Bioprospecting and optimized production of the terrestrial natural products: new opportunities for bio-based sectors
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-08
Funding Amount
€5.5M - €5.5M
Deadline
17/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Bioprospecting and optimized production of the terrestrial natural products: new opportunities for bio-based sectors Call?
Grant Description
Support for innovative circular and climate-neutral bio-based materials from terrestrial ecosystems by integrating bioprospecting, biotechnology, biomanufacturing and digital omics-driven tools to discover, upscale and demonstrate sustainable natural products with high market value while ensuring biodiversity preservation and resource efficiency
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Funded projects are expected to:
• Contribute to a clean, competitive, circular economy and sustainable bioeconomy by deploying innovative bio-based materials, processes and value chains that are climate-neutral and resource-efficient;
• Demonstrate a broadened portfolio of sustainable, accessible natural bio-based products from terrestrial ecosystems with high-value market applications;
• Show advances in computational tools and AI-driven methods in the biodiscovery pipeline (gene cluster identification, bioactivity prediction, structural elucidation, process modelling);
• Increase commitment to biodiversity conservation by establishing bioproduction routes (biosynthesis, fermentation, culturing) that prevent unsustainable wild harvesting and promote genetic diversity preservation;
• Raise awareness and create improved frameworks for biotechnology and bio-based innovation through broad stakeholder engagement, supporting the EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing initiative;
• Validate techno-economic viability at pilot or pre-commercial scale, facilitating uptake by industry and SMEs;
• Deliver robust sustainability assessments that inform policy and practice, highlighting environmental, economic and social trade-offs;
• Foster cooperation across projects, sectors and borders to accelerate the impact of digitalized and circular bio-based solutions.
• Contribute to a clean, competitive, circular economy and sustainable bioeconomy by deploying innovative bio-based materials, processes and value chains that are climate-neutral and resource-efficient;
• Demonstrate a broadened portfolio of sustainable, accessible natural bio-based products from terrestrial ecosystems with high-value market applications;
• Show advances in computational tools and AI-driven methods in the biodiscovery pipeline (gene cluster identification, bioactivity prediction, structural elucidation, process modelling);
• Increase commitment to biodiversity conservation by establishing bioproduction routes (biosynthesis, fermentation, culturing) that prevent unsustainable wild harvesting and promote genetic diversity preservation;
• Raise awareness and create improved frameworks for biotechnology and bio-based innovation through broad stakeholder engagement, supporting the EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing initiative;
• Validate techno-economic viability at pilot or pre-commercial scale, facilitating uptake by industry and SMEs;
• Deliver robust sustainability assessments that inform policy and practice, highlighting environmental, economic and social trade-offs;
• Foster cooperation across projects, sectors and borders to accelerate the impact of digitalized and circular bio-based solutions.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must:
• Focus exclusively on terrestrial natural products (secondary metabolites, enzymes) derived from micro- and macro-organisms or their communities;
• Integrate digital-driven ‘-omics’, bioinformatics and AI-based tools throughout the biodiscovery pipeline;
• Follow the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework (Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/2510) to ensure product safety and sustainability;
• Broaden the range of novel compounds, lower production costs, accelerate development and deliver clear industrial and consumer benefits across sectors (pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, food/feed additives, agrochemicals, cleaning);
• Include demonstration of techno-economic viability at pilot or pre-commercial scale with a strong industry/SME involvement;
• Guarantee biodiversity preservation by using propagation (in vitro cultivation) or biotechnological alternatives to reduce pressure on wild resources;
• Comply with EU and international regulations on access to genetic resources (UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya Protocol) and fair benefit-sharing;
• Conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment addressing environmental, economic and social performance and ecosystem service trade-offs;
• Apply the Do-No-Significant-Harm principle to ecosystem integrity;
• Avoid overlap with specified past and ongoing Horizon projects and seek synergies with parallel topics (e.g. CIRCBIO-14, digitalization/AI themes) and the Circular Bio-based Europe JU;
• Take into account the Global Resources Outlook 2024 findings;
• Include a dedicated work package for methodological exchange with projects under this call;
• Encourage international cooperation for win-win outcomes.
