Demonstrators for clusters of social circular enterprises (IA)
HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-TWIN-TRANSITION-21-two-stage
Funding Amount
Amount not specified
Deadline
23/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Demonstrators for clusters of social circular enterprises (IA) Call?
Grant Description
The call supports transnational research and innovation projects led by Social Circular Enterprises clusters to develop replicable tech-oriented demonstrators focusing on textile, WEEE or construction waste streams. Projects will adapt, design, test and implement data‐driven and digital technologies to improve productivity, market competitiveness and triple impact (economic, green and social), including employment of vulnerable groups.
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
• Enhanced uptake and scaling of technology solutions in individual SCEs and clusters
• Shared technology development and engineering across SCE clusters, fostering spin-offs and expertise exchange with industry
• Improved SCE competitiveness via higher productivity and new market opportunities in textiles, WEEE and construction materials streams
• Demonstrated technical, economic and environmental excellence of SCEs in local circular value chains, leading to stronger collaboration with mainstream industrial partners
• Reduction of non-recyclable waste in cluster regions through reuse and transformation of waste, by-products and side streams into secondary raw materials
• Increased employment of persons with a distance to the labour market within SCEs, with improved labour productivity enabled by assistive technologies and AI-driven data tools
• Shared technology development and engineering across SCE clusters, fostering spin-offs and expertise exchange with industry
• Improved SCE competitiveness via higher productivity and new market opportunities in textiles, WEEE and construction materials streams
• Demonstrated technical, economic and environmental excellence of SCEs in local circular value chains, leading to stronger collaboration with mainstream industrial partners
• Reduction of non-recyclable waste in cluster regions through reuse and transformation of waste, by-products and side streams into secondary raw materials
• Increased employment of persons with a distance to the labour market within SCEs, with improved labour productivity enabled by assistive technologies and AI-driven data tools
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
• Projects must develop at least one replicable, tech-oriented demonstrator within a Social Circular Tech Cluster
• Demonstrator consortia must be transnational, active in a minimum of two EU Member States or Associated Countries
• Each consortium must include two or more clusters, each grouping:
– Social Circular Enterprises (SMEs employing vulnerable groups) of differing maturity levels
– For-profit circular companies in secondary raw materials sectors
– Research organisations and technology centres providing R&D capacity
– Optional engagement of public authorities and SCE federations
• Consortia must focus on one waste stream type: textile and construction waste or WEEE
• Technology development must target: efficiency in waste management and processing; productivity and innovation capacity within SCEs; strengthened market position in secondary raw materials markets
• Eligible technologies include AI-driven sorting and decision-making tools, software for repair standardisation and stock/pricing optimisation, digital modelling/material passports
• Research into assistive technologies for employees to boost productivity and social impact
• Comprehensive market research on B2B circular economy services, including collection, disassembly, recycling and preparation for valorisation, plus economic potential for labour-intensive activities
• Demonstrators must organise shared engineering activities to lower costs and improve accessibility for less-resourced SCEs
• Proposals should build synergies with existing projects and initiatives, especially the H4C Clusters for Circularity knowledge platform
• Demonstrator consortia must be transnational, active in a minimum of two EU Member States or Associated Countries
• Each consortium must include two or more clusters, each grouping:
– Social Circular Enterprises (SMEs employing vulnerable groups) of differing maturity levels
– For-profit circular companies in secondary raw materials sectors
– Research organisations and technology centres providing R&D capacity
– Optional engagement of public authorities and SCE federations
• Consortia must focus on one waste stream type: textile and construction waste or WEEE
• Technology development must target: efficiency in waste management and processing; productivity and innovation capacity within SCEs; strengthened market position in secondary raw materials markets
• Eligible technologies include AI-driven sorting and decision-making tools, software for repair standardisation and stock/pricing optimisation, digital modelling/material passports
• Research into assistive technologies for employees to boost productivity and social impact
• Comprehensive market research on B2B circular economy services, including collection, disassembly, recycling and preparation for valorisation, plus economic potential for labour-intensive activities
• Demonstrators must organise shared engineering activities to lower costs and improve accessibility for less-resourced SCEs
• Proposals should build synergies with existing projects and initiatives, especially the H4C Clusters for Circularity knowledge platform
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
• Type of Action: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) funded under a Lump Sum Grant model (HORIZON-AG-LS)
• Two-stage submission: Stage 1 deadline 23 September 2025, Stage 2 deadline 14 April 2026 (17:00 Brussels time)
• Blind evaluation pilot for first stage: do not disclose organisation names, acronyms, logos or personnel names in abstracts and Part B
• Legal entities established in China are ineligible for participation
• Applicants must comply with Horizon Europe General Annexes A–G (eligibility, admissibility, evaluation, financial and operational capacity)
• Funding is provided as lump sums under the Decision of 7 July 2021; no detailed cost reporting
• Proposals must select and address the relevant Work Programme destination (here: Destination 1 – climate-neutral, circular, digitised industrial value chains) and include a credible business case and initial exploitation strategy
• Model Grant Agreement: Lump Sum MGA for Innovation Actions
• Two-stage submission: Stage 1 deadline 23 September 2025, Stage 2 deadline 14 April 2026 (17:00 Brussels time)
• Blind evaluation pilot for first stage: do not disclose organisation names, acronyms, logos or personnel names in abstracts and Part B
• Legal entities established in China are ineligible for participation
• Applicants must comply with Horizon Europe General Annexes A–G (eligibility, admissibility, evaluation, financial and operational capacity)
• Funding is provided as lump sums under the Decision of 7 July 2021; no detailed cost reporting
• Proposals must select and address the relevant Work Programme destination (here: Destination 1 – climate-neutral, circular, digitised industrial value chains) and include a credible business case and initial exploitation strategy
• Model Grant Agreement: Lump Sum MGA for Innovation Actions
Important dates
Open from: 22/05/2025
Deadline:23/09/2025
Application period has ended
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