Horizon Europe CIRCBIO-01 2026 — Improving Circularity of Multilayer Flexible Plastic Food Contact Packaging
Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-14 21:30
Innovation Action call under Horizon Europe Cluster 6 targeting industrial-scale innovations to enable circular use of food-contact multilayer flexible plastic packaging, with EUR 11 million budget and deadline 17 September 2026.
Funding Details
- Funder
- REA / European Commission (Horizon Europe Cluster 6)
- Funding Goal
- Develop innovative solutions to improve the circularity and recyclability of multilayer flexible plastic food contact packaging, reducing dependence on virgin fossil-based plastics
- Funding Amount
- ~€8-12M per project (Innovation Action — IA type, 70% funding rate for for-profit entities, 100% for non-profits and research bodies) (8.000.000 € – 12.000.000 €)
- Deadline
- 2026-09-17 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Single-stage submission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Full proposal submitted directly. Opened April 17, 2026. Electronic submission only.
- Target Region
- EU and associated countries. Focus on European plastic packaging supply chains. Global market applicability expected.
- Last Checked
- 2026-05-06 11:35
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Constraints
Summary
HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01 is an open Innovation Action (IA) call under Horizon Europe Cluster 6 addressing one of the most persistent plastic packaging challenges: multilayer flexible plastic food contact packaging. These materials — think laminated pouches, flexible sachets, and multi-material wrappers — are notoriously difficult to recycle because separating their constituent layers (often PE, PP, PET, aluminium, and adhesive layers combined) is technically complex and economically unviable at scale. The call opened April 17, 2026, with a single-stage deadline of September 17, 2026. Thematic scope covers: development of recyclable-by-design multilayer packaging replacing current unrecyclable formats; sorting and separation technologies for mixed flexible plastic waste streams; chemical recycling pathways for food-grade multilayer materials; mechanical recycling process improvements; bio-based or mono-material alternatives to multilayer structures; end-of-life design approaches enabling collection, sorting, and reprocessing; and consumer behaviour and extended producer responsibility frameworks supporting packaging circularity. Eligible activities: innovation demonstrations at scale, process development and pilot installations, supply chain integration projects, life-cycle assessment and environmental performance measurement, regulatory and standardisation support, and capacity building for recycling operators. The IA call type means projects should advance from TRL 4-5 toward TRL 7-8 — demonstrable at relevant scale. Geographic scope: EU and associated countries, with primary focus on European packaging value chains. Third-country cooperation allowed when directly relevant. Eligible applicants: minimum consortium of 3 from 3 EU countries. Universities, research institutes, SMEs, large industry, NGOs, and public bodies all eligible. Non-profit and research entities receive 100% funding; for-profit companies receive 70%. NGOs can participate as consortium partners, particularly for dissemination, stakeholder engagement, or policy components. Total budget approximately €8-12M per project; 2-3 projects expected from call envelope. This call is particularly relevant for organisations working in the full packaging value chain — from design through collection, sorting, and reprocessing — and those developing or scaling EPR systems for flexible plastics. Danish and Baltic packaging industry stakeholders are natural partners.
Historical Context
Predecessor calls: HORIZON-CL6-2024-CircBio-02-2 (Increasing circularity in plastics value chains, closed 2024). Annual cycle pattern for CIRCBIO topics. CIRCBIO-01 specifically focuses on multilayer packaging — a gap identified in the 2024 call. Next edition expected 2027-2028.
Why it was added
grant-scan-list6-2026-03-14