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Grant Details

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to implement and demonstrate innovative circular systemic solutions within cities and regions, contributing to climate mitigation and reducing pressure on natural resources. It aims to stimulate social innovation through new technologies, novel governance models, and business models to enhance Europe's competitiveness. This grant is SECTOR-AGNOSTIC, focusing on a systemic approach across various sectors like construction, transport, bioeconomy, and land use. - Target recipients: Public local and regional authorities or their groupings. - Geographic scope: EU Member States and Associated Countries, focusing on local and regional implementation. - Key filtering criteria: Applicant must be a public local/regional authority, and the consortium must include at least 3 demonstration and 6 replication cities/regions as beneficiaries. - Grant frequency: Part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, which is an ongoing funding program.

Financial Structure

  • Total budget for the topic: EUR 18,000,000.
  • Expected number of grants: 2.
  • Minimum grant amount per project: EUR 9,000,000.
  • Maximum grant amount per project: EUR 9,000,000.
  • Currency: EUR.
  • Eligible and ineligible costs: Not specified in the provided text, refer to Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
  • Matching fund requirements: Not specified in the provided text, refer to Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
  • Payment schedule and financial reporting: Not specified in the provided text, refer to Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type
  • Must be public local and regional authorities or their groupings.
  • The consortium is expected to include other relevant circular economy stakeholders such as research bodies, academia, civil society, the private sector (industry, entrepreneurs, start-ups, small and medium enterprises), social economy entities, and financial intermediaries.
Consortium Requirements
  • Mandatory requirement: The consortium must include at least 3 different demonstration cities/regions and 6 replication cities/regions as beneficiaries.
Geographic Location Requirements
  • Eligible entities must be established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
General Horizon Europe Conditions
  • Admissibility Conditions: Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout as described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
  • Financial and Operational Capacity: Applicants must meet financial and operational capacity requirements as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
  • Exclusion Criteria: Applicants must not fall under any exclusion criteria detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application Process

Application Procedure
  • Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service.
  • The process is a single-stage submission.
Key Dates and Deadlines
  • Submission session available from: 2025-05-06.
  • Application deadline: 2025-09-17 00:00:00+0000.
  • Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: Refer to Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Required Documentation and Materials
  • Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) is specific to this call and available in the Submission System.
  • Proposal page limit and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and specifically in Part B of the Application Form.
Project Implementation and Reporting
  • Projects are expected to implement and demonstrate circular systemic solutions.
  • Monitoring and evaluation of implementation and impacts are required throughout the project lifespan.
  • Facilitation of knowledge and experience transfer for outreach and replication is expected.
  • A clear action plan to communicate experiences and results to 'replicators' is essential.
  • Financing strategies for circular systemic solutions must be defined as part of the exploitation plan, potentially linking with CCRI financial advisory services.
  • Dedicated tasks, appropriate resources, and a plan for collaboration with the CCRI office, projects, and partners must be included.
  • Participation in joint activities and clustering activities (e.g., thematic working groups, joint events, R&I gap analysis, policy briefs) with other CCRI projects is expected.
  • Dissemination plans should include promotion of results and lessons learned on the official CCRI website and other CCRI-related channels.
Application Assistance and Support
  • Online Manual: Provides guidance on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.
  • Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
  • Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to frequently asked 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/associated countries.
  • Enterprise Europe Network: Advice for businesses, particularly 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 on intellectual property issues.
  • CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Guidance on standardisation in project proposals.
  • European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for their recruitment: Principles and requirements for researchers, employers, and funders.
  • Partner Search: Tool to help find partner organizations for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

