Accelerating the circular transformation of the EU automotive industry
HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions
Funding Amount
€2.0M - €2.0M
Deadline
04/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Accelerating the circular transformation of the EU automotive industry Call?
Grant Description
Support for coordination and stakeholder engagement activities to drive circular economy principles across the automotive full life-cycle value chain, focusing on end-of-life strategies, ecosystem analysis, AI-based tools for reuse and recycling, economic and environmental impact assessment, and development of product passports, digital twins and pilot project roadmaps
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Project results are expected to contribute to:
• A widespread and shared understanding of circular economic principles, harmonised across the full life-cycle value chain of road transport and beyond;
• Increased European resource sovereignty, a reduced environmental footprint and strengthened competitiveness of the European automotive full-life-cycle value chain;
• Definition of requirements and boundaries for a European circular economy ecosystem in the automotive sector, paving the way for future standardisation;
• Increased development and adoption of product passports and digital twins to further optimise reuse, remanufacturing and recycling of all components, subsystems and vehicles;
• A roadmap for high-visibility European lighthouse pilot projects that drive accelerated industrial transformation towards circularity in the automotive full-life-cycle value chain.
• A widespread and shared understanding of circular economic principles, harmonised across the full life-cycle value chain of road transport and beyond;
• Increased European resource sovereignty, a reduced environmental footprint and strengthened competitiveness of the European automotive full-life-cycle value chain;
• Definition of requirements and boundaries for a European circular economy ecosystem in the automotive sector, paving the way for future standardisation;
• Increased development and adoption of product passports and digital twins to further optimise reuse, remanufacturing and recycling of all components, subsystems and vehicles;
• A roadmap for high-visibility European lighthouse pilot projects that drive accelerated industrial transformation towards circularity in the automotive full-life-cycle value chain.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must address all of the following end-of-life strategy aspects:
• Stakeholder Identification & Involvement: map and engage stakeholder communities and industrial sectors at European and regional levels;
• Mapping & Analysis: survey and analyse existing remanufacturing projects, processes, industrial strategies and roadmaps within the automotive value chain;
• Stakeholder Engagement Process: design and implement strong, structured engagement mechanisms;
• Ecosystem Analysis: examine the full-life-cycle value chain to identify transformation bottlenecks, gaps and hurdles towards a circular automotive industry;
• AI-Based Tools & Processes: support implementation and awareness of AI for open and closed material, system and component loops to ‘design-in’ re-useability and recyclability;
• Impact & Business Model Assessment: assess economic, environmental and societal impacts (e.g., business cases, investments, Green Deal contributions, job creation, competitiveness) and evaluate viable circular business models based on the 9R principles;
• Pilot Conceptualisation: develop a roadmap for a ‘Recycling Factory of the Future’ European pilot project, including viable business models, spill-over analyses and stakeholder alignment for implementation;
• Product Passports & Digital Twins: define and prototype future digital tools for tracking and optimising the reuse, remanufacturing and recycling of components, subsystems and vehicles.
• Stakeholder Identification & Involvement: map and engage stakeholder communities and industrial sectors at European and regional levels;
• Mapping & Analysis: survey and analyse existing remanufacturing projects, processes, industrial strategies and roadmaps within the automotive value chain;
• Stakeholder Engagement Process: design and implement strong, structured engagement mechanisms;
• Ecosystem Analysis: examine the full-life-cycle value chain to identify transformation bottlenecks, gaps and hurdles towards a circular automotive industry;
• AI-Based Tools & Processes: support implementation and awareness of AI for open and closed material, system and component loops to ‘design-in’ re-useability and recyclability;
• Impact & Business Model Assessment: assess economic, environmental and societal impacts (e.g., business cases, investments, Green Deal contributions, job creation, competitiveness) and evaluate viable circular business models based on the 9R principles;
• Pilot Conceptualisation: develop a roadmap for a ‘Recycling Factory of the Future’ European pilot project, including viable business models, spill-over analyses and stakeholder alignment for implementation;
• Product Passports & Digital Twins: define and prototype future digital tools for tracking and optimising the reuse, remanufacturing and recycling of components, subsystems and vehicles.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
Admissibility & Eligibility:
• Comply with proposal page limits and layout described in Annex A/E of the Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the application form;
• Eligible participants must be from countries listed in Annex B; specific provisions apply for certain non-EU/non-associated countries;
• Exceptions apply for protection of European communication networks (Annex B).
Capacity & Evaluation:
• Demonstrate financial and operational capacity (Annex C);
• Proposals will be evaluated against award criteria, scoring and thresholds (Annex D) following processes and timelines in Annex F.
Legal & Financial Setup:
• Funding will be awarded as a lump sum per the 7 July 2021 decision; eligible costs defined accordingly (Annex G);
• Beneficiaries must ensure open access to any new or substantially improved modules, models or tools, including code and input data;
• Use the HE CSA application form template, adhere to the Lump Sum MGA and call-specific instructions;
• Comply with all model grant agreement terms and reference documents (Work Programme, Programme Guide, EU Financial Regulation, etc.).
Specific conditions: Not applicable.
• Comply with proposal page limits and layout described in Annex A/E of the Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the application form;
• Eligible participants must be from countries listed in Annex B; specific provisions apply for certain non-EU/non-associated countries;
• Exceptions apply for protection of European communication networks (Annex B).
Capacity & Evaluation:
• Demonstrate financial and operational capacity (Annex C);
• Proposals will be evaluated against award criteria, scoring and thresholds (Annex D) following processes and timelines in Annex F.
Legal & Financial Setup:
• Funding will be awarded as a lump sum per the 7 July 2021 decision; eligible costs defined accordingly (Annex G);
• Beneficiaries must ensure open access to any new or substantially improved modules, models or tools, including code and input data;
• Use the HE CSA application form template, adhere to the Lump Sum MGA and call-specific instructions;
• Comply with all model grant agreement terms and reference documents (Work Programme, Programme Guide, EU Financial Regulation, etc.).
Specific conditions: Not applicable.
Important dates
Open from: 06/05/2025
Deadline:04/09/2025
Application period has ended
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