Funding calls
18 July 2025
Demonstration of reduced energy use and optimised flexible energy supply for industrial bio-based systems (HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-11)
Funding calls
18 July 2025
1. Healthy, balanced and sustainable diets for all European consumers
2. Prevention and reduction of food loss and waste
3. A climate - neutral food chain in Europe by 2050
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Horizon Europe is the European Union’s flagship research and innovation programme for the period 2021-2027, with a total budget of €93.5 billion.
On 21 May 2025, the work programme for 2025 was released. Of particular interest for the agri-food sector is Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment.
Call: Demonstration of reduced energy use and optimised flexible energy supply for industrial bio-based systems
Call identifier: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-11
Call launch: 6 May 2025
Call deadline: 17 September 2025, 17.00 CET
Call budget: € 11.000.000,00
Editorial team
European Commission - DG RTD
Topics
Albania
Armenia
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
EU-27
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kosovo
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Türkiye
Ukraine
Other
Academic / Research and VET Institutions
Business Support Organisation
Company with 250 or more employees
Cluster Organisations
Consumer Organisations
Cultural and Heritage Organisations
Destination Management & Marketing Organisations
EU Institutions
Financial Institutions and Investors
Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce
International Organisations
Local Authorities
Media / Journalist Organisations
National authorities
Networks and Federations / Confederations
NGOs / Non-profits
Notified Bodies
Regional Authorities
SMEs (a company with less than 250 employees)
Social Economy Entity
Trade Unions
Other
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CoC aspirational objectives
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1. Healthy, balanced and sustainable diets for all European consumers
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2. Prevention and reduction of food loss and waste
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3. A climate - neutral food chain in Europe by 2050
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4. An optimised circular and resource-efficient food chain in Europe
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5. Sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
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6. Sustainable value creation in the European food supply chain through partnership
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7. Sustainable sourcing in food supply chains
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Expected outcomes:
Energy efficiency & climate neutrality
- Increased uptake of low-energy bio-based processes by industry.
- Greater use of renewable energy in industrial bio-based systems.
- Reduction of air pollutant emissions linked to energy consumption.
Resilience & flexibility
- Improved resilience of industrial bio-based systems to energy supply disruptions.
- Enhanced flexibility in energy consumption, allowing systems to adapt to fluctuating energy availability and pricing.
Water-energy nexus
- Integration of water-saving measures that also reduce energy use.
- Optimisation of processes to address the interdependence of water and energy within industrial operations.
Technological innovation
- Development of energy-efficient separation and drying technologies.
- Use of optimised catalysts, enzymatic processes, and reactors to reduce energy demand.
- Application of digital tools and AI to optimise energy performance.
Demonstration & Impact
- Real-world demonstration of solutions in selected case studies.
- Assessment of how these innovations contribute to climate neutrality and resource efficiency.
Scope:
Circular bioeconomy focus
- Targets non-food/feed, non-biofuel, and non-cultural/recreational bio-based sectors.
- Encourages energy and resource efficiency in industrial bio-based processes.
Technological development
Proposals should develop and implement:
- Energy-efficient separation technologies (e.g. membrane distillation).
- Fast drying processes for biomass (e.g. wood or algae residues).
- Optimised catalysts, enzymatic processes, and reactors to reduce energy demand.
Energy flexibility & renewables
- Enable flexible energy consumption (e.g. adjusting production based on energy availability and pricing).
- Promote renewable energy use and electrification in bio-based systems.
Digital optimisation
- Use digital tools and AI to optimise energy performance.
In total, two projects will be funded, with the European Union providing the funding.
Budget per project: Around € 5.500.000,00
Call deadline: 17 September 2025, 17.00 CET
Funding rate
IA: 70% (100% non-profit) - TRL 6-7
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- Categories
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Nutrients produced by microorganisms utilising primarily CO2 from the air, with the support of biotechnology (HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-14)
- Categories
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- Categories
- 2. Prevention and reduction of food loss and waste 3. A climate - neutral food chain in Europe by 2050 4. An optimised circular and resource-efficient food chain in Europe +3 more