Substances of concern and emerging pollutants from bio-based industries and products: mapping and replacement

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-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-two-stage

Call

Substances of concern and emerging pollutants from bio-based industries and products: mapping and replacement

Summary

Preventing hazardous emissions at source is key to reach the 2030 pollution reduction targets, including substances of concern, very high concern and emerging pollutants (e.g., PFAS and endocrine disrupting chemicals) as defined in relevant pieces of legislation (e.g., REACH, ESPR, Batteries regulation).

Bio-based innovative solutions, also in line with the recent initiative on biotechnology and biomanufacturing and the industrial carbon management strategy, should be designed to provide the solutions to replace hazardous substances in industrial assets and in final products and materials.

Bio-based materials and products within the scope of this topic do not include food/feed, biofuels and bioenergy.

Detailed Call Description

  • track presence of substances of very high concern and of concern, emerging pollutants and substances which are persistent and liable to bio-accumulate in ecosystems emitted from a selection of bio-based materials and products. This includes substances released in all the life phases of bio-based materials and products, during their use and their end-of-life. Evaluate the exposure of targeted end users to the substances, including integrating the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) and vulnerable groups;
  • include a task for the project to perform a full risk assessment of the substances emitted from the selected bio-based materials and products, also assessing the impacts on affected ecosystems and the risk for biodiversity loss;
  • track presence of substances of very high concern and of concern, emerging pollutants and substances which are persistent and liable to bio-accumulate in ecosystems, emitted from a selection of industrial bio-based systems;
  • include a task for the project to identify and improve a set of bio-based safe and sustainable by design (Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/25) and circular solutions, to replace hazardous substances and to increase the resources efficiency, both at the level of industrial processes and in final materials and products selected under the first and the third bullet points of this scope. The number of bio-based solutions provided is not pre-defined. The task should include the assessment of the reduction of substances of concern and emerging pollutants, derived from the substitution;
  • describe the collection of recommendations and best practices to replace substances of concern with safe and sustainable by design bio-based alternatives.

Proposals should include a task dedicated to sharing methodologies and findings with all projects funded within this topic. Moreover, the projects should collect and analyse the outcomes from past and ongoing projects under EU programmes, including the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking, addressing the challenges in the scope of this topic.

Call Total Budget

€10.00 million

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

70%

Expected EU contribution per project: €5.00 million

Thematic Categories

  • Education and training
  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Other Services
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation

Eligibility for Participation

  • Businesses
  • Educational Institutions
  • Legal Entities
  • NGOs
  • Non Profit Organisations
  • Other Beneficiaries
  • Private Bodies
  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
  • Semi-governmental organisations
  • 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

04/09/2025

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