves a single-stage submission, meaning that complete proposals must be submitted by the deadline to be evaluated. Given the ambitious scope and the limited number of grants available, the competition is expected to be intense, with a success rate projected below 10%.

The call targets the bioeconomy sector with a specific focus on areas such as agricultural and forestry bioeconomy, bio-based materials, and cross-sector applications. The overarching objective is to support the transition towards a sustainable economic model informed by innovative policy and collaborative efforts across the EU.

All proposals must adhere to the conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme, including specifics on eligibility, evaluation criteria, and funding management mechanisms. This funding opportunity symbolizes a strategic investment in Europe's transformation to a circular and sustainable economy through coordinated policy action and collaboration among diverse stakeholders.

This is a summary of several Horizon Europe (HORIZON) funding opportunities under the call HORIZON-CL6-2026-01, focusing on Biodiversity, Circular Bioeconomy, and Zero Pollution. These opportunities are a single-stage process with a planned opening date of April 17, 2026, and a deadline of September 17, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant.

The topics covered include:

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-01: Biodiversity research and innovation actions with a budget of 13,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 6,500,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-02: Biodiversity research and innovation actions with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 5,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-03: Biodiversity research and innovation actions with a budget of 18,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 9,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-04: Biodiversity research and innovation actions with a budget of 13,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 6,500,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-05: Biodiversity research and innovation actions with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 5,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-06: Biodiversity research and innovation actions with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01: Circular Bioeconomy innovation actions with a budget of 11,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-02: Circular Bioeconomy innovation actions with a budget of 11,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-03: Circular Bioeconomy research and innovation actions with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 5,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-04: Circular Bioeconomy innovation actions with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 5,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-05: Circular Bioeconomy research and innovation actions with a budget of 6,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 3,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-06: Circular Bioeconomy coordination and support actions with a budget of 3,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant. Contributions are around 3,000,000 EUR. This topic aims to establish a European Bioeconomy Policy Support Hub to provide innovative approaches, hands-on support, learning, and advice to Member States and regions on plans, roadmaps, policies, and collaborations to deploy their bioeconomies. It also seeks to provide innovative tools to assess the development and implementation of bioeconomy policies and strategies, provide relevant support and recommendations, offer an overview of the uptake of new bioeconomy solutions, and ensure structural dialogue with European Commission services.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-07: Circular Bioeconomy research and innovation actions with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 3 grants. Contributions are around 4,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-08: Circular Bioeconomy research and innovation actions with a budget of 8,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 4,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-09: Circular Bioeconomy research and innovation actions with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-10: Circular Bioeconomy research and innovation actions with a budget of 8,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 4,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-11: Circular Bioeconomy research and innovation actions with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 5,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01: Zero Pollution research and innovation actions with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant. Contributions are around 10,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-02: Zero Pollution innovation actions with a budget of 11,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03: Zero Pollution research and innovation actions with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants. Contributions are around 6,000,000 EUR.

The expected outcomes of the Bioeconomy Policy Support Hub include: most Member States and regions having established the bioeconomy as an important policy field with effective policies and strategies; coordinated policies and action plans across government and the quadruple helix; and all actors being aware of the bioeconomy's potential and challenges.

Proposals for the Bioeconomy Policy Support Hub should establish the hub, provide innovative tools to assess bioeconomy policies, provide support and recommendations, offer an overview of new bioeconomy solutions, and provide innovative approaches to deploy bioeconomies. This includes informing political leadership, facilitating policy dialogue, mapping bioeconomy potential, advancing skills of policymakers, setting up local bioeconomy councils, facilitating collaborations, monitoring the bioeconomy, ensuring generic and tailored support, maximizing geographical spread, enabling structural dialogue with European Commission services, collaborating with relevant initiatives, and collaborating with relevant Horizon Europe projects.

General conditions for all topics include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries (described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries), and other eligible conditions, such as the Joint Research Centre's potential participation. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are detailed in Annexes D and F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Legal and financial aspects of the grants are governed by lump sum contributions as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Applicants should use the standard application form (HE CSA) and evaluation form templates. Guidance is available in the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, and call-specific instructions. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and various rules and agreements related to legal entity validation, financial capacity assessment, and grant management.

This funding opportunity is about supporting research and innovation in biodiversity, circular bioeconomy, and zero pollution across Europe. It aims to foster sustainable practices, develop effective policies, and promote collaboration among various stakeholders to address environmental challenges and enhance the bioeconomy. The Bioeconomy Policy Support Hub specifically targets the establishment of a network to aid Member States and regions in developing and implementing bioeconomy strategies. The overall goal is to drive transformative change towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but the call is open to a consortium of multiple applicants. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium. Based on the Horizon Europe program, eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. Other types of actions mentioned in the budget overview include HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The call specifies the establishment of a European Bioeconomy Policy Support Hub, implying the need for a collaborative effort.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, Associated Countries, and EEA Member States. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the bioeconomy sector, including areas such as food, textiles, chemicals, energy, agriculture, and forestry. It also focuses on policy development, implementation, and coordination within the bioeconomy. Other target sectors include circular economy, biomass, and biological resources.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU countries, Associated Countries, and EEA Member States. It also refers to non-EU and non-associated third countries. The BIOEAST initiative is mentioned, which involves Central and Eastern European countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is focused on policy support, coordination, and assessment. This suggests a focus on development, implementation, and monitoring of bioeconomy policies rather than early-stage research or late-stage commercialization.

Funding Amount: The funding amount for the HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-06 topic is €3,000,000. Other topics listed in the budget overview have varying funding amounts, ranging from €3,000,000 to €18,000,000.

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. The opportunity also involves non-monetary services such as hands-on support, learning, and advice.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned. However, the indicative number of grants for the HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-06 topic is 1. The budget overview lists the indicative number of grants for other topics, ranging from 1 to 3.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, Horizon Europe grants often require some level of co-funding, which would be detailed in the specific call documents.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, specifically topic HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-06, aims to establish a European Bioeconomy Policy Support Hub. This hub will provide support, innovative tools, and advice to EU Member States and regions to develop and implement effective bioeconomy policies and strategies. The call encourages proposals that establish platforms for dialogue, experimentation, and coordination across government, sectors, research, and society. The goal is to mainstream the bioeconomy concept and its solutions across various sectors, including food, textiles, chemicals, energy, agriculture, and forestry. Eligible applicants should form a consortium and can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other relevant organizations. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate as a member of the consortium. The funding for this specific topic is €3,000,000, provided as a lump sum grant. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of September 17, 2026. The opportunity targets the bioeconomy sector and focuses on policy development, implementation, and coordination within EU Member States, Associated Countries, and EEA Member States. The project stage is focused on policy support and implementation rather than early-stage research or commercialization.