Indicators for the transition to sustainable and circular economy

The grant opportunity identified as HORIZON-CL6 is part of the Horizon Europe program and aims to develop indicators for accelerating the transition to a sustainable and circular economy. The analysis provides detailed information regarding various aspects of the grant. Eligible applicants include research institutes, universities, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, public-private partnerships, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other legal entities that can engage in research and innovation activities. Typically, consortia are favored, especially for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), which often require at least three independent entities from different EU or associated countries. The primary funding mechanism is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, specifically designed to support collaborative projects that align with the goals of the European Green Deal. The beneficiary scope encompasses EU member states, European Economic Area (EEA) countries, candidate countries, and associated third countries. Target sectors of the grant include the circular economy, sustainable production, environmental governance, and bioeconomy value chains, aiming to create standardized indicators and methodologies relevant to these areas. The funding amount is estimated to be between €1 million to €5 million per project, with a total indicative budget of €8 million for this specific call. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a deadline of September 17, 2025, and the nature of support is monetary, delivered as lump-sum grants. Success rates for Horizon Europe grants generally vary and are not explicitly stated for this particular call. In conclusion, this grant opportunity is focused on developing effective instruments to measure progress towards a circular economy, addressing challenges in indicators for ecodesign, governance, and resource efficiency. Successful proposals are expected to align closely with European policy objectives concerning sustainability and circularity, and applicants are encouraged to collaborate to enhance their chances of securing funding.

This is a summary of EU funding opportunities related to circular economy, biodiversity, and zero pollution under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically Cluster 6, Call 01, with a single-stage submission process. The calls are for HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions. The indicative opening date for all calls is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 17, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

The funding aims to support the implementation of the European Green Deal and the 2020 Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP). Successful proposals are expected to contribute to innovative business and governance models, circular materials, products, processes, and value chains.

Here's a breakdown of the specific funding topics:

BIODIVERSITY TOPICS:

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01:HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions. Budget: €20,000,000 in 2025, €20,000,000 in 2026 and €20,000,000 in 2027. Indicative number of grants: 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-02:HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions. Budget: €4,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-03:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €24,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-04:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €22,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-05:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €18,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 3.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-06:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €16,000,000. Contributions: 5,000,000 to €6,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 3.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-07:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €12,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-08:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €14,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-09:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €6,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-10:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €11,000,000. Contributions: 5,000,000 to €6,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

CIRCULAR BIOECONOMY TOPICS:

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-01:HORIZON Innovation Actions. Budget: €10,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-02:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €8,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-03:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €8,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-04:HORIZON Innovation Actions. Budget: €10,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-05:HORIZON Innovation Actions. Budget: €12,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €8,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-07:HORIZON Innovation Actions. Budget: €18,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-08:HORIZON Innovation Actions. Budget: €11,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-09:HORIZON Innovation Actions. Budget: €10,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-10:HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions. Budget: €2,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-11:HORIZON Innovation Actions. Budget: €11,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-12:HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions. Budget: €2,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-13:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €8,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-14:HORIZON Innovation Actions. Budget: €12,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-15:HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions. Budget: €10,000,000 in 2025, €30,000,000 in 2026 and €30,000,000 in 2027. Indicative number of grants: 1.

ZERO POLLUTION TOPICS:

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €10,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-02:HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions. Budget: €2,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €8,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-04:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €6,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05:HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Budget: €12,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-06:HORIZON Innovation Actions. Budget: €8,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-07:HORIZON Innovation Actions. Budget: €12,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 2.

One specific topic, HORIZON-CL6, focuses on "Indicators for the transition to sustainable and circular economy". The project results are expected to contribute to increased knowledge about suitable indicators for measuring the progress and level of circularity in local communities, households, or in value chains at different company levels, as well as associated impacts, including on greenhouse gas emissions, and using Environmental Footprint methods and the derived Consumption Footprint; recommendations are made available on how to develop these indicators further, including for the collection of necessary data; guidance and recommendations are made available to local public authorities, social economy entities and financial institutions on how to use these indicators in their circularity-supporting activities. The budget for this topic is €8,000,000 and the indicative number of grants is 2.

The general conditions for these calls include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries (including specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries), other eligibility conditions (such as the participation of the Joint Research Centre), and financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria. The evaluation and award processes, submission procedures, and indicative timelines are detailed in the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Legal and financial aspects are governed by the Horizon Europe Programme regulations, with eligible costs taking the form of lump sums.

Applicants are encouraged to consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements, and other guidance documents available on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Partner search tools and National Contact Points are available to assist in forming consortia and preparing proposals.

In summary, this Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call offers a range of funding opportunities for research and innovation projects that contribute to the European Green Deal, circular economy, biodiversity, and zero pollution goals. The funding supports activities from research and innovation to coordination and support, and innovation actions, with a focus on developing and testing indicators for monitoring progress towards a sustainable and circular economy. Applicants should carefully review the specific conditions and requirements for each topic and utilize the available support resources to prepare strong and impactful proposals.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls, eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, NGOs, public organizations, and other legal entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding.

Funding Type:The funding type is primarily grant-based, specifically HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND) under the Horizon Europe Programme. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme.

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity appears to favor consortia, as the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding, and there is a partner search function available. However, some HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) may be suitable for single applicants.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The primary geographic eligibility is for EU member states and associated countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector:The program targets the circular economy, bioeconomy, biodiversity, and zero pollution sectors, specifically focusing on innovative business and governance models, circular materials, products, processes, and value chains.

Mentioned Countries:The text does not explicitly mention specific countries, but refers to EU member states, associated countries, and non-EU/non-associated countries with specific funding provisions.

Project Stage:The project stage varies depending on the type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) typically support activities from research to demonstration, while Innovation Actions (IA) focus on demonstration and deployment. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) support networking, coordination, and dissemination.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary widely depending on the specific topic and type of action, ranging from €2,000,000 for Coordination and Support Actions to €30,000,000 for Programme Cofund Actions. Individual RIA and IA projects have budgets ranging from €6,000,000 to €24,000,000.

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 lump sum grants.

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

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided, allowing for an estimation of the competition level.

Co-funding Requirement:Co-funding is required for HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND).

Summary:This is a Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call focused on supporting the European Green Deal and the circular economy action plan. The call includes multiple topics related to biodiversity, circular bioeconomy, and zero pollution. The funding is provided through different types of actions including Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Programme Cofund Actions (COFUND). The projects aim to develop and test indicators for monitoring progress towards a circular economy at various levels (local communities, households, companies), increase knowledge about suitable indicators for measuring the progress and level of circularity, provide recommendations on how to develop these indicators further, and provide guidance to local public authorities, social economy entities and financial institutions on how to use these indicators in their circularity-supporting activities. The geographic scope is primarily the EU and associated countries, with some provisions for non-EU countries. The application process involves a single-stage submission, and eligible costs will be reimbursed as a lump sum. Applicants are encouraged to form consortia and can use the Funding & Tenders Portal's partner search function to find collaborators.