New forms of cooperation in agriculture and the forest-based sector

New forms of cooperation in agriculture and the forest-based sector

TOPIC ID: HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024-CSA-01

Type of grant: Call for proposals

General information

Programme: Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON)

Call: Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024)

Type of action: HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions

Type of MGA: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]

Status: Forthcoming

Deadline model: single-stage

Planned Opening Date: 24 April 2024

Deadline dates: 18 September 2024 17:00 (Brussels time)

Topic description

In line with the objectives of the Circular Economy^[1] and Zero Pollution Action Plan^[2], the Long-term vision for the EU rural areas^[3], as well as the Biodiversity Strategy^[4], the successful proposals will facilitate creation and uptake of innovative forms of cooperation among primary producers and bio-based industries. Successful proposals will also contribute to the implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy^[5] and the updated EU Industrial Strategy^[6]. Enhanced synergies and complementarities with actions under the R&I mission ‘A soil deal for Europe’.

Project results should contribute to the following expected outcomes:

• Identification of new forms of cooperation among primary producers and other rural actors, and between them and bio-based industries, in circular bio-based businesses.
• Increased potential of innovative cooperative and circular bio-based business models for primary producers and other rural actors in different regions and pedo-climatic zones in Europe.
• Better awareness on the added-value bio-based products (including e.g. food ingredients or food supplements) and products with improved sustainability characteristics (e.g. resource efficiency, environmental impact, circularity, social sustainability, etc.) and their scaling up potential.
• Creation of ‘green’, fair and skilled jobs and new and local business opportunities with potential for replication across the EU.
• Identification of new forms of cooperation of primary producers and other rural actors in circular, biobased businesses.
• Improved circularity and resource efficiency of bio-based value chains via practical application of circular bioeconomy, encompassing the resource- and energy-efficient, cascading use of sustainably sourced biomass.
• Significantly improved sustainability, strategic autonomy, resilience and competitiveness of the European primary sectors while reducing the fossil feedstock dependence.

The circular use of waste, by-products and residues from agriculture, forestry, and the agri-food industry can lead to the creation of new economic opportunities in rural areas. However, primary producers are often not fully integrated in bio-based value chains, and thus, benefits are not sufficiently distributed among value chain actors. In addition, actors in the bio-based economy need a specific understanding on processes optimisation and high degree of investments in innovation and technologies.

This topic addresses diverse forms of cooperation among primary producers and beyond in wider value networks as well as suitable business models to create high-value bio-based products in vertically integrated value chains via advanced biorefineries. A more efficient collaboration poses several opportunities for primary producers: a significant bargaining power as a consequence of higher production volumes, economies of scales, stronger competitiveness and better access to market, portfolio diversification in production while reducing risks and creating new economic benefits, better investment capacity due to pooling resources and control over the whole production, facilitated access to information and to new knowledge.

Proposals under this topic should:

• Assess the feasibility and suitability of new forms of cooperation among primary producers (e.g. cooperatives) to optimise harvesting, logistics and processing of particularly secondary or underutilised biomass for the manufacturing of innovative products in the scope of the CBE JU (including the management and recycling of waste produced during the transformation process).
• Develop wider value networks, clusters, and other forms of collaboration in the bio-based sectors and stimulate the interactions between the key actors to reduce the limiting factors such as seasonality of biomass, initial costs or high market competition.
• Use of technologies and logistics in a symbiotic and resource-efficient way to further accelerate the deployment of a circular and sustainable bioeconomy.
• Identify and develop solutions to overcome the barriers for the valorisation of underutilised biomass, taking into account the regional conditions as well as the perspective of primary producers and the industry.
• Demonstrate the economic and sustainable feasibility of the production of high added-value bio-based products with tangible market applications, thereby following the food first and the cascading use principles.
• Develop economic viable long-term business plans and marketing strategies as well as other non-financial benefits (e.g. education training, technical assistance, access to new technologies and innovations, market information, etc.). Identify new skilled job opportunities in primary production and investments in underrepresented rural areas
• Develop environmental impacts assessment models as well as social benefits to constantly optimising the production along the entire value chain.
• Identify bottlenecks and opportunities in existing EU level policy frameworks in order to facilitate creation and uptake of innovative forms of cooperation among primary producers and bio-based industries. On this basis, provide recommendations for a cross-sectoral EU level policy framework and suggestions for concrete actions supporting the development of the European bio-based economy.
• Support the piloting and scaling up of the production of new high-added-value products including under the innovative regional clusters. Proposals may involve financial support to third parties to provide direct support (e.g., in the form of cascading grants) to actions related to teaming supporting the development of local value chains). Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000. A maximum EUR 300 000 of the EU funding can be allocated to this purpose.
• Develop suitable governance models to ensure the practical feasibility of implementing such cooperations in specific and varying institutional contexts across European countries. Such models need to consider existing regulatory environments, governance structures as well as stakeholder views and preferences.

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach and demonstrate the involvement of all concerned key actors, such as primary producers, landowners, researchers, regional authorities, environmental organisations, and consumers).

Proposals should seek for links and complementarities and avoid overlaps with past, ongoing and upcoming EU funded projects^[7], including those funded under H2020, HEU and the BBI JU.

Proposals should also describe their contribution to the Specific CBE JU requirements, presented in section 2.2.3.1 of the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2024^[8].

[1]Brussels, 11.3.2020 COM(2020) 98 final.

[2]Brussels, 12.05.2021, COM(2021) 400 final.

[3]Brussels, 30.6.2021, COM/2021/345 final.

[4]Brussels, 20.5.2020, COM(2020) 380 final.

[5]European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Review of the 2012 European Bioeconomy Strategy, Publications Office, 2018, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/086770.

[6]Brussels, 5.5.2021 COM(2021) 350 final.

[7]i.e HORIZON-CL6-2024-CircBio-02-6-two-stage.

[8]https://www.cbe.europa.eu/reference-documents

General conditions

1. Admissibility conditions: described in Annex Aand Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System

2. Eligible countries: described in Annex Bof the Work Programme General Annexes

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other eligibility conditions: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes

5.Evaluation and award:

• Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex Dof the Work Programme General Annexes

• Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual

• Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes

Specific conditions

7. Specific conditions:described in section 2.2.3 Calls for proposals in the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2024

Start submission

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

Get support

Online Manualis your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.

Horizon Europe Programme Guidecontains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.

Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ– find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management.

Research Enquiry Service– ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular.

National Contact Points (NCPs)– get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’).

Enterprise Europe Network– contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding.

IT Helpdesk–contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.

European IPR Helpdeskassists you on intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk–the European Standards Organisationsadvise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal.

The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment– consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers.

Partner Search Serviceshelp you find a partner organisation for your proposal.