With €9.1 million available, the call supports interregional projects that connect regions, industries, and research communities to develop market-ready circular solutions. Projects can receive between €500,000 and €3 million, with each participant eligible for up to €600,000 in funding.
Connecting Europe’s Circular Regions
ECIV is a Horizon Europe initiative bringing together 18 partners from eight countries to create what it calls Europe’s “dance floor for circular regions” — a shared space where innovators can meet, collaborate, and accelerate the shift towards circular business models.
The first open call focuses on practical, near-market innovations (Technology Readiness Levels 6–8) that help transform industrial value chains — from manufacturing and construction to textiles, plastics and bio-based materials. Projects are expected to demonstrate measurable environmental and economic benefits, whether through new technologies, design approaches or business models that extend product life, reduce waste, and promote reuse.
Who Can Apply
The call is open to legal entities in the EU and the UK, including companies, universities, research organisations, local authorities, and civil society groups. Applicants must form a consortium of at least three independent entities from three different countries, two of which must come from ECIV partner regions. To strengthen their proposals, applicants can use the ECIV matchmaking tool to team up with partners, align ideas with ECIV’s focus areas, and increase their impact potential.
Applications should be submitted through the ECIV online platform at platform.eciv.eu by February 2026. The results will be announced in May 2026, and successful projects will run until the end of 2028.
To help applicants prepare, ECIV partners will host webinars and matchmaking events in the coming weeks to connect potential partners and guide them through the process.
A Step Towards a Circular Europe
“Circularity is more than an environmental goal — it’s a new way of creating growth and resilience,” said Delia Sola Giménez, ECIV Project Coordinator at the Government of Navarra. “Through this call, we want to help regions work together to bring forward tangible solutions that can make Europe’s economy cleaner, stronger, and more connected.”
The initiative builds on the European Green Deal and the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan, which aim to make circular practices a central driver of European competitiveness and job creation.
About ECIV
The European Circular Innovation Valley connects regional innovation ecosystems across Europe to develop and scale sustainable circular solutions. With a total budget of €27 million, including €16.3 million for funding third-party projects, ECIV will support more than 35 innovation projects and 30 experimental collaborations by 2029.
For full details, eligibility rules, and application forms, visit www.eciv.eu or contact [email protected].
Co-funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement No. 101161155).
Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA.
