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Towards a Europe of Bioeconomy Places

Horizon Europe · Grant topic

HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-06

Summary

A Polish company can use this call for R&D.

Funds development of sustainable Bioeconomy Places through local transitions, skills, capacity building and comparable environmental, social and economic indicators.

Who can apply
Companies can lead: SME, large company, startup, research org, university, public body, municipality.
Amount
€6M per projectTotal budget €12,000,000
Deadline
22 Sept 2027 02:00 CESTin 333 days
Status
Forthcomingopens 20 Apr 2027
Open on the portalRegister to keep this call

Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source.

Description

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• improved attractiveness of places through a systemic transition to “Bioeconomy Places”[1], leading to increased investment in the bio-based sectors, job creation and overall well-being of the population, while reducing environmental and climate impacts and promoting sustainable development;

• sustainable and qualified Bioeconomy Places based on environmental, social and economic indicators, including awareness and skills development, capacity building, food systems sustainability, and contribution to climate action and biodiversity goals, are developed, allowing for comparison (in terms of the elements outlined in this paragraph) and knowledge-sharing between different bioeconomy places.

Scope:

The local character of biomass and other biological resources and the high number of micro-companies and SMEs involved in sectors that deal with biological resources explain why research and innovations are best developed in line with the local and regional context. “Places” (geographical defined areas as defined in the previous footnote) play an important role in the transition to a sustainable and circular EU bioeconomy and have proven to act as a good platform for matching EU top-level policies and best practices with bottom-up entrepreneurship and innovation that is mobilised to meet an ambition and vision for the bioeconomy. Bioeconomy places are expected to lead the transition to a sustainable and circular bioeconomy by building their capacity to develop and deploy innovative bioeconomy solutions within a clearly defined local/regional governance framework and vision that is aligned to EU priorities and policies.

Proposals should:

• develop definitions of and benchmarks that can allow to qualify a “Place” as “Bioeconomy Place” (i.e. a label to be awarded to “Places” that meet the definitions and benchmarks developed as part of the project), linked to and built upon the groundwork laid by the Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs) for Bioeconomy and Food Systems, the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI)[2] and other relevant projects. They should relate to the ability of the place to fulfil environmental (including biodiversity), social and economic sustainability criteria using bioeconomy solutions (e.g. including Nature-based Solutions), with particular attention to the sustainability of sourced biomass, climate mitigation, biodiversity protection circularity, food systems, social fairness and competitiveness.

• set up at least three “Bioeconomy Place” pilot sites, which are expected to be located in at least three different EU Member States/Associated Countries. At least one of the pilot sites should be located fully or partially in Ukraine. In these sites, proposals should: • carry out an analysis on needs, strengths and opportunities that should include but is not limited to infrastructure (analysing physical and digital conditions for bioeconomy industrial clusters to be established), value chains (e.g. biomass sourcing mapping and industrial capacity mapping, with particular attention to SMEs and start-ups), consumer and civil society needs and awareness, skill readiness and

• devise, for each pilot site, a plan with commitments to transform the “Place” into a “Bioeconomy Place”, based on the analysis and benchmarks developed. These plans should: • foster multi-stakeholder partnerships with local actors, taking into account a gender-sensitive and inclusive approach and the specific needs of groups in vulnerable situations;

• establish synergies between urban, rural (where relevant, coastal) areas to optimise resource flows and promote the creation of new business models, value chains and jobs;

• develop training programmes that enhance technical and entrepreneurial skills, including biotechnology and digital skills relevant to the bioeconomy;

• provide capacity-building for bioeconomy stakeholders on access to funding and capital and on how to prepare bankable projects and attract private capital; and

• provide policy recommendations on how to progress in the deployment of bioeconomy solutions ensuring circularity.

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach, involving educational and employment institutions, industrial actors, unions and local and regional authorities in order to co-create the knowledge and adapted solutions to foster the establishment of Bioeconomy Places across Europe. Collaboration among all the pilot sites set up under the projects of this topic should be fostered. Proposals are encouraged to incorporate and advance the knowledge and findings from previously funded EU projects[3] and work with projects from topics under this WP. All projects under this topic need to closely collaborate.

Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL.

[1] For the purposes of this topic, Bioeconomy Places are understood as geographically-defined areas (such as regions, their sub-entities, groups of municipalities, rural or urban, including cross-border) where bioeconomy solutions are used for sustainable prosperity and community well-being considering the specific needs, strengths and potential of each place.

