ECIV 1st Open Call for Interregional Circular Innovation Projects
ECIV’s first open call aims to fund interregional circular economy innovation projects aligned with regional value chains and industrial priorities.
ECIV 1st Open Call for Interregional Circular Innovation Projects aims to support interregional innovation projects in the circular economy, leveraging a total budget of €9,129,770. The projects should focus on advancing Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) from 6 to 8, contributing to ECIV's mission of transforming traditional EU value chains into interconnected, innovative, and circular systems by 2050.
TYPE OF PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED: Projects must focus on circular economy innovation, aiming to develop or adopt innovative solutions, implement new business models, and integrate circularity into value chains. They should create measurable positive impacts on the environment, economy, and society.
SECTORS / DOMAIN: The call targets sectors such as food and agro-food systems, textiles and fashion, bioeconomy, electronics, packaging, energy systems, metals and mining, water management, and construction.
INDIVIDUAL OR CONSORTIUM: Only consortium applications are eligible, requiring a minimum of three partners from three different eligible countries, including at least two partners from two ECIV funding territories. A company must be part of the consortium.
SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Eligible applicants include companies, research institutes, universities, local authorities, and NGOs from EU Member States and the UK. Only those from ECIV funding territories can lead a consortium and benefit from funding.
SPECIFIC TOPICS OR CHALLENGES: Projects should address specific topics such as minimizing waste, promoting sustainable materials, and enhancing energy efficiency. They are expected to contribute to ECIV's missions and thematic priorities.
PROJECTS DURATION: The projects are expected to have a duration of up to 2.5 years, starting no sooner than 1st July 2026, and ending by 31st December 2028.
BUDGET, FUNDING RATES AND PAYMENT CONDITIONS:
Funding rate: Up to 100%, depending on the legal status and funding territory.
Budget conditions / limitations: €500,000 to €3,000,000 per project, with a maximum of €600,000 per beneficiary across all ECIV calls.
Payments: Funding will be distributed based on eligible costs and project milestones. More information can be found in Annex 3: Regional specificities
KEY DATES:
- Call opens: December 2025
- Submission deadline: March 2026
- Evaluation: March–May 2026
- Results announcement: from May 2026
- Projects start: 1st July 2026
- Projects end: 31st December 2028.
Links
Closes
15/03/2026
Max funding per project
3.000.000€