The call is relevant for cities and regions that are looking to develop a Circular Solution around urban-industrial symbiosis for bio-waste valorisation. The call requires projects to contribute to the establishment of a full-scale biorefinery and related value chain(s) for the sustainable valorisation of bio-waste into added-value bio-based products, with high replication potential. Project must implement a multi-actor approach, ensuring the involvement of key actors in the value chains and across the sustainable circular bio-based system, including bio-waste management operators, local/regional authorities, policy makers, citizens/consumers’ representatives, bio-based process developers/biorefineries.

All stakeholders of the bio-based industries ecosystem including public authorities can apply for CBE JU funding. CBE JU calls for project proposals are open to any legal entity, be it private or public, for-profit or not-for-profit organisation, including:

• Large companies
• Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs)
• Research and technology organisations (RTOs)
• Universities
• Associations

Proposals should demonstrate feasibility and viability of a full-scale biorefinery model converting bio-waste into added value products by exploiting synergies with existing waste management infrastructures, including separate collection of targeted biowaste, and of urban-industrial symbiosis (upstream and downstream). Approaches exploiting synergies with existing waste management infrastructures, including separate collection of targeted biowaste, and of urban-industrial symbiosis (upstream and downstream) are in scope.

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 20 million. It is estimated that a contribution of EUR 20 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting different amounts.

Cities and regions can apply for funding through the following steps. Cities and regions have to select the relevant call and draft a proposal with the required details. With the CBE JU networking platform, cities and regions can find partners to build a consortium. The proposal can be submitted using the Funding and tender opportunities portal using an EU login. All the members of the consortium must have a 9-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC) to apply for funding. Draft your project proposal in the submission service section of your topic page. This link becomes available when the call opens. Fill in all the required information and submit the proposal before the call deadline.

Call launch: 3 April 2025

Call deadline: 18 September 2025 17:00 CET