Expected outcomes: 

• Development and testing of PEF category rules for selected product groups relevant to policy and markets.
• In-depth life cycle assessments (LCA) using PEF to identify and communicate environmental impacts, including end-of-life aspects.
• Creation of tailored datasets for assessed product groups, using representative industry data.
• Publicly available tools to support PEF-compliant assessments, stakeholder communication, and verification.
• Approaches to derive ecodesign requirements from PEF assessments and evaluate their socio-economic impacts.
• Analysis of sustainability requirements in legislation, labels, and standards, and how they align with ecodesign.
• Training and dissemination materials to promote PEF use across sectors, especially targeting SMEs.
• Open access data aligned with FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable).

Scope: 

• Review and refine PEF methodology: Projects should build on existing knowledge, identify gaps, and develop PEF category rules for selected product groups.
• Conduct full life cycle assessments (LCA): These should include end-of-life aspects and be based on PEF to quantify and communicate environmental impacts.
• Develop representative datasets: Tailored to the product groups, using industry and other reliable data sources.
• Create publicly available tools: To facilitate PEF-compliant assessments, stakeholder communication, and verification.
• Support ecodesign requirements: Use PEF results to derive design decisions that reduce environmental footprints and assess socio-economic impacts.
• Align with legislation and standards: Analyse sustainability requirements in laws, labels, and standards, and harmonise them with ecodesign.
• Promote PEF adoption: Through training, guidance, and dissemination, especially targeting SMEs.
• Ensure open access to data: Following FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable).

Projects must focus on at least one of these product groups: textiles, metal or plastic products, detergents, lubricants, paints, varnishes, polymers, selected chemicals, or ICT products.

In total, two projects will be funded, with the European Union providing the funding.

Budget per project: Around € 4.000.000,00

Call deadline: 17 September 2025, 17.00 CET

Funding rate 

• RIA: (100% profit and non-profit) - TRL 3-5