Crafting routes to a circular economy

The EU grant opportunity titled "Crafting Routes to a Circular Economy," falls under the Horizon Europe program, specifically the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society 2027 call. The initiative is designed to leverage the cultural and creative sectors to advance a circular economy in Europe, focusing on Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) with a lump sum funding model.

The grant aims to achieve several outcomes, including a better understanding of the cultural dimensions related to circular economy principles, developing scalable and inclusive business models leveraging cultural and creative factors, creating toolkits for circular solutions, providing evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, and enhancing skills through training modules.

Proposals may address one or multiple focuses such as crafts-led innovation for sustainability, evaluating adaptive reuse of built cultural heritage, integrating circular economy principles into gastronomic and food heritage, and designing pathways for circularity through creative and open innovation.

The funding amounts to approximately €3 million per project, with a total budget of €10.5 million allocated for around three expected grants. The application process is single-stage, with a timeline set from May 13, 2027, for opening to a submission deadline of September 23, 2027.

Participating entities must form consortia that typically include various stakeholders like research institutions, cultural organizations, and industry representatives from multiple EU member states or associated countries. Co-funding is expected, reflecting a commitment from partners beyond the EU contribution.

The comprehensive goal of this grant is to promote sustainable practices, enhance resource efficiency, and ensure cultural preservation while contributing to the EU's broader objectives concerning green initiatives and innovation. This opportunity is thus an invitation for interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure economic, environmental, and social sustainability across various sectors in Europe.

This EU grant opportunity, titled "Crafting routes to a circular economy," falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the "Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - 2027 (HORIZON-CL2-2027-01)" call. It aims to leverage cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) to foster a circular economy within the EU. The action type is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model. The deadline model is single-stage, with a planned opening date of May 13, 2027, and a deadline of September 23, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this grant are multifaceted. Firstly, it seeks a better understanding of the cultural dimension of the circular economy. Secondly, it aims to leverage cultural factors and the potential of CCSI to promote the circular economy in the EU. Thirdly, it targets the development of scalable, sustainable, and inclusive business models with users and stakeholders, utilizing circular practices from CCSI for economic and environmental benefits, such as nature protection, waste reduction, resource efficiency, and the promotion of sustainable consumption and reuse patterns. Fourthly, the grant aims to create a circular solution toolkit that enables businesses across various sectors to apply CCSI-inspired frugal innovation principles, promoting circularity, sustainability, and inclusion. Fifthly, it seeks to provide evidence-based recommendations and guidelines for policymakers to support the transition towards circular practices in CCSI and other industries, integrating frugal innovation in circular economy strategies, emphasizing local adaptations of global strategies. Lastly, the grant aims to enhance skills by providing training modules on frugal innovation, circular design, and circular economy practices inspired by crafts, local heritage, and other CCSI, available to professionals in various industries.

The scope of this grant is broad. It acknowledges that the transition from a linear to a circular economy is crucial for Europe’s prosperity, long-term competitiveness, and strategic autonomy. This transition can reduce dependence on raw materials, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and waste, limit biodiversity loss, create jobs, and support environmental sustainability. The New European Innovation Agenda recognizes circularity as a key challenge to accelerate innovation across the EU. Securing essential resources is a high priority, but the transition to circularity requires more than new materials and products; it demands a paradigm shift and a systemic approach that combines different sectors, technological progress, actors, and disciplines with deeper industrial, economic, and societal changes. In advancing a circular economy and society, cultural dimensions are paramount, and cultural barriers can be as significant as economic or technical ones and should be addressed.

The grant emphasizes that CCSIs can act as catalysts for change through storytelling and community engagement, reshaping cognitive frameworks, influencing consumer attitudes, and promoting societal shifts towards circular principles. They can encourage other industries, such as manufacturing (including textile and fashion), tourism, or construction (including housing and urban development), to adopt circular approaches, promoting resource efficiency and designing for longevity and adaptability. Despite their potential, cultural aspects remain underexplored in circular economy strategies. This topic aims to investigate effective strategies and synergies between culture, creativity, and the circular economy, to inform policy, enhance education and lifelong learning, and inspire innovation. The goal is to develop robust frameworks supporting economic, environmental, and social sustainability across Europe, fostering an environment where culture, creativity, and economy combine to form resilient circular systems and societies. Where relevant, synergies with the New European Bauhaus may also be considered.

