
The CBE JU 2025 call for project proposals is now open for submission. A total of €172 million will be dedicated to advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe across 13 topics. All stakeholders of the circular bio-based sector can apply before the deadline of 18 September 2025, 17:00 Brussels time.
13 funding topics to support three CBE JU objectives
In 2025, CBE JU will continue to support the scaling up of technologies leading to industrial deployment, thus boosting investment and job creation at regional and local level, in line with the CBE JU objectives:
- Accelerate the innovation process and development of bio-based innovative solutions
- Accelerate market deployment of existing mature and innovative bio-based solutions
- Ensure a high level of environmental performance of bio-based industrial systems
Project applicants will support the implementation of these objectives via 13 topics with a total indicative budget of €172 million. Following an amendment of the CBE JU Work Programme 2025, the call budget has been increased in several topics.
Innovation actions – flagship (IA-flagship)
- Urban-industrial symbiosis for bio-waste valorisation - €20 million
- Bio-based drop-ins/smart drop-in platform chemicals, via cost-effective, sustainable and resource-efficient conversion of biomass - €20 million
- Circular-by-design fibre-based packaging with improved properties - €20 million
- Retrofitting of (bio)refineries industrial plants towards higher-value bio-based products - €20 million
Innovation actions (IA)
- Sustainable macroalgae systems for innovative, added-value applications: cultivation and optimised production systems - €14 million
- Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) bio-based solutions to replace hazardous conventional chemicals for textiles production - €14 million
- Scaling-up nutritional proteins from alternative sources - €14 million
- Cost-effective and robust continuous biotech bio-based processes - €14 million
- SSbD bio-based polymers/copolymers unlocking new market applications - €14 million
Research and innovation actions (RIA)
- Valorisation of untapped forest biomass - €7 million
- Bio-based and biodegradable delivery systems for fertilising products to reduce microplastics pollution & promote soil health - €7 million
- Alternative biomanufacturing routes for natural and synthetic rubber - €7 million
Coordination and support actions (CSA)
- Develop and deploy new curricula and knowledge exchange practices relevant to bio-based systems - €1 million
Three types of projects invited for funding
CBE JU will fund three types of actions:
- Innovation Actions (IAs) will scale up activities from prototype to product validation and market replication. Among them, Flagships (IA-FLAGs) will deploy the first-of-its-kind industrial and commercial scale production plant in the European market.
- Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) will establish new knowledge or explore the feasibility of new or improved technology, product, process, service or solution.
- Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs) will structure stakeholder communities, support technological visions and outreach, and disseminate and exploit research results, among other objectives.
Look at each topic text to see the required type of action and at the call page for further information on the types of action.
What are the requirements for participation?
The call encourages the participation of a wide range of stakeholders - farmers, brand owners, companies, research organisations and local authorities, to name just a few - to support the deployment of bio-based solutions.
The proposal submission requirements are detailed in the call documents published on each topic page.
The CBE JU call’s budget comes from Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation funding programme. It is published on the EU’s Funding & tender opportunities portal.
As of 3 April 2025, applicants can submit their proposal electronically, following the link from the respective topic page.
Please consult the Horizon Europe online manual for more information on submitting proposals. For general questions related to Horizon Europe procedures and IT issues, please contact the Research Enquiry Service or the IT helpdesk respectively. For specific questions related to CBE JU, please contact info [at] cbe.europa.eu.
What are the changes after the publication of the amended 2025 work programme?
CBE JU founding partners have amended the partnership’s annual work programme to increase the call for projects budget to €172 million and to update its topics. Some CBE JU-specific requirements have changed, and the deadline to submit project proposals is extended. Take a look at all changes.
What happens after the proposal submission?
After the call closure on 18 September 2025, CBE JU will organise the evaluation of the submitted proposals with the help of external experts selected from the European Commission’s expert database. Take a look at the evaluation criteria outlined in the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2025.
The proposals selected for funding will be known in mid February 2026 at the latest. If the subsequent Grant Agreement Preparation (GAP) is successful, the grant agreements with the selected project teams will be signed by mid-May 2026 at the latest.
Where to find more information?
Take a look at the call page for more information and follow the links to the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2025, as well as FAQ for applicants. Please keep an eye on updates of this FAQ, as its section 6 contains a Q&A related to topic interpretation.
CBE JU has launched a free networking platform to help stakeholders get in touch with each other, pitch their project ideas or offer their services and search for partners. Join over 1,000 CBE JU community members on the platform and schedule meetings with your future project partners.
You can also watch back the CBE JU Info Day about the call and download the presentations from the event website.