Core objective: To scale up production technologies and deploy full value chains for circular-by-design fibre-based packaging with improved properties, addressing environmental concerns related to fossil-based plastics.
Target recipient type and size: Organizations involved in packaging manufacturing and bio-based materials, including ENTERPRISE and SME.
Designation: SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic scope: EU Member States and Associated Countries.
Key filtering criteria: Focus on fibre-based packaging, TRL 8 at end, circularity, and sustainability.
Grant frequency and program context: Annual call as part of the CBE JU's 2025 Work Programme under Horizon Europe.
Financial Structure
Funding amount per project: 20000000.0 EUR.
Minimum funding per project: 20000000.0 EUR.
Maximum funding per project: 20000000.0 EUR.
Currency: EUR.
Eligible costs: Not specified in the provided text, refer to Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement (MGA).
Co-financing requirements: Not specified in the provided text. Horizon Europe Innovation Actions typically have a funding rate of up to 70% for for-profit entities, implying co-financing.
Payment schedule and mechanisms: Not specified, refer to the Model Grant Agreement (MGA).
Financial reporting requirements: Not specified, refer to the Model Grant Agreement (MGA).
Eligibility Requirements
Organizational Type & Capacity
Financial and operational capacity: Must meet criteria described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Organizational size: Not explicitly defined, but projects require significant capacity for full-scale manufacturing and value chain deployment (TRL 8).
Geographic Requirements
Eligible Countries: Organizations must be established in EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe.
EU Member States included: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
Technical Requirements
Project maturity: Proposals must aim for Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8 at the end of the project.
Scope alignment: Project must focus on fibre-based packaging materials and their value chains, including bio-based add-ons if they do not hinder end-of-life options.
Exclusion Criteria
Not specified in the provided text. Refer to Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes for general exclusion criteria.
Application Process
Application Process
Submission system: Applications must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Application forms: Use the Application Form (Part B) template available in the Submission System, updated as of 04/04/2025.
Submission deadline: September 18, 2025, 00:00:00 UTC.
Submission type: Single-stage submission.
Required Documentation & Materials
Proposal page limit and layout: Described in Part B of the Application Form.
General annexes: Admissibility conditions, eligible countries, other eligible conditions, financial and operational capacity, evaluation and award processes, and legal/financial set-up are described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annexes A, B, C, D, F, G).
Project Implementation
Project timeline: Not explicitly stated, but projects are expected to achieve TRL 8 (full-scale deployment) by their end.
Reporting obligations: Not explicitly stated, refer to the Model Grant Agreement (MGA).
Support & Guidance
Online Manual: Comprehensive guide for proposal submission and grant management.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to common questions on submission, evaluation, and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service: For general questions about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Guidance and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, available in EU and non-EU countries.
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Advice for businesses, especially SMEs, including guidance on EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk: For technical issues related to the Funding & Tenders Portal (e.g., passwords, access rights, submission technicalities).
European IPR Helpdesk: Assistance with intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Advice on standardisation in project proposals.
European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct: Principles and requirements for researchers, employers, and funders.
Partner Search: Tool available on the Funding & Tenders Portal to find partner organizations.
Evaluation Criteria
Project Excellence
Quality and pertinence of the project's objectives and its alignment with the topic's expected outcomes (e.g., full-scale manufacturing, broader range of circular bio-based packaging).
Soundness of the proposed methodology and approach, including the scale-up to TRL 8 and demonstration of market requirements.
Extent to which the project addresses the application of the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework, including recommendations for its advancement.
Quality of the proposed work plan and appropriateness of the resources.
Impact
Contribution to the stated EU policies and strategies (e.g., EU Bioeconomy Strategy, Circular Economy Action Plan, Zero Pollution Ambition, Industrial Strategy, Biodiversity Strategy, Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Eco-design regulation).
Potential for improved sustainability, safety, and circularity of packaging compared to existing benchmarks.
Potential for increased value for society, specifically in terms of direct and indirect employment at local and regional levels.
Credibility of the pathways to achieve impact, including expected market uptake and dissemination plans.
Relevance and quality of measures to maximize expected outcomes and impacts (e.g., communication, dissemination, exploitation).
Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation
Quality and effectiveness of the work plan, including the allocation of resources and tasks.
Appropriateness of the management structure and procedures.
Competences and complementarity of the participants and the extent to which the consortium as a whole brings together the necessary expertise.
Relevance of measures to ensure the regulatory status and safety for intended use of the demonstrated packaging product(s).
Consideration of end-users/consumers' perception, behaviour, and preferences across the product lifecycle.
Compliance & Special Requirements
Regulatory & Policy Alignment
EU policy alignment: Proposals must explicitly contribute to the implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, Circular Economy Action Plan, EU Zero Pollution Ambition (including Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and Zero Pollution Action Plan), EU Industrial Strategy, EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Regulation on Deforestation-free Products, proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, and the Eco-design for sustainable products regulation.
Regulatory status: A task must be included to address the regulatory status of the demonstrated packaging product(s) and their safety for intended use, with specific reference to the proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
Ethical & Environmental Standards
Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD): Projects must include a task to apply the SSbD framework developed by the European Commission. This involves developing recommendations to advance the SSbD framework, including defining thresholds, assessing methodologies, identifying data gaps (safety, environmental, socio-economic), and prioritizing data collection.
End-of-life validation: Projects must design packaging for circularity and validate its sustainable end-of-life at a relevant scale (TRL 6 and above), covering recycling, reuse, and/or remanufacturing.
Technical & Project Specifics
Fibre-based materials: The primary component of the packaging must be fibre-based.
Bio-based add-ons: Use of bio-based add-ons (e.g., additives, coatings, adhesives, films) is permissible only if they do not hinder the targeted End-of-Life of the packaging.
Consumer consideration: Proposals should consider end-users/consumers' perception, behaviour, and preferences across the different steps of the product lifecycle (design, use, end-of-life).
Complementarity: Ensure complementarities with past and ongoing R&I projects addressing similar challenges (including Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe and BBI JU/CBE JU projects).
Cross-Cutting Priorities
AI, SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities), and Digital Agenda are identified as cross-cutting priorities, implying that proposals should consider these aspects where relevant.
Special Notes
This is an 'Innovation Action Flagship' (IAFlag) topic, indicating a high strategic importance and expected impact at a large scale.
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