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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core objective: To develop and demonstrate cost-effective, robust, and continuous biotech processes for producing bio-based chemicals, materials, and ingredients, thereby enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the EU bio-based industry.
Target recipients: Organizations capable of implementing and scaling up innovative biotech processes.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic scope: EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
Key filtering criteria: Focus on continuous processes, industrial biotech/bio-based sector, and projects with significant scale-up potential and clear market relevance.
Grant frequency: Part of the annual CBE JU Work Programme.

Financial Structure

Budget per project: EUR 7,000,000 is the fixed contribution per grant for this topic.
Currency: EUR.
Funding rate: For Innovation Actions (IAs), the funding rate is typically 70% of eligible costs. Non-profit legal entities may receive up to 100%. This implies a co-financing requirement for commercial organizations.
Eligible and ineligible costs: Detailed definitions are provided in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Model Grant Agreement (MGA).
Financial reporting and audit requirements: These are stipulated in Annex G and the MGA.
Indirect cost policies: Standard indirect cost rates for Horizon Europe projects apply, typically a flat rate of 25% of direct eligible costs (excluding direct costs for subcontracting, financial support to third parties and costs of internally invoiced transfers).

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type and Legal Status

Legal entities of any form are typically eligible, including businesses (SMEs, large enterprises), universities, research organizations, and public bodies.
Consortium requirement: Projects are expected to be carried out by a consortium. While not explicitly detailed here, Innovation Actions under Horizon Europe typically require a minimum of three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.

Geographic Location

Organizations must be established in an EU Member State or a country associated with Horizon Europe, as defined in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Financial and Operational Capacity

Applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity to successfully carry out the proposed project activities and manage the grant funds.

Exclusion Criteria

Standard Horizon Europe exclusion criteria apply, encompassing situations such as bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, or involvement in fraud.

Application Process

Application Timeline and Deadline

Application deadline: 2025-09-18 00:00:00+0000.
Submission model: Single-stage submission process.

Required Documentation and Materials

Application Form (Part B): A specific template is available in the Electronic Submission System and was updated on 04/04/2025. Applicants must use this version.
All other required supporting materials as specified in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and call-specific instructions.

Submission Procedure

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service.

Project Implementation Timeline

The expected duration of projects is not explicitly stated in the provided documents but should be defined in the proposal's work plan, aligning with the scope of an Innovation Action.

Reporting Obligations

Reporting schedule and frequency, including financial and technical reporting, are detailed in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Model Grant Agreement.

Support for Applicants

Various resources are available: the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the Partner Search tool.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria (as described in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes)

Excellence: Evaluates the clarity and relevance of the project's objectives, the soundness of the proposed methodology, the extent to which the project is ambitious and goes beyond the current state of the art, and its innovation potential.
Impact: Assesses the credibility of the pathways to achieve the expected outcomes and impacts, and the potential magnitude and significance of the project's contributions to societal, economic, and environmental impacts.
Quality and efficiency of the implementation: Examines the coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, the appropriateness of the resources (personnel, equipment, infrastructure) and the allocation of tasks, and the overall quality and capacity of the consortium members and management structures.

Specific Scoring Factors for this Topic

Contribution to increased scale-up potential and sustainability of biotech processes.
Achievement of increased and stable productivity and selectivity compared to benchmark batch/fed-batch processes.
Purity of end-product(s) in line with application requirements.
Identification and effective overcoming of existing bottlenecks in switching to continuous processes.
Integration of efficient downstream processing (DSP) systems to complement continuous upstream operations.
Demonstrated resource/energy efficiency and circularity through process intensification and valorisation of upstream and downstream side-streams.
Implementation of online monitoring and control systems, including advanced AI/digital tools.
Effective application of the 'safe-and-sustainable-by-design' (SSbD) framework, including the development of recommendations for its advancement.
Demonstrated complementarities with past and ongoing research and innovation projects.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Adherence to all relevant EU and national regulatory frameworks, including obtaining necessary permits and authorizations.
Strict compliance with the 'safe-and-sustainable-by-design' (SSbD) framework is required, with projects expected to contribute recommendations for its further application.

Data Protection and Privacy

Projects must comply with EU data protection and privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Environmental Standards

Alignment with the EU's Zero Pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment and the Circular Economy Action Plan is mandatory.

Ethical Standards

While not explicitly detailed, adherence to the general principles and requirements specified in the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment is expected for all research and innovation activities.

Intellectual Property (IP) Policies

Intellectual property arrangements and policies are governed by Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Model Grant Agreement.

Risk Management

Proposals should clearly identify and outline strategies for mitigating potential challenges inherent in continuous biotech processes, such as contamination risks, genetic instability of cells, and maintaining high production metrics simultaneously.

Strategic Considerations

Projects are expected to contribute significantly to key EU initiatives and strategies, including the EU Initiative on Biotech and Biomanufacturing, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, Circular Economy Action Plan, EU Zero Pollution Action Plan, and the EU Industrial Strategy.
A specific task is required for applying the SSbD framework, including developing recommendations for criteria definition, assessment methodologies, identification of data gaps (especially safety, environmental, socio-economic factors), and priorities for data collection.
Ensuring strong complementarities with past and ongoing R&I projects, including those funded under Horizon 2020 / Horizon Europe and by the BBI / CBE JU, is a critical requirement.

Grant Details