Contribution to Expected Outcomes
  • Increased circularity and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in economic sectors, services, and product value chains at local/regional scale.
  • Efficient valorisation of local resources with positive effects on air quality and biodiversity.
  • Widespread deployment, easier replication, scalability, and visibility of circular systemic solutions.
  • Enhanced collaboration and knowledge transfer between cities, regions, and their partners.
  • Increased uptake and stakeholder engagement in circular and climate-neutral practices.
Quality and Scope of Proposed Actions
  • Implementation and demonstration of circular systemic solutions for deploying and upscaling the circular economy.
  • Stimulation of social innovation through new circular innovative technologies, novel governance, and business models.
  • Systemic approach involving relevant circular economy stakeholders and addressing several sectors and value chains (e.g., construction, transport, bioeconomy, land use).
  • Detailed analysis of cities' and regions' socio-economic and environmental needs, as well as their local circular potentials.
  • Monitoring and evaluation of the implementation and impacts (economic, social, environmental benefits) throughout the project lifespan.
  • Consideration of social variables (e.g., gender, age, socio-economic status) and effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines.
Knowledge Transfer and Replication Potential
  • Facilitation of knowledge and experience transfer for further outreach and replication across EU Member States and Associated Countries.
  • Clear identification of lessons learned from demonstration projects, specifying enabling framework, main barriers, enablers, and business case.
  • Clear action plan to communicate experiences and results to 'replicators'.
Financial Sustainability and Synergies
  • Definition of financing strategies for circular systemic solutions as part of their exploitation plan.
  • Foreseeing financing follow-up, potentially linking with Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) financial advisory services.
  • Inclusive engagement and active participation of all relevant circular economy stakeholders.
  • Clear specification of synergies and complementarities with other relevant circular economy projects and initiatives (e.g., CCRI Projects, CCRI Associated Partners).
  • Inclusion of a dedicated task, appropriate resources, and a plan for collaboration with the CCRI office, projects, and partners.
  • Organization of joint activities and clustering activities (thematic working groups, joint events, R&I gap analysis, policy briefs) with CCRI projects sharing common themes.
  • Dissemination plan including promotion of results on the official CCRI website and other CCRI-related channels.
  • Exploration of linkages with relevant initiatives such as Hubs for Circularity, Regional Innovation Valleys, New European Bauhaus, and the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance
  • Projects must adhere to general regulatory frameworks, including environmental regulations.
  • Compliance with EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 is required.
Data Protection and Privacy
  • Use of the Funding & Tenders Portal is subject to its Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement.
Intellectual Property
  • Intellectual property policies are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Risk Management
  • Risk management is identified as a relevant consideration for projects.
Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities
  • This topic is specifically related to the European Commission's Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI).
  • A 'systemic approach' is required, meaning solutions should involve relevant circular economy stakeholders and address several sectors/value chains (e.g., construction and buildings, transport and mobility, bioeconomy, land use and spatial planning).
  • Projects are encouraged to include Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines, especially when considering social variables like gender, age, and socio-economic status.
  • Strong emphasis on knowledge and experience transfer, replication, and upscaling across EU Member States and Associated Countries.
  • Projects must define clear financing strategies and are encouraged to link with CCRI financial advisory services, including Project Development Assistance Projects and the European Investment Bank's Circular City Centre.
  • Mandatory collaboration with the CCRI office, projects, and partners, including joint activities, clustering (e.g., thematic working groups), and dedicated dissemination on the official CCRI website.
  • Synergies with initiatives like Hubs for Circularity, Regional Innovation Valleys, New European Bauhaus, and the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission should be explored.
  • Multi-actor Approach (MAA) and social innovation are strongly encouraged.

Grant Details

circular solutions place-based innovation systemic approach circular economy cities regions demonstration deployment upscaling social innovation technological innovation governance models business models climate mitigation resource reduction competitiveness ghg emissions valorisation biodiversity replication scalability collaboration knowledge transfer stakeholder engagement construction transport bioeconomy land use spatial planning monitoring evaluation social impact gender ssh financing strategies ccri multi-actor approach hubs for circularity regional innovation valleys new european bauhaus climate neutral cities waste management resource efficiency environmental protection urban planning regional development
Demonstration, deployment and upscaling of circular systemic solutions in cities and regions (Circular Cities and Regions Initiative)
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-07
Horizon Europe
PUBLIC STARTUP SME ENTERPRISE NGO UNIVERSITY OTHER
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 AL BA IS IL MD ME MK NO RS TR UA UK
CONSTRUCTION TRANSPORTATION AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENT FINANCE OTHER
DEVELOPMENT EARLY_MARKET GROWTH
OTHER
SDG6 SDG8 SDG9 SDG10 SDG11 SDG12 SDG13 SDG14 SDG15 SDG17
FUNDING RESEARCH_DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY_BUILDING PILOT_PROJECTS INNOVATION_COMMERCIALIZATION NETWORKING
18000000.00
9000000.00
9000000.00
EUR
None
Sept. 17, 2025, midnight
None