OC2: Building Novel Circular Value Chain Demonstrators

The CIRCULOOS Open Call 2 is an EU-funded initiative under the Horizon Europe program aimed at fostering circular economy practices within the manufacturing industry. The objective is to engage industry actors in creating novel circular supply chains that implement strategies like refurbishing, remanufacturing, repurposing, and recycling. The initiative encourages collaboration among various stakeholders, including recyclers and technology providers.

The call is set to open for submissions on April 4, 2025, with a deadline of May 28, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total funding available for this initiative is €2,880,000, with a maximum grant of €240,000 per consortium of 2-4 entities. Each entity can receive up to €60,000, with profit-making entities covering 40% of their costs while non-profit organizations and academic institutions can receive full funding.

The focus industries for this call include metal, electrical, furniture, leather, machinery, vehicles, wood, and plastic sectors. The selected projects are expected to run for a duration of 12 months, using circular strategies to enhance materiel lifecycles and reduce dependence on virgin materials.

Successful applications must integrate tools from CIRCULOOS to track material flows and optimize supply chain operations, validate sustainability impacts through lifecycle assessments, and develop new products and business models that promote circularity. This can involve innovating existing processes or adopting new technologies, ensuring items are reintegrated into the market as efficiently as possible.

Participants must apply through the F6S platform, providing all mandatory documentation. Late submissions will not be accepted, and applicants are encouraged to avoid last-minute submissions to ensure completeness and compliance. Proposals must clearly demonstrate how the applicants will implement and document circular strategies and initiatives, illustrating measurable sustainability improvements.

In summary, the CIRCULOOS Open Call 2 aims to transform traditional linear production models into sustainable, circular value chains, promoting regional collaboration to advance sustainable manufacturing practices across Europe.

The CIRCULOOS Open Call 2 focuses on building novel circular value chain demonstrators. The objective is to engage industry actors to create new circular supply chains, integrating refurbishing, remanufacturing, repurposing, and recycling strategies.

The opening date for submissions is April 4, 2025, and the deadline for submission is May 28, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The expected duration of participation is 12 months. The total funding available is 2,880,000 EUR. The project acronym is CIRCULOOS, and the full name of the EU-funded project is Circular and Dynamic Manufacturing Supply Chain Orchestration and OptimiSation. The grant agreement number is 101092295. The topic is HORIZON-CL4-2022-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-06 - ICT Innovation for Manufacturing Sustainability in SMEs (I4MS2) (Made in Europe Partnership) (IA).

Consortia of 2-4 entities will develop circular solutions that: extend product life cycles by implementing R-strategies (reuse, refurbish, recycle, etc.), integrate digital tools from CIRCULOOS to track material flows and optimize value chain operations, develop new digital, IT, robotic or other combined tools if necessary to support the new R-Strategy, validate sustainability impact through Life cycle Assessment (LCA) and supply chain data sharing, and develop novel products & business models, reducing reliance on virgin materials.

The concepts and technology will be tested in up to 16 demonstrators, selected through the Open Calls, to advance sustainable manufacturing. Open Call #2 will only accept consortiums of 2-4 entities and will fund each entity with a maximum of 60,000 EUR. The applicable funding rate for every project will be 60% of the eligible costs for profit-making entities, or 100% for non-profit or academic organizations. An estimated number of 16 consortia will be funded up to the total available budget of 2,880,000 EUR. Therefore, the open call will provide a maximum of 240,000 EUR (total lump sum) grant (total cost of maximum 400,000 EUR). Funds will be disbursed based upon the successful delivery and approval by the CIRCULOOS project, of the submitted technical and business reports and demonstrators, along the 12-month implementation program, scheduled to launch with the contract signature of the winning consortia. Applicants should be aware that to receive the 60% funding from CIRCULOOS Open Call #2, they must contribute 40% of their own funds.

OC2 aims to engage new actors from manufacturing industries such as metal, electrical, furniture, leather, machinery, vehicles, wood, and plastic interested in adopting circular business models. These circular supply chains, typically formed by 2-4 entities, will implement R-strategies like refurbishing, remanufacturing, repurposing, recycling, and recovering materials. Through regional collaboration, they will enhance process efficiency, reduce waste, and develop new or improved products with measurable sustainability benefits.

The objective is to implement and demonstrate circular strategies, ensuring that materials, components, and products are reintegrated into the market whenever possible. This involves orchestrating supply chain operations, optimizing material flows, and enabling real-time monitoring of sustainability and circularity indices. Collaboration with recyclers, upcyclers, and end-of-life collectors will be essential in closing the loop and extending product lifecycles.

The successful applications will document and showcase the formation of new value chains, illustrating how circularity transforms traditional, linear production models. This process includes identifying gaps in the supply chain, integrating new production techniques, and, where needed, re-engineering manufacturing lines to support R-strategies. Examples of such improvements include robotic sorting, automated disassembly, product redesign, advanced material processing, and software-driven optimization. Additionally, participants will capture and share data to measure Lifecycle Assessments (LCA) and optimize production orchestration.

