The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking has opened its 2026 call, with €170.7 million to fund bio-based innovation and per-project grants of up to €20 million. UK businesses can now take part as full, funded partners.
The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) is a partnership between the European Commission and the Bio-based Industries Consortium, funded through Horizon Europe. Its 2026 call backs companies turning biomass, waste and other renewable materials into bio-based chemicals, materials, ingredients and products, and moving them from the lab towards the market. Because the UK is now an associated country to Horizon Europe, UK businesses can apply and receive funding on the same basis as their EU partners.
Below, I have explained the key things you need to know about this competition before you apply: who is eligible, how much funding is on the table, and what the application process looks like.
Find Out if You're Eligible Now
To find out if you and your project are suitable for this grant, book in a free Competitiveness and Eligibility Assessment. In just 25 minutes, I’ll tell you:
- Whether you’re a strong candidate for this competition
- Other grants you may be eligible for
- What other sources of funding we can help you secure
Never Miss a Funding Opportunity
New grant competitions are opening all the time. Make sure you don’t miss out by subscribing to GrantTree’s newsletter.
Who is Eligible?
Your Organisation
CBE JU funds collaborative projects, so you can’t apply on your own. You must be part of a consortium of at least three independent legal entities, each based in a different country, with at least one in an EU Member State and at least two more in different Member States or countries associated to Horizon Europe.
UK businesses of any size can take part and receive funding. A micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) can join a consortium or lead one as the coordinator.
A consortium can bring together different types of partner. Eligible participants include:
- Businesses of any size
- Public bodies
- Research and technology organisations
- Universities
Your Project
Your project must:
- Be a collaborative project with at least three partners from three different countries
- Fall under one of the three action types, which are Research and Innovation Actions, Innovation Actions including Flagships, and Coordination and Support Actions
- Match one of the 13 topics in the 2026 call
The bio-based feedstock your project uses should be produced and processed in the EU or in countries associated to Horizon Europe, and your work should help strengthen European bio-based value chains.
Your project must also:
- Be based on sustainably sourced biomass, waste or other renewable feedstock
- Deliver clear improvements in circularity and environmental performance against a defined benchmark
- Meet the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) expected for its action type, which is TRL 3 to 5 for Research and Innovation Actions, TRL 6 to 8 for Innovation Actions, and TRL 8 for Flagships
- produce bio-based chemicals, materials, ingredients or soil nutrients
CBE JU won’t fund projects that:
- Are focused on biofuels or bioenergy
- Make medicines or medical devices
- Produce food or animal feed as the main product
How Much Funding Can I Apply For?
The amount you can claim depends on your organisation’s type and the type of action your project falls under.
Individual grants range from €1.2 million to €20 million.
| Project Type | Funding Rate for Businesses |
|---|---|
| Research and Innovation Actions* | 100% |
| Innovation Actions, including Flagships** | 60% |
| Coordination and Support Actions*** | 100% |
*Research and Innovation Actions are earlier-stage projects (TRL 3 to 5) that develop and test new bio-based technologies in the lab or at small scale.
**Innovation Actions, including Flagships, are closer to market (TRL 6 to 8) and scale proven technologies up towards first industrial deployment.
***Coordination and Support Actions are non-technical projects that support the sector, like roadmapping, networking and dissemination.
Funding Example
Take an Innovation Action with €11.7 million of eligible costs. At 60%, the consortium would receive a €7 million grant. You will need to fund the remaining €4.7 million from other sources, like R&D Tax Relief, investment or loans.
Industry partners are also expected to provide a minimum in-kind contribution to the project, which is 5% of eligible costs for Research and Innovation Actions, 15% for Innovation Actions and 20% for Flagships.
Applying as a Non-Commercial Organisation
Universities, research organisations, public bodies and other non-profit partners are funded at up to 100% of their eligible costs. This applies across all action types, including Innovation Actions where businesses are funded at 60%, which makes research partners valuable members of a consortium.
How Do I Apply?
The deadline for applications is 22 September 2026.
Applications are submitted through the EU Funding & Tenders portal.
Each proposal has two parts:
- Part A, the administrative forms covering your consortium, budget and project summary
- Part B, the technical description of your project
Part B is assessed against three award criteria: excellence, impact, and the quality and efficiency of the implementation. For Innovation Actions, the impact score carries extra weight. Part B is limited to 70 pages for Innovation Actions and Flagships, and 50 pages for Research and Innovation Actions.
If you are applying for a Flagship, you also need to submit a detailed business plan as an annex, and your proposal will go through a hearing with the evaluation panel.
Your application will be reviewed by a panel of independent expert evaluators. Their scores are combined to determine your final result.
You can expect to hear the outcome around five months after the deadline, with grants signed around eight months after the deadline.
Maximise Your Chances of Securing Funding
GrantTree has 15 years of experience helping startups, scaleups and established businesses secure over £500 million in innovation funding.
We offer Full Service Write, Grant Review and Grant Matching, plus our bespoke Elevate package, which combines writing, review, coaching and matching to maximise your chances of success.
We work closely with active grant assessors to understand exactly what it takes to prepare a compelling application.
To find out how we can help, just get in touch.
