Capacity building for extending product lifecycles through repair and refurbishment

Overview

HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-04 is a Horizon Europe call focused on capacity building for extending product lifecycles through repair and refurbishment. This initiative is designed to promote sustainable consumption and production practices, particularly concerning products such as electronics, furniture, textiles, and footwear.

Key details include the call's identifier, which is HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-04, with planned openings from April 20, 2027, to September 22, 2027. The funding type is a lump sum grant within the Research and Innovation Actions category, and two grants are expected to be awarded, with each project receiving between €4 million and €5 million, totaling a budget of €9 million. The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process, meaning applicants must submit complete proposals by the deadline without prior invitation.

Eligible applicants are expected to include a diverse range of entities such as research organizations, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large companies, non-profit organizations, and public authorities that can participate alone or in consortia. The geographical scope encompasses EU member states and associated countries, permitting participation from established organizations in these regions.

Proposals are expected to develop innovative training programs and service models aimed at facilitating repair and refurbishment practices. This includes creating engaging and accessible learning experiences and evaluating these programs' effectiveness and impacts through lifecycle assessments. The overall goal is to reduce waste, minimize environmental impacts, create job opportunities, and foster a circular economy.

The nature of support is purely financial, provided through lump sum grants without requiring matching contributions. The success rates for this funding opportunity are not specified, but historically, success rates for similar Horizon Europe calls can vary widely between 10% to 39%.

The call is in alignment with EU policies such as the European Green Deal and the upcoming Circular Economy Act, necessitating contributions from Social Sciences and Humanities disciplines to enhance societal impacts. The focus is on building capacity and equipping diverse stakeholders with knowledge and skills to support circular economy transitions effectively.

Proposals are encouraged to leverage findings and evidence to demonstrate the economic, environmental, and social benefits of solutions developed through these initiatives, ensuring a broad range of stakeholders are engaged in extending product lifecycles through repair and innovative refurbishment practices.

Detail

This is a Horizon Europe call focusing on capacity building for extending product lifecycles through repair and refurbishment, specifically under the topic HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-04. It falls under Call 01 - single stage (2027) (HORIZON-CL6-2027-01) of the Horizon Europe Programme. The type of action is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement. The deadline model is single-stage, with a planned opening date of 20 April 2027 and a deadline of 22 September 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this call are that professionals, consumers, and educators will adopt innovative repair and refurbishment practices in specific product value chains (electronics, furniture, textiles, and footwear). This will enable significant reductions in waste, environmental impacts, and biodiversity loss, while also driving cost savings and job creation in the repair and refurbishment sector. Furthermore, professionals, consumers, local partners, social economy actors, and educators should have access to high-quality training programs that provide them with the technical, business, and social skills needed to repair and refurbish products, promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns, climate change adaptation and mitigation, reduction of waste and emissions, and enhanced resilience of product value chains.

The scope of the call involves addressing the growing need for innovative capacity-building initiatives that equip various stakeholders with the skills and knowledge required to repair and refurbish products, contributing to the extension of product lifecycles, reducing environmental and climate impacts, and developing a single market for sustainable products.

Proposals should:
Develop and test innovative, modular, and scalable training programs for professionals, consumers, local partners, social economy actors, and educators, focusing on the repair and refurbishment of electronics (including household appliances), furniture, textiles, and footwear. These training programs should create engaging, accessible, and effective learning experiences that support the development of repair and refurbishment skills.
Develop and test new services for repair and refurbishment, as well as strategies for their uptake, considering the potential to reduce biodiversity impacts, support climate change adaptation and mitigation, and promote sustainable consumption patterns. The focus should be on making them accessible and affordable to all consumers, including those with disabilities or with limited access, financial resources, or technical expertise. Strategies should investigate affordable, accessible, and convenient repair services, community-based repair initiatives, knowledge and expertise sharing mechanisms, and digital platforms.
Evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and impact of these new services and strategies using robust evaluation methods (including lifecycle assessments such as Product Environmental Footprint, where relevant) and present data and evidence about the economic, environmental, and social costs and benefits of the developed strategies.

The topic supports EU policies, particularly the European Green Deal, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, the upcoming Circular Economy Act, and Europe’s efforts to develop a single market for sustainable products. The call requires the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts and institutions to enhance the societal impact of the related research activities.

