Bioprospecting and optimised production of marine/aquatic natural products in the omics & artificial intelligence era

Opened

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Horizon Europe (2021-2027)

Programme Description

Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

Programme Details

Identifier Code

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-14

Call

Bioprospecting and optimised production of marine/aquatic natural products in the omics & artificial intelligence era

Summary

The huge diversity of marine/aquatic micro-organisms and macro-organisms and their communities is a rich and largely unexplored source of natural products and their essential components.

To survive in habitats ranging from deep-sea sediments to polar regions or shallow waters, marine organisms have evolved a wide range of structures, defence mechanisms and metabolic pathways, resulting in natural products with enormous chemical diversity and a wide range of biological activities.

Biological interactions between intertidal communities, e.g. symbiotic or defence mechanisms, can offer attractive perspectives and also fall within the scope.

Detailed Call Description

Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway contributing to “achieving healthy soils and forests, as well as clean air, fresh and marine water, whilst ensuring water resilience and the transition to a clean, competitive and circular economy and sustainable bioeconomy”, and more specifically to one or more of the following impacts:

  • innovative circular and bio-based materials, products, processes and value chains are developed for the consumers and industry, replacing unsustainable alternatives and leading to new and more sustainable approaches for managing waste materials and by-products, aiming at pollution prevention and remediation, and the promotion of new forms of cooperation between diverse economic and societal actors across sectors and territories;
  • industry and consumers benefit from new opportunities both through sustainable novel products in line with ecodesign principles, and novel circular business models that have a mitigating impact on resource use and greenhouse gas emissions;
  • innovative business and governance models, are advanced to foster safe and sustainable product design. This includes durability, reliability, reusability, upgradability, reparability, recyclability, recycled content, and circularity with a comprehensive approach addressing environmental impacts also at a territorial level and involving civil society in fostering a circular economy;
  • large-scale diffusion of social and technological innovation across circular and bioeconomy sectors within planetary boundaries thanks to innovative, socially fair, climate-neutral, circular, bio-based and nature-based solutions;
  • the full potential of marine and freshwater biological resources and blue biotechnology is leveraged to deliver societal benefits, such as more environment-friendly industrial products and processes, support public health and environmental conservation;
  • actors in the forest sector foster the multi-functionality of forests based on the three pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental and social), enhancing a sustainable and circular bioeconomy including support to business development; restoring and protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, ensuring that ecosystem services continue to be delivered including mitigating and adapting to climate change; and delivering societal expectations including well-being of different actors.

Call Total Budget

€12.00 million

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

70%

Expected EU contribution per project: €6.00 million

Thematic Categories

  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Fisheries/ Aquaculture and Maritime Policy
  • Information and Communication Technologies
  • Information Technology
  • Processing
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation

Eligibility for Participation

  • Businesses
  • Central Government
  • Educational Institutions
  • Legal Entities
  • Non Profit Organisations
  • Private Bodies
  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
  • Services Providers
  • Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Eligibility For Participation Notes

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Call Opening Date

06/05/2025

Call Closing Date

17/09/2025

National Contact Point(s)

Research and Innovation Foundation

29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Emailsupport@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/

Contact Persons:
Marcia Trillidou
Scientific Officer A’
Email: trillidou@research.org.cy

Dr. Mary Economou
Scientific Officer
Emailmeconomou@research.org.cy