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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Grant Purpose and Target

Core objective: Develop and demonstrate a full-scale biorefinery model for sustainable valorisation of separately collected urban bio-waste into added-value bio-based products, leveraging urban-industrial symbiosis.
Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: The grant targets consortia of diverse stakeholders, including bio-waste management operators, local/regional authorities, policy makers, citizens/consumers' representatives, bio-based process developers/biorefineries.
MUST state if grant is 'SECTOR-SPECIFIC' or 'SECTOR-AGNOSTIC': SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic scope and any location requirements: Projects must identify and assess implementation in region(s)/area(s) within EU/EEA/EFTA countries and associated countries with high unexploited potential for urban-industrial symbiotic approaches.
Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Focus on urban bio-waste, full-scale biorefinery demonstration, use of urban-industrial symbiosis, application of the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework, and a multi-actor approach.
Grant frequency and program context: This is a flagship Innovation Action (IAFlag) topic part of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) Annual Work Programme 2025, suggesting a recurring program with annual calls.

Financial Structure

Funding for this specific Flagship Innovation Action (HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IAFlag-01) is fixed at €20,000,000 per project.
Currency: EUR (Euro).
Eligible and ineligible costs: Not explicitly detailed in the provided grant description, but governed by Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA), which typically covers personnel, travel, equipment, other goods and services, and subcontracting.
Matching fund requirements: Not explicitly stated as a matching percentage for this specific topic. As an Innovation Action (IA) under Horizon Europe, profit-making entities typically receive a funding rate of 70% of eligible costs, implying a 30% co-financing obligation, while non-profit entities generally receive 100% funding.
Payment mechanisms: The grant is an 'Action Grant Budget-Based' agreement.
Financial reporting and audit requirements: These are described in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and detailed in the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Eligibility

Legal entities, as defined under Horizon Europe rules, are eligible.
Financial and operational capacity must be demonstrated as described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Geographic Location Requirements

Organizations must be established in one of the following countries:
- EU Member States: AT, BE, BG, HR, CY, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IE, IT, LV, LT, LU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SI, ES, SE.
- EEA non-EU countries: IS, LI, NO.
- Associated Countries to Horizon Europe (refer to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes for a definitive list).

Partnership or Consortium Requirements

A multi-actor approach (MAA) is required, ensuring adequate involvement of all key actors in the value chains relevant for the topic and across the sustainable circular bio-based system.
Required key actors include: bio-waste management operators, local/regional authorities, policy makers, citizens/consumers' representatives, bio-based process developers/biorefineries.
Projects should exploit synergies with existing waste management infrastructures and urban-industrial symbiosis (upstream and/or downstream).

Project Scope Requirements

Projects must demonstrate the feasibility and viability of a full-scale biorefinery model.
The primary feedstock must be separately collected urban bio-waste (as defined by the Waste Framework Directive).
Production of Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) added-value bio-based products is mandatory.
Logistics aspects (collection, proximity to urban areas) influencing economic viability and social acceptance must be addressed.
A dedicated task must address regulatory framework aspects, specifically end of waste criteria.
A dedicated task must perform an assessment of social involvement and long-term benefits (e.g., local employment, waste management charges, pollution).
Projects must identify and assess implementation in specific region(s)/area(s) in eligible countries where bio-waste is not adequately valorised.

Technical Expertise and Infrastructure Requirements

Expertise in biorefinery operations, bio-waste conversion, logistics, and SSbD principles is essential.
Required infrastructure includes the capacity to demonstrate a full-scale biorefinery.

Application Process

Submission Timeline

Call opening date: 2025-04-03.
Application deadline: 2025-09-18 00:00:00 UTC.
Submission procedure: Single-stage application process.

Required Documentation and Materials

Application Form (Part B) template: This is the specific application form for the call, updated as of 04/04/2025, and available in the Submission System.
Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout specifications described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and detailed within Part B of the Application Form.

Application Procedure

Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Submission Service on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Applicants will need to select the specific action type and model grant agreement corresponding to their proposal (e.g., HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IAFlag-01).

Supporting Materials Required (for context and guidance)

CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2025 (and its amendments).
Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Standard evaluation form templates and guidance (HE RIA, IA).
Model Grant Agreement (MGA) and Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA).
Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Framework Programme, and Specific Programme Decision.
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment, and Financial Capacity Assessment.