Proposals may address one or more of the following four focuses and may combine them with others as appropriate to their objectives:

Focus 1: Crafts-led innovation for circular economy. Crafts naturally align with circular economy principles through their use of natural, renewable materials, small-scale tools and production, and the creation of durable products with cultural significance. Integrating circular economy concepts with craftsmanship helps address sustainability challenges, preserve cultural heritage, and foster local economic development. Craft practices exemplify frugal innovation by efficiently using local resources and minimizing waste, offering valuable insights for other sectors seeking to improve sustainability and resource efficiency. Key aspects of the relationship between crafts and the circular economy include traditional knowledge systems rooted in generations of sustainable, place-based practices; local resource utilization promoting efficiency; and upcycling and waste reduction through creative reuse of materials. Furthermore, craftsmanship is a key part of the value chain in high-end industries such as fashion and textiles, with potential synergies to enhance sustainability and the use of recycled, reused, and renewable materials and to foster circular and just fashion and textiles value-chains, supporting innovative approaches. By leveraging circular economy and frugal innovation principles, craft practices offer affordable, accessible, inclusive, and equitable solutions to sustainability challenges, emphasizing local resources and community-based production. Collaborative, open innovation approaches can unlock creative solutions that promote a more sustainable, inclusive, and resource-efficient future. Proposals should develop a framework integrating circular economy and frugal innovation principles derived from craft practices, applicable and adaptable across various industries and sectors. This includes models for cross-sector collaboration and knowledge transfer among craft practitioners, designers, researchers, and industry professionals to drive circular innovation, foster capacity building, and ensure equitable access to sustainable solutions. Proposals may consider UNESCO Creative Cities, in particular the City of Crafts and Folk Arts.

Focus 2: Evaluating adaptive reuse of built cultural heritage. Cultural heritage buildings are vital for their historical and cultural significance, embodying the identity of local communities. At the same time, the built environment is a major driver of material demand, with significant economic, environmental, and wellbeing impacts. The Built4People SRIA highlights the need for R&I in retrofitting and repair, including heritage buildings, using vernacular, bio-based, locally sourced materials, or innovative materials compatible with vernacular ones. The EU Circular Cities and Regions Initiative identifies adaptive reuse of cultural heritage as key to urban sustainability and resilience. There is a need for systematic urban planning transforming building lifecycles from linear to circular models, leveraging cultural heritage to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, and generate cultural, economic, social, and environmental benefits. Participatory planning is crucial for achieving circularity, as are indicators for measuring impact. Adaptive reuse also delivers economic value as heritage sites attract visitors, support local businesses, and foster vibrant cultural economies, making cultural participation central to sustainable urban regeneration and the circular economy. Integrating service design approaches can further connect adaptive reuse of heritage buildings with stakeholders and enhance cultural services and community activities. Proposals should develop methodologies to evaluate the economic, social, and environmental benefits of maintaining and reusing built heritage. They should establish criteria and indicators for assessing cultural heritage’s contribution to circular city objectives, including energy and resource efficiency, waste reduction, social cohesion, and economic sustainability, and explore evaluation tools for innovative circular financing, business and governance models for adaptive reuse of cultural heritage.

Focus 3: Food heritage and gastronomic innovation for circular futures. Food is deeply connected to cultural and creative sectors through gastronomic heritage, food-related crafts, and intangible traditions that shape cultural identities. Addressing food’s cultural dimensions offers unique opportunities to advance circular economy principles. Food heritage promotes local sourcing, biodiversity, and waste reduction, while culinary tourism and creative food initiatives drive sustainable growth and cross-sectoral innovation. Proposals should develop a framework to integrate circular economy principles into gastronomy and food heritage and devise transferable methodologies linking food-related creativity with sustainable practices. Proposals might consider UNESCO Creative Cities, in particular the City of Gastronomy.

