Deadline: 28-Mar-23
The European Commission (EC) is seeking proposals for Harnessing the innovation potential and market uptake of successful circular economy water-related projects.
Scope
- The water sector is facing important transformations in order to ensure resource efficiency, food and water security and meet relevant targets of the EGD. Transitioning to a circular economy and bioeconomy present a big opportunity for that.
- Past and ongoing EU funded projects demonstrated the benefits of applying circular economy and bioeconomy principles to water systems and provided interesting case studies on various circular water management approaches and business models, and insights on how materials, water, energy, products and components can be managed in such a way, they can maintain their highest possible intrinsic value. However, the uptake of innovative circular water solutions (e.g., recovered products) is hindered by the lack of a common understanding of benefits of systemic solutions and the lack of a systematic analysis of the various, technological, regulatory and social barriers. Raising, for instance, public awareness, stakeholder and business engagement on the use of recovered products (water, nutrients, other resources) is crucial for overcoming social barriers and other regulatory ones as well as for enabling policy developments.
Funding Information
The check will normally be done for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is equal to or greater than EUR 500 000, except for:
- public bodies (entities established as a public body under national law, including local, regional or national authorities) or international organisations; and
- cases where the individual requested grant amount is not more than EUR 60 000 (lowvalue grant).
Expected Outcomes
Projects results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Boost the uptake of the most promising systemic solutions, innovative recovered products and related business models for sustainable wastewater treatment, recovery and reuse, removing relevant barriers and create a level playing field for innovative companies;
- Change perception and behaviour of European citizens, removing social barriers with regard to wastewater management, recovery and the reuse of resources and energy
- Enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing on water reuse and recovery, education, awareness, and professional skills development;
- Support the implementation of relevant EU policies (e.g., water and marine related policies, water reuse regulation, sludge and industrial emissions directive, climate change adaptation strategy, circular economy action plan, EU bioeconomy strategy and its action plan, EU zero pollution action plan).
Eligibility Criteria
- To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding.
- To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions,
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States,
- countries associated to Horizon Europe;
- the following low- and middle-income countries.
For more information, visit European Commission.