Application Assistance Availability

Online Manual: Guide on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on structure, budget, and political priorities.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions.
Research Enquiry Service: For general EU research and Framework Programme queries.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Guidance and assistance on Horizon Europe participation (available in EU/non-EU/associated countries).
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Advice for businesses, especially SMEs, including EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk: For technical issues with the Funding & Tenders Portal.
European IPR Helpdesk: Assists with intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Advice on standardisation in project proposals.
Partner Search: Helps find partner organizations for proposals.

Project Implementation Timeline and Reporting Obligations

Implementation timeline: Not explicitly stated, but full-scale demonstration implies a multi-year project.
Reporting obligations: Monitoring and evaluation requirements, and reporting schedules are described in Annex F and G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on criteria described in 'Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes'. These typically include:
- Excellence: Soundness of the proposed approach, methodology, clarity of objectives, and extent to which the project goes beyond the state of the art.
- Impact: Expected contribution to the expected outcomes, benefits to society, economy, and environment, and measures for dissemination and exploitation of results.
- Quality and efficiency of the implementation: Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, appropriateness of resources, and management structures.

Specific Scoring Factors (derived from expected outcomes and scope)

Innovation and Technical Advancement:
- Demonstrated feasibility and viability of a full-scale biorefinery model for urban bio-waste.
- Novelty and industrial scale potential of valorisation routes beyond current state-of-the-art (anaerobic/aerobic digestion).
- Integration and effectiveness of the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework application, including the development of recommendations for its advancement.
Impact and Benefits:
- Potential for significant reduction of bio-waste currently incinerated or landfilled.
- Contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutant reduction.
- Clear demonstration of economic and social benefits for involved municipalities.
- Potential for increased direct and indirect employment and quality of jobs at local/regional levels.
- Strategies for increasing social acceptance of bio-based products from bio-waste and citizen engagement.
- Addressing logistics aspects effectively for economic viability and social acceptance.
- Contribution to the implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, Waste Framework Directive, Landfill Directive, and Circular Economy objectives.
Implementation and Collaboration:
- Adequacy of the multi-actor approach (MAA) and involvement of all key stakeholders across the value chain.
- Thoroughness of the regulatory framework analysis, especially regarding end of waste criteria and marketability.
- Quality of the social involvement and long-term benefits assessment.
- Strategic identification and assessment of suitable region(s)/area(s) in eligible countries for implementation.
- Demonstrated complementarity with relevant past and ongoing R&I projects.
- Exploration of synergies with related EU initiatives (e.g., Circular Cities and Regions Initiative, EU Hubs for Circularity, R&I Mission 'Climate neutral and smart cities').
Cross-cutting Themes:
- Integration of AI, Societal Engagement, Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), and Digital Agenda principles where appropriate.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Adherence to the objectives of the EU Waste Framework Directive and Landfill Directive concerning bio-waste management.
Projects must include a task to address regulatory framework aspects related to bio-waste streams and their conversion to end products.
Specific attention must be paid to end of waste criteria to ensure the future marketability of developed products.

Ethical and Quality Standards

Mandatory inclusion of a task to apply the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework, developed by the European Commission.
Projects are expected to contribute to and develop recommendations for advancing the SSbD framework, including defining thresholds, improving assessment methodologies, and identifying data gaps (safety, environmental, socio-economic).

Intellectual Property Policies

While specific policies are not detailed, the mention of the 'European IPR Helpdesk' indicates intellectual property will be a key consideration in grant agreements.

Partnership and Collaboration

Requires a multi-actor approach (MAA), ensuring active involvement of all key actors in the value chains (bio-waste management operators, local/regional authorities, policy makers, citizens/consumers' representatives, bio-based process developers/biorefineries).
Projects should identify region(s)/area(s) in eligible countries where bio-waste valorisation potential is unexploited and assess solutions for implementation within local contexts.
Expected to explore synergies with major EU initiatives: Circular Cities and Regions initiative (CCRI), EU Hubs for Circularity (H4C), and the R&I Mission 'Climate neutral and smart cities'.
Ensuring complementarities with past and ongoing R&I projects (e.g., from Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe, BBI/CBE JU) is a requirement.

Cross-Cutting Priorities

Projects are encouraged to integrate and demonstrate considerations for cross-cutting priorities such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Societal Engagement, Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), and Digital Agenda.

Risk Management

Projects must ensure the production of safe-and-sustainable-by-design products, implicitly managing risks related to product safety and environmental impact.

Grant Details