Optimise the usage of resources in a circular economy (Horizon Europe Cluster 4)
Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 15:31
Horizon Europe Cluster 4 call HORIZON-CL4-2026-01-MAT-PROD-04 supporting resource optimization in circular economy. Funds plastic waste recycling, sustainable value chains, and circular economy transitions. RIA type, budget EUR 28M, opens 06.01.2026, deadline 21.04.2026.
Funding Details
- Funder
- European Commission — Horizon Europe Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space)
- Funding Goal
- Optimise the usage of resources in a circular economy through the Processes4Planet and Clean Steel industrial partnership frameworks; fund research and innovation to increase recycling of production waste and by-products, reduce raw material and energy usage, and decrease import dependency on critical raw materials in industrial processes
- Funding Amount
- Part of Horizon Europe Cluster 4 Work Programme 2026-2027; specific budget per topic not stated on the reviewed page; individual topics in the parent call range from EUR 8-15 million
- Deadline
- 2026-04-21 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Submit via EU Funding & Tenders Portal at ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders. Topic ID: HORIZON-CL4-2026-01-MAT-PROD-04. Applications must include Part A (online) and Part B (PDF, max 48 pages + 3 pages for business/exploitation strategy). Include plan for exploitation and dissemination of results. See https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal for details.
- Target Region
- EU Member States and Associated Countries (worldwide eligible for participation but not all for funding)
- Contact
- National Contact Points for Horizon Europe: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-15 11:16
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
This Horizon Europe Cluster 4 call (HORIZON-CL4-2026-01-MAT-PROD-04) funds research and innovation to optimise resource use in a circular economy, specifically through the Processes4Planet and Clean Steel co-funded European partnership frameworks. The call addresses industrial manufacturing process industries seeking to minimise waste, increase recycling of production residuals and by-products, and reduce dependency on imported critical raw materials. Thematic scope covers: recycling of iron-containing or other production waste and by-products; recovery of critical and strategic raw materials and ferroalloys; minimisation of raw materials, fresh water, and energy consumption; reduction of environmental impacts (ecosystem and habitat degradation); and reduction of impurities in materials for strategic applications. The Processes4Planet strand focuses on industrial process decarbonisation and circular economy in heavy industries; the Clean Steel strand focuses on steel production with reduced CO2. Eligible activities are at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4-5 at start, targeting TRL 6 by project end. Activities include applied research, demonstration, piloting, and validation of industrial circular economy solutions. Digital technologies (AI, robotics, automation) for industrial process optimisation are encouraged. The geographic scope is the EU and associated countries. Consortium members must include at least three independent legal entities from different countries, with at least one EU Member State. A wide range of applicants are eligible including NGOs, research institutions, companies, SMEs, and public bodies. Deadline: 21 April 2026. Applications are submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Part B (technical description) limited to 48 pages plus 3 additional pages for exploitation strategy. Budget details for specific topics are available in the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027 Cluster 4 document.
Historical Context
This call is part of the Horizon Europe 2026-2027 Work Programme for Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space). The Processes4Planet partnership is a co-funded European Partnership focused on decarbonisation of process industries. Previous Processes4Planet and Clean Steel calls were part of 2021-2025 work programmes.