Innovation Programmes
Circular value creation R&D call for projects
Ministries and funding agencies in Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, and Ukraine have funding for organisations collaborating on international circular value creation R&D projects.
You can submit an R&D project application for this circular value creation funding opportunity between 12 June 2025 and 30 September 2025 inclusively. Your R&D project must include at least two organisations based in at least two of the countries participating in this Network projects call for projects.
Countries
About this call
Areas funded
This call is for research, development and innovation (R&D&I) projects, leading to marketable products, services and processes, which enable the development of circular value creation (CVC) systems.
You should apply if you are driven to redefine how production and consumption are approached in both B2C and B2B landscapes.
Background
A circular economy is an economic system that aims to minimise waste and promote a sustainable use of natural resources, through smarter product design, longer use and recycling, in order to reduce the depletion of natural resources. It is a departure from the traditional, so called linear economic model, which often relies on large quantities of cheap, easily accessible materials and energy.
As a model of production and consumption circular economy involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. When a product reaches the end of its life, its materials are kept within the economy wherever possible thanks to recycling. Productive reuse creates further value.
Circular value creation goes beyond recycling and waste management. It requires novel strategies for product design, cross-sectoral partnerships, new materials and technologies as well as business models guided by the principles of longevity, reuse and recycling. It is expected to lay the basis for flexibility, change and resilience in value creation systems, fostering opportunities for sustainable economic development, competitiveness and job creation.
Companies’ workforces should be empowered to build and develop a circular mindset and the corresponding skills and knowledge. At the same time, structures would be in place within the company and across organisations to enable employees to make these skills effective.
Focus
Submitted projects will enable the development of circular value creation systems, where methods of ecologically meaningful, value-retaining use (increased longevity, reuse and recycling) are implemented for the entirety of its materials, components and products.
Projects exclusively focused on recycling are not eligible.
The following three perspectives have to be addressed in the ‘Impact’ section of the application. Other sections and the project plan must be based on those reflections.
Systemic aspects and questions of circular value creation
Examples of argumentation (non-exclusive, you may select questions that are relevant to your proposal or formulate your own argumentation):
- How does your project support to establish new value chains and products?
- How does your project support increasing transparency for every stakeholder throughout the whole life cycle of the product?
- How does your project support increasing efficiency in circular approaches?
- How does your project support extending circular approaches across national borders?
- How does your project support extending value creation networks across different (industry) sectors?
- Are there synergies between your project and systemic instruments, like CO2-pricing? How does your project contribute?
- How does your project support deciding which data are needed along the entire value chain and maintaining/improving their quality (e.g. digital twins for reparability?)
- How does your project contribute to maintaining a balance between generating added value through additional data and the increasing need for energy to handle this data?
- How does your project help to expand needed data ecosystems?
- Etc.
Business models and smart services
Sample lines of reasoning (non-exclusive, you may select questions that are relevant to your proposal or formulate your own argumentation):
- How does your project support in facilitating the transformation to a circular economy by innovative business models?
- How does your project increase the economic benefit of circular products for your company?
- How does your project support the design of product-service systems that extend product life cycles through maintenance and upgrading services?
- How does your project support identifying bottlenecks and optimising workflows in circular production systems?
- How does your project foster the early integration of SME in the data ecosystem to allow for the development of new (joint) business models?
- How does your project contribute to the development of incentives and business models for data sharing (e.g. data monetization, platform economy, governance)?
- Etc.
People in circular value creation processes
Sample lines of reasoning (non-exclusive, you may select questions that are relevant to your proposal or formulate your own argumentation):
- How can people working in circular value creation processes be supported to shape those processes? How will you support the people?
- How can new (transdisciplinary) skills and knowledge regarding circular value creation be acquired, e.g. focusing on circular economy principles, remanufacturing skills, sustainability practices, data competence and transfer competence? Which elements can be addressed on-the-job?
- How can you explore new learning formats and how can these be developed or adapted?
- How can people in the working world be encouraged to experiment with circular approaches? How can transdisciplinary exchange in/among organisations be supported?
- How can AI-based decision support for complex remanufacturing tasks be integrated?
- Etc.
Innovation areas (non-exhaustive list)
In addition to promoting technological innovations in the areas listed below, particular attention is paid to the interactions and synergies between these areas of innovation.
Data technologies, data ecosystems and cross-linking:
- Data ecosystems for the realisation of circular value creation exploiting the full potential of digitalisation – e.g., harnessing existing, purpose-built platform solutions.