The general conditions include:
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: Described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Other Eligible Conditions: Described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: Described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award: 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. This is further described 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 the Model Grant Agreement (MGA) are available in the Submission System. The standard application form (HE RIA, IA) and evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) will be used with necessary adaptations. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, detailed budget table (HE LS), and the guidance document "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 indicates that the HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-04 topic has a budget of 9,000,000 EUR for the year 2027. It is a single-stage call with an opening date of 20 April 2027 and a deadline of 22 September 2027. The expected contribution per project is between 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 EUR, and it is expected that two grants will be awarded.

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 on the topic header.

For support, applicants are encouraged to read the Online Manual, the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ. They can also contact the Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), the Enterprise Europe Network, the IT Helpdesk, the European IPR Helpdesk, and the CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment are also relevant resources. Partner Search tools are available to help find partner organizations for proposals.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster capacity building for repair and refurbishment to extend product lifecycles, reduce waste, and promote a circular economy. It seeks proposals that develop and test innovative training programs and services, evaluate their impact, and contribute to EU policies on sustainable consumption and production. The call encourages the involvement of SSH disciplines and offers a lump sum grant with a single-stage submission process. Applicants are advised to consult the provided resources and seek support from relevant networks and helpdesks.

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Breakdown

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that it is a Horizon Europe call, eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, non-profit organizations, and other legal entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The mention of "professionals, consumers, local partners, social economy actors and educators" suggests that these groups could be involved in projects, potentially as part of a consortium.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a "HORIZON Lump Sum Grant" under the Horizon Europe Programme. The actions are specified as "HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions" (HORIZON-RIA) and "HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions" (HORIZON-CSA) and "HORIZON Innovation Actions" (HORIZON-IA).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the nature of the projects, particularly those involving training programs and testing new services, suggests that a consortium of multiple applicants is likely preferred, if not required. The partner search announcements further indicate the possibility of forming consortia.

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 Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. However, the mention of "non-EU/non-Associated Countries" with specific funding provisions suggests that some third-country participation is possible, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: circular economy, waste reduction, sustainable consumption, education and training, electronics, furniture, textiles, footwear, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and biodiversity. It also involves Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines.

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

Project Stage: The project stages targeted include development, testing, evaluation, and implementation of innovative training programs and services. This suggests a focus on development, validation, and demonstration stages, with an aim to promote the uptake of new practices.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview provides the following ranges:
HORIZON-RIA: €6,000,000 to €24,000,000 with contributions around €4,000,000 to €8,000,000 per grant.
HORIZON-CSA: €3,000,000 to €7,000,000 with contributions around €3,000,000 to €7,000,000 per grant.
HORIZON-IA: €10,000,000 to €14,000,000 with contributions around €5,000,000 to €7,000,000 per grant.

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

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.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the "Indicative number of grants" provides some insight. For example, a topic with a budget of €9,000,000 might fund two projects, each receiving €4,000,000 to €5,000,000.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, it is common for Horizon Europe projects to encourage or require some level of co-funding from the applicants or other sources.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, part of the HORIZON-CL6-2027-01 initiative, focuses on "Capacity building for extending product lifecycles through repair and refurbishment." It aims to support projects that develop and test innovative training programs and services to promote the repair and refurbishment of products like electronics, furniture, textiles, and footwear. The goal is to reduce waste, minimize environmental impacts, and foster a circular economy. The call is structured around several topics, including Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), and Innovation Actions (IA), each with varying budgets and expected outcomes. The funding mechanism is a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a single stage. Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations, such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, and non-profits, ideally forming consortia to address the multifaceted challenges of extending product lifecycles. The call supports the European Green Deal and related EU policies, emphasizing the importance of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) expertise to enhance the societal impact of the projects. The indicative timeline includes an opening date in April 2027 and a deadline in September 2027.

Short Summary

Impact
The funding aims to support projects that develop and test innovative training programs and services to promote the repair and refurbishment of products, thereby extending product lifecycles and reducing waste.
Applicant
Applicants should possess skills in applied research, innovation, training program development, and evaluation methodologies, particularly in the context of circular economy practices.
Developments
The funding will support activities focused on capacity building for extending product lifecycles through repair and refurbishment in sectors such as electronics, furniture, textiles, and footwear.
Applicant Type
Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, non-profit organizations, and public authorities, ideally forming consortia.
Consortium
The funding allows for both single applicants and consortia, although collaboration is strongly recommended due to the nature of the projects.
Funding Amount
Funding amounts range from €4,000,000 to €5,000,000 per project, with a total budget of €9,000,000 for the call.
Countries
Participants must be from EU member states and associated countries, as specified in the Horizon Europe guidelines.
Industry
This funding targets the circular economy and bioeconomy sectors, focusing on waste management and sustainable consumption.

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