Developing and embedding upcycling technologies into viable business (Processes4Planet partnership) (IA)
HORIZON-CL4-2025-05-TWIN-TRANSITION-35-two-stage
Funding Amount
€8.0M - €12.0M
Deadline
23/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Developing and embedding upcycling technologies into viable business (Processes4Planet partnership) (IA) Call?
Grant Description
This innovation action funds the development and demonstration of integrated circular schemes for upcycling end-of-life waste materials in energy-intensive process industries. Projects will prove technical, economic and environmental feasibility, double the ratio of secondary raw material use, improve resource and energy efficiency and carbon lifecycle, foster competitiveness and new business opportunities (especially for SMEs), promote digital tools and FAIR data, and optionally support reconst...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Energy-intensive industries will:
• Have demonstrated the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of upcycling end-of-life waste materials in integrated circular schemes supplying net-zero technology value chains.
• Achieve a doubling of the ratio of secondary raw materials upcycled, yielding significant improvements in resource and energy efficiency and carbon lifecycle across the value chain.
• Enhance competitiveness of the European process industry by creating new business opportunities and revenue streams for recycling companies, notably SMEs.
• Adopt digital tools, data-sharing practices and FAIR digital assets principles to enable traceability and interoperability across circular value chains.
• Contribute, where relevant, to the reconstruction, recovery, circularity and upgrading of Ukrainian industrial infrastructure.
• Have demonstrated the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of upcycling end-of-life waste materials in integrated circular schemes supplying net-zero technology value chains.
• Achieve a doubling of the ratio of secondary raw materials upcycled, yielding significant improvements in resource and energy efficiency and carbon lifecycle across the value chain.
• Enhance competitiveness of the European process industry by creating new business opportunities and revenue streams for recycling companies, notably SMEs.
• Adopt digital tools, data-sharing practices and FAIR digital assets principles to enable traceability and interoperability across circular value chains.
• Contribute, where relevant, to the reconstruction, recovery, circularity and upgrading of Ukrainian industrial infrastructure.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must address all of the following:
1. Develop integrated upcycling processes for end-of-life materials, including novel separation, sorting, purification and processing technologies, with digitalisation and automation as needed.
2. Design and embed technology and logistics systems into circular business models that target secondary raw materials with highest additional upcycling potential.
3. Quantify economic and job creation impacts, and assess environmental footprint against planetary boundaries (including water use).
4. Minimise substances of concern to prevent additive and contaminant accumulation in multiple recycling loops.
5. Implement advanced monitoring, data completeness, accuracy and interoperability between industrial and recycling partners; apply Digital Product Passports and FAIR digital assets principles.
6. Conduct comprehensive techno-economic and life-cycle assessments (including carbon footprint), demonstrate economic viability and analyse effects of regulatory changes and demand-side incentives.
7. Integrate Hubs 4 Circularity into value chains and involve all stakeholders—from process industries, designers and recyclers to public authorities and standardisation bodies.
8. Present a skills development strategy in collaboration with social partners, building on existing education and training initiatives.
9. Include a robust business case and credible exploitation strategy to boost industrial decarbonisation technology supply chains in Europe.
10. Optionally, support the recovery and upgrading of Ukrainian industries; at least one funded proposal meeting Ukraine criteria will be selected.
1. Develop integrated upcycling processes for end-of-life materials, including novel separation, sorting, purification and processing technologies, with digitalisation and automation as needed.
2. Design and embed technology and logistics systems into circular business models that target secondary raw materials with highest additional upcycling potential.
3. Quantify economic and job creation impacts, and assess environmental footprint against planetary boundaries (including water use).
4. Minimise substances of concern to prevent additive and contaminant accumulation in multiple recycling loops.
5. Implement advanced monitoring, data completeness, accuracy and interoperability between industrial and recycling partners; apply Digital Product Passports and FAIR digital assets principles.
6. Conduct comprehensive techno-economic and life-cycle assessments (including carbon footprint), demonstrate economic viability and analyse effects of regulatory changes and demand-side incentives.
7. Integrate Hubs 4 Circularity into value chains and involve all stakeholders—from process industries, designers and recyclers to public authorities and standardisation bodies.
8. Present a skills development strategy in collaboration with social partners, building on existing education and training initiatives.
9. Include a robust business case and credible exploitation strategy to boost industrial decarbonisation technology supply chains in Europe.
10. Optionally, support the recovery and upgrading of Ukrainian industries; at least one funded proposal meeting Ukraine criteria will be selected.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
- Call type: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), lump sum grant model (HORIZON-AG-LS).
• Two-stage submission: deadlines 23 September 2025 and 14 April 2026 (17:00 Brussels time); opening 22 May 2025.
• Blind evaluation pilot for first stage: proposers must anonymise organisation names, logos and personnel details.
• At least one project must involve both a non-profit partner and an industrial partner established in Ukraine, achieving thresholds, to ensure support for Ukrainian infrastructure recovery (not mandatory in every proposal).
• Legal entities established in China are ineligible to participate.
• Eligible costs covered as lump sums under Horizon Europe simplified costs decision.
• Consortia are encouraged to contribute data, indicators and knowledge voluntarily to JRC platforms (INCITE, EIGL).
• Page limits, layout and admissibility conditions per Horizon Europe General Annexes and application form.
• Two-stage submission: deadlines 23 September 2025 and 14 April 2026 (17:00 Brussels time); opening 22 May 2025.
• Blind evaluation pilot for first stage: proposers must anonymise organisation names, logos and personnel details.
• At least one project must involve both a non-profit partner and an industrial partner established in Ukraine, achieving thresholds, to ensure support for Ukrainian infrastructure recovery (not mandatory in every proposal).
• Legal entities established in China are ineligible to participate.
• Eligible costs covered as lump sums under Horizon Europe simplified costs decision.
• Consortia are encouraged to contribute data, indicators and knowledge voluntarily to JRC platforms (INCITE, EIGL).
• Page limits, layout and admissibility conditions per Horizon Europe General Annexes and application form.
Important dates
Open from: 22/05/2025
Deadline:23/09/2025
Application period has ended
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