Grants8 | The most comprehensive grants search on the web

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Harmonizing and optimising composting plants performances in Europe. - Core objective: To improve the performance of industrial composting plants across Europe, specifically addressing the treatment of compostable packaging and reducing environmental impacts, through best practices and harmonization recommendations. - Target recipients: Local authorities and waste management operators in the EU and Associated Countries. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Focuses on the circular economy, bioeconomy, and waste management sectors. - Geographic scope: EU Member States and Associated Countries. - Key filtering criteria: Organizations involved in waste management, composting, circular economy, and bio-based solutions, with an interest in harmonizing industry standards and practices. - Grant frequency: Part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, suggesting recurring opportunities within the broader program framework.

Financial Structure

Funding mechanism: 'Lump sum' contribution. Payments are tied to the successful implementation of 'work packages' rather than actual incurred costs.
Budget for this topic: The total funding allocated for this specific topic (HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-12) is 2,000,000 EUR for one expected grant.
Minimum funding per grant: 2,000,000 EUR
Maximum funding per grant: 2,000,000 EUR
Eligible costs (general for lump sums): Applicants' proposed lump sum should approximate 'eligible costs' from standard grants, including 'personnel costs', 'subcontracting costs', 'purchase costs' (travel, equipment, goods, services), and 'other cost categories' (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, research infrastructure access).
Indirect costs: A '25% flat rate' is applied to eligible direct costs when calculating the lump sum contribution.
Co-financing principle: Ensured during budget evaluation, where total estimated costs should exceed the EU contribution.
Financial retention: 'Between 5 and 8 %' of the total lump sum is retained as contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Financial reporting: Significantly simplified; focus is on 'technical implementation' and 'fulfilment of conditions for releasing lump sum contributions per work package'. No obligation to document actual costs for the granting authority.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type

Eligible: Not explicitly limited, but implied to include organizations with a role in waste management, such as 'local authorities' and 'waste management operators'. This typically includes 'PUBLIC' bodies, 'SME's, 'ENTERPRISE's, and 'NGO's (if involved in relevant activities) and 'UNIVERSITY'/'RESEARCH' institutions.

Geographic Location

Eligible: Organizations from EU Member States and Horizon Europe 'Associated Countries'.

Specific Qualifications

Capacity to analyze technical performances of industrial composting plants, especially concerning compostable packaging (EN 13432).
Ability to identify and collect 'best practices' in industrial composting at EU and global levels.
Expertise in developing 'recommendations towards the harmonization of EU industrial compositing processes' and improving environmental performances.
Experience in assessing 'environmental impacts' (emissions to air/water/soil, odours, energy consumption).
Knowledge of 'microbial communities' and potential for 'microbial bioaugmentation strategies' is a plus.

Partnership Requirements

'International cooperation' and a 'multi-actor approach' are 'encouraged', specifically involving 'waste managers in municipalities'. This suggests consortium formation is highly beneficial, if not required for competitive proposals.

General Horizon Europe Conditions

Financial and operational capacity requirements: Described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial setup: Grants take the form of 'lump sum' contributions, as defined in relevant EU decisions.

Application Process

Application Timeline

Planned Opening Date: '2025-05-06'
Submission Session Availability: '2025-05-14'
Application Deadline: '2025-09-17T00:00:00+0000'
Evaluation and Grant Agreement Indicative Timeline: Described in Annex F of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission Process

Procedure: 'Single-stage' submission.
Platform: Electronic Submission Service via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
Format: Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Required Documentation

Application Form: Standard application form (HE CSA) specific to this call, available in the Submission System.
Budget: A 'detailed budget table (HE LS)' is required, showing a breakdown of the lump sum contribution per work package and per beneficiary/affiliated entity.

Review and Selection

Evaluation: Conducted by 'external independent experts' based on 'excellence, expected impact and quality and efficiency of the implementation'.
Selection: Based on evaluation findings, the granting authority establishes the final lump sum amount.

