C4B Open Call for Pilot Projects

C4B Open Call for Pilot Projects offers lump-sum grants up to €60,000 per project with a total budget of €480,000 to fund up to eight pilot projects for up to 12 months (start January 2027, end by December 2027). Eligible applicants are legal entities established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries (single applicants or consortia of up to three partners), excluding C4B Consortium partners. Each pilot must tailor one of the nine C4B bio-based business models to a concrete forestry, agri-food or peatland business case and assess feasibility using at least two dimensions such as technological, governance, economic/market, environmental or social benefits. Applications must be submitted via the EU Survey portal with Application Form Part B PDF by 14 August 2026 17:00 CET and proposals are evaluated by three independent experts on excellence, impact and scalability.

What it funds

Pilot projects demonstrating bio-based business models

Grants for pilot projects that demonstrate the feasibility, applicability, scalability and replicability of C4B bio-based business models in real business cases within forestry, agri-food or peatland value chains. Projects must tailor a C4B business model to a specific case and assess feasibility using at least two types of analysis (technological, governance, economic/market, environmental/social benefits, or contribution to soil/carbon/food security).

Total available and award format:Overall budget indicated €480000; eight projects will be selected. Selected projects start January 2027 and run up to 12 months (no later than December 2027) ¹.

1. 1Who can apply: any legal entity (SME, start-up, spin-off, research organisation, primary producer groups, etc.) established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.
2. 2Applicants: single applicant or consortia up to 3 partners. C4B Consortium partners are not eligible.
3. 3Target beneficiaries: primary producers, agri/forestry industry, biorefineries, SMEs and value-chain stakeholders, innovation and research actors.

Application process:download call documents from the C4B Open Call webpage, prepare Application Form Part B (PDF), and submit via the EU survey online form. Evaluation: eligibility check and review by three independent experts against criteria including technical excellence, impact and scalability. Full instructions and templates are on the call page C4B Open Call page ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call text, templates and submission link are published on the C4B Open Call webpage and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Basic Facts and Administrative Details

Opportunity Title:C4B Open Call for Pilot Projects. Call Identifier: HORIZON-CL6. Project acronym: C4B (Circular Bio-Based Business models to create high-value Bio-based products in integrated value chains). Programme Period: Horizon Europe (2021-2027). Grant Agreement number referenced: 101135323. Budget for the open call: €480,000. Number of projects to be funded under this call: 8. Project duration for successful pilot projects: up to 12 months (projects launched January 2027 and ending no later than December 2027). Application deadline: 14 August 2026, 17:00:00 UTC. Deadline model: single-stage.

Scope, Objectives and Required Activities

Main objective:provide financial support (funding to third parties FSTP) to demonstrate applicability, scalability and replicability of the generalised C4B bio-based business models in concrete business settings and different geographical areas, and to stimulate uptake of these new business models. Eligible pilots must address the valorisation of by-products within one or more of the C4B target value chains: forestry, agri-food, peatlands. Pilots must select one of the nine C4B business models and demonstrate applicability, scalability and replicability through a concrete business case.

Mandatory activities for each Pilot Project:1) Tailor a C4B business model to a specific business case, for example developing a specific business case and governance structure based on business models developed in the C4B project. 2) Assess feasibility of the business model, including at least two of the following: technological feasibility; governance structure and fairness; economic feasibility and market research; environmental, economic and social benefits; contribution to restoring soil carbon content, increasing nutrients, revitalising marginal lands or ensuring food security (if applicable).

Who Can Apply and Eligibility

Any legal entity established in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories) or in a Horizon Europe Associated Country may participate. Examples explicitly listed include SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs, research organisations, primary producers (groups of farmers, foresters), agricultural and forestry industry and biorefineries, value chain stakeholders, innovation and research actors and others. Partners already belonging to the C4B Consortium are explicitly ineligible.

Applicant configurations allowed:Single applicant (mono-beneficiary) or consortia of up to 3 partners. The application system treats submissions as single-stage; only one proposal per organisation is allowed. The open call explicitly permits single applicants or consortia with a maximum of three partners.

Funding and Financial Modalities

Funding type:grant via financial support to third parties (FSTP). The total available budget for the open call is €480,000 to fund 8 pilot projects; the call documentation should be consulted for the exact individual award amounts per selected project (not explicitly broken down in the scraped content). Applicants must confirm that proposed activities are not receiving other EU funding (no double funding).

Application Process and Required Documents

Application route:online submission through the C4B EUSurvey application portal (link: ec.europa.eu). Applicants must: 1) Visit the C4B Open Call webpage to download the Open Call document and supporting materials; 2) Download and complete Application Form Part B (Technical Description) using the official PDF template; 3) Fill in the online Part A administrative form in the EUSurvey portal; 4) Upload the Part B PDF to the online form and submit before the deadline; 5) Use the Save as Draft feature if needed and avoid multiple submissions (one proposal per organisation only).

