Deploying circular systemic solutions through living labs in cities and regions (Circular Cities and Regions Initiative topic)

This grant supports the implementation of the European Commission’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) to accelerate place-based innovation, boost skills and capacities, and support the deployment of circular systemic solutions at city or region level. The expected outcomes include increased circularity, reduced emissions, efficient valorisation of local resources, greater replication and upscaling of systemic solutions, and enhanced collaboration between public authorities, companies, research bodies, and citizens. Projects should setup real-life innovation ecosystems such as 'living labs' to co-create practical, scalable solutions that address climate, resource, and biodiversity challenges.

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Agency	HORIZON (EU)
Region	EU
Country	N/A
Legal form	Government organization, Company, NGO, Other
Start date	4 Feb 2027
End date	8 Apr 2027
Max funding	5,000,000 EUR per grant
Budget	10,000,000 EUR total for this topic in 2027
Coverage	Grants take the form of lump sums as per the Horizon Europe Programme guidance.

Grant application conditions

Minimum Consortium Composition	At least five (5) distinct ‘living labs’ linked to regional or local authorities (and possibly their public and/or private ecosystem actors) must be part of the consortium.
Living Lab Distribution	Among these, at least two (2) must be from different demonstration sites and three (3) from different replication sites; one replication site must be located in a Horizon Europe widening country (including Outermost Regions).
Applicant Type	Public local and regional authorities (or their groupings) in EU Member States and Associated Countries. Other participants may include companies, research bodies, academia, industries, start-ups and SMEs, social economy entities, and financial intermediaries.
Multi-actor Approach	Proposals must apply the multi-actor approach and ensure end-user involvement.
Eligible Countries	Countries described in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes; certain non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also participate with their own funding provisions.
Financial and Operational Capacity	Applicants must comply with financial and operational capacity rules outlined in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Admissibility Conditions	Applications must adhere to page limits and layout requirements described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Grant Type	Eligible costs are provided as lump sums as defined in relevant Horizon Europe Programme decisions.
Documentation	https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-01-two-stage

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

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Reporting

Application process

Application requirements