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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to valorize untapped and underutilized forest biomass by developing innovative technologies and value chains for bio-based chemicals, compounds, materials, and products. The aim is to contribute to climate change mitigation, adaptation, forest restoration, biodiversity, and rural development. - Target recipient type and size: The grant targets a wide range of organizations, including small, medium-sized, and large companies, forest owners, forest managers, farmers, horticulturists, research organizations, universities, advisors, and policy makers. - Designation: SECTOR-SPECIFIC - Geographic scope: Projects should address challenges across different European regions, implicitly focusing on EU Member States and potentially associated countries. - Key filtering criteria: Focus on valorizing forest biomass beyond bioenergy/biofuel production, conducting Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), and forming multi-actor collaborations. - Grant frequency and program context: This is a specific topic within the HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025 call, which is part of the recurring Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) program.

Financial Structure

The total budget for the entire HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025 call is 172137258.88 EUR.
For this specific topic (HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-RIA-01), 2 grants are expected to be awarded.
The minimum grant contribution per project is 3500000 EUR.
The maximum grant contribution per project is 3500000 EUR.
This implies that individual projects under this topic are expected to receive 3500000 EUR in funding.
Financial rules and the legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA).
The funding rate is not explicitly stated in the provided grant information for this specific topic.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Types

Eligible for various entities, including:
- Companies of all sizes (small, medium, large).
- Local forest owners and managers.
- Other primary sector operators (e.g., farmers, horticulturists).
- Industrial players.
- Research organizations and universities.
- Advisors and policy makers.
- Consumers.
Must form a consortium through a 'Multi-Actor Approach' (MAA) involving key actors across the value chain.

Geographic Location

Organizations from EU Member States are eligible.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding may participate if specific provisions are made for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Legal and Financial Capacity

Must meet financial and operational capacity requirements as described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Subject to exclusion criteria as outlined in Annex C.

Application Process

Application Timeline

The submission session became available on 2025-04-03.
The final application deadline for proposals is 2025-09-18 00:00:00 UTC.
The submission process is 'single-stage'.

Submission Procedure

Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Submission Service on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Applicants must use the most recent version of the Application Form (Part B) template, updated as of 04/04/2025, which is available in the Submission System.
To access the submission system, select the 'HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions' action type corresponding to your proposal.

Required Documentation and Materials

Proposal page limits and layout specifications are detailed in Part B of the Application Form.
General admissibility conditions, including proposal page limits and layout, are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Application Assistance and Support

The Funding & Tenders Portal offers an Online Manual, FAQ, and specific guides (e.g., Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Annotated Model Grant Agreement).
National Contact Points (NCPs) provide guidance and assistance.
The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) offers advice, especially to SMEs.
An IT Helpdesk is available for technical issues related to the Portal.
The European IPR Helpdesk can assist with intellectual property queries.
A Partner Search tool is available on the Portal to help find suitable consortium partners.

Post-Award Information

The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement signing is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Grant management, reporting, and legal/financial obligations will be detailed in the Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria

Evaluation is based on standard Horizon Europe criteria as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes, typically covering:
- Excellence: Quality of research, innovation, methodology, and soundness of the concept.
- Impact: Credibility of pathways to achieve significant scientific, societal, and/or economic impact, including contributions to EU strategies (Forest Strategy 2030, Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Bioeconomy Strategy, etc.), enhanced climate change mitigation, forest restoration, rural development, and new value chains.
- Quality and efficiency of the implementation: Quality of the work plan, appropriateness of resources, and capacity of the consortium.

Specific Scoring Factors

Proposals are expected to demonstrate contribution to:
- Recommendations for EU carbon farming certification methodologies for forest biomass in long-lasting products.
- Adequate involvement of all key actors (feedstock providers, industrial players, consumers, advisors, policy makers) in the value chain, reflecting a 'Multi-Actor Approach'.
- Exploration of synergies with existing initiatives and networks, such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), EIP-AGRI, and Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS).
- Active prevention of soil degradation, biodiversity, and carbon loss during biomass extraction.
- Implementation of safeguards to differentiate between various forest types and management practices, and assessment of impact on soil quality and health.
- Complementarity with past and ongoing research and innovation (R&I) projects addressing similar challenges.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must adhere to general conditions and legal frameworks outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Compliance with the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 is mandatory.

Environmental and Ethical Standards

Projects are required to actively prevent soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and carbon loss during the extraction of previously unused or underutilized forest biomass.
Safeguards must be implemented to differentiate between various forest types and management practices.
An assessment of the impact on soil quality and health is a key requirement.
Ethical considerations, though not explicitly detailed in this snippet, generally align with broader Horizon Europe ethical guidelines.

Intellectual Property and Technology

While specific IP policies are not detailed here, they would typically be governed by the Model Grant Agreement (MGA) for Horizon Europe actions.
Projects should develop innovative planning tools and technologies for harvesting, storage, and pre-treatment of forest biomass, along with conversion routes to bio-based products.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities

This grant uniquely focuses on the valorization of untapped forest biomass by transforming it into novel bio-based chemicals, compounds, materials, and products, moving beyond traditional bioenergy/biofuel applications.
There's a strong preference for decentralised approaches, including small-scale, mobile, or containerized units, which can address specific regional challenges and benefit smaller entities.
A critical element is the testing of local value chains and actively involving local forest owners, managers, and other primary sector operators (farmers, horticulturists), fostering direct rural economic benefit.
Projects are expected to contribute significantly to EU climate, biodiversity, and bioeconomy policies, including providing recommendations for EU carbon farming certification methodologies for forest biomass in long-lasting products.
The mandatory Multi-Actor Approach ensures comprehensive stakeholder engagement across the entire value chain, from feedstock to end-users and policymakers, enhancing project relevance and impact.

Grant Details