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Call key data
Industrial biotechnology approaches for improved sustainability and output of industrial bio-based processes
Call number
HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-5
deadlines
Opening
22.12.2022
Deadline
28.03.2023 17:00
Funding rate
70% (NPO: 100%)
Call budget
€ 10,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 5,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
Call objectives
- The scope covers a wide array of biotechnology techniques, including targeted and specific approaches for DNA modification, including synthetic engineering at gene or genome level, in line with the binding regulatory requirements, including related necessary technical aspects in other fields, such as synthetic biology, cell sorting, automation, robotics, IT data/digital/AI innovations, or the ‘biofoundry’ concept. Approaches based on improved enzymatic solutions should carefully consider a parallel topic, to avoid overlaps, and create synergies.
- Environmental improvements, especially reduced pollution/toxicity and lowered impacts should be verified and demonstrated by established methodology of life cycle assessment, and the monitoring approaches throughout the project need to be clearly established.
- Production of biofuels and bioenergy is excluded from scope, to avoid overlaps with Horizon Europe Cluster 5. Health applications need to be carefully considered to avoid possible overlaps with activities supported under Horizon Europe Cluster 1.
- Clear communication and dissemination activities are an essential element, including awareness raising, engagement of societal actors (NGOs, consumer organisations, professional organisations). Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will collaborate with other projects funded under this topic and other relevant topics.
- International cooperation options may be considered, for win-win cooperation, and pursued if contributing to the European industrial competitiveness.
- In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
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Expected effects and impacts
A successful proposal will contribute to all Destination ‘’Zero pollution’ and in particular impacts related to enhancing circular bio-based systems to operate according to planetary boundaries, replacing fossil-based systems and their carbon footprint, mitigating climate change, restoring biodiversity and protecting air, water and soil quality along supply chain of biological feedstock and industrial value chains within the EU and Associated Countries and across borders. Furthermore, it will contribute by substituting harmful chemicals by safer, less toxic and generally more sustainable alternatives notably by boosting innovative biotechnology and other related technologies to create zero-pollution bio-based solutions.
Industrial biotechnology has a high potential to contribute to increased sustainability and in particular ‘zero pollution’ ambition of the European Green Deal, in respect to the (circular) industrial bio-based processes.
Expected results
- Improved environmental sustainability, especially in terms of reduced toxicity, and overall safety to live organisms and ecosystems, of industrial bio-based processes, and of chemical and materials outputs, aligned with the EU climate-goals and zero-pollution ambition of the European Green Deal, in particular by lowering the input requirements in terms of e.g., land use, (virgin) feedstocks, water and energy, and by general advancement of non-toxic / zero-pollution production processes with positive impacts on water, air and soil quality.
- Improved industrial competitiveness by developing scalable, flexible and robust multi-product manufacturing, responding to current trends in the industrial biotechnology (e.g., on-demand production, small-volume outputs, lower capital expenditure, digital / artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, lower/minimal dependence on scarce natural resources, especially in terms of biological feedstocks), ensuring links to EU / Associated Countries industrial ecosystems (SMEs, EU Partnerships such as Circular Bio-based Europe JU).
- Enhanced social engagement and understanding of advanced bio-based innovation and in particular biotechnology among broad sectors of society, with active social innovation supported via dialogue with e.g., NGOs, end-user and consumer groups, schools or science centres etc.
Enhanced market up-take linked to improved governance enabled by dialogue with regulatory actors and supporting networks, and by improved public awareness.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, International organization, Natural Person, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.
other eligibility criteria
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-8 by the end of the project.
For the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), the following definitions apply:
- TRL 1 — Basic principles observed
- TRL 2 — Technology concept formulated
- TRL 3 — Experimental proof of concept
- TRL 4 — Technology validated in a lab
- TRL 5 — Technology validated in a relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
- TRL 6 — Technology demonstrated in a relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
- TRL 7 — System prototype demonstration in an operational environment
- TRL 8 — System complete and qualified
- TRL 9 — Actual system proven in an operational environment (competitive manufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies, or in space)
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 50 pages.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.
Call documents
HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 4HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 4(608kB)
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