Application form structure and templates:Required files and inputs: Application Form Part A (online administrative data collected in EUSurvey); Application Form Part B Technical Description submitted as a PDF named as C4B_ACRONYM_PartB.pdf. The Open Call document contains eligibility, evaluation and award criteria, and must be read carefully before submission. The online portal provides guidance fields including primary sector selection (values 1-12 allowed), lead applicant information, declarations on establishment in eligible country, financial and operational capacity, exclusivity/no double funding declarations, and contact details. The call provides a FAQ and a contact email for clarifications: c4bopencall@apre.it.

Evaluation and Selection

Evaluation method:single-stage competitive open call. Each eligible proposal undergoes an eligibility check (administrative compliance) and is then evaluated by a panel of three independent experts. Evaluation criteria are defined and proposals are scored and ranked. Applicants receive a detailed Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) with the final score and comments.

1. 1Award criteria and evaluation aspects indicated in call materials: Concept Description, Technical Excellence, Impact, Scalability.
2. 2Scoring: each eligible proposal evaluated by 3 independent experts; final score determined through scoring and consensus.
3. 3Number of evaluators: 3 independent experts per proposal.

Categorisation and Structured Answers

Eligible Applicant Types:Legal entities established in EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Explicit examples: SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs, research organisations, primary producer groups (farmers, foresters), agricultural and forestry industry players, biorefineries, value chain stakeholders, innovation and research actors, and other legal entities. Individual natural persons are not indicated as eligible. Partners of the C4B Consortium are ineligible.

Funding Type:Grant via Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) under the C4B project. Direct monetary awards to selected pilot projects.

Consortium Requirement:Either single applicant (mono-beneficiary) or consortia up to 3 partners; therefore a consortium is optional but allowed with a maximum of three entities.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Eligible applicants must be established in EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. There is no indication that entities from non-associated third countries are eligible.

Target Sector:Primary sectors targeted are bioeconomy value chains focused on valorisation of by-products within forestry, agri-food, and peatlands. Target audience and stakeholders include primary producers, agricultural and forestry industries, biorefineries, SMEs and bio-based industry actors, value chain stakeholders, innovation and research actors.

Mentioned Countries:EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. No specific individual countries are listed in the scraped content; the eligibility is regional as stated above.

Project Stage:Demonstration / validation stage: pilot projects must demonstrate real-case feasibility, applicability, scalability and replicability of selected C4B business models in concrete business cases. Projects are expected to include feasibility assessments (technological, governance, economic/market, environmental/social impacts) and thus operate at demonstration/validation level, potentially pulling towards early-stage commercialisation depending on the business case.

Funding Amount:Total call budget: €480,000 to fund 8 pilot projects. The scraped content does not specify per-project grant amounts; applicants should consult the Open Call document on the C4B website for exact per-project funding rules and maximum award per selected pilot. The likely average award based on total budget and number of projects is approximately €60,000 per project, but applicants must verify official documentation for exact figures and eligible cost categories.

Application Type:Open call, single-stage, competitive. Submission is via an online open call (EUSurvey) and is not by invitation-only. The portal allows saving drafts and editing after submission using a unique contribution ID before the deadline as described in the online form guidance.

Nature of Support:Monetary support in the form of grants (FSTP). In addition to monetary awards, successful pilots may receive non-financial support and visibility via the C4B project ecosystem and materials (not explicitly quantified in scraped text).

Application Stages:Single-stage submission with the following internal processing steps: 1) eligibility check; 2) expert evaluation by 3 independent experts; 3) scoring, consensus and ranking; 4) award decision and communication including Evaluation Summary Report. From the applicant perspective the process is single-stage (1).

Success Rates:Not explicitly stated in the available content. Based on 8 projects to be funded and unknown number of applicants, success rate cannot be precisely determined from the scraped information. Applicants should assume competitive selection and consult the project coordinators or past calls for indicative selection rates.

Co-funding Requirement:The scraped content does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement. Applicants must refer to the Open Call document for rules on eligible costs, funding rates, possible co-funding obligations and financial capacity declarations. The online form requires applicants to declare that they have the financial and operational capacity to carry out proposed activities.

Evaluation Criteria and Proposal Content Guidance

Award criteria listed in the call materials (as scraped) include:Concept Description, Technical Excellence, Impact, and Scalability. Proposals must address mandatory activities (tailoring a C4B business model, and feasibility assessment covering at least two dimensions listed in the call). The technical description (Part B) is required as a PDF using the official template and should detail: chosen C4B business model, description of business case, governance proposals, technical feasibility evidence, market analysis/economic feasibility, environmental/social benefit assessment and plans for demonstrating scalability and replicability across contexts.

1. 1Essential proposal sections to include in Part B: executive summary; chosen C4B business model and rationale; detailed business case and actors involved; governance and fairness assessment; technical feasibility plan; market and economic feasibility evidence; environmental, social and economic benefits assessment; scalability and replicability plan; timeline and milestones for up to 12 months; detailed budget and justification; risk assessment and mitigation.

