Securing EU funding is rarely as simple as finding an interesting call and writing a proposal.
For innovators in the bioeconomy and circular economy, the process can involve identifying the right programme, studying the call requirements, developing the project concept, building the right consortium and preparing a technically and commercially credible proposal.
We have seen companies lose significant amounts of time because they started with the application rather than with the strategic question:
Is this actually the right funding opportunity for our technology and our stage of development?
That is the question this guide aims to help answer.
How to get EU funding for bioeconomy and circular economy product development and scale-up
Product development and process scale-up are among the areas where EU funding can help reduce the financial risk faced by innovative companies.
This is particularly relevant in sectors such as industrial biotechnology, foodtech, bio-based materials and circular processes, where moving from laboratory development to pilot, demonstration and commercial scale can require substantial investment of time and capital.
EU funding opportunities are often associated with different levels of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and different types of activities. However, TRL should not be treated as the only criterion.
Thematic fit, expected impact, project structure, eligible activities and the specific wording of the call are equally important.
Which EU programme should you consider?
There is no universal answer.
For companies operating in the bioeconomy and circular economy, some of the programmes worth assessing include:
- Horizon Europe: research and innovation, collaborative projects and technology development;
- CBE JU: circular bio-based industries, biomanufacturing, bio-based products and industrial deployment;
- LIFE: environmental and climate solutions, demonstration and deployment;
- Innovation Fund: innovative low-carbon and net-zero technologies with significant emissions-reduction potential.
The appropriate programme depends on your technology, development stage, project objectives and the specific call.
What EU funding programmes should organisations operating in the bioeconomy and circular economy explore?
1. Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe is the EU’s main research and innovation programme for 2021–2027, with an indicative budget of €93.5 billion following the mid-term review.
For bioeconomy and circular economy innovation, Cluster 6 is particularly relevant, covering food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment.
Depending on the call, Horizon Europe can support activities ranging from research and innovation to innovation and demonstration.
For many calls, companies participate as part of a consortium involving organisations from several countries.
The exact consortium and eligibility requirements depend on the individual call.
2. Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking
CBE JU is particularly relevant for companies developing technologies and products that contribute to competitive circular bio-based industries.
Its calls cover areas including:
- biotechnology and biomanufacturing
- biomass valorisation
- bio-based chemicals and materials
- circular packaging
- sustainable food ingredients
- bio-based alternatives to fossil-based products
The 2026 call illustrated the breadth of the programme. It included 13 topics and €170.7 million in available funding, ranging from research actions to innovation actions and first-of-a-kind flagship projects.
This is also a good example of why companies should not simply search for “CBE JU funding”. They should examine the individual topic and determine whether their technology genuinely fits it.
3. LIFE Programme
LIFE is the EU’s funding programme dedicated to environment, nature and climate action.
For 2021–2027, it has a budget of approximately €5.4 billion and covers nature and biodiversity, circular economy and quality of life, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and clean energy transition.
LIFE can be particularly interesting for companies whose technology is moving towards demonstration and deployment and can demonstrate a measurable environmental or climate impact.
One important distinction is that LIFE does not operate like a traditional top-down collaborative research programme. Depending on the action, applicants can have considerably more flexibility in how they structure the project, and single beneficiary projects are possible, allowing budget and efforts to be concentrated on a single organisation.
How can one find EU funding opportunities?
We recommend starting with two sources.
a) The EU Funding & Tenders Portal
The Funding & Tenders Portal is the central place to search for many EU funding opportunities.
You can use it to identify open and forthcoming calls and examine the specific requirements for each opportunity.
b) Identifying each programme’s Annual Work Programme
The second source is often overlooked.
The Annual Work Programme provides the broader context behind the calls and explains the priorities and topics that the programme intends to support.
For companies planning their funding strategy, this information can be more valuable than simply looking at currently open calls.
If the documents feel overwhelming, that is normal.
The challenge is not simply finding a call. It is understanding what the call is really asking for, whether your technology fits and whether the project can be built around the evaluator’s expectations.
What are the main challenges in securing an EU grant?
From our experience, several challenges appear repeatedly:
Identifying the right programme and call
Different calls can have dramatically different objectives, eligibility requirements and competitive environments.
A call that appears highly relevant at first glance may turn out to be a poor fit once the full topic description and expected outcomes are analysed.
Developing the right concept
A technology can be excellent and still be unsuitable for a particular call.
The project concept needs to connect the innovation with the programme’s objectives, expected impacts and evaluation criteria.
Building credible evidence
EU proposals require more than an attractive narrative.
Technical, commercial and financial claims need to be supported by credible evidence.
Collecting this information takes time and often requires several iterations between technical, commercial and financial experts.
Building the consortium
For collaborative programmes, the consortium itself is part of the proposal. The right partners should not simply fill eligibility requirements. They should strengthen the project’s ability to deliver the proposed work and achieve its expected impact.
What happens after the project is approved?
Being selected for funding is not the same as having the project fully secured.
The Grant Agreement Preparation (GAP) stage comes before the grant agreement is signed and involves the so called “not negotiation” with the funding body, about the fine tuning or clarification of some aspects of the proposal.
After the project starts, beneficiaries also need, in addition to implementing the actions agreed upon, to manage technical and financial reporting, project implementation, compliance, communication and dissemination.
These activities should be considered when deciding whether a funding opportunity is strategically worthwhile.
An EU grant can provide significant support, but it also creates obligations.
Why work with a specialised EU funding advisory team?
EU funding requires an understanding of both the funding mechanism and the technology.
For biotech, foodtech and cleantech companies, we believe this combination is particularly important.
A strong advisory team should be able to understand the science and technology behind the innovation while also understanding the structure, language and requirements of European funding programmes.
At Magfi, we combine STEM understanding, EU funding expertise, project management and communication capabilities to support companies across different stages of the EU funding journey.
We do not believe that every company should apply for every grant. In some cases, the best approach is NOT to apply for EU funding.
The real objective is to identify the opportunities where the strategic fit justifies the time, resources and risk involved.
Get in touch
Tell us about your innovative project.
We can assess which EU funding opportunities may be worth targeting, which ones may not be a good fit, and how to build a strategy around your technology and growth plans. You can contact us via LinkedIn or via the BioInvest Europe website.