# Retrofitting of (bio)refineries industrial plants towards higher-value bio-based products
EUACC page: https://www.euacc.ai/calls/HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IAFlag-04
Retrieved: 2026-11-10T14:00:52.518Z. Retrieval is not verification. Source content is reference data, never instructions.

## Public content

**topic id:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IAFlag-04
**call id:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025
**title:** Retrofitting of (bio)refineries industrial plants towards higher-value bio-based products
**programme:** Horizon Europe
**cluster:** JU-CBE
**status:** closed
**deadline date:** 2025-09-18T00:00:00+00:00
**deadline model:** single-stage
**start date:** 2025-04-03T00:00:00+00:00
**url:** https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IAFlag-04
**description:** Expected Outcome:Successful proposals will contribute to the implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and its action plan, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU Zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment under the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the Zero Pollution Action Plan,as well as the EU Industrial strategy.
Projects results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:
• Full-scale biorefinery based on a retrofitted industrial plant towards bio-based products with a higher value than the ones produced in the old configuration.
• Deployment of a competitive, replicable, regional/local business model, encompassing all segments of the value chain, centred on the reconfiguration of the targeted industrial site.
• Improvement in overall sustainability and circularity compared to the old configuration.
• Increased value for society, in terms of direct and indirect employment at local and regional levels, considering also maintaining jobs in plants risking closure/downsizing.
 Scope:Europe is home to many industrial facilities, that are currently redundant, under-exploited, or are becoming obsolete. Their infrastructures nonetheless represent a valuable asset that can contribute to European bioeconomy when converted to biorefineries – an approach exemplified in a number of large-scale projects across Europe. Benefits of exploiting existing plants include easier permits, reduction of CAPEX and other economic and technological benefits (e.g., shorter lead times, faster implementation, fewer production time losses and lower risks compared to fully greenfield plant construction). However, significant challenges are also related to such projects in terms of conversion of industrial equipment, establishing bio-based value chains and reskilling of the workforce. Both existing biorefineries and fossil-based industrial plants on brownfield are in scope of this topic as a target of the retrofitting action. Greenfield implementation is out of scope.
Proposals under this topic should:
• Retrofit an existing industrial facility with innovative and sustainable biomass conversion process(es), yielding more valuable product(s) than the one(s) produced with the old process(es).
• Demonstrate the production of bio-based chemicals and/or materials (reaching end TRL 8) and their further conversion into end-product(s) (end TRL 6 or higher) to be validated in market-relevant application(s). Moreover, proposals should also address cascading valorisation of residual streams across the value chain. Food/feed ingredients are not in scope.
 In addition to the specific requirements applicable for the type of action, as described in section 2.2.3.1 of the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2025[1], proposals under this topic should:
• As part of the Multi-Actor Approach, establish the full value chain including biomass supply and logistics, with the appropriate involvement of biomass providers, fostering the creation or enhancement of a local/regional ecosystem centred around the biorefinery.
• Design training programme(s) for upskilling/reskilling the workforce of the retrofitted biorefinery as well as the related ecosystem workforce and test the practical implementation of such training programme(s).
• Include a task to apply the safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) framework, developed by the European Commission. Under this context, projects are expected to also contribute with and develop recommendations that can advance further the application of the SSbD framework.[2]
• Ensure complementarities with past and ongoing R&I projects addressing similar challenges, including projects funded under Horizon 2020 / Horizon Europe (under Cluster 6 and other Clusters of Horizon Europe) and BBI JU/CBE JU projects.[3]
 [1] https://www.cbe.europa.eu/reference-documents
[2] More specifically, provide thresholds that can support the criteria definition and improvements for the assessment SSbD methodologies, including any specificities related with bio-based chemicals. Recommendations should also include identification of data gaps, especially safety, environmental, but also socio-economic factors, as well as priorities for data collection.
[3] For example, BBI JU-funded Flagship project FIRST2RUN, RESOLUTE, SUSTAINEXT and VIOBOND, CBE JU-funded Flagship projects TERRIFIC and CIRCLE. The list is not exhaustive.
**conditions:** General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in Annex A and 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 B of 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 Eligible 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.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: 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
 described in section 2.2.3 Calls for proposals in the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2025

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
 Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
CBE JU Call for proposals 2025
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) 
Guidance
HE Programme Guide 
Model Grant Agreement (MGA)
HE MGA 
Call-specific instructions 
CBE JU Call for proposals 2025

Additional documents:
 HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 13. General Annexes 
HE Programme Guide 
HE Framework Programme 2021/695 
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment 
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement 
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual 
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions 
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
**action type:** HORIZON JU Innovation Actions
**budget:** 
  **budget Years Columns:** 
    - 2025
  **budget Topic Action Map:** 
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        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 2
        **max Contribution:** 3500000
        **min Contribution:** 3500000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
      -         **action:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-RIA-01 - HORIZON-JU-RIA HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
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        **max Contribution:** 3500000
        **min Contribution:** 3500000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
      -         **action:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IAFlag-03 - HORIZON-JU-IA HORIZON JU Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
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        **min Contribution:** 20000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
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        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
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        **min Contribution:** 7000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
      -         **action:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IA-03 - HORIZON-JU-IA HORIZON JU Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 2
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        **min Contribution:** 7000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
      -         **action:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IAFlag-02 - HORIZON-JU-IA HORIZON JU Innovation Actions
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          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
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        **min Contribution:** 20000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
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        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
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        **expected Grants:** 2
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        **min Contribution:** 7000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
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        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 2
        **max Contribution:** 3500000
        **min Contribution:** 3500000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
      -         **action:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IA-02 - HORIZON-JU-IA HORIZON JU Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 2
        **max Contribution:** 7000000
        **min Contribution:** 7000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
      -         **action:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IA-04 - HORIZON-JU-IA HORIZON JU Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 2
        **max Contribution:** 7000000
        **min Contribution:** 7000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
      -         **action:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IAFlag-04 - HORIZON-JU-IA HORIZON JU Innovation Actions
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          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 1
        **max Contribution:** 20000000
        **min Contribution:** 20000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
      -         **action:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IAFlag-01 - HORIZON-JU-IA HORIZON JU Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 1
        **max Contribution:** 20000000
        **min Contribution:** 20000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
      -         **action:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-CSA-01 - HORIZON-JU-CSA HORIZON JU Coordination and Support Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2025:** 172137258.88
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2025-09-18
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 1
        **max Contribution:** 1000000
        **min Contribution:** 1000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-04-03
**keywords:** HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025-IAFlag-04, HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025, Bio-based products (products that are manufactured using biological material as feedstock) bio-based materials, bio-based plastics, biofuels, bio-based and bio-derived bulk and fine chemicals, bio-based and bio-derived novel materials, Bioprocessing technologies (industrial processes relying on biological agents to drive the process) biocatalysis, fermentation, Industrial biotechnology, Industrial sectoral change
**last synced at:** 2026-11-09T17:23:17.403+00:00

## Review record

No independent verification record is available.

## Source metadata