Understanding biomass flows in Europe

The Horizon Europe call titled HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-05 focuses on "Understanding Biomass Flows in Europe." This Research and Innovation Action (RIA) offers €6,000,000 in funding, targeting proposals from consortia comprised of legal entities from EU member states and associated countries. The funding mechanism is a lump sum grant, providing significant financial support to cover eligible project costs, which can reach up to €3,000,000 per project. The application process is a single-stage, opening on April 17, 2026, and closing on September 17, 2026.

Projects funded under this call are expected to enhance the understanding and management of biomass resources, improve resource efficiency, and support relevant stakeholders in optimizing biomass supply and use. Proposals should focus on developing innovative methods and tools for biomass monitoring and modeling, providing updated estimates of biomass supply and demand through to 2050, and testing biomass reporting in at least ten European countries.

Eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other stakeholders, but participation must involve multiple entities in a consortium. The project scope emphasizes collaboration on a pan-European scale, reflecting the EU's strategic goals in bioeconomy, sustainability, and circular economy initiatives. The call is particularly relevant to ongoing EU policies addressing environmental sustainability, the circular economy, and food security, contributing to improving biodiversity and ecosystem management.

Successful applicants will need to demonstrate financial and operational capacity to manage their projects effectively. The proposal evaluation will focus on excellence, impact, and implementation quality, with the process typically communicating results several months after submission. Notably, no co-funding is required, which makes participation more accessible for potential applicants. This funding opportunity represents a significant investment in research and innovation, aiming to build foundational knowledge and capacity regarding biomass flows in Europe.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-05, focused on "Understanding biomass flows in Europe." It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a lump sum grant type (HORIZON-AG-LS). The call is a single-stage process with a planned opening date of April 17, 2026, and a deadline of September 17, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this topic is 6,000,000 EUR, and it is expected that around 2 grants will be awarded.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this call are: enhanced understanding of the environmental, social, and economic potential of different biomass types, increased resource efficiency in utilizing biomass by private and public stakeholders, and enhanced support to businesses and administrations for optimizing biomass supply, processing, and use.

The scope of the call addresses the need for a better understanding of biomass production and use, and the challenges related to the EU forest carbon sink, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity loss. It emphasizes the importance of improving biomass valorisation and understanding biomass flows for optimal production and effective use.

Proposals should address the following activities:
1. Improve and develop innovative biomass monitoring and modelling/assessment methods and digital tools at the European level to optimize biomass flows.
2. Provide an updated estimate of biomass supply and demand until 2050 at national and EU level, considering biomass quality, potential use, sustainability, and risks.
3. Test and demonstrate the feasibility of biomass reporting in test regions of at least 10 countries across Europe.

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium. Proposals are encouraged to work with initiatives such as the Circular Biobased Europe Joint Undertaking, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, and the BIOEAST Initiative. They should also consider data, expertise, and services offered by the European research infrastructure in the environment, biological, and food domains. The topic is relevant to EU policies related to biotechnology, biomanufacturing, competitiveness, agriculture, food, bioeconomy, and the circular economy.

General conditions for participation include:
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit 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.
2. Eligible Countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.
3. Other Eligible Conditions: The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a beneficiary with zero funding or as an associated partner. Projects using satellite data must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Eligible costs will take 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 and model grant agreement (MGA) information:
Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including a standard application form (HE RIA, IA). Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including a standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include a Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

Support resources include:
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 and ETSI Research Helpdesk
European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment
Partner Search

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to fund research and innovation projects that will enhance the understanding and sustainable management of biomass flows in Europe. It seeks to address challenges related to biomass production, use, and valorisation, while promoting resource efficiency, protecting ecosystems, and reducing emissions. The call encourages collaboration among stakeholders and the use of digital tools and innovative methods for biomass monitoring and assessment. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process involves a single stage with a deadline in September 2026. The call is relevant to various EU policies related to bioeconomy, biotechnology, agriculture, and the circular economy.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include a wide range of entities such as research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant stakeholders involved in the bioeconomy, environment, biological and food domains. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily grant-based, specifically HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) 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. There are also Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium. Proposals should address all the following activities. Proposals are encouraged to work together with additional relevant initiatives.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries that have made specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects. Test and demonstrate, in cooperation with stakeholders, the feasibility of biomass reporting in test regions of at least 10 countries across Europe with different potential of biomass supply.

Target Sector: The program targets the bioeconomy, environment, agriculture, food, biotechnology, biomanufacturing, natural resources, and circular economy sectors. The focus is on understanding and improving biomass flows, promoting sustainable biomass management, and supporting related businesses and administrations.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions "Europe" and refers to "at least 10 countries across Europe" for testing and demonstration purposes. It also mentions "EU level, including associated countries".

Project Stage: The project stage appears to span from research and development to demonstration and innovation, with an emphasis on testing and demonstrating the feasibility of biomass reporting. The 2050 outlook should be accompanied by scenarios on EU’s future bioresources regarding supply and demand.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action (RIA, IA, CSA), ranging from €3,000,000 to €18,000,000 in total budget per topic, with individual contributions ranging from around €3,000,000 to around €10,000,000 for RIAs and €5,000,000 to €6,000,000 for IAs.

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 lump sum grants to cover eligible costs.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants per topic is provided, allowing for an estimation of the potential success rate based on the number of expected proposals.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated, but as a Horizon Europe action, some level of co-funding or in-kind contributions might be expected, depending on the specific rules of the call and the type of applicant.

Summary: This Horizon Europe funding opportunity aims to enhance the understanding and sustainable management of biomass flows in Europe. It seeks to address challenges related to biomass production, use, and valorization by supporting research and innovation actions. The program encourages the development of innovative monitoring and assessment methods, digital tools, and updated estimates of biomass supply and demand. Projects should test and demonstrate the feasibility of biomass reporting in various European regions, contributing to EU policies related to bioeconomy, biotechnology, circular economy, and environmental sustainability. Eligible applicants include a wide range of stakeholders, such as research organizations, universities, SMEs, and large enterprises, who are encouraged to form consortia. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying budgets depending on the specific topic and type of action. The application process involves a single stage, and the indicative number of grants per topic provides some insight into the potential success rates.