From silos to diversity – small-scale bio-based demonstration pilots

ExpectedOutcome:

This topic supports the bioeconomy strategy and the common agriculture policy (CAP) by promoting new business models for the green transition in line with the European Green Deal objectives.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Demonstration of replicable and scalable, innovative bioeconomy-oriented production and business models with an active involvement of primary producers.
• Enhanced knowledge and awareness on feedstock availability and technology options to better valorise underutilised biomass, residues and waste streams from agriculture and forestry.
• Improved innovation capacities and product portfolio extension in primary production sectors and SMEs.
• Development of new materials, products, and services with considerably lower environmental impacts and at higher value.
• Climate-neutral land sector by 2035 and climate-neutral economy by 2050.
• Diversification and enhancement of agricultural incomes (organic and conventional farming).
• Creation of a stakeholder platform to share best-practice examples and promote new business models in the primary production sectors.
• Promotion of bioeconomy-related interventions in the new CAP and advice and technical guidance for Member States.

Scope:

The current economy system is based on an intensive consumption of fossil fuels in a way that severely compromise the future of the planet due to the severe consequences in climate change. Europe's future economic growth and jobs will increasingly have to come from innovation in sustainable products based on renewable resources and in line with the climate and biodiversity objectives. This topic addresses innovative business models and technology options in primary production sectors to unlock the potential of the bioeconomy in rural areas and to efficiently use underutilised biomass, in particular side streams from agriculture and forestry, for high value applications in small-scale bio-based demonstration pilots.

Proposals will:

• Develop new business models for the economic-viable valorisation of local underutilised feedstock, such as by-products, residues, and waste, from land and livestock.
• Demonstrate suitable processes and technologies to produce high-value bio-based materials and products in rural conditions with an active role of primary producers (farmers and foresters) in the value chains.
• Build-upon existing food, feed, or bioenergy value chains to further strengthen their economic and environmental sustainability through synergistic interlinkages and in line with the cascading principle.
• Improve the knowledge on the quantitative and qualitative requirements, harvesting, logistics, pre-treatment (e.g. mechanical, thermal) and conversion of the feedstock.
• Ensure that the bio-based materials and products are based on the latest safety standards.
• Evaluate the environmental and socio-economic performance of the demonstrated value chains.
• Demonstrate the economic feasibility of seeking access to sufficient quantities of raw materials needed to set-up new supply chains and provide evidence that the feedstock streams in question are produced on land that is unsuitable for food production or represent underutilized residues from the agro-food industry.
• Closely interact with other selected projects under this topic and create a joint stakeholder platform to promote best-practice examples for primary producers and SMEs at national and EU-level.

A close cooperation with selected projects from topic HORIZON-CL6-2021-CIRCBIO-01-08 is strongly advised.

Proposals shall apply the concept of the 'multi-actor approach’ and ensure adequate involvement of primary producers and other actors active in rural areas.

Proposals may involve financial support to third parties e.g. to primary producers, academic researchers, start-ups, SMEs, and other multidisciplinary actors, to, for instance, develop, test or validate developed applications. Consortia need to define the selection process of organisations, for which financial support may be granted. Maximum 20% of the EU funding can be allocated to this purpose.

Proposals are encouraged to include regions where pilot plants and demonstrational sites are missing or underrepresented.

Specific Topic Conditions:

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.