2023 call for proposals: Circular Bio-based Industries JU continues to advance European circular bio-based economy

In 2023, 215.5 M€ is dedicated in advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe, launched by the Circular Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), which is a massive €2 billion partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) under Horizon Europe. The 2023 Work Programme with 18 different call topics has been published.  

When?

The next CBE JU call for 2023 will open in April 2023 with a planned deadline of 20 September 2023. As usual, the call is competitive so we advise to start preparation early to ensure you submit a convincing and well thought-out project proposal.

For whom? 

For the CBE JU calls in 2023, funding is available in several project categories across a variety of technology maturity levels. These include topics for bio-based initiatives targetting to upscale a new innovation into building a large-scale, first-of-its-kind product facility (flagship) in Europe (Technology Readiness Level, TRL 8). For solutions which still need more development steps prior to commercialisation, there are Research and Innovation Action topics, in which technologies can be developed and validated (TRL 4-5), and Innovation Action topics that are intended for scaling up and demonstrating technologies within TRL 6-7. 

We trust that for our company customers, the most interesting call topics are the Innovation actions, including flagships (see topics below). Our Bioeconomy Team Leader Kaisu Leppänen says: “The CBE calls this year offer growth opportunities for companies in utilising specific raw materials, improving processing technologies, developing various types of bio-based products, and addressing complete integrated concepts and value chains. Our team sees many relevant opportunities in this work programme for the industry to scale up their new business through public funding."

Innovation actions — flagship topics for 2023: 

• Optimised and integrated woody-based value chains (17 M€)
• Expansion and/or retro-fitting of biorefineries towards higher-value bio-based chemicals and intermediates (17 M€)
• Bio-based packaging materials with improved properties: barrier, food contact, forming, printability, safety, recyclability/circularity-by-design (17 M€)
• Valorisation of aquatic biomass waste and residues (10 M€).

Innovation action (IA) topics for 2023: 

• Small-scale biorefining in rural areas (15 M€)
• Production of safe, sustainable, and efficient bio-based fertilisers to improve soil health and quality (15 M€)
• Improve fermentation processes (including downstream purification) to final bio-based products (15 M€)
• Recycling bio-based plastics increasing sorting and recycled content (upcycling) (15 M€)
• Development of scalable, safe bio-based surfactants with an improved sustainability profile (15 M€)
• Selective, sustainable production routes towards bio-based alternatives to fossil-based chemical building blocks (15 M€)
• High performance, circular-by design, bio-based composites (15 M€).

More information:

CBE JU Info Day 2023 on 20 April 2023 (in person in Brussels)
CBE JU set funding priorities 2023

Do this year’s call topics offer a growth opportunity for your company? If you need support in putting together a solid project proposal for the upcoming CBE call or need to identify suitable partners for your project, do not hesitate to contact our experts today!