Key activities required for OC2 experiments include:
A novel value chain which is relevant for a specific product or its parts, which will extend its (linear) life and/or get a new life tailored to the needs of specific target groups.
Present a scenario/use case, to show how the platform tools, and products/suppliers’ information on RAMP and data platform, can be used to formulate this new value chain.
Present the new needed modifications or re-engineered processes that will be incorporated to implement the above with improved LCA indicators, in comparison to the (linear) production process across the supply chain actors. When necessary extend, adapt or develop technical tools to enable the proposed scenario.
Document the above changes for each of the product lines of each actor of the value chain in BPMN; more specifically provide BPM diagrams identifying the input and output for each process, recording the expenditure in terms of materials and energy resources (consider at most the two primary materials used and energy factors).
Describe the means (existing or new technical means that will need to be installed) to measure the material and energy consumption for at least two of the previously documented processes; these measurements will be used to ‘calibrate’ the calculation of the LCA improvement.
Document and illustrate the role of each CIRCULOOS tool (all mandatory and each optional chosen as part of your experiment) to be used and any new feature /tool to be brought in to support the implementation of the use case.
Demonstrate the scenario implementation by appropriate interaction/ communication/ coordination among the involved entities, by exchanging data within CIRCULOOS supply chain orchestrator and real production environment.
Measure the LCA improvement in the LifeCycle Assessment tool (GRETA).
Improved sustainability indices across the value chain.

Supporting roles include project and financial management, dissemination and exploitation, and technology upgrade activity, which may be in the form of IT integration, hardware upgrade, robotics, or other technology installation.

The new experiments will work closely with the CIRCULOOS team to implement the above value chain, to develop the scenario, starting from the analysis of requirements, detailing the technical specifications, demonstrating its execution, receiving mentoring and guidance in adopting the CIRCULOOS tools. A mentor will be assigned to each team with the support of a technical team as appropriate.

Overall, the experiments should result in new business practices, models, and products that improve circularity indexes. The selected supply chains should adopt and validate the series of tools offered by the CIRCULOOS project and enhance them as necessary with reusable components. These components should also be useful for other circular supply chains and will be integrated into the RAMP platform.

Information clarifications regarding the concept of circular supply chains:
The circular supply chains should be innovative and enabled by the project, not already existing.
The circular supply chains should foster the exchange of data and digital cooperation of the chain nodes (businesses) or promote the optimization of internal businesses (the use of data remains critical).
The circular supply chains should result in novel market offerings and measurable improvements in sustainability and circularity indices across the value chain.
The challenge to be addressed should be clearly described and shared among the value chain nodes.
The business composing the value chain should show the circular process by moving products, materials, and upgrading waste.
The value chains should be regional to demonstrate that the sustainability indices are improved (e.g. avoiding extra CO2 emissions) and that they make ‘commercial sense’ (e.g. transportation costs of reclaimed products and materials are minimum).

Entities interested in applying to CIRCULOOS Open Call 2 must register on the F6S platform, which will serve as the main interface for managing the submission and evaluation process.

Applicants must follow these steps when preparing their proposal:
Create an F6S account (or log in if they already have one).
Navigate to the CIRCULOOS Open Call 2 page and review all provided information: https://circuloos.eu/open-calls/
Complete the online application form on the F6S platform and provide all mandatory information.
Attach all required documentation, ensuring: For OC2 applicants: Submit Annex II (Application Form for OC2) in PDF format with the following naming: [Lead_Applicant_Name]_OC2_Application.pdf.
Review contractual obligations in advance: Applicants are strongly advised to review Annex IV (Sub-Grant Agreement) and the relevant Declarations of Honour before submission, as they will be mandatory for selected applicants.
Ensure timely submission: It is highly recommended that applicants submit their proposal well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.
Resubmission requests: If an error is discovered before the deadline, applicants may contact the CIRCULOOS team via support@f6s.com to request a correction. However, resubmissions may not be possible if requested within 48 hours of the deadline.
Deadline extensions: Extensions will only be granted in the case of significant technical issues affecting the F6S platform. If an extension is applied, all applicants will be notified accordingly.

Failure to submit a complete proposal before the deadline will result in automatic disqualification from the Open Call.

The F6S platform allows applicants to edit and save drafts before final submission. However, once submitted, applications cannot be modified. Applicants are strongly advised to review their entries carefully before clicking submit.

