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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core objective: To demonstrate reduced energy use and optimized flexible energy supply for industrial bio-based systems.
Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: Organizations capable of implementing and demonstrating innovative solutions in industrial settings, often implying mid-to-large entities or consortia due to the scope of industrial demonstration.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC: This grant specifically targets bio-based industries, with clear exclusions for food/feed, biofuels, bioenergy, and cultural/recreation sectors.
Geographic scope and any location requirements: EU Member States and Associated Countries.
Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Focus on energy efficiency, flexible energy supply, and renewable energy integration within industrial bio-based systems for climate neutrality and reduced air pollutants.
Grant frequency and program context: This is a specific call under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, part of Cluster 6 'Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment', contributing to the European Green Deal.

Financial Structure

Funding per individual grant: EUR 5,500,000.
Total budget allocated for this topic: EUR 11,000,000 (expected to fund 2 grants).
Currency: EUR.
Eligible costs: Will be determined according to the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement (MGA). Generally includes personnel costs, travel, equipment, other goods and services, and indirect costs.
Ineligible costs: Not specified in this document, but standard Horizon Europe rules apply.
Funding rate: For Innovation Actions (IA) under Horizon Europe, the maximum funding rate is typically 70% of eligible costs for for-profit entities. For non-profit entities (e.g., universities, research organizations, public bodies), it can be up to 100% of eligible costs.
Co-financing: Applicants (especially for-profit organizations) are expected to provide co-financing to cover the remaining percentage of eligible costs.
Financial reporting: Requirements are detailed in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type and Structure

Any legal entity is eligible, typically including companies (SMEs, enterprises), research organizations, universities, and public bodies.
The 'multi-actor approach' is encouraged, strongly implying that applications from consortia (groups of organizations working together) are highly preferred.
Applicants must meet the financial and operational capacity requirements detailed in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Geographic Location

Organizations must be established in eligible countries, which include EU Member States and Associated Countries to Horizon Europe.

Technical Capabilities

Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and demonstrate innovative low-energy bio-based processes and renewable energy integration in real-world industrial settings.
Expertise in conducting case studies, process optimization, and utilizing digital tools, including artificial intelligence.

Exclusion Criteria

Projects whose primary focus is on food/feed, biofuels, bioenergy, or cultural/recreation sectors are explicitly excluded from the scope of this topic.

Application Process

Application Timeline

Submission window opens: 2025-05-06.
Application deadline: 2025-09-17 00:00:00+0000.
Submission process: This is a single-stage application call.

Submission Materials

Required documentation includes the standard Application Form templates (specific to HE RIA, IA), which are available in the Submission System.
Proposals must include a detailed technical description (Part B of the Application Form).

Application Procedure

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Applicants should access the Electronic Submission Service by clicking the submission button corresponding to the topic ID.

Support and Resources

A comprehensive Online Manual provides guidance on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.
The Horizon Europe Programme Guide offers detailed information on the program's structure, budget, and political priorities.
The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ provides answers to frequently asked questions.
National Contact Points (NCPs) offer guidance and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe.
The Enterprise Europe Network provides advice for businesses, with a special focus on SMEs, on EU research funding.
An IT Helpdesk is available for technical issues related to the submission portal.
A Partner Search tool is available to help find suitable organizations for consortium formation.

Project Implementation & Reporting

Projects are expected to demonstrate the proposed solutions through concrete case studies.
Specific reporting schedules and progress tracking mechanisms are outlined in the Model Grant Agreement and the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the award criteria, scoring, and thresholds described in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. These generally include:
Excellence: Evaluating the clarity of objectives, soundness of the proposed methodology, ambition of the innovation, and interdisciplinarity.
Impact: Assessing the credibility of pathways to achieve expected outcomes, the potential magnitude of scientific, societal, and economic impacts, and the quality of dissemination and exploitation plans.
Quality and efficiency of the implementation: Reviewing the coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, appropriateness of resources and management structures, and the overall capacity of the consortium.

Innovation and Technical Advancement

Proposals must present innovative solutions for improving energy efficiency, integrating the water-energy nexus, enabling energy consumption flexibility, and increasing the use of renewable energy within industrial bio-based systems.
Solutions should be optimized through the application of digital tools, including artificial intelligence.

Societal and Environmental Impact

Expected to contribute significantly to climate neutrality and the reduction of air pollutants related to energy consumption in bio-based industries.
Must lead to an increased uptake of innovative low-energy bio-based processes and renewable energy by industrial operators.
Projects should improve the resilience of industrial bio-based systems against energy provision issues.
Contributions to circular economy principles and a sustainable bioeconomy are key.
While the 'gender dimension' (sex and gender analysis) in research content is not a mandatory requirement for this topic, the broader destination goal encourages the participation of 'disadvantaged groups based on gender and other social categories'.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must comply with the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
Adherence to the Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment is required.
General conditions for admissibility, including proposal page limits and layout, are described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Ethical standards and requirements applicable to research and innovation activities are expected.

Environmental & Sustainability Standards

Projects are central to contributing to the European Green Deal objectives, specifically supporting the circular economy action plan, EU bioeconomy strategy, and the forest strategy for 2030.
Focus on pollution prevention and remediation is a key element.
The project outcomes will contribute to the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR).

Technical & Operational Standards

Solutions analyzed within the proposal must be demonstrated on one or more selected case-studies within industrial bio-based systems.
Optimization of solutions using digital tools, including artificial intelligence, is explicitly required.
Proposals must analyze the rebound effect of energy saving measures and propose ways to address them.
The analysis of the water-energy nexus within the selected bio-based industrial systems is also required.

Cross-Cutting Themes & Synergies

The multi-actor approach is strongly encouraged, fostering collaboration across diverse economic and societal actors.
Synergies should be sought with other relevant Horizon Europe Clusters (e.g., Cluster 4: Digital, industry and Space; Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility).
Coordination and complementarity are essential with major EU partnerships and missions, including the Circular Bio-based Europe (CBE Joint Undertaking), the EU partnership for a climate neutral, sustainable and productive blue economy, the EU mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030', and the Soil mission.
Synergies with initiatives like the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) and the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Facility are encouraged where appropriate.
International cooperation is encouraged to maximize the impact of R&I under this destination.

Grant Details