CBE JU announces annual grants

The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) has signed grant agreements totalling €172 million with 24 new projects made up of 332 beneficiaries from 32 countries. These will seek to “drive innovation in bioeconomy and scale up the production of circular bio-based solutions through four types of actions”.

Four flagship innovation actions will receive €68 million to build first-of-their-kind industrial biorefineries in Europe.  These include Pace, which will receive €20 million for a facility that will convert potato farming waste into biobased medium-chain fatty acids as a sustainable alternative to palm oil.

In addition, 11 innovation actions will share €75.2 million to scale up prototype biobased products, while eight research and innovation actions have been awarded €27.4 million to test the potential of new or improved products in laboratory or controlled settings.  These include projects to make rubber chemicals from various kinds of waste, textile chemicals and dyes from lignin and industrial waste and microalgae cultivation.

Finally, Biospark has been granted €1 million to strengthen skills and training across Europe’s biobased industries. A new 2026 call for project proposals, with €170.7 million in funding, is currently open across 13 topics. The submission deadline is 22 September 2026.