[2] Both the RIV and CCRI initiatives have already tested place-based circular bioeconomy solutions, fostering local innovation ecosystems and stakeholder collaboration. "Bioeconomy places" can leverage these established networks and lessons learned to scale up successful models, tailor solutions to regional strengths, and ensure coherence across EU territories in delivering a resilient and sustainable bioeconomy.

[3] For example, projects funded under H2020-RUR-09-2018, HORIZON-CL6-2021-CIRCBIO-01-08, HORIZON-CL6-2023-CIRCBIO-01-7, HORIZON-CL6-2023-CIRCBIO-01-10 and H2020_RUR-09-2018.

Who can apply, in detail
Applicant types
SME, Large company, Startup, Research org, University, Public body, Municipality
Purpose
Research and innovation
R&D relevance
2 of 3
Poland eligible
Yes
Country limit
—
Region
Any
Consortium
Unclear
Readiness level (TRL)
—
Topics
  • Regional bioeconomy
  • Bio-based sectors
  • Sustainability indicators
  • Local capacity building

Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source. 23 Oct 2026

Conditions16

Typed facts extracted from the source documents by Scindu's grant-data review. Each value keeps its own conditions. Unknown means unstated, not zero or unlimited.

Applicant restriction
General Annex B also excludes public Chinese universities administered by or under the supervision of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) from any action under all parts of this Work Programme. This records a source-stated potential eligibility restriction; it does not adjudicate any applicant’s status.
Applicant restriction
General Annex B bars legal entities established in China from Innovation Actions and, unless a stated destination exception applies, from Research and Innovation Actions, including participation in any capacity for the listed IA/RIA restrictions. The exact CIRCBIO destination heading is not among the enumerated Cluster 6 RIA exceptions. Topic 08 separately states the control rule for this exact topic.
Applicant restriction
General Annex B excludes entities subject to EU restrictive measures from participation in any capacity and refers to special rules for entities covered by Commission Guidelines 2013/C 205/05 on Israeli entities and activities in territories occupied since June 1967. Eligibility under these rules depends on the entity and activity; this review does not make an applicant-specific determination.
Applicant restriction
General Annex B states that Hungarian public-interest trusts established under Act IX of 2021 and entities they maintain may apply and, if allowed by call conditions, participate as associated partners without EU funding; while the Council measures remain in force, they are not eligible in funded roles. This records the published rule and does not determine the status of a particular entity or current Council measures.
Applicant restriction
General Annex B states that entities established in Russia, Belarus or non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine are not eligible in any participation capacity, subject to justified case-by-case exceptions. It also states that entities established outside Russia but more than 50% directly or indirectly owned by a Russia-established entity are not eligible in any capacity. This is the published programme rule, not a determination about a particular applicant.
Applicant type
Unless a specific topic exception modifies it, the standard minimum is three independent legal-entity beneficiaries from three different countries: one Member State plus two others from different Member States or Associated Countries. Affiliated entities do not count toward that minimum.
Application restriction
2027-09-22, 17:00 Brussels local time (published call deadline; Commission may delay by up to two months)
Application restriction
2027-04-20 (planned opening date)
Application restriction
This is the Call 01 single-stage 2027 route. The separate -01-two-stage and -02-two-stage topics are distinct topic records, not alternate stages of this exact record.
Eligible project scope
Research and Innovation Actions
Eligible project scope
Develop definitions and benchmarks for Bioeconomy Places and establish at least three pilot sites, expected to be located across at least three different EU Member States/Associated Countries; at least one site should be fully or partly located in Ukraine. Each site includes needs/opportunity analysis and a place-transition plan; proposals must apply the multi-actor approach involving education/employment institutions, industry, unions and local/regional authorities.
Other condition
At least three Bioeconomy Place pilot sites are required; they are expected to be located in at least three different EU Member States or Associated Countries, and at least one site should be located fully or partly in Ukraine.
Other condition
The Work Programme overview gives an indicative expected award count of 2 project(s) for this topic; it is a planning figure, not a guaranteed award count.
Other condition
The proposal must implement the multi-actor approach, involving educational and employment institutions, industrial actors, unions and local and regional authorities.
Technology readiness level at end, maximum
5 TRL

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project; activities may start at any TRL. This is an expected result target, not an applicant eligibility threshold.

Technology readiness level at end, minimum
5 TRL

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project; activities may start at any TRL. This is an expected result target, not an applicant eligibility threshold.

Amounts and costs8
Indicative budget
€12,000,000

Topic budget as stated in the portal's budget table. Lump-sum and per-project limits are in the call conditions.

Eligible cost
The project-based detailed lump-sum budget is an estimate per cost category, beneficiary/affiliated entity and work package. Its inputs must approximate actual costs, follow the programme’s actual-cost eligibility rules, the beneficiary’s normal practices, be reasonable/non-excessive, and be necessary and aligned to proposed activities. These estimates justify/fix the contribution; they are not actual-cost claims.
Eligible cost
SEDIA identifies the Horizon Lump Sum Grant model; the Lump Sum MGA pays a contribution for completed work packages according to the signed agreement, not reimbursement of each actual payroll or supplier invoice. Topic text explicitly invokes the Lump Sum Decision for those topics that state the legal/financial exception.
Eligible cost
Travel/subsistence, equipment and other goods/works/services are categories in the underlying Horizon cost model; the amount may be included in a lump-sum estimate only where the item would be eligible under actual-cost rules and is needed for the proposed activities. This packet does not assert that a specific purchase is authorized in the final budget.
Eligible cost
Subcontracting may be included in the detailed estimate only where necessary and otherwise eligible; the underlying Horizon MGA rules require usual purchasing practices, best value for money (or lowest price where appropriate), and no conflict of interest. Under the lump-sum model the contribution is not reimbursed invoice-by-invoice.
Eligible cost limit
25 percent of eligible direct costs for actual-cost MGA budget calculations; exclusions as stated in conditions

The general Horizon Europe MGA flat-rate base excludes eligible direct costs for subcontracting, financial support to third parties and unit costs or lump sums that include indirect costs. For a project-based lump sum, any indirect-cost amount is only part of the estimated Annex 2 breakdown if applicable; this is not a separate 25% payment on top of the lump sum. If the beneficiary receives an operating grant, the lump-sum guidance says indirect cost estimates are not eligible.

Funding intensity, maximum
100 percent of eligible costs (general action-type maximum)

General Horizon Europe maximum for RIA: 100% of eligible costs. For lump-sum grants the funding rate is already applied in the methodology used to fix the amount; it is not an additional multiplier to apply to the indicative project contribution or topic allocation. Final grant parameters are fixed in the signed grant agreement.

Expected contribution per project
€6,000,000

Around this expected EU contribution per project. It is an estimate, not a minimum, maximum or binding cap; the Commission explicitly permits proposals requesting different amounts.

Topic allocation
€12,000,000

Topic-level indicative call allocation; not an amount per project or individual beneficiary. The Work Programme says the call budget is subject to availability of appropriations.

Personnel and services4

  • Other role

    Staff cost the grant can fund

    Natural persons under a direct contract other than an employment contract may be estimated only when assigned to the action, meeting employee-like working conditions, with the result belonging to the beneficiary unless otherwise agreed. The amount follows the underlying actual contract cost and may not differ significantly from similar employee tasks; no salary rate is published.

  • Other role

    Staff cost the grant can fund

    Costs for employees under an employment contract or equivalent appointing act, assigned to the action. For this lump-sum call this is a budget-estimate category subject to corresponding actual-cost eligibility rules, not an advertised role, required hire, headcount or salary-rate entitlement.

  • Other role

    Staff cost the grant can fund

    Seconded-person personnel-cost estimates require assignment to the action, employee-like working conditions, result ownership by the beneficiary unless otherwise agreed, and an amount tied to actual secondment cost that is not significantly different from comparable employee tasks. No job, headcount or pay rate is specified.

  • Other role

    Staff cost the grant can fund

    The action-related work of a beneficiary SME owner or natural-person beneficiary receiving no salary may be included under the personnel unit-cost method in Annex 2a where general eligibility conditions are met. It is not a payroll salary and this review does not assert a unit amount.

Source documents6
Call facts
Opens
20 Apr 2027
Deadline model
Single-stage
Programme
Horizon Europe · 2021 - 2027
Call
HORIZON-CL6-2027-01 · Call 01 - single stage (2027)
Types of action
HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Keywords
  • Ukraine
  • bioeconomy
  • biomanufacturing
  • biotech
  • capacity building
  • circular economy
  • local and regional authorities
  • rural development
  • skills development
Source
ec.europa.eu
Checked
24 Oct 2026
Portal updated
7 Oct 2026
Review status
Partial review
Reviewed
23 Oct 2026

This is a summary of the source page, not the official text. Eligibility, conditions and the submission system are at the source.