Open topic: Using the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative to strengthen urban manufacturing in support of the Clean Industrial Deal

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity titled "HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-02-two-stage" aims to enhance urban manufacturing through the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative, supporting the Clean Industrial Deal. This competitive innovation action focuses on implementing and demonstrating circular systemic solutions in urban manufacturing settings across Europe. The total budget is €18 million, with three grants of up to €6 million each, and it opens on February 4, 2027, with application deadlines set for April 8, 2027, and September 16, 2027.

Eligible applicants include diverse consortia comprised of city and regional authorities, urban manufacturers, research institutions, and civil society organizations primarily from EU member states and associated countries, but some non-EU countries may also participate. Proposals must target interconnected sectors, particularly urban manufacturing, decarbonization of energy-intensive industries, and sustainable practices.

The application process follows a two-stage procedure where initial concept notes are due on April 8, 2027, followed by full proposals for successful concept applicants by September 16, 2027. The grants, which are primarily financial, are designed to foster collaboration among stakeholders and offer extensive non-monetary support through the CCRI Coordination and Support Office, including expertise, capacity building, and knowledge sharing.

Success rates are anticipated to be low given the competitive nature of the funding, with only three projects expected to receive funding from a total budget of €18 million. While formal co-funding requirements are not outlined, participants may need to demonstrate operational capacity and financial commitment.

In summary, this grant encourages innovative approaches to urban manufacturing that align with EU goals for sustainability, circular economy practices, and resource efficiency, presenting a significant opportunity for collaborative projects that drive systemic change in urban contexts.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals under the Circular Bioeconomy area, specifically targeting the strengthening of urban manufacturing through the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) in support of the Clean Industrial Deal. The call is structured as a two-stage HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA).

The overarching goal is to foster a clean transition by implementing and demonstrating circular systemic solutions that address key barriers faced by urban manufacturers. The focus is on helping them adapt to new requirements aimed at mitigating environmental degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Urban manufacturing is defined as the production of goods in urban areas, designed with local culture and characteristics in mind, and intended for distribution within those same local communities, utilizing local resources.

Expected outcomes of funded projects include: Significant increases in resource efficiency for urban manufacturers through circular material use or reduced overall material use per output. Contributions to EU climate, zero pollution, circularity, and biodiversity goals through clean, sustainable, and circular business practices. Improved knowledge sharing and proliferation of digital tools and methods to facilitate the adoption of circular business practices and enable large-scale diffusion.

Proposals should involve economic operators, local authorities, and civil society organizations to integrate urban manufacturing within the existing urban environment. The effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts are required to enhance the societal impact of the activities. Cooperation with the European Commission’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) and linkages with initiatives like the Regional Innovation Valleys, the New European Bauhaus, and the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission are strongly encouraged.

The call aims to contribute to Europe’s competitiveness and sustainable prosperity by supporting a more resilient circular economy, aligning with the EU Competitiveness Compass, the EU Clean Industrial Deal, and the EU Circular Economy Act. It is an open topic, allowing applicants to propose solutions that maximize competitiveness and sustainability through increased circularity and technological and economic feasibility.

The call is part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027. The Clean Industrial Deal confirms Europe’s dedication to its decarbonisation goals by offering clear business incentives. It will help create lead markets to boost supply and demand in clean tech and energy-intensive industries (such as chemicals, cement, steel and metals), enabling the decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness of Europe at the same time. An integral focus is to support the acceleration of the roll-out of clean energy and manufacturing, to develop sectoral transition pathways and to reinforce a circular economy. The Clean Industrial Deal Communication states that “Research and Innovation (R&I) is a key enabler for promoting the next generation of clean tech, clean energy and decarbonised manufacturing in the EU. A flagship Horizon Europe call of ca. EUR 600 million under the 2026-2027 work programme supports fit-for-deployment projects. This will aim at fostering synergies between the Framework Programme for R&I and the Innovation Fund, creating a pipeline of projects from R&I to deployment.”

Two specific topics are open under this call:

HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-01-two-stage: This topic has a budget of EUR 10,000,000. The opening date is planned for 04 February 2027. The first deadline for contributions is 08 April 2027, and the second deadline is 16 September 2027. The indicative number of grants is 2, with an average contribution of around EUR 5,000,000 per grant.

HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-02-two-stage: This topic has a budget of EUR 18,000,000. The opening date is planned for 04 February 2027. The first deadline for contributions is 08 April 2027, and the second deadline is 16 September 2027. The indicative number of grants is 3, with an average contribution of around EUR 6,000,000 per grant.

General conditions for participation include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout (described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form), eligible countries (described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide), other eligible conditions (described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes), financial and operational capacity and exclusion (described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes), evaluation and award criteria, scoring and thresholds (described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes), submission and evaluation processes (described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual), indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement (described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes), and legal and financial set-up of the grants (described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes). Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application forms are available in the Submission System and include standard application forms for HE RIA and IA, as well as for HE RIA IA Stage 1. Evaluation form templates will be used with adaptations and include standard evaluation forms for HE RIA, IA, and CSA Stage 1. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide and Model Grant Agreements (HE MGA and HE Unit MGA). Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, and General Annexes), the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, the EU Grants AGA, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The Funding & Tenders Portal provides various support services, including an Online Manual, a FAQ section, a Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), an IT Helpdesk, the European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, information on the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment, and a Partner Search tool.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to revitalize urban manufacturing by promoting circular economy principles, resource efficiency, and clean technologies. It seeks to integrate urban manufacturing into the urban environment, fostering collaboration between economic operators, local authorities, and civil society organizations. The call encourages proposals that contribute to EU climate goals, sustainable prosperity, and the overall competitiveness of the European economy. The two-stage application process, with deadlines in April and September 2027, provides opportunities for projects with budgets of EUR 10 million and EUR 18 million, respectively, focusing on innovation actions that demonstrate systemic solutions for urban manufacturers.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity mentions "economic operators, local authorities, and civil society organisations" as entities that should be involved in projects. This suggests that these types of organizations are eligible applicants. The mention of Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) which focuses on SMEs, implies that SMEs are also eligible.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a "HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]". The call is for "HORIZON Innovation Actions".

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity encourages joint activities and partner searches, implying that a consortium is preferred, although it is not explicitly stated whether a single applicant is excluded. The partner search announcements section suggests that consortia are expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe program, suggesting that EU member states and associated countries are eligible. The text mentions that "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," indicating that some third countries may also be eligible.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: clean tech, energy-intensive industries (chemicals, cement, steel, metals), circular economy, urban manufacturing, climate, zero pollution, and biodiversity. It also emphasizes the importance of integrating Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on Europe and mentions "non-EU/non-Associated Countries". The EU and its associated countries are the primary geographic focus.

Project Stage: The opportunity is for "fit-for-deployment projects," suggesting that the expected project stage is demonstration and validation, moving towards commercialization and scale-up. The call is for "Innovation Actions," which typically involve demonstrating and scaling up existing technologies or solutions.

Funding Amount: The budget overview provides specific figures for two topics: HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-01-two-stage has a budget of EUR 10,000,000 with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 5,000,000 and HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-02-two-stage has a budget of EUR 18,000,000 with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 6,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is an "open call" with a "two-stage" deadline model.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant.

Application Stages: The application process is "two-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 "Using the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative to strengthen urban manufacturing in support of the Clean Industrial Deal." It aims to support projects that implement and demonstrate circular systemic solutions for urban manufacturers, helping them overcome barriers in their clean and circular transition. The call targets clean tech and energy-intensive industries, promoting resource efficiency, circular material use, and sustainable business practices. Eligible applicants include economic operators, local authorities, civil society organizations, and SMEs, primarily from EU member states and associated countries, with potential eligibility for some non-EU countries. Projects should be at the demonstration and validation stage, ready for deployment. The application process is a two-stage open call. The funding is provided as a Horizon Action Grant, with indicative grant amounts of around EUR 5,000,000 and EUR 6,000,000 for the two specific topics mentioned. The call encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing, emphasizing the importance of integrating SSH disciplines and cooperating with the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI). The overall goal is to contribute to Europe's competitiveness and sustainable prosperity by supporting a more resilient circular economy.