Horizon Europe HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01: Improving Circularity of Multilayer Flexible Plastic Food Contact Packaging
Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-11 10:35
Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call for proposals targeting improved circularity of multilayer flexible plastic food contact packaging. EU contribution EUR 5-6 million per project (total budget EUR 11 million). Requires consortia of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 EU/Associated Countries. TRL 6-8 expected. Opens 17 April 2026, deadline 17 September 2026.
Funding Details
- Funder
- European Commission (Horizon Europe)
- Funding Goal
- Advance marketable solutions for improving circularity of multilayer flexible plastic food contact packaging. Proposals must improve eco-design, demonstrate large-scale sorting and recycling technologies (including digital solutions such as AI, watermarking, digital product passport), and achieve food-contact-compliant recycled plastic from post-consumer packaging films. Activities must demonstrate solutions at industrial scale involving the full value chain, from raw material producers and converters to brand owners, waste managers, and recyclers.
- Funding Amount
- EUR 5-6 million EU contribution per project; total indicative budget EUR 11 million. Lump sum grant (HORIZON-AG-LS). (5.000.000 € – 6.000.000 €)
- Deadline
- 2026-09-17 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Submit via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Call opens 17 April 2026; submission session opened 5 May 2026. Single-stage submission. Application form available in the Portal submission system.
- Target Region
- EU Member States and Associated Countries (global applicability of results expected)
- Contact
- EU Funding & Tenders Portal IT Helpdesk; National Contact Points (NCPs); Research Enquiry Service
- Official Page
- https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl6-2026-01-circbio-01
- Last Checked
- 2026-05-07 03:40
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
This Horizon Europe Innovation Action call (HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01) funds large-scale demonstration projects to improve the circularity of multilayer flexible plastic food contact packaging in the European Union. The call sits within the Cluster 6 destination 'Circular economy and biobased sectors 2026-27' and supports the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Single Use Plastics Directive, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and Zero Pollution Action Plan. The thematic scope is highly specific: proposals must advance mono-material multilayer flexible plastic food contact packaging design for effective end-of-life collection, sorting, and recycling into food-contact-compliant recycled plastic. Priority technologies include AI-based sorting, watermarking, digital product passports, chemical/mechanical separation, purification, and decontamination technologies that can demonstrate compliance with EU food contact regulations (Regulation 2022/1616 and Regulation 1935/2004). Eligible activities include eco-design improvements, large-scale demonstration of individual or combined physical and digital sorting technologies, demonstration of recycling technologies enabling food-contact-grade output, and demonstration of pathways to increase recycled content in new food packaging. Projects must evaluate solutions using lifecycle assessment and product environmental footprint methods, and demonstrate industrial-scale implementation. Geographic scope covers EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Legal entities established in China are explicitly excluded. The call is global in that results are expected to contribute to EU single-market uptake of sustainable products. Eligible applicants are any legal entities (research institutes, universities, companies, NGOs, SMEs) from at least 3 different eligible countries forming a minimum consortium of 3 partners. The call strongly encourages engagement of the full value chain: primary and secondary raw material producers, polymer and additive suppliers, converters, agri-food suppliers, brand owners, retailers, waste managers, and recyclers. Target beneficiaries include industry value chains and, ultimately, consumers and civil society who benefit from recyclable food packaging. The EU contribution per project is EUR 5-6 million as a lump sum grant, with total indicative call budget of EUR 11 million. Projects are expected to reach TRL 6-8 by end of project. Deadline is 17 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.
Historical Context
Part of Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Cluster 6 Call 01 (HORIZON-CL6-2026-01). Topic destination: Circular economy and biobased sectors (2026-27). This call is part of the broader EU Green Deal implementation and supports the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
Why it was added
Deep Search PC1-1: Directly targets plastic packaging circularity under Horizon Europe Cluster 6, high relevance for circular economy plastics funding
Sources
- https://horizon-europe.gouv.fr/improving-circularity-multilayer-flexible-plastic-food-contact-packaging-41946
- https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl6-2026-01-circbio-01
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