The CIRCULOOS project announces the launch of its second and part of the third open calls, aimed at fostering collaborative innovation in the circular economy. These calls offer a unique opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), research organisations, and other stakeholders to access funding and expertise to develop and implement circular solutions.
Funding Opportunity: Up to €240,000 Available
The CIRCULOOS Open Call 2 (OC2) will support approximately 16 consortia, each consisting of 2-4 entities. The total funding per team is up to €240,000, distributed as a lump sum. Each participating entity can receive a maximum of €60,000.
Whereas Open Call 3.1 (OC 3.1) enables single entities to extend the existing CIRCULOOS pilots value chains by introducing new R-strategies or enhancing existing ones. Selected entities will contribute by improving resource recovery, refining manufacturing processes, or identifying new market players to strengthen circularity. Both calls share the same goal—to strengthen circular economy practices—but target different scopes: OC2 builds new supply chains, while OC3.1 strengthens existing ones.
Funding rates are as follows:
- 60% of eligible costs for profit-making entities (requiring a 40% co-funding contribution from the applicant).
- 100% of eligible costs for non-profit or academic organisations.
It is important to note that to receive the 60% funding, applicants must contribute 40% of their own funds. For instance, a project with two partners seeking the maximum €120,000 in funding (€60,000 per partner) would require a total project budget of €200,000, with the partners contributing €80,000 of their own resources.
How to Apply
Interested parties are encouraged to submit their applications through the F6S platform, which can be found through the CIRCULOOS webpage. Further details about the OC2 and OC3.1 for demos, including application guidelines and eligibility criteria, are available on the website above.
Project Timeline and Focus
Selected projects will participate in a 12-month implementation program, which tentatively will start in September 2025. Funding will be disbursed upon successful delivery of technical and business reports throughout the program.
About CIRCULOOS:
CIRCULOOS is a Horizon Europe-funded project that helps micro, small and medium-sized production companies redefine their supply chains through Circular Economy. The project is coordinated by EUROPEAN DYNAMICS (Luxembourg) and it is composed of RTOs, Digital Innovation Hubs (SuPSI, Cyprus University of Technology), industrial suppliers (European Dynamics Greece, Alastria, Fiware, Inclusinn), manufacturing SMEs (Circuleren, Contenedores LOLO, Khoani, B&A, Thermolympics, Canonical Robots), industrial clusters (Innomine, Alastria), open call managers (F6S), and dissemination and communication managers (Mobile World Capital Barcelona), leveraging the existing networks and communities of these partners.