Detailed information about the Open Call application process and all relevant documentation can be found at the CIRCULOOS Open Call page on the CIRCULOOS website.
Applicants are required to apply online by filling in the CIRCULOOS online application form on the F6S Platform and to answer all mandatory questions with no exception. This is the only way of applying to the CIRCULOOS Open Call.
Only submissions before the deadline will be accepted. After the official CIRCULOOS Open Call closure (May 28, 2025, at 17:00 CET.), no additions or changes to the submitted application form will be considered.
Requests or inquiries about the submission process or the Open Call itself, received after the closure of the Open Call will neither be considered nor answered.
It is strongly recommended not to wait until the last minute to fill in and submit your application form.
Be specific and concise when answering the questions – they have character limitations.
Applicants that do not accept the CIRCULOOS Open Call terms and conditions listed in the online application form will be declared non-eligible.
The CIRCULOOS application form is self-contained. Additional materials and/or hyperlinks to additional information, which have not been specifically requested in the online application form, will not be considered by the evaluators.
Please do not consider the limit of the characters under each section as a target! It is in your interest to keep your text as concise as possible since evaluators rarely view unnecessarily long applications in a positive light.
If the applicant discovers an error in the application form, and if the Open Call deadline has not passed, the applicant may request support to open again, and/ or re-submit the proposal at: support@f6s.com
The platform also enables applicants to receive notifications and updates regarding their application status.
For any other inquiries related to the Open Call, the applicants can send email at: circuloos.eu@gmail.com

All applications must be submitted before the deadline on May 28, 2025, at 17:00 CET. Late submissions, incomplete applications, or non-compliant proposals will be automatically disqualified.

The CIRCULOOS Open Call 2 is an initiative to foster circular economy practices within the manufacturing industry. It aims to support consortia in developing and demonstrating innovative circular solutions that extend product lifecycles, optimize material flows, and reduce reliance on virgin materials. By integrating digital tools and implementing R-strategies, the call seeks to transform traditional linear production models into sustainable, circular value chains. The call encourages collaboration among industry actors, recyclers, and technology providers to create regional, commercially viable solutions with measurable sustainability benefits. Successful projects will receive funding and mentorship to implement their circular strategies and contribute to the development of reusable components for the RAMP platform, ultimately advancing sustainable manufacturing practices across Europe.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are profit-making entities, non-profit organizations, academic organizations, Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH), and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The call specifically targets actors from manufacturing industries.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of 2-4 entities is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is implied to be within the EU, as it is an EU funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program. The emphasis on regional value chains suggests a focus on European regions.

Target Sector: The target sector is circular economy within manufacturing industries. This includes sectors such as metal, electrical, furniture, leather, machinery, vehicles, wood, and plastic. It also targets ICT, specifically ICT Innovation for Manufacturing Sustainability in SMEs (I4MS2). The program aims to integrate digital tools, IT, and robotics into circular strategies.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the program is an EU funding initiative, implying eligibility for EU member states and potentially associated countries. The focus on regional value chains suggests a European regional scope.

Project Stage: The expected project stage is demonstration. The call aims to fund demonstrators that will test and validate circular solutions. The projects should implement and demonstrate circular strategies.

Funding Amount: The funding provides a maximum of €60,000 per entity within a consortium. The maximum total grant per consortium (2-4 entities) is €240,000, with a total project cost of maximum €400,000. The total funding available for the open call is €2,880,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant. They will also receive non-monetary services such as mentoring and guidance from the CIRCULOOS team.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be single-stage, as indicated by the "single-stage" deadline model.

Success Rates: The success rate can be estimated based on the information provided. The program aims to fund approximately 16 consortia out of all applications received. Without knowing the total number of applications, it is impossible to give an exact success rate, but it is likely to be in the 10 to 39% range or potentially lower, depending on the number of applications.

Co-funding Requirement: Yes, co-funding is required. Profit-making entities receive 60% funding and must contribute 40% of their own funds. Non-profit and academic organizations receive 100% funding.

Summary:

The CIRCULOOS Open Call 2 is an EU-funded initiative under the Horizon Europe program, designed to promote circular economy practices within the manufacturing sector. The call aims to engage industry actors in creating novel circular supply chains by integrating strategies such as refurbishing, remanufacturing, repurposing, and recycling. The program provides grants to consortia of 2-4 entities to develop and demonstrate circular solutions that extend product lifecycles, integrate digital tools for material flow tracking, and validate sustainability impacts through lifecycle assessments.

The call targets manufacturing industries like metal, electrical, furniture, leather, machinery, vehicles, wood, and plastic. Successful applicants will implement and demonstrate circular strategies, ensuring materials and components are reintegrated into the market. This involves orchestrating supply chain operations, optimizing material flows, and enabling real-time monitoring of sustainability and circularity indices. Collaboration with recyclers, upcyclers, and end-of-life collectors is essential.

The experiments should result in new business practices, models, and products that improve circularity indexes. The selected supply chains should adopt and validate the series of tools offered by the CIRCULOOS project and enhance them as necessary with reusable components. These components should also be useful for other circular supply chains and will be integrated into the RAMP platform.

Each entity within a consortium can receive up to €60,000, with a maximum total grant of €240,000 per consortium. Profit-making entities must provide 40% co-funding, while non-profit and academic organizations receive 100% funding. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of May 28, 2025. Applications must be submitted through the F6S platform. The total funding available for this call is €2,880,000, with an estimated 16 consortia to be funded. The projects have an expected duration of 12 months.