Summary
- Profile Type
- Research & Development Request
- POD Reference
- RDRLU20260204028
- Term of Validity
- 4 February 2026 - 4 February 2027
- Company's Country
- Luxembourg
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
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General information
- Short Summary
- A Luxembourg-based social impact organisation specialised in food circular bioeconomy and Living Lab models seeks to join a cross-sectoral consortium within topic HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01-two-stage for the part concerning food, nutrition, circular processing and health. It brings expertise in multi-actor co-creation, community-based innovation and microorganism-based food solutions.
- Full Description
-
The recognised public utility social impact organisation based in Luxembourg specialises in the design, testing and deployment of circular, inclusive and community-based Living Labs focused on sustainable food systems. Its core expertise includes socially driven and multi-actor behavioural analysis, development of circular community strategies, microorganism-based processing (such as fermentation and bioconversion) for food innovation, waste reduction and resource optimisation, as well as the innovative management of third places and urban micro-farms.
The organisation also provides social impact assessment, policy support, multilingual training, dissemination activities and awareness-raising campaigns across multiple languages (Luxembourgish, German, French, English, Spanish, Italian and Polish). It has extensive hands-on experience in creating and managing co-creation spaces in Luxembourg, including pedagogical responsibilities. Its members collaborate closely with municipalities, universities, associations, producers, vulnerable groups and citizens to co-design, test and replicate circular and systemic solutions for cities and regions.
The organisation seeks to establish strategic collaborations with academic and private partners to build a Living Lab–based consortium. It aims to work with partners offering complementary expertise beyond the food sector, including scientific, technological and analytical competences, to support the entire circular bioeconomy innovation cycle—from concept development to industrial deployment and market uptake.
In particular, the organisation is interested in collaborating with universities, research centres and applied research institutes with strong capabilities in life sciences, biotechnology, circular economy, social sciences, environmental sciences and data analysis. These partnerships will strengthen research design, experimental validation and impact assessment.
In parallel, the organisation seeks cooperation with innovative SMEs, start-ups, industrial actors and municipalities that can contribute expertise beyond food and Living Lab management. Target sectors include materials, waste, energy, digital solutions, manufacturing, logistics, urban systems and related circular value chains. - Advantages and Innovations
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The R&D project offers significant advantages by combining circular bioeconomy, community-based Living Lab models and advanced microbiology-driven food innovation. As a non-academic research institute, the organisation brings practical experience in microbiology improvement gained through participation in a European research project, with a focus on transferring knowledge on innovative food processing approaches for both domestic and industrial applications. The project will generate innovative circular solutions that reduce food waste and optimise resource use contributing to measurable environmental benefits such as lower greenhouse gas emissions and improved material efficiency.
Societal impact includes increased citizen engagement, improved food literacy and inclusive co-creation processes involving municipalities, industry and vulnerable groups. Market impact is expected through the deployment of replicable and scalable technologies and circular business models, supporting SMEs and industrial actors in adopting innovative processes. Qualitatively, the project fosters cross-sectoral collaboration and accelerates innovation cycles; quantitatively, it aims to reduce waste streams and increase adoption of circular practices across participating regions. By bridging research, industry, public involvement, the project demonstrates high potential for long-term economic, social and environmental impact. - Technical Specification or Expertise Sought
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The organisation seeks partners and coordinators with complementary expertise to strengthen its Living Lab and food system capabilities in alignment with the objectives of HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01. Target partners include universities, research centres, technology providers, industrial actors, bio-based SMEs, digital and data specialists, waste and biomass operators, as well as policy and standardisation bodies.
Partners are expected to contribute expertise in bio-based technologies and processes, industrial scaling and validation, circular value chain design, digital solutions, life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, regulatory and market frameworks, and replication or exploitation strategies. A strong commitment to integrating Living Lab methodologies and multi-actor collaboration is essential to co-develop, test and deploy innovative circular bioeconomy solutions across sectors and value chains. - Stage of Development
- Under development
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
- IPR status
- No IPR applied
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
- In order to address the systemic approach of Horizon CIRCbio, the organisation seeks partners capable of developing and leading Living Lab approaches in complementary circular bioeconomy domains beyond food, notably soil, water, biomass, materials, energy and ecosystems. Partners are expected to design and implement innovative circular solutions such as soil monitoring and regeneration, sustainable nutrient cycles, circular water management and reuse, biomass valorisation, biorefineries, bio-based materials, waste-to-resource pathways and nature-based solutions, supported by digital tools, data platforms and system modelling. Additional expertise is sought in life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, circular value chain design, impact evaluation, social sciences, behavioural analysis, policy frameworks and standardisation. Partners with industrial, technological and research capacities will contribute to prototyping, validation, scaling and integration of solutions into real-world contexts, while public authorities and territorial actors will support implementation, governance and replication. Given the cross-sectoral scope of the project, partners with strong coordination capacity are also sought to assume roles beyond the organisation’s current remit, including scientific and strategic leadership of the consortium.
- Type and Size of Partner
- University
- R&D Institution
- Big company
- SME 50 - 249
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
Call details
- Framework program
- Horizon Europe
- Call title and identifier
-
HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01-two-stage
- Submission and evaluation scheme
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Two-stage submission with the following respective deadline dates, for first stage and second stage submissions: i) 16 April 2026, ii) 23 September 2026
- Anticipated project budget
-
700000€
- Coordinator required
-
Yes
- Deadline for EoI
- Deadline of the call
- Project duration in weeks
-
208
- Web link to the call
- https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01-two-stage?order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=relevance&keywords=HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01-two-stage&isExactMatch=t
- Horizon Europe
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 11002 - Education and Training
- 11006 - Citizens participation
- 08001004 - Food Processing
- 06006011 - Fermentation
- 11003 - Information and media, society
- Market keywords
- 07003002 - Health food
- 07005004 - Education and educational products and materials
- 02007010 - Education software
- Sector Groups Involved
- Agri-Food
- Proximity & Social Economy
- Health
- Targeted countries
- All countries