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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to develop and validate scalable, safe, and sustainable bio-based biodegradable delivery systems for fertilising products. - The core objective is to reduce microplastics pollution and promote soil health. - Target recipients are legal entities forming a consortium, typically including research organizations, universities, SMEs, and enterprises. - This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, focused on Agriculture and Bio-based Industries. - The geographic scope includes EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe. - Key filtering criteria include a focus on bio-based/biodegradable delivery systems for fertilising products, addressing microplastics and soil health, and the capacity to undertake Research & Innovation (R&I) with lab-scale and/or small-scale field trials. - This is an annual call within the Horizon Europe Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) programme.

Financial Structure

Funding per grant: EUR 3,500,000.
Number of expected grants for this topic: 2.
Total budget allocated for this specific topic (HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-RIA-02): EUR 7,000,000.
Currency: EUR.
Eligible costs and financial set-up of grants are described in Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial reporting and audit requirements follow standard Horizon Europe procedures.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type & Geographic Location

Legal entities established in EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe are eligible for funding.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible for funding if specific provisions are made; applicants should consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide for details.
Eligible organization types typically include universities, research organizations, public bodies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Project Type & Scope

Proposals must be submitted as Research and Innovation Actions (RIA).
Projects must specifically focus on 'Bio-based and biodegradable delivery systems for fertilising products'.
Projects are required to validate delivery systems through lab-scale and/or small-scale field trials.

Consortium Requirements

A consortium comprising multiple legal entities is required, consistent with standard Horizon Europe RIA call requirements.

Compliance

Projects must ensure compliance with Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, which governs EU fertilising products.
Strict adherence to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1682 is mandatory, specifically regarding biodegradability criteria for polymers used in EU fertilising products.

Application Process

Key Dates

Application submission session available from: 2025-04-03.
Application deadline: 2025-09-18T00:00:00+0000.
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: Detailed in Annex F of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission Process

Application procedure: Single-stage submission process.
Submission platform: Electronic Submission Service, accessible via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Required documentation: Applicants must use the official Application Form (Part B) template, which is available in the Submission System. It is critical to use the latest version of the template (updated as of 2025-04-04).

Support and Guidance

Comprehensive guidance is available through the 'Online Manual', the 'Horizon Europe Programme Guide', and the 'Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ'.
Assistance can be obtained from the 'Research Enquiry Service' for general EU research questions and from 'National Contact Points (NCPs)' for specific Horizon Europe guidance.
Businesses, especially SMEs, can seek advice from the 'Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)'.
Technical support for portal issues is provided by the 'IT Helpdesk'.
Intellectual property guidance is available from the 'European IPR Helpdesk'.
Advice on standardisation in project proposals can be obtained from the 'CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk' and 'ETSI Research Helpdesk'.
A 'Partner Search' tool is available to help find collaborative organizations for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

General Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the standard Horizon Europe award criteria: 'Excellence', 'Impact', and 'Quality and Efficiency of Implementation'. Detailed scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific Scoring Factors

Contribution to the implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the updated EU Industrial strategy.
Significant contribution to the R&I Missions 'A Soil Deal for Europe' (specifically reducing soil pollution and enhancing restoration) and 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030' (preventing and eliminating pollution, including microplastics).
Expected impact on the delegated act introducing biodegradability criteria for polymers in the context of EU fertilising products regulation.
Demonstrated scalability, safety, and sustainability of the proposed bio-based biodegradable delivery systems for fertilising products.
Effectiveness of the delivery systems in providing reliable alternatives to conventional systems, with similar or improved properties for farmers.
Enhancement of the understanding of biodegradation processes, control factors, and their impact on plant development, soil health (including soil microbiome), and water.
Potential for the creation of new value chains that incorporate biodegradable delivery systems at a regional/local level, increasing synergies between farmers and bio-based industries.
Thorough application of the 'Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD)' framework for the delivery systems and their decomposition products (including microplastics), considering different farming systems (e.g., organic agriculture).
Development of concrete recommendations to advance the SSbD framework, including supporting criteria definitions, improvements for SSbD methodologies, identification of data gaps (especially safety, environmental, socio-economic), and data collection priorities.
Effective engagement with farmers through a Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) for the development, co-creation, and testing of new delivery systems, including analysis of effects on plant development, soil health, and water.
Demonstrated complementarities with relevant past and ongoing R&I projects addressing similar challenges (e.g., projects funded under Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe Mission Soil, and BBI/CBE JU projects).

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must comply with the overarching EU fertilising products regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/1009).
Specific and strict compliance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1682 is required, addressing biodegradability criteria for polymers in EU fertilising products. Key aspects include:
- Processed manure used as a component material must meet specific conditions, such as passing through a 0.25 mm sieve, being granulated/pelletised under certain conditions, or fulfilling stability criteria for compost (e.g., weed seeds no more than 3 units/l).
- The processed manure must contain no more than 6 mg/kg dry matter of PAH 16 (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).
- Additives used in the processing must comply with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) and their concentration must not exceed 5% of the weight of the processed manure or fraction used.
- Processed manure serving as a component material must be stored in a manner that protects it from precipitation and direct sunlight.
Specific labeling requirements apply to EU fertilising products containing processed manure, including warnings about potential ammonia air quality impacts and presence of aminopyralid or clopyralid (unless below 50 μg/kg dry matter).

Project Implementation Standards

The application of the 'Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD)' framework is a mandatory task within the project scope, requiring recommendations for advancing the framework.
A 'Multi-Actor Approach (MAA)' is explicitly required, involving active engagement with farmers for co-creation and testing of delivery systems.
Projects are expected to ensure strong complementarities and avoid duplication with past and ongoing research and innovation projects relevant to the topic (e.g., from Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe Mission Soil, and previous BBI/CBE JU calls).

Other Considerations

Project results are expected to contribute to the 'A Soil Deal for Europe' and 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030' EU Missions.
This grant emphasizes the development of novel solutions to address critical environmental concerns related to microplastics pollution in agriculture.
Projects should consider data gaps, especially concerning safety, environmental impacts, and socio-economic factors related to bio-based chemicals, and prioritize data collection.

Grant Details