HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-08

Biotechnology application for CCU

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

Innovation Actions to develop and scale life sciences-based biotech for sustainable carbon capture and use in industry.

This call funds projects that develop biotech solutions to capture and convert gaseous carbon into industrial feedstock. It supports scaling up innovative technologies to promote circularity and climate neutrality. Projects should demonstrate environmental, economic, and social sustainability and assess market potential.

Likely relevant for

  • Biotechnology companies
  • Industrial biotech researchers
  • Circular economy innovators
  • Environmental technology developers
  • SMEs in biotech and industrial sectors

Project signals

TRL 6-7 technology development and demonstrationFocus on gaseous carbon purification and conversionAssessment of environmental and economic viabilityDevelopment of spin-offs or business cases

What it funds

  • Development and scale-up of life sciences-based technologies for carbon capture and use (CCU)
  • Purification and conversion of gaseous carbon from industrial emissions or atmosphere
  • Exclusion of food/feed and biofuels/syngas products
  • Assessment of environmental, social, and economic impacts and scalability
  • Demonstration of technologies with high sustainability
  • Evaluation of replication potential and market recommendations
  • Feasibility assessment for spin-off creation

Expected outcomes

  • Innovative purification and conversion of gaseous carbon scaled up for industrial feedstock
  • Advanced industries contribute to climate neutrality using biotech
  • Support for EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Regulation objectives
  • Contribution to Clean Industrial Deal and EU Life Sciences and Biotech strategies

Who can apply / participate

  • Research organisations
  • Industrial operators
  • SMEs
  • Start-ups
  • Consortia including innovators and industrial partners
  • Collaboration encouraged especially for IP exploitation and dissemination activities
  • Legal entities established in China are not eligible
  • Check Annex B of Horizon Europe Work Programme for eligible countries
  • Projects must comply with EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Regulation
  • Exclusion of food/feed and biofuels/syngas products from scope
  • Specific consortium size and composition requirements
  • Exact eligibility of non-EU countries beyond China exclusion

Must check before shortlisting

  • Eligibility of specific countries and entities
  • Exclusion of food/feed and biofuels/syngas products
  • Compliance with EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Regulation

Money

Estimated budget around €12 million for 2 grants in 2027 under Horizon Innovation Actions.

  • Expected grants — 2units
    Number of grants expected to be awarded.
  • Minimum contribution per grant — 6000000EUR
    Minimum funding per grant.
  • Maximum contribution per grant — 6000000EUR
    Maximum funding per grant.

Application notes

  • Single-stage submission model.
  • Proposal page limits and layout as per Annex A and E of Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
  • Eligibility conditions as per Annex B of Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
  • Financial and operational capacity requirements as per Annex C.
  • Evaluation criteria and procedures as per Annex D and F.
  • Grant agreement and lump sum funding rules as per Annex G and related documents.
  • Prepare proposal following specific topic and general annex guidelines.
  • Submit proposal via Horizon Europe Submission System by deadline.
  • Ensure compliance with eligibility and admissibility conditions.
  • Follow evaluation and award procedures as described in General Annexes.
  • Legal entities established in China are not eligible.
  • Products in scope exclude food/feed and biofuels/syngas.
  • Projects should aim to reach TRL 6-7 by end of project.

