Enhancing ecodesign and circularity of consumer electronics

The EU Funding & Tenders Portal has announced a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically focused on enhancing ecodesign and circularity of consumer electronics, identified as HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-01. This opportunity is designated for Horizon Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and uses the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant model. It is set to open on April 20, 2027, with a submission deadline of September 22, 2027.

The total budget for this initiative is €10 million, with each project eligible for up to €5 million, expecting to fund two projects. The primary goal is to develop new ecodesign principles that improve the sustainability and lifecycle management of consumer electronics, a sector severely impacted by increasing electronic waste and low recovery rates for valuable materials.

Eligible applicants include a broad range of entities such as large enterprises, SMEs, research institutions, design consultancies, public-private partnerships, and non-profit organizations engaged in circular economy initiatives. The geographic scope covers EU member states, Associated countries, and other nations with provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe.

The call emphasizes a consortium approach, where multiple partners are encouraged to collaborate, particularly involving experts in social sciences and humanities to address consumer needs and perceptions. Projects must prioritize the durability, reusability, reparability, recyclability, and resource efficiency of electronic products while also exploring innovative business models like leasing and product-service systems to enhance circularity.

Proposals should focus on solutions that allow better recovery of critical raw materials and design improvements for easier disassembly and recycling. The involvement of SSH disciplines is crucial for ensuring that consumer perspectives are integrated into the design processes.

Supportive measures include financial aid through lump sum grants, technical guidance, and access to various resources like National Contact Points for assistance in proposal development and partner searches.

This call seeks to align with broader EU objectives, including climate commitment, biodiversity protection, and the circular economy, ultimately aiming to make consumer electronics more sustainable while enhancing their contribution to the European Green Deal and related regulations.

The EU Funding & Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically focusing on "Enhancing ecodesign and circularity of consumer electronics" with the topic identifier HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-01. This call is for HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and utilizes the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement. It is a forthcoming, single-stage deadline model with a planned opening date of April 20, 2027, and a deadline of September 22, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this topic include:
Material and product manufacturers applying relevant ecodesign principles, including design for circularity and recycling, in product development and manufacturing. This aims to significantly contribute to EU climate goals and, through reduced emissions and resource extraction, to biodiversity, zero pollution, water resilience, circular economy, and open strategic autonomy.
Consumers benefiting from more sustainable and circular products that are durable, reliable, reusable, reparable, upgradable, and recyclable, including those with increased recycled content.

The scope of the call addresses the fact that electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the EU, with annual growth rates of 2%. Less than 40% of electronic waste is collected in the EU, leading to a loss of value when functional products are discarded due to lack of reparability, battery replacement issues, software support cessation, or failure to recover incorporated materials. Increasing the recovery of critical raw materials (CRMs) from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is a strategic priority to mitigate supply risks, as current CRM recovery rates are generally low.

Proposals should:
Develop, test, and demonstrate new or improved ecodesign of consumer electronics, focusing on durability, reusability, reparability, disassembly, separability, recyclability, and the uptake of recycled content. This includes design solutions for component reuse and easier dismantling to enhance reparability, remanufacturing, or recycling, using technologies like active disassembly/debonding materials and adhesives, and design solutions targeting critical and strategic raw materials.
Assess and provide recommendations for mechanisms and incentives to address trade-offs with costs and innovation limitations and to reward design for circularity and product durability. Examples include extended guarantees, VAT reductions, and new business models like leasing and product-service systems that reinforce positive design changes.

Proposed solutions must align with chemical safety principles (SSbD) and comply with relevant legislation such as RoHS. The environmental performance of proposed solutions should be evaluated from a lifecycle perspective using product environmental footprint methodology. Participation of partners from countries with actual electronics production and SMEs is encouraged. Consumer benefits must be central, and the consumer perspective should be reflected in all activities. The topic requires the effective contribution of SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts to enhance the societal impact of related activities.

This topic supports the European Green Deal, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, the WEEE Directive, and efforts to develop a single market for sustainable products.

General conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation, award, and legal and financial setup are described in the annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme and the Online Manual. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the Model Grant Agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Additional guidance and documents include the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, detailed budget table (HE LS), guidance on lump sums, the HE Main Work Programme, HE Framework Programme, HE Specific Programme Decision, EU Financial Regulation, decision authorizing the use of lump sum contributions, rules for legal entity validation, LEAR appointment and financial capacity assessment, EU Grants AGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions.

The budget overview for the 2027 call includes various topics related to biodiversity, circular bioeconomy, and zero pollution, with opening dates on April 20, 2027, and deadlines on September 22, 2027. The indicative number of grants and contributions vary by topic.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants on the portal.

The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

Support is available through 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, and Partner Search.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on promoting ecodesign and circularity in consumer electronics to reduce waste, recover critical raw materials, and support the European Green Deal. It encourages projects that develop, test, and demonstrate innovative ecodesign solutions, assess mechanisms and incentives for circularity, and involve relevant stakeholders, including SMEs and SSH experts. The call aims to create more sustainable and circular products that benefit both the environment and consumers.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but the call encourages participation from SMEs and partners from (associated) countries with actual electronics production. Based on the Horizon Europe framework, eligible applicants could include startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, and other legal entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, which falls under the HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the encouragement of participation from partners from associated countries and SMEs suggests that consortia are welcome and potentially advantageous.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be EU and associated countries. The text mentions "non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding" but indicates that some have made provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is cleantech, specifically focusing on enhancing ecodesign and circularity of consumer electronics, waste management (WEEE), and critical raw materials recovery. It also touches upon circular economy, innovation, and sustainability.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions "EU," "non-EU countries," and "associated countries." Therefore, the regions mentioned are EU and associated countries.

Project Stage: The project stage targets development, testing, and demonstration of new or improved ecodesign of consumer electronics, indicating a focus on validation and demonstration stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €3,000,000 to €24,000,000. The indicative number of grants also varies per topic. For example, HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-BIODIV-04 has a budget of €24,000,000 and aims to award around 3 grants, while HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-10 has a budget of €6,000,000 and aims to award 1 grant.

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.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on enhancing the ecodesign and circularity of consumer electronics to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency, and support the European Green Deal. The call invites proposals for innovation actions (IAs), research and innovation actions (RIAs), and coordination and support actions (CSAs) that develop, test, and demonstrate new ecodesign approaches, business models, and policy recommendations. The goal is to increase the durability, reusability, reparability, and recyclability of electronic products, while also improving the recovery of critical raw materials. The call encourages participation from SMEs and partners from countries with electronics production, emphasizing the importance of consumer benefits and the integration of social sciences and humanities (SSH) expertise. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants per topic, all contributing to a more sustainable and circular economy in the EU.