Supporting pre-normative research for standardization of the bio-based products

The HORIZON-CL6 call for proposals is part of the Horizon Europe program focusing on supporting pre-normative research for the standardization of bio-based products. The funding opportunity aims to enhance European industrial competitiveness, promote decarbonization, and improve environmental sustainability within the bioeconomy sector. It facilitates the development and deployment of sustainable, circular bio-based solutions, with a total budget of €8 million allocated to fund two expected grants of €4 million each in 2026. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutions, SMEs, large enterprises, and other legal entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities. Proposal submissions open on April 17, 2026, and must be completed by September 17, 2026. Projects should engage with stakeholders such as bio-based industry representatives, standardization bodies, and policymakers to achieve high socio-economic and positive environmental impacts, particularly by addressing gaps in the standardization research pipeline. The call requires the formation of multi-partner research consortiums, emphasizing collaboration and synergies among funded projects. There is no co-funding requirement, as the lump sum grant covers full project costs including personnel, equipment, and subcontracting expenses. The expected success rates are not specified, but typical Horizon Europe success rates range from 10% to 39%. The call encourages projects that align with EU policies such as the European Bioeconomy Strategy, the Circular Economy Act, and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. Proposals must focus on ecodesign, sustainability assessments, and the development of circular product lifecycles, contributing to the overall goal of reducing environmental impact while fostering innovation in bio-based sectors. Overall, this funding opportunity represents a strategic investment aimed at bridging the gap between research and practical implementation of bio-based solutions in alignment with European sustainability goals.

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals titled "Supporting pre-normative research for standardization of the bio-based products" under the HORIZON-CL6 topic. This call is part of the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program and falls under Call 01 - single stage (2026) (HORIZON-CL6-2026-01). The type of action is HORIZON-RIA (HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). It is a forthcoming, single-stage deadline model with a planned opening date of April 17, 2026, and a deadline of September 17, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The topic aims to contribute to higher industrial European competitiveness, decarbonization, strategic autonomy, improved environmental sustainability, and positive impacts on climate, pollution, and biodiversity through the standardization of the bio-based sector and products.

The scope of the proposals should address the following activities:select a bio-based sector/industry to develop or improve knowledge, technology, product, process, service or solution related to Ecodesign applicable to the chosen sector, identify specific gaps in standardization research pipeline for bio-based products, followed by pre-normative R&D tasks, aiming at high socio-economic and positive environmental impact, allowing the development and deployment of safe and sustainable, circular bio-based value chains/products, with reduced pressure on biological resources and ecosystems, leading to the consistent improvement of their environmental footprint, engage with relevant stakeholders from bio-based industry and standardisation bodies, as well as policy makers and authorities at national and European level, creating community of practice, aiming at transparency and inclusiveness, for subsequent market uptake of innovative and competitive solutions with minimised impact on the environment. The projects are relevant to EU policies such as the European Commission communication on safe and sustainable by design framework, the new EU bioeconomy strategy, the Circular Economy Act, the Clean Industrial Deal, the SME Strategy, the chemicals industry package, and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and its working plan. It also contributes to the Start-ups and Scale-ups Strategy. Synergies with the parallel topic HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-02: Enhancing ecodesign and circularity of construction products should be considered. The JRC may contribute to the projects selected for funding with work on strategic technologies for economic security and innovative industrial ecosystems, particularly its activities on advanced materials for safe and sustainable innovation. Cooperation between all projects funded under this topic should also be foreseen, as a specific tasks, with an allocation of resources, for synergies. The effective contribution of SSH disciplines and involvement of SSH experts are required. International cooperation is encouraged.

General conditions for this call include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding or as an associated partner, but will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D, while submission and evaluation processes are in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also in Annex F. Legal and financial aspects of the grants state that eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme. Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions, rules for Legal Entity Validation, the EU Grants AGA, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.

The budget overview indicates that the HORIZON-CL6 topic has a budget of €8,000,000 for the year 2026, with an indicative number of 2 grants to be awarded. The opening date is April 17, 2026, and the deadline for contributions is September 17, 2026.

The portal also provides resources for partner searches, submission guidelines, topic Q&As, and general support, including links to 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 focuses on supporting pre-normative research for the standardization of bio-based products to enhance European industrial competitiveness, promote decarbonization, and improve environmental sustainability. It encourages projects that address ecodesign, standardization gaps, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with EU policies related to the bioeconomy and circular economy. The call provides a lump sum grant with a budget of €8,000,000 and is open to a wide range of participants, including research organizations, industry stakeholders, and policymakers. The goal is to foster the development and deployment of safe, sustainable, and competitive bio-based solutions with minimal environmental impact.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically through Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium. Cooperation between all projects funded under this topic should also be foreseen, as a specific tasks, with an allocation of resources, for synergies.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility includes 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 bioeconomy, specifically focusing on bio-based products and industries, circular economy, and zero pollution. It also addresses ecodesign, standardization, and the development of safe, sustainable, and circular bio-based value chains. The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the European Commission communication on safe and sustainable by design framework, the new EU bioeconomy strategy and the upcoming Circular Economy Act, the Clean Industrial Deal and the SME Strategy, as well as the chemicals industry package and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and its working plan. It also contributes to the Start-ups and Scale-ups Strategy.

Mentioned Countries:The text mentions EU member states and non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage:The project stage ranges from research and development (RIA) to innovation and demonstration (IA), with some coordination and support actions (CSA). The focus is on pre-normative research and standardization, suggesting projects are in the development and validation stages.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic, ranging from €3,000,000 to €18,000,000. For example, HORIZON-CL6 has a budget of €8,000,000, while HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-03 has a budget of €18,000,000. Some Innovation Actions have a contribution of 5,000,000 to €6,000,000.

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, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For instance, HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01 aims for 1 grant with a budget of €10,000,000, while other topics aim for 2 or 3 grants.

Co-funding Requirement:The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, focusing on supporting pre-normative research for the standardization of bio-based products. The call aims to enhance European industrial competitiveness, decarbonization, and strategic autonomy, while also improving environmental sustainability. It targets a range of activities, including selecting a bio-based sector/industry to develop or improve knowledge related to Ecodesign, identifying gaps in standardization research, and engaging with stakeholders to promote market uptake of innovative solutions. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a single stage. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation in the bioeconomy sector. The geographic scope includes EU member states and associated countries, with potential provisions for non-EU/non-associated countries. The call encompasses various topics related to biodiversity, circular bioeconomy, and zero pollution, each with its own budget and indicative number of grants. The overall goal is to foster the development and deployment of safe, sustainable, and circular bio-based value chains and products, contributing to a more robust and environmentally friendly European economy.