Horizon Europe Cluster 6 - Plastics Circularity Calls

Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-11 13:18

EU program with EUR 115M invested in plastics circularity 2021-2024. Funding EUR 3-12M per project at 100% eligible costs. Supports circular food packaging, multilayer flexible plastics recycling, biodegradable materials development.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl6-2026-circbio-01

Funding Details

Contact

IT Helpdesk: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/helpdesks/contact-form | Research Enquiry Service: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/contact-us/research-enquiry-service_en | National Contact Points (NCPs): https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp

Last Checked

2026-04-20 10:24

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Organisation must be a legal entity established in an EU member state or Horizon Europe associated country (entities from China are explicitly excluded).
• Consortium must include stakeholders from across the full plastics value chain: raw material producers, converters, brand owners/retailers, waste managers, and recyclers.

Project Scope

• Project must specifically address mono-material multilayer flexible plastic food contact packaging — circularity from post-consumer waste back to food-contact-compliant recycled plastic.
• Demonstrated solutions must reach TRL 6–8 by project end and operate at industrial scale.
• Lifecycle assessment (e.g. product environmental footprint) and robust evaluation of economic, environmental, and social costs/benefits must be included in the proposal.

Required Documents

• Submit application via EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the standard HE IA application form; organisation must be registered in the Participant Register.
• Grant is a lump sum (HORIZON-AG-LS) — a detailed budget table must be completed and submitted alongside the application form.

Constraints

• Proposals must demonstrate compliance with EU food contact regulations (Regulation 2022/1616 and Regulation 1935/2004).

Historical Context

The initial snippet references €115M invested in plastics circularity under Horizon Europe 2021–2024. The 2026–2027 work programme continues this trajectory under Cluster 6. The CIRCBIO series under CL6-2026-01 includes at least 11 topics (CIRCBIO-01 through CIRCBIO-11) totalling over €100M in this round alone.

Why it was added

Major EU funding for plastics recycling technology and circularity, substantial grants available

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