Applicants should consult the Open Call document for the precise template and required annexes, follow naming conventions (C4B_ACRONYM_PartB.pdf) and ensure compliance with declarations in Part A (administrative form).

Useful Links and Contacts

C4B Open Call webpage for all documents, FAQ and supporting materials:C4B Open Call page. Online application portal (EUSurvey): C4B EUSurvey application. Contact for information/clarifications: c4bopencall@apre.it.

Final Summary — What is this Opportunity About?

The C4B Open Call for Pilot Projects provides targeted grant funding to legal entities established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries to implement up to 12-month pilot demonstrations that tailor one of the nine C4B bio-based business models to a concrete business case in the forestry, agri-food or peatlands value chains. Eight projects will be selected from a single-stage open competition. Each pilot must adapt a C4B model to a real-life governance and business scenario and assess feasibility across at least two dimensions (technological, governance/fairness, economic/market, environmental/social benefits, or contribution to soil carbon/nutrients/marginal lands/food security where applicable). Applications are submitted via an online EUSurvey portal and require completion of an online Part A administrative form and upload of a technical Part B PDF using the provided template. Evaluation is performed by three independent experts against criteria of concept, technical excellence, impact and scalability. The total available budget is €480,000, to be distributed across the eight selected pilots. Prospective applicants should read the Open Call document and templates carefully, ensure they meet eligibility rules (excluding C4B Consortium partners), prepare a convincing demonstration plan focused on applicability, scalability and replicability, and submit by the 14 August 2026 deadline.

This summary is based on scraped call materials and the official online application portal. Applicants must consult the official C4B Open Call documentation and contact the call helpdesk for any clarifications and for exact details on per-project funding amounts, eligible cost categories and co-funding rules.

For additional clarifications and to access the official call documentation and templates, use the links and contact provided above. A detailed Evaluation Summary Report will be made available to applicants after the evaluation of proposals ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1The call documentation indicates that each applicant will receive a detailed Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) including final score and reviewers' comments. Refer to the C4B Open Call page for the official Open Call document and the Application Form template.

Key Funding Details

The C4B Open Call provides up to €60,000 per project as a lump sum with a 100% funding rate to validate circular bio-based business models in real business settings ¹.

Total Budget:The total available budget is €480,000, supporting up to 8 selected projects ².

Duration:Projects run for up to 12 months, starting in January 2027 and ending no later than December 2027 ³.

Payment Structure:Payments are distributed as 45% pre-financing, 35% interim payment, and 20% final payment upon report approval ¹.

Who Can Apply

Any legal entity established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country can apply, including SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs, research organisations, and primary producers like farmers and foresters ⁴.

1. 1Single applicants (mono-beneficiary) are eligible
2. 2Consortia of up to 3 partners are allowed
3. 3Partners of the C4B Consortium are explicitly excluded from applying
4. 4Target audience includes rural primary producers, agri-food/forestry industry, biorefineries, and innovation actors

Project Scope & Mandatory Activities

Applicants must propose a Pilot Project demonstrating the feasibility of one of the nine C4B bio-based business models in a concrete business case within forestry, agri-food, or peatland value chains ⁵.

Mandatory Activity 1:Tailor a C4B business model to a specific business case, including developing governance structures based on C4B project models ⁶.

Mandatory Activity 2:Assess feasibility by selecting at least two of the following: technological feasibility, governance fairness, economic feasibility/market research, environmental/social benefits, or contribution to soil carbon restoration and food security ⁶.

Application & Evaluation Process

Applications must be submitted via the EU Survey platform by 14 August 2026 at 17:00 CET, including a completed Application Form Part B in PDF format ⁷.

1. 1Download the Open Call document and Part B template from the C4B website
2. 2Fill in the online form and upload the Part B PDF
3. 3Proposals are evaluated by 3 independent experts based on Concept Description, Technical Excellence, Impact, and Scalability
4. 4Eligibility checks are performed first, followed by expert evaluation and consensus scoring
5. 5Applicants receive an Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) with their final score

Important Considerations

Projects should ideally start from TRL 4–5 and must not be theoretical; they must demonstrate applicability, scalability, and replicability in real regional contexts ¹.

Only one proposal per applicant is allowed; multiple submissions will lead to rejection of all involved proposals ⁷.

Activities must not be funded by any other EU grant, and applicants must confirm financial and operational capacity to carry out the project ⁷.

Footnotes

1. 1Cascade Funding Hub: C4B Open Call details including funding rate, budget, and payment structure Cascade Funding Hub
2. 2C4B Project Website: Total budget and number of selected projects C4B Website
3. 3EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Project start date and implementation timeframe EU Portal
4. 4EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Eligible entities and target audience EU Portal
5. 5Development Aid: Scope of the open call and target value chains Development Aid
6. 6C4B Project Website: Mandatory activities and assessment criteria C4B Website
7. 7C4B Submission Portal: Application procedure, deadlines, and exclusivity rules C4B Portal