- Interoperability of CVC-relevant data ecosystems, quality assurance and traceability across systems
- (AI based) recognition systems (e.g. image recognition) to evaluate materials, components and products and determine the best use paths
- (AI based) process and system control technologies
- (AI based) Material and Product Design, Decomposition and Separation
- Assistance and Expert systems
- Simulation models and predictive analytics to assess the scalability of circular processes across industries
- Algorithm that shows the (positive) impact of a circular economy process or circular economy product
- Approaches to support SME fully exploit the value of existing CVC-related data
- Design of an adaptable Digital Product Pass:
- provide country and industry-specific regulations and requirements
- Technologies for data acquisition
- Support systems for designing cost-effective standardized Digital Product Passport
solutions
- Etc.
Other enabling technologies:
- Manufacturing and machine learning, e.g., to increase the flexibility of industrial processes, modular approaches, reduce use of materials, quality assurance and certification of products)
- AI-driven diagnostic systems, e.g., for assessing the viability of reused, remanufactured, and recycled components
- Industry 4.0 technologies (IoT, big data analytics) for monitoring and managing circular value chains
- (Advanced/smart) Sensors, e.g., enabling materials, components and product flows measurement
- Robotic / handling – and assistance systems
- (Advanced) Materials and additive manufacturing
- Life cycle assessment / Product life cycle management – e.g., Digital Twin / Digital Product Passport
- Reverse Manufacturing (e.g. adaptive automation for high variance, sorting, sophisticated logistic systems)
- Tools and solutions addressing challenges emerging from product focused regulations (such as the ESPR)
- Network design of reverse supply chains
- Etc.
Timeline
- 2 April 2025: Announcement of the call
- 12 June 2025: Call for projects opens
- 30 September 2025: Call for projects deadline
- By 30 November 2025: National evaluation
- February 2026: Eureka label and funding decision
- Q1/Q2 2026: Projects can start (projects with South Korea can start from 1 July 2026)
Country information
Austria 🇦🇹
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Austrian funding agency, FFG, has a budget of 1 million euro for projects on systemic aspects of circular value creation concerning the innovation areas as listed in the call text.
Participants from Austria can receive a grant of up to 400,000 euro. The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the type of organisation:
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups and small companies | Up to 80% of eligible project costs |
| Medium-sized companies | Up to 70% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 55% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 85% of eligible project costs |
More information is available on the website of FFG.
Canada 🇨🇦
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Participants from Canada can receive a grant of up to 500,000 Canadian dollars. The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the type of organisation:
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Eligible Canadian SMEs | Up to 50% reimbursement of eligible project costs |
| Medium-sized companies, large companies, research organisations, and universities | May participate on a self-funded basis or as subcontractors |
More information is available on the website of NRC IRAP.
Chile 🇨🇱
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Chilean funding agency, Corfo, has an open budget for this call for projects.
Participants from Chile can receive a matching grant of up to 220 million Chilean pesos per project. The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the type of organisation:
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Small-sized companies | Up to 80% of eligible project costs |
| Medium-sized companies | Up to 60% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 40% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Not eligible to receive funding directly from Corfo, but may participate as project collaborators. |
- An extra 10% of funding is available for female-led companies.
- Firms must be at least 24 months old at the time of submitting the Eureka application.
More information is available on the website of Corfo.
Denmark 🇩🇰
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Danish funding agency, IFD, has a budget of 1.6 million euro for this call for projects.
Participants from Denmark can receive a co-funding grant of up to 500,000 euro per project and between 50,000 euro and 300,000 euro per Danish partner. Applications for grants outside these limits will be rejected. The maximum funding rate may vary between 25% and 90% of the project costs.
More information is available on the website of IFD.
Estonia 🇪🇪
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Country-specific information will be provided soon.
France 🇫🇷
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Participants from France can receive a loan or reimbursable advance from 50,000 euro, up to 3 million euro. The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the type of organisation:
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| SMEs | Up to 80% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies (up to 2,000 full-time employees) | Up to 40% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies (more than 2,000 full-time employees) | Large companies with more than 2,000 full-time employees are not eligible for public funding. |
| Research organisations or universities | There is no direct funding available for research organisations or universities. They may participate as self-funded or subcontractors. |
French participants must contact their Bpifrance chargé d’affaires innovation (international.innoproject@bpifrance.fr) prior to applying in order to check their eligibility.
Germany 🇩🇪
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German funding agency, BMFTR, funds projects on systemic aspects of circular value creation concerning the innovation areas as listed in the call text.
Participants from Germany can receive a grant of up to between 40% and 100% of eligible project costs of each German partner. The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the type of organisation.
Eligible projects are those that clearly exceed the state of the art of companies and research institutes, with a mandatory significant contribution of at least one German company, preferably an SME.
Project consortia with only the contribution of a German research institute are not eligible.
The application process is a two-step process:
- Eureka application
- National funding application
More information is available here.
