Develop and deploy new curricula and knowledge exchange practices relevant to bio-based systems

The grant opportunity identified as HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-CSA-01 focuses on the development and deployment of new curricula and knowledge exchange practices in the context of bio-based systems. This initiative is part of the Horizon Europe program and aims to enhance skills development for a sustainable circular bioeconomy. The grant operates under the Coordination and Support Action framework and has a specific budget of approximately €1 million. The program is currently open for submissions, with applications accepted until September 18, 2025.

Eligible applicants include universities, research organizations, industry stakeholders such as SMEs, and public or private partnerships. The consortium must consist of at least three independent legal entities from different EU member states or associated countries, reinforcing collaboration between academia and industry. Geographic eligibility covers EU member states and associated countries, with a special emphasis on involving stakeholders from 'Widening' countries—those with lower research and innovation performance.

The targeted sectors include biomanufacturing, biotechnology, and related fields, supporting EU initiatives aimed at sustainable practices and reducing pollution. Proposals are encouraged to establish networks that connect industry and universities, develop curricula that incorporate both STEM and socio-economic aspects, and offer training and reskilling opportunities relevant to the emerging bioeconomy.

Successful projects will result in validated curricula promoting skills in areas such as digital technologies, environmental sustainability, and business development. The process for application is a single-stage evaluation. Though co-funding is common in Horizon Europe initiatives, it is not explicitly stated for this particular grant.

This funding initiative is designed to bridge educational pathways and industry needs, promoting sustainability and innovation in the circular bioeconomy while enriching the educational landscape across the EU.

The funding opportunity is HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-CSA-01, titled "Develop and deploy new curricula and knowledge exchange practices relevant to bio-based systems." It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program and the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025) call. It is a HORIZON JU Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-JU-CSA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement.

The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline. The opening date was April 3, 2025, and the deadline for submission is September 18, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of this topic is to contribute to the EU Initiative on Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and its action plan, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the implementation of the EU strategy for a Sustainable Blue Economy, and the CBE JU Widening Strategy and Action Plan. Project results should lead to:

Developed and validated curricula related to skills development for sustainable bio-based systems and increased circularity.
Deployment of EU-wide actions supporting the acquisition of new skills relevant for sustainable and circular bio-based systems.

The scope of the topic includes collaboration between universities/higher education and industry, emphasizing that it is a necessary condition for innovation and greater competitiveness in the circular bioeconomy sector. Besides technical and technological development, training and re/up/skilling of bioeconomy professionals is essential. Key skills include:

Digital skills
Biotech/biomanufacturing
Environmental sustainability assessment and circularity
Toxicology/risk assessment
Ecodesign
Safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) concept for bio-based products
Business development
Process development

Soft skills and cross-sectorial skills are also important, as well as open-mindedness to new knowledge, points of view, and cultural differences. The topic covers higher education, vocational training, post-graduate, and executive courses relevant for training students and reskilling/upskilling adult professionals for the emerging circular bio-based economy.

Proposals should:

Establish a network of industry and universities/RTOs.
Ensure engagement of stakeholders from 'Widening' countries and incorporate their specificities and needs in the development and testing of curricula.
Consider mutual learning from/to rural and coastal/blue bioeconomy, including primary producers.
Mobilize the network to co-create a set of curricula for education, training, and retraining/reskilling/upskilling of students and professionals in circular bio-based systems.
Curricula should include both STEM and SSH disciplines.
Capitalize on best practices and success stories available at the international level.
Test the implementation of developed curricula with pilot groups of students and professionals, using methodologies such as laboratory practices, fieldwork, internships, simulation, case studies, problem-based learning, supervised projects, vocational training, and online classes/webinars.
Consider synergies and links with existing initiatives such as the European Bioeconomy University Alliance, the pact for skills agenda, and actions linked with the BIOEAST Initiative.
Liaise with biotech industrial clusters and Regional Innovation Valleys.
Establish links with the CBE project NEBA Alliance.
Link to calls and initiatives under Horizon Europe and related partnerships to create synergies with their curricula and training activities, including the upcoming Advanced Materials Academy.
Ensure complementarities with past and ongoing R&I projects addressing similar challenges, including projects funded under Horizon 2020 / Horizon Europe and BBI/ CBE JU.

General conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation, award, submission, evaluation processes, indicative timeline, and legal and financial setup are described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are detailed in section 2.2.3 of the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2025.

Application forms are available in the Submission System, and evaluation form templates will be adapted from the standard evaluation form (HE CSA). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, and the Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is the HE MGA. Call-specific instructions are available in the CBE JU Call for proposals 2025.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 13. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
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 approximately 1,000,000 EUR is allocated to HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-CSA-01, with an indicative number of 1 grant to be awarded.

There are 60 partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests.

To start the submission process, applicants should access the Electronic Submission Service via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Support resources include the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers, and Partner Search tools.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster collaboration between academia and industry to develop and implement new curricula and knowledge exchange practices for the circular bio-based economy. It emphasizes the importance of skills development in areas like biotechnology, digital technologies, environmental sustainability, and business, while also promoting inclusivity and synergy with existing EU initiatives. The goal is to create a skilled workforce that can drive innovation and competitiveness in the bioeconomy sector, contributing to broader EU strategies for sustainability, pollution reduction, and a blue economy.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include universities, higher education institutions, research and technology organizations (RTOs), and industry stakeholders, including SMEs. The call emphasizes collaboration between university/higher education and industry. Engagement of stakeholders from 'Widening' countries is specifically encouraged.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG], under the HORIZON-JU-CSA (HORIZON JU Coordination and Support Actions) framework.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium. Applicants must establish a network of industry and universities/RTOs.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries to the Horizon Europe program. The call encourages engagement of stakeholders from 'Widening' countries, which are EU member states with lower research and innovation performance. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is the circular bioeconomy, focusing on biotechnology and biomanufacturing, bio-based systems, and related skills development. It also touches upon the blue bioeconomy, agri-food, and advanced materials. The program aims to support the EU Initiative on Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, and the EU strategy for a Sustainable Blue Economy.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions 'Widening' countries, which refers to a group of EU member states that are targeted for increased participation. No specific countries are named, but the BIOEAST Initiative is mentioned, which focuses on Central and Eastern European countries.

Project Stage: The project stage focuses on development, validation, and deployment. Specifically, the call aims to develop and validate curricula, deploy EU-wide actions for skills acquisition, and test the implementation of curricula with pilot groups.

Funding Amount: The budget for the HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-CSA-01 topic is approximately €1,000,000. Other related topics (RIA and IA) have larger budgets, ranging from around €3,500,000 to €20,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage open call. The submission session is open as of April 3, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is September 18, 2025.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support the coordination and support actions.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-CSA-01, focuses on developing and deploying new curricula and knowledge exchange practices relevant to bio-based systems. It aims to enhance skills development for a sustainable and circular bioeconomy, aligning with various EU initiatives such as the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the Zero Pollution Action Plan. The call encourages collaboration between universities, RTOs, and industry, particularly emphasizing the inclusion of stakeholders from 'Widening' countries. Projects should establish networks, co-create curricula incorporating both STEM and SSH disciplines, and test these curricula with pilot groups. The funding mechanism is a HORIZON Action Grant, with a budget of around €1,000,000 for the CSA topic and larger budgets for related RIA and IA topics. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of September 18, 2025. This opportunity is about fostering collaboration between academia and industry to create and implement educational programs that will equip students and professionals with the skills needed for the emerging circular bio-based economy. It's about bridging the gap between education and industry needs, promoting sustainable practices, and ensuring that all regions of the EU, including those with lower research and innovation performance, are actively involved in the bioeconomy transition.