HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-03

Factory processes and automation for de- and re-manufacturing (RIA) (Made in Europe partnership)

Status
forthcoming
Programme
Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
Action type
HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Opens
22 Sep 2026
Deadline
2 Feb 2027
Fetched
15 Jul 2026, 07:18 UTC
Plain-language summary

Develop factory-level de- and re-manufacturing technologies to boost circularity and resilience in European manufacturing industries.

This call seeks projects that create technologies for de-manufacturing and re-manufacturing at the factory level. Proposals should address at least three key technology areas including AI, robotics, digital twins, and local repair solutions. Projects must include a business case and exploitation strategy to support industrial adoption and market deployment.

Likely relevant for

  • Manufacturing technology developers
  • Circular economy innovators
  • Industrial automation companies
  • AI and robotics researchers
  • Remanufacturing industry stakeholders

Project signals

Focus on de-manufacturing and re-manufacturing technologiesInclusion of AI, robotics, digital twins, or local repair solutionsTRL 4-5 start aiming for TRL 6Industrial ecosystem and circularity enhancement

What it funds

  • Development of factory-level de-manufacturing and re-manufacturing technologies
  • Technologies for part condition analysis and predictive maintenance using AI and sensor data
  • AI and robotic-assisted de-manufacturing including handling, sorting, and logistics
  • Model-based systems using CAD data and digital twins for operators
  • Local on-site repair or re-manufacturing solutions for high-value components
  • Planning solutions for operation sequences based on product characteristics
  • Business case and exploitation strategy for industrial adoption

Expected outcomes

  • Emergence of a viable industrial ecosystem for circular manufacturing
  • Availability of de-manufacturing technologies supporting European remanufacturing industry
  • Retention, reuse, upgrading, or adaptation of product functions through de- and re-manufacturing
  • Development of relevant skills, standards, and safety measures for remanufacturing

Who can apply / participate

  • Research organisations
  • Industry partners including SMEs and large enterprises
  • Technology developers
  • Consortia involving multiple stakeholders
  • Consortia must address the scope and expected outcomes
  • Business case and exploitation strategy must be included
  • Cooperation with Joint Research Centre (JRC) expected if funded
  • Legal entities established in China are not eligible
  • Check Annex B of Horizon Europe Work Programme for eligible countries
  • Proposals must comply with Horizon Europe general and specific conditions
  • Admissibility conditions include page limits and layout
  • Eligible costs follow lump sum funding model
  • Exact consortium size and composition requirements
  • Specific funding rates and maximum budgets per participant

Must check before shortlisting

  • Eligibility of participant countries especially regarding entities established in China
  • Specific consortium composition rules
  • Budget and funding rate details

Money

Approximately €36 million available for 6 grants in 2027 under this Research and Innovation Action call.

  • Number of expected grants — 6
  • Minimum contribution per grant — €5,000,000EUR
  • Maximum contribution per grant — €6,500,000EUR
  • Total budget for 2027 — €36,000,000EUR

Application notes

  • Single-stage submission model.
  • Proposal must include a business case and exploitation strategy.
  • Page limit extended by 3 pages for business case and exploitation strategy.
  • Admissibility conditions per Horizon Europe General Annexes apply.
  • Eligible countries per Horizon Europe Annex B apply.
  • Lump sum funding model applies.
  • Prepare proposal addressing at least three specified technology areas.
  • Include detailed business case and exploitation strategy.
  • Submit proposal by deadline via Horizon Europe Submission System.
  • Follow guidelines in Horizon Europe Programme Guide and Online Manual.
  • Legal entities established in China are not eligible.
  • Check eligibility of all participants before submission.
  • Ensure compliance with lump sum funding rules.
  • Collaboration with JRC may be required if funded.

Derived from official EU Funding portal source · updated 22 Jun 2026, 15:12 UTC. Use this as a shortlisting aid; the official call text remains authoritative.

Related calls

These funding calls are closely related and may be worth considering as part of the same funding landscape.

Official source text

Fine print from the EU source record. Expand when you need the original wording.

Topic description

Expected Outcome: A viable industrial ecosystem for circularity in manufacturing industries emerges, enhancing both circularity and resilience; De-manufacturing technologies and practices become available, making decisive contributions to a European remanufacturing industry and market; Functions of products are retained, reused, upgraded or adapted through de-manufacturing and re-manufacturing; and Skills, standards and safety measures relevant to remanufacturing are developed. Scope: Proposals should focus on developing de-manufacturing and re-manufacturing technologies at the factory level, addressing at least three of the following: Technologies to efficiently analyse part condition and support predictive maintenance, including for re-manufactured parts or components of lower value, e.g. by combining multimodal sensor data, AI and human inputs; AI and robotic-assisted technologies, e.g. innovative end-effectors, to de-manufacture products and components, including handling, sorting and extended logistics; Model-based systems, to allow de-manufacturing and re-manufacturing operators to use CAD data and digital twins related to the original parts (and contribute to the development of a digital ecosystem); Solutions allowing local (on-site) repair or re-manufacturing of high-added value components (applied to e.g. wind turbines, aircraft and vessels); and Solutions to plan the sequence of operations based on the characteristics of the incoming products to be re-manufactured. Proposals should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination. Depending on the approaches to be pursued, these should consider the best solutions to enhance adoption, for example coupling manufacturing with de-/re- manufacturing plants, product and component value, risk mitigation for variable de-/re-manufacturing flows. This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership Made in Europe. null Activities are expected to start at TRL 4-5 and achieve TRL 6 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

