Publication date:
Today, CBE JU published its 2024 call for project proposals. A total of €213 million will be dedicated to advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe across 18 topics. All stakeholders of the circular bio-based sector can apply before the deadline of 18 September 2024, 17:00 Brussels time.
18 funding topics to support three CBE JU objectives
In 2024, 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 18 topics with a total indicative budget of €213 million:
Innovation actions – flagship (IA-flagship)
- Bio-based value chains for valorisation of sustainable oil crops - €20 million
- Bio-based dedicated platform chemicals via cost-effective, sustainable and resource-efficient conversion of biomass - €20 million
Bio-based value chains for valorisation of sustainable natural fibre feedstock - €20 million
Innovation actions (IA)
- Bio-based materials and products for biodegradable in-soil applications - €15 million
- Sustainable microalgae as feedstock for innovative, added-value applications - €15 million
- Enlarging the portfolio of commercially produced “Safe and Sustainable by design” (SSbD) solvents - €15 million
- Circular and SSbD bio-based construction & building materials with functional properties - €15 million
- Selective and sustainable (co)-production of lignin-derived aromatics - €15 million
- Innovative bio-based adhesives and binders for circular products meeting market requirements - €15 million
- Innovative conversion of biogenic gaseous carbon into bio-based chemicals, ingredients, materials - €15 million
Research and innovation actions (RIA)
- Valorisation of polluted/contaminated wood from industrial and post-consumer waste streams - €7 million
- Biotech routes to obtain bio-based chemicals/materials replacing animal-derived ones - €7 million
- Sustainable, bio-based alternatives for crop protection - €10 million
- SSbD bio-based coating materials for applications under demanding and/or extreme conditions - €7 million
- Innovative bio-based food/feed ingredients - €7 million
Coordination and support actions (CSA)
- New forms of cooperation in agriculture and the forest-based sector - €4 million
- Mobilise inclusive participation in bio-based systems and supporting the CBE JU widening strategy and its action plan - €3 million
- Supporting the CBE JU Deployment Group on Primary Producers - €3 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.
Since 24 April 2024, 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 happens after the proposal submission?
After the call closure on 18 September 2024, 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 2024.
The proposals selected for funding will be known in early February 2025 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 2025 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 2024, 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 1,400 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.