• Focus exclusively on terrestrial natural products (secondary metabolites, enzymes) derived from micro- and macro-organisms or their communities;
• Integrate digital-driven ‘-omics’, bioinformatics and AI-based tools throughout the biodiscovery pipeline;
• Follow the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework (Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/2510) to ensure product safety and sustainability;
• Broaden the range of novel compounds, lower production costs, accelerate development and deliver clear industrial and consumer benefits across sectors (pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, food/feed additives, agrochemicals, cleaning);
• Include demonstration of techno-economic viability at pilot or pre-commercial scale with a strong industry/SME involvement;
• Guarantee biodiversity preservation by using propagation (in vitro cultivation) or biotechnological alternatives to reduce pressure on wild resources;
• Comply with EU and international regulations on access to genetic resources (UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya Protocol) and fair benefit-sharing;
• Conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment addressing environmental, economic and social performance and ecosystem service trade-offs;
• Apply the Do-No-Significant-Harm principle to ecosystem integrity;
• Avoid overlap with specified past and ongoing Horizon projects and seek synergies with parallel topics (e.g. CIRCBIO-14, digitalization/AI themes) and the Circular Bio-based Europe JU;
• Take into account the Global Resources Outlook 2024 findings;
• Include a dedicated work package for methodological exchange with projects under this call;
• Encourage international cooperation for win-win outcomes.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
In addition to general Horizon Europe eligibility and evaluation rules, proposals must:
• Explicitly avoid duplicating efforts funded under HORIZON-CL 6-2022-CIRCBIO-02-05, HORIZON-CL 6-2023-CIRCBIO-01, H2020-FNR-11-2020 and similar topics;
• Demonstrate synergies where relevant with HORIZON-CL 6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-14 (marine bioprospecting) and actions under the Circular Bio-based Europe JU;
• Comply fully with applicable EU regulations and international agreements on genetic resource access and benefit-sharing (UN CBD, Nagoya Protocol);
• Adhere to the SSbD assessment framework (EU 2022/2510) and the Do-No-Significant-Harm principle;
• Provide policy dialogue with competent authorities on biodiversity preservation measures;
• Include a specific task to share methodologies and results with other projects funded under this topic;
• Address safety of operators and end-users through risk assessment and mitigation plans;
• Integrate findings from the Global Resources Outlook 2024;
• Be prepared for audit of compliance with financial, operational and legal requirements as per Horizon Europe General Annexes;
• Encourage international participation while respecting national eligibility provisions.
• Explicitly avoid duplicating efforts funded under HORIZON-CL 6-2022-CIRCBIO-02-05, HORIZON-CL 6-2023-CIRCBIO-01, H2020-FNR-11-2020 and similar topics;
• Demonstrate synergies where relevant with HORIZON-CL 6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-14 (marine bioprospecting) and actions under the Circular Bio-based Europe JU;
• Comply fully with applicable EU regulations and international agreements on genetic resource access and benefit-sharing (UN CBD, Nagoya Protocol);
• Adhere to the SSbD assessment framework (EU 2022/2510) and the Do-No-Significant-Harm principle;
• Provide policy dialogue with competent authorities on biodiversity preservation measures;
• Include a specific task to share methodologies and results with other projects funded under this topic;
• Address safety of operators and end-users through risk assessment and mitigation plans;
• Integrate findings from the Global Resources Outlook 2024;
• Be prepared for audit of compliance with financial, operational and legal requirements as per Horizon Europe General Annexes;
• Encourage international participation while respecting national eligibility provisions.
Important dates
Open from: 06/05/2025
Deadline:17/09/2025
Application period has ended
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