Horizon Europe Cluster 6 - Circular Economy and Bioeconomy (2026)

Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 16:24

Horizon Europe call for research and innovation proposals in circular economy and bioeconomy. Topics include improving plastic food packaging, textile recycling technologies, critical raw material recovery, and standardization. Up to 101 million euros available. Open to NGOs and non-profit organizations via Funding and Tenders Portal.

Source: 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

Funding Details

Funder

European Commission / Research Executive Agency (REA)

Funding Goal

Advance circular economy and bioeconomy solutions including plastics recycling, packaging circularity, textile recovery, and critical raw material recovery through industrial-scale research and innovation

Funding Amount

EUR 101M total envelope (single-stage call); EUR 28M for two-stage CCRI call; individual topic budgets from EUR 11M to EUR 28M (11.000.000 € – 101.000.000 €)

Deadline

2026-09-17 (Fixed)

How to Apply

Register on EU Funding and Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Obtain PIC code for each consortium partner. Single-stage: submit full proposal by 17 September 2026. Two-stage (CCRI topics): outline by 16 April 2026, full proposal by 23 September 2026.

Target Region

EU and Horizon Europe associated countries; international collaboration welcome

Contact

REA contact via EU Funding and Tenders Portal helpdesk; National Contact Points (NCPs) in Denmark via Innovationsfonden / Danish NCP

Last Checked

2026-03-14 20:38

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Consortium must include min. 3 legal entities from 3 different eligible countries
• All partners must be established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries for funding
• Denmark is an EU Member State — Danish NGOs are fully eligible as consortium partners
• NGOs explicitly listed as eligible organisation type

Project Scope

• Topic CIRCBIO-01 targets plastic food packaging circularity — most relevant to plastic recycling operations
• Partners with demonstrable plastic waste practice (collection, sorting, recycling) add value as associated partners

Required Documents

• Single-stage call: full proposal by 17 September 2026
• Two-stage CCRI call: outline (10 pages max) by 16 April 2026

Constraints

• Entities from China cannot participate in any capacity
• Focus is on EU/European circular value chains; developing country operations not core scope

Summary

Horizon Europe Cluster 6 Call HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO funds research and innovation in circular economy and bioeconomy sectors. The 2026 call carries a total budget of approximately EUR 101 million across 11 single-stage topics, opening 17 April 2026 with a deadline of 17 September 2026. A separate two-stage call for Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) topics carries EUR 28 million, with an outline deadline of 16 April 2026 and full proposal deadline of 23 September 2026. Key topics in the 2026 call include: improving circularity of multilayer flexible plastic food contact packaging (CIRCBIO-01, EUR 11M); advancing recycling technologies for mixed post-consumer textiles; critical raw material recovery from waste streams; bio-based innovation and standardisation; and consumer electronics circularity. The call targets industrial-scale innovations that demonstrate viable circular value chains, with emphasis on scaling proven technologies. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, NGOs, public authorities, and international organisations established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries. Each consortium must include at least three independent legal entities from at least three eligible countries. Partners from Denmark (DTU, Aalborg University, CBS) frequently participate as research leaders or consortium members in Cluster 6 calls. For this organisation, the most relevant potential entry point is the plastic packaging topic (CIRCBIO-01) or consortium partnerships with Danish universities such as DTU Sustain or Aalborg University Centre for Circular Economy, which have existing Horizon Europe networks. As a practice partner bringing real-world plastic waste value chain operations from Africa and Southeast Asia, the organisation could strengthen the social impact and global scalability dimensions of a Danish-led Horizon consortium.

Historical Context

Cluster 6 circular economy calls have run annually since 2021 under Horizon Europe. Previous rounds (2022, 2023, 2024) funded projects like UPCYCLE (plastic biorefineries, incl. DTU Sustain) and CircularTex. The 2026-2027 Work Programme significantly expands circularity as a cross-cutting priority. Annual recurrence expected through 2027.

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