Derived from official EU Funding portal source · updated 22 Jun 2026, 15:57 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: Successful proposals under this topic should contribute to the objectives of the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification (CRCF) Regulation and the Clean Industrial Deal, allowing industrial operators to use a sustainable carbon source as feedstock. They should facilitate innovators to scale up promising solutions in scope of the Strategy for European Life Sciences and the Biotech Act, also supporting the implementation of the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy as well as the EU strategy on research and technology infrastructure. Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: innovative and improved purification and conversion of gaseous carbon is developed and scaled up to provide feedstock for industrial processes promoting circularity and climate neutrality; advanced industries – applying life sciences technologies and biotechnology - contribute to the climate-neutrality objective. Scope: Increasing industrial productivity and competitiveness should not entail unsustainable exploitation of resources. This makes the sustainable sourcing of non-virgin-fossil carbon (i.e., carbon from sustainable sourced biomass, gaseous carbon, waste) essential for European industries, especially considering the production of chemicals and materials. Proposals should address the following activities: review the up-to-date progress of R&I in the use of life sciences-based technologies for Carbon Capture and Use (CCU) phases taking into account the capture of gaseous carbon - from any industrial emission and the atmosphere – and its purification and conversion into products. Provide an assessment of their technological readiness, strengths and weaknesses and their potential of carbon storage in products; develop and test innovative and effective life sciences-based technologies, either synthetic biology and/or living microorganisms, to concentrate, purify and convert gaseous carbon efficiently into suitable feedstock to produce products. Products in scope exclude food/feed and biofuels/syngas; perform a preliminary assessment of the environmental impacts, the social and economic viability and business case of the developed technologies, including their scalability and the identification of markets for their output bio-based products; demonstrate one or more technology(ies) among those developed and tested, with the highest environmental, economic and social sustainability; evaluate and disseminate the replication potential of the demonstrated solution(s), including technical and economic/financial recommendations for SMEs and industrial operators in general; assess the feasibility of establishing a spin-off to implement the results from the best technology(ies) demonstration. In the review of up-to-date progress of R&I as in the first bullet point, international cooperation is encouraged, as well as in the development of innovative technologies and evaluation of their replication potential. Synergies with activities under Cluster 5 and the Circular Bio-based Europe (CBE) Joint Undertaking are encouraged. Projects funded under this topic should collaborate, for example within the activities concerning the exploitation of the IP of the developed technologies and at least within the dissemination activities. null Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL.

Destination

This destination will support the EU Commission priorities ‘Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature’ and ‘A new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness’. The destination supports the EU Green Deal [1] and contributes to Europe’s competitiveness and sustainable prosperity by supporting the development of a more resilient circular economy in line with the EU Competitiveness Compass [2] , the announced EU Clean Industrial Deal [3] and the EU Circular Economy Act. It aims to increase market demand for secondary materials and establish a single market for waste, whilst enhancing Europe’s efforts to develop a single market for sustainable products. It will also support the implementation of the framework conditions set by the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy. Furthermore, the destination aims to facilitate the emergence and uptake of innovative, circular and bio-based materials, products, processes and value chains that play a key role for the defossilisation (reduction of feedstocks of fossil origin), climate neutrality and strategic autonomy of our economy, in line with the new EU bioeconomy strategy as well as with the New European Bauhaus. In addition, this destination supports several key EU policies including the industrial strategy, the European Chemicals Industry Action Plan [4] and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation [5] and its working plan. It also contributes to the EU Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative, the SME strategy, the communication on safe and sustainable by design framework, the sustainable blue economy, the European Ocean Pact [6] , the European Water Resilience Strategy [7] , the European Life Sciences Strategy, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, and the Nature Restoration Regulation. Further support extends to the CAP, the EU forest strategy for 2030, the proposal for a Regulation on a forest monitoring framework, the EU proposal for a directive on soil monitoring and resilience, and the Vision for Agriculture and Food. The destination supports unlocking the unique assets for research and innovation of the EU outermost regions, in line with the EU strategy for outermost regions [8] . 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. Expected impact : 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 expected impacts : Improved climate change adaptation and mitigation through the transition to a more sustainable and circular economy and bioeconomy, underpinned by biotechnologies and sustainable industrial solutions, such as carbon capture and utilisation and recovery of materials, water and energy. Industrial competitiveness, sustainability and strategic autonomy are improved through the development of safe, sustainable, circular and/or bio-based value chains. This is done by promoting the efficient and circular use of secondary materials and water, fostering the multi-functionality of forests, and ensuring the sustainable supply of critical resources from land and sea. Living conditions for individuals and communities are improved through innovative, affordable and sustainable safe and sustainable by design products and services based on circular and/or bio-based solutions while demonstrating a reduction of environmental and climate pressures. Advanced societal transformation based on a systemic approach, as well as people’s involvement and integration of social sciences and humanities for fair, safe, sustainable and circular value chains, sustainable consumption patterns, environmental justice, gender equality and social inclusion. [1] The European Green Deal - European Commission [2] https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/competitiveness-compass_en [3] Clean Industrial Deal - European Commission [4] European Chemicals Industry Action Plan – European Commission [5] Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation – European Commission [6] The European Ocean Pact - European Commission [7] Water resilience strategy - European Commission [8] COM(2022) Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU’s outermost regions.

Conditions and documents

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

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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