HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-05: Consumption patterns and environmental awareness as enablers of transition to circular economy
Updated on 16.06.2025
In supporting the implementation of the European Green Deal, and in particular the 2020 circular economy action plan (CEAP), the Waste Framework Directive, the upcoming Green Claims Directive, the EU Ecolabel and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), successful proposals will contribute to the expected impacts of this Destination, notably to benefits for industry and consumers from new opportunities both through sustainable novel products in line with ecodesign principles, and novel circular business models that have a mitigating impact on resource use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- increased awareness of consumers of the importance of their choices, and of available sustainable and circular purchasing and use options, and demonstrated willingness to change their consumption behaviour accordingly; value of making circular purchasing decisions has been demonstrated to consumers;
- guidance is made available to public authorities and civil society organisations on how awareness about sustainable and circular consumption decisions can be increased and how decisions for consumption with a lower environmental footprint and lower greenhouse gas emissions can be motivated;
- circularity-related knowledge and skills of economic operators including product designers are strengthened, with the intention to make sustainable circular products and services more attractive to consumers, in view of their benefits in terms of reduced pollutant and GHG emissions and reduced pressure on biodiversity and ecosystems.
Relevance for Circular Systemic Solutions
The call is relevant for cities and regions that are looking to raise public awareness about the environmental impacts of the mainstream consumption patterns and between prevalent consumer knowledge/awareness and actual behaviour. As circular and sustainable products become more available, consumers will take on an increasingly vital role in driving this transition through their purchasing decisions.
Empowering consumers with the right information, tools, and incentives can encourage more sustainable choices, helping to bridge the gap between awareness and action. To achieve this, proposals should explore the territorial and geographical dimensions of consumption patterns, and aim at synergies with the New European Bauhaus and the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI). Proposals are strongly encouraged to organise joint activities, ensure synergies and undertake clustering activities with CCRI projects and the CCRI CSO.
Applicant criteria
Any type of organisation can apply for Horizon Europe funding as long as they have the operational and financial capacity to carry out the tasks that they propose. For most calls for proposals, you must apply as a team of at least 3 partner organisations from 3 different EU or associated countries. At least one of the 3 partners must be from an EU country.
In addition to these 3 partners, organisations from other countries might be able to join your consortium. More information in the Horizon Europe programme guide. Further details or exceptions are listed on the pages of the call topics in the Funding & tenders portal.
Eligible projects/themes
Proposals should address the gaps in public awareness about the environmental impacts of the mainstream consumption patterns and between prevalent consumer knowledge/awareness and actual behaviour. Proposals should make use of social innovation and should analyse and identify the economic, social, behavioural, psychological, technical and legal barriers and levers for the uptake of circular and sustainable products, solutions and services. The analysis should address relevant aspects of fairness, equality, diversity, inclusion, and gender.
Proposals should first assess the patterns and underlying motivations of consumption habits through experimentation within various cultural, geographical, social, demographic, and economic groups. Based on this assessment, projects should draw and evaluate possible pathways to behavioural change of various economic actors (municipalities, companies including retailers and service providers, end-users) to enable the transition to circular and sustainable economy. Power imbalances between industry and civil society should be addressed, and the impact and potential of Ecodesign, Ecolabel, green claims, and of digital infrastructures and Digital Product Passports should be explored with a view to changing vantage points and consumer behaviour.
Amount of funding
The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 12.00 million. The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 6.00 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting different amounts.
Application process
- EC publishes calls for proposals on the funding and tenders portal
- The call is open for an usual period of ca. 5 months where applicants can submit they proposal
- Proposals can be single or two-stage application processes. A single stage application process requires the filling in of a structured proposal of max. 45 pages including objectives and innovation approach (excellence), tangible impacts that can be achieved through the project (impact) and the project planning and tasks (quality). If a two stage, the aforementioned would be the second stage application while the first is a simplified proposal of max 10 pages including only excellence and impact sections. These documents are to be uploaded to the portal in pdf format alongside filling in the respective parts of the portal with administrative information on the beneficiares, affiliated entities or others. All participants in a project need to possess a Partipant Identification Code (i.e. PIC number, a 9-digit number registered on ECAS). For more information, please see the work programme and the call documents.
- Proposal submitted within the deadline will be evaluated by experts against evaluation criteria.
- Winning proposals will be invited for signing a grant agreement with the EC.
Deadlines
Opening: 06 May 2025
Deadline: 17 Sep 2025
<5 000
large 500 000-200 000, medium 200 000-50 000, and small cities 50 000-5 000
large metropolitan area >1.5 million, metropolitan area 1.5 million-500 000
predominantly urban regions, intermediate and predominantly rural regions, refer to TERCET typology NUTS 3 region
e.g. commercial, residential, service, industrial