Focus 4: Designing circularity: creative pathways and open innovation. Design is pivotal in the transition to a circular economy, underpinning three principles: eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials, and regenerating nature. By applying these principles, designers create durable, repairable, and recyclable products and services, aligned with circular economy goals. The fashion industry pioneered upcycling and make-to-order models, producing items only on demand to reduce overproduction and waste. Such models, alongside product-as-a-service, sharing economy initiatives, or closed-loop production systems, offer adaptable strategies for other sectors to enhance circularity. The dynamic creative sector catalyses innovation, serving as a platform to experiment with circular design approaches across creative and non-creative sectors, including open innovation practices. Proposals should develop a comprehensive framework for integrating circular economy principles into design processes across cultural and creative industries, guiding designers to minimise waste and maximise resource efficiency. A collaborative environment should facilitate sharing circular design practices and transferring innovative solutions across industries.

The general conditions for this grant include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries, other eligible conditions, financial and operational capacity and exclusion, evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, and legal and financial set-up of the grants.

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

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information includes application form templates, evaluation form templates, HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, detailed budget table (HE LS), and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, decision authorizing 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, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for the year 2027 includes several topics related to Democracy, Heritage, and Transformation, with varying budget allocations, stages, opening and deadline dates, contributions, and indicative numbers of grants.

Partner search announcements are available for those seeking partners to collaborate on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests after logging into the Portal.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

General FAQs and support are available to assist applicants.

This grant opportunity is designed to foster a transition to a circular economy by leveraging the cultural and creative sectors. It encourages projects that explore the cultural dimensions of circularity, develop sustainable business models, create practical toolkits, provide policy recommendations, and enhance skills in frugal innovation and circular design. The grant is structured around four main focuses: crafts-led innovation, adaptive reuse of cultural heritage, food heritage and gastronomic innovation, and designing circularity. By addressing one or more of these focuses, applicants can contribute to building a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive European economy and society. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process involves a single stage with a deadline in September 2027.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include a range of entities involved in research and innovation, such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, cultural organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. The call is open to entities from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially certain non-EU countries as specified in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily grant-based, specifically HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) under the Horizon Europe Programme. The grants are provided as lump sums. There is also HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium of multiple applicants, as it emphasizes collaborative, open innovation approaches and knowledge transfer among various stakeholders. Partner search announcements are explicitly mentioned, suggesting that applicants are expected to form consortia.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and countries associated with the Horizon Europe program. Specific provisions may exist for non-EU/non-associated countries, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: culture, creativity, inclusive society, circular economy, cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI), manufacturing (including textile and fashion), tourism, construction (including housing and urban development), heritage, food, design, and innovation.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on Europe and EU member states. Non-EU and non-associated countries are also mentioned as potentially eligible, depending on specific provisions in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project for this opportunity includes research, innovation, development, and implementation of scalable and sustainable business models. The call supports activities ranging from developing frameworks and methodologies to creating practical toolkits and training modules.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action:
HORIZON-CSA: EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 5,000,000, with total budget per topic ranging from EUR 3,500,000 to EUR 5,000,000.
HORIZON-RIA: EUR 2,500,000 to EUR 4,800,000, with total budget per topic ranging from EUR 8,000,000 to EUR 20,000,000.
HORIZON-IA: EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 3,750,000, with total budget per topic of EUR 15,000,000.

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 lump sum grants to support research, innovation, coordination, and support activities. The funding aims to facilitate the development and implementation of circular economy practices, tools, and training modules.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants per topic is provided, allowing for an estimation of the potential success rate based on the number of expected proposals.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned, but Horizon Europe projects typically involve a certain degree of co-funding from the applicant or other sources. The specific details would be outlined in the call documents and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar for 2027, aims to foster a transition to a circular economy by leveraging the cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI). The call invites proposals for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Innovation Actions (IA) that address various aspects of the circular economy, including crafts-led innovation, adaptive reuse of built cultural heritage, food heritage, and circular design. Projects should contribute to a better understanding of the cultural dimensions of the circular economy, develop scalable and inclusive business models, create practical toolkits, provide evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, and enhance skills through training modules. The geographic scope includes EU member states and associated countries, with potential provisions for non-EU countries. Funding amounts vary depending on the type of action, ranging from EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 5,000,000 for CSAs and EUR 2,500,000 to EUR 4,800,000 for RIAs, and EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 3,750,000 for IAs. The application process involves a single stage, and consortia are expected to form collaborative partnerships to address the call objectives. The call seeks to promote sustainable practices, resource efficiency, and cultural preservation across various sectors, contributing to Europe's prosperity, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy.