REA - Horizon Europe Cluster 6 Funding and Grants Portal
Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-10 13:31
European Research Executive Agency portal for Horizon Europe Cluster 6 grants including circular economy and bioeconomy sectors, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Manages implementation of Cluster 6 calls for proposals.
Funding Details
- Funder
- European Research Executive Agency (REA) / European Commission
- Funding Goal
- Fund research and innovation projects under Horizon Europe Cluster 6 to develop solutions for sustainable and circular management of natural resources, including food systems, bioeconomy, circular economy, biodiversity, ecosystem services, clean environment, and climate action. The 2026 calls include 11 topics on improving plastic food packaging, textile recycling technologies, critical raw material recovery, bio-based innovation, and circular cities. Total 2026 budget for Circular Economy and Bioeconomy sector alone is approximately EUR 129 million.
- Funding Amount
- Variable by topic: EUR 101 million indicative budget for single-stage Circular Economy call (11 topics); EUR 28 million for two-stage Circular Cities call (2 topics). Typical Horizon Europe grants range from EUR 2-10 million per project.
- Deadline
- 2026-09-17 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Applications submitted via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal at https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/. Single-stage call: submit full proposal by 17 September 2026. Two-stage call (Circular Cities): Stage 1 closed 16 April 2026; Stage 2 submit by 23 September 2026. Register on the portal, form consortium, prepare full proposal using standard Horizon Europe templates (Part A administrative data; Part B scientific/technical content).
- Target Region
- EU Member States and Horizon Europe associated countries (global scope for project activities)
- Contact
- EU Funding and Tenders Portal helpdesk; REA info days recordings available at https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/events/upcoming-events/horizon-europe-info-days-cluster-6-2026-01-22_en
- Last Checked
- 2026-05-07 08:44
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
The European Research Executive Agency (REA) manages the implementation of Horizon Europe Cluster 6, titled 'Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment.' The 2026 round of calls within this cluster funds research and innovation projects aiming at a greener Europe, focused on sustainable and circular management of natural resources. This REA page serves as the central hub for all Cluster 6 calls and links applicants to the EU Funding and Tenders Portal where proposals are submitted. The thematic scope of Cluster 6 2026 calls is broad. For circular economy and bioeconomy, 11 topics cover improving plastic food packaging circularity, textile recycling technologies, critical raw material recovery from waste streams, bio-based innovation, and bioeconomy standardisation. Two additional topics address the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative. Clean environment and zero pollution calls address pollution reduction and monitoring. Biodiversity and ecosystem services calls support nature conservation and restoration. Land, oceans and water for climate action calls were closed on 14 April 2026. Eligible activities under these calls are research and innovation projects - typically collaborative, transnational R&I consortia that combine scientific excellence with clear societal impact. Activities include technology development, demonstration pilots, data collection, modelling, and knowledge transfer. Projects in the circular economy topic specifically focus on improving recyclability of materials, developing new recycling technologies, and scaling up circular value chains. Geographically, applicants must be based in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries, but projects can cover any region globally. All EU member states, including Denmark, are eligible. Consortium formation across at least 3 countries is required. Eligible applicants include research organisations, universities, SMEs, large companies, NGOs, associations, and public bodies. NGOs and non-profits can participate as consortium members or lead applicants if they have the required research or innovation capacity. The programme is highly competitive, with selection based on Excellence, Impact, and Quality/Efficiency of implementation. Funding rates are typically 100% for non-profit entities and 70% for profit-making organisations. The Circular Economy single-stage call has an indicative budget of EUR 101 million; the Circular Cities two-stage call has EUR 28 million. The deadline for the single-stage call is 17 September 2026; the two-stage call second stage is 23 September 2026.
Historical Context
Horizon Europe Cluster 6 is part of the EU's EUR 95.5 billion Horizon Europe research framework programme (2021-2027). The 2026-2027 Work Programme was launched on 10 December 2025, with EUR 14 billion total allocated across the framework. Annual calls have been issued since 2021. The 2026 Circular Economy call (HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO) specifically includes topics on plastic packaging, textile recycling, and critical materials recovery.
Why it was added
REA implementation portal for Horizon Europe Cluster 6 grants - practical entry point for aquaculture funding applications
Sources
- https://rea.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/horizon-europe-cluster-6-food-bioeconomy-natural-resources-agriculture-and-environment_en
- https://rea.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/horizon-europe-cluster-6-food-bioeconomy-natural-resources-agriculture-and-environment/circular-economy-and-bioeconomy-sectors_en
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