Lithuania 🇱🇹
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Lithuanian funding agency, RCL, has a budget of 1 million euro for this call for projects.
Participants from Lithuania can receive a grant of up to 300,000 euro. The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the type of organisation:
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Companies and industrial entities | Up to 80% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
Eligible costs are personnel costs (salaries, social security & taxes, paid by the organisation), R&D subcontracting, materials and other current assets, business trip costs, fixed assets or depreciation, patenting and certification, and indirect costs (overhead).
The applicant must be a Lithuanian university or higher education institution/research organisation. Each application must also include a Lithuanian SME as a project partner.
Luxembourg 🇱🇺
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Participants from Luxembourg can receive a grant of up to 80% of eligible project costs, with a maximum of 700,000 euro. The percentage of eligible costs that can be funded depends on the company size and project type. There is no funding currently available for research institutions.
Portugal 🇵🇹
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Participants from Portugal can receive a grant of up to 80% of project costs for SMEs and small mid-cap companies. For investments located at NUT II Lisboa, the maximum co-funding rate is 40% of eligible costs. The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the company size, consortium collaboration, dissemination of project results, and whether your project activities fall into the category of industrial research or experimental development.
More information is available on the website of ANI.
Slovakia 🇸🇰
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Participants from Slovakia can receive cofounding of up to 150,000 euro for 36 months. The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the type of organisation:
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Small companies | Up to 80% of eligible project costs |
| Medium-sized companies | Up to 75% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 65% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
South Korea 🇰🇷
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Participants from South Korea can receive a grant of up to 500 million Korean won (approximately 330,000 euro) per year for up to three years. The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the type of organisation:
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| SMEs | Up to 67% of eligible project costs |
| Mid-tier companies | Up to 50% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 33% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
More information is available on the website of KIAT.
Spain 🇪🇸
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Participants from Spain can receive a soft loan (partially reimbursable aid) of up to 85%of eligible costs (Euribor 1 year fix interest fee). The minimum budget is 175,000 euro. There is no maximum budget. There is a long recovery period of 10 or 15 years where up to 22.5% of the eligible costs do not have to be repaid.
Sweden 🇸🇪
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Swedish funding agency, Vinnova, has a budget of 900,000 euro for this call for projects.
Participants from Sweden can receive a grant of up to 300,000 euro. The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the type of organisation:
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| SMEs | Up to 50% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 30% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
More information is available on the website of Vinnova.
Switzerland 🇨🇭
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Swiss funding agency, Innosuisse, has a budget of 2 million euro for this call for projects.
The percentage of eligible project costs that can be funded depends on the type of organisation:
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| SMEs | Up to 50% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 25% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
A consortium must involve an academic partner as well as a Swiss company. The academic partner can be from another country.
Innosuisse funds grants with up to a 3-year run-time and a funding ration of 70% over the whole project.
Türkiye 🇹🇷
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Within the scope of the TÜBİTAK 1719 – Eureka Network 2025 CVC Call, which is a national call, applicants must submit a national application, as the evaluation process is conducted at the national level. Failure to do so will result in the project being deemed ineligible.
Additionally, higher education institutions, public research centres and institutes, education and research hospitals, and research infrastructures covered by Law No. 6550 are not eligible to apply independently.
Applications from these institutions are only accepted if they partner with at least one capital company, and the lead organisation (applicant organisation) must be a capital company.
Applicants must also follow the national application deadlines and conditions to ensure compliance. For further information regarding the financing of Turkish participants, please contact TÜBİTAK directly.
Detailed information can also be accessed here, and the national rules and conditions will be published on the TÜBİTAK TEYDEB 1719 Calls page.
Ukraine 🇺🇦
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Ukrainian research institutions and higher education institutions are eligible to receive grants of up to 199,000 Ukrainian hryvnia (according to the exchange rate applicable at that time) per year for a project duration of up to 3 years. It is recommended to include a Ukrainian SME as part of the consortium.
If there is no allocated budget for your organisation type in your country and you want to participate in a project consortium, contact your national funding body to see whether there are other funding opportunities available or talk to them about self-funding.
Each ministry or funding agency will fund organisations according to local laws, rules, procedures and available budget.
If your ministry or funding agency does not have funding for organisations like yours, you can still join a project. Contact your ministry or funding agency for information about other funding options or self-funding.
More information
Events and matchmaking
Call for Circular Value Creation R&D projects pitch sessions
Do you have a compelling idea but need a partner or don’t know how or where to contribute your expertise? Present or listen at one of our pitch sessions:
- Wednesday 2 July, 4:30 pm CEST (latest submission of pitch deck: Monday 30 June 30 12 am CEST)
- Wednesday 9 July, 3:00 pm CEST (latest submission of pitch deck: Friday 4 June, 12 am CEST)