Application Support

Comprehensive guidance available through the 'Online Manual', 'HE Programme Guide', 'Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ', 'Research Enquiry Service', 'National Contact Points (NCPs)', 'Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)', 'IT Helpdesk', 'European IPR Helpdesk', 'CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk'.
Partner Search: A service is available to help find partner organizations for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on standard Horizon Europe procedures by external independent experts, focusing on three main criteria: Excellence

Scientific and technological quality of the proposed work.
Clarity and pertinence of the project's objectives.
Soundness of the proposed methodology.
Extent to which the proposal advances the state-of-the-art.
Innovation potential, including 'promising innovation' like 'microbial bioaugmentation strategies'.

Impact

Contribution to 'clean, competitive and circular economy and sustainable bioeconomy'.
Improvement in the 'territorial deployment of individual or centralised composting plants'.
Facilitation of 'best practices' sharing among 'waste management operators' in the EU and Associated Countries.
Optimization of environmental performances of composting plants, 'reducing the impacts on air/water/soil'.
Contribution to the implementation of EU initiatives (e.g., circular economy action plan, bioeconomy strategy, Green Deal).
Expected positive impacts on 'resource use', 'greenhouse gas emissions', and 'waste prevention'.
Consideration of 'disadvantaged groups based on gender and other social categories' for actions impacting civil society.

Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation

Quality and effectiveness of the work plan, including appropriate allocation of resources.
Appropriateness of the proposed management structures and procedures.
Complementarity of the participants within the consortium.
Financial expertise of experts involved in the evaluation will assess the budget estimate based on 'relevant benchmarks on costs and resources' and ensure it's proportional to activities and expected outputs.
Adequacy of resources (personnel, equipment, infrastructure) to achieve project objectives.
Soundness of risk management expectations.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Ethical Compliance

Legal and ethical standards: Adherence to 'ethical standards and requirements' and 'research integrity' (general for Horizon Europe).
Data protection: Compliance with relevant data protection and privacy regulations.
Environmental compliance: Projects must address and reduce 'environmental impacts' of composting plants (emissions to air/water/soil, odours).
Industry-specific: Compliance with 'Waste Framework Directive' and 'EN 13432' standard for compostable packaging is crucial.
Labor standards: Compliance with 'European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment' (general for Horizon Europe).
Reporting: Adherence to reporting compliance requirements, primarily focused on technical implementation for lump sum grants.

Intellectual Property (IP)

Policies: Management of 'intellectual property' is a key aspect of grant agreements (general for Horizon Europe).

Risk Management

Focus: Controls will primarily focus on the 'technical implementation' of the action and 'fulfilment of the conditions for releasing lump sum contributions per work package'.

Strategic Alignment and Synergies

EU Policies: Strong alignment with the 'European Green Deal', 'Circular Economy Action Plan', 'EU bioeconomy strategy', 'forest strategy for 2030', 'Common Agriculture Policy', 'industrial strategy', 'chemicals strategy for sustainability', 'European Climate Law', 'SME strategy', 'safe and sustainable by design framework', 'sustainable blue economy', 'EU biodiversity strategy for 2030', 'EU Nature Restoration Regulation', 'EU social economy action plan', 'EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing initiative', and 'Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)'.
Cross-Cluster Synergies: Outcomes should ensure synergies with Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space) and Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility).
Partnerships: Full synergy and complementarity are encouraged with 'Circular Bio-based Europe' (CBE Joint Undertaking), 'EU partnership for a climate neutral, sustainable and productive blue economy', and EU Missions like 'Restore our Ocean & Waters by 2030' and the 'Soil mission'. Synergies with 'Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI)' and 'New European Bauhaus (NEB) Facility' are also encouraged.
Knowledge Sharing: Coordination with the 'EC Knowledge Centre for Bioeconomy' and potential synergies with other JRC activities are expected.
Future Partnerships: Synergies and complementarities with the future European Partnership “Forests and forestry for a sustainable future” are encouraged.

Cross-Cutting Themes

Inclusivity: For actions impacting civil society, the participation of 'disadvantaged groups based on gender and other social categories' should be taken into account.

Grant Details