Destination

This Destination brings together the research and innovation for a globally competitive European industry through the twin green and digital transition , and the availability, development, use, reuse and disposal of chemicals, advanced materials and critical raw materials . The Competitiveness Compass announces initiatives that should be served directly by industry-linked activities in Cluster 4, through new, focused R&I activities, but also through the activities supported up to now: Clean Industrial Deal adopted in February 2025; Critical Raw Materials Act; Advanced Materials Communication and future Advanced Materials Act planned for 2026; Future Circular Economy Act planned for 2026; Steel and Metals Action Plan adopted in March 2025; European Chemicals Industry Action Plan adopted in July 2025; Industrial action plan for the European automotive sector adopted in March 2025; and Strategy on research and technology infrastructures, with regard to technology infrastructures and the valorisation of knowledge. In order to better translate these policy priorities into actions, to integrate the latest inputs from the partnerships, and to achieve synergies, this Work Programme part adopts a more integrated approach. The headings used under the two industry-focused destinations in previous work programmes, reflecting different partnerships and industrial sectors, are replaced by new headings making strongly interconnected contributions to the corresponding expected impacts in the Strategic Plan 2025-27, on green and digital transition and on autonomy in raw and advanced materials. The new approach takes into account R&I investments under previous work programmes and intends to introduce more synergies with other pillars (notably the European Innovation Council under Pillar III) as well as with Cluster 5. Topics in this Work Programme increasingly combine the priorities of different partnerships to enable synergies, e.g. with the Investment fund, while continuing to address the particularities of each partnership. The development of new and cross-cutting technologies will help transform existing value chains and create new ones. In addition to this Work Programme part, Cluster 4 participates in a horizontal Clean Industrial Deal Call , aiming to increase the competitiveness and decarbonisation of industry. The initiative will allow Horizon Europe beneficiaries to feed the EU deployment pipeline with R&I solutions close to market uptake and deployment, whilst also supporting the development by 2035 of a new batch of industry-led demonstrators designed for higher market readiness. In addition to decarbonisation, manufacturing and energy-intensive industries need to embrace the circular economy as a key pillar in the design of their value chains. This will be fundamental to their resource efficiency (in terms of materials, energy and water). Particularly important in this context is the upcycling of secondary raw materials and waste; de- and re-manufacturing; and the development of sustainable and resource-efficient industrial processes This Work Programme continues to promote across the calls the application of Safe and Sustainable by Design approach incorporating early and parallel considerations of innovation design choices on impacts on health, environment, climate and other sustainability parameters as a way of achieving stated policy objectives and fostering quick market uptake. Where projects are asked to contribute to the development of safe and sustainable products, projects should take into account safety concerns for consumers as well as the organisational health and safety aspects for industrial workers. Finally, to support start-ups and scale-ups , this Work Programme includes support for technology infrastructures and valorisation of knowledge. Business cases and exploitation strategies for industrialisation : This section applies only to those topics in this Destination, for which proposals should demonstrate the expected outcomes by including a business case and exploitation strategy for industrialisation . A business case and a credible initial exploitation strategy are essential components in the ultimate success of an industry-based project, as well as its prospects to attract further investments for deployment. They will both be decisive factors under the impact criterion, and proposers are encouraged to use the extended page limit to present a carefully considered business case and exploitation strategy, backed by the management of the companies involved. The business case should demonstrate the expected impact of the proposal in terms of enhanced market opportunities for the participants and deployment in the EU, in the short to medium term. It should describe the targeted market(s); estimated market size in the EU and globally; user and customer needs; and demonstrate that the solutions will match the market and user needs in a cost-effective manner; and describe the expected market position and competitive advantage. The exploitation strategy should identify obstacles, requirements and necessary actions involved in reaching higher TRLs (Technology Readiness Levels), for example: securing the required investments, including through possible synergies with other programmes; accessing the required skills; matching value chains; enhancing product robustness; securing industrial integrators; and user acceptance. For TRLs 6 and 7, a credible strategy to achieve future full-scale deployment in the EU is expected, indicating the intentions of the industrial partners after the end of the project. Where relevant, in the context of skills , it is recommended to develop training material to endow workers with the right skillset in order to support the uptake and deployment of new innovative products, services, and processes developed in the different projects. This material should be tested and be scalable, and can potentially be up-scaled through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). This will help the European labour force to close the skill gaps in the relevant sectors and occupational groups and improve employment and social levels across the EU and associated countries. Where projects are asked to contribute to the development of safe and sustainable products, projects should take into account safety concerns for consumers and the organisational health and safety aspects for industrial workers. For topics in this destination, consortia (if selected for funding) will be called upon to cooperate with the relevant parts of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) , in order to inform the next stages of EU technology and innovation policies. INnovation Centre for Industrial Transformation and Emissions (INCITE) ( https://innovation-centre-for-industrial-transformation.ec.europa.eu/ ). The Energy and Industry Geography Lab: EIGL ( https://energy-industry-geolab.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ ). Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.

Conditions and documents

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

In order to include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination, the page limit in part B of the General Annexes is exceptionally extended by 3 pages.

Admissibility conditions are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion

described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds

are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes

are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement

described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants

The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].

described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions

described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]

Support information

Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant. Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe. Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management. Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular. National Contact Points (NCPs) – get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’). Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding. IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc. European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk – the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment – consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers. Partner Search help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.

Raw budget overview
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