HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-05: Innovative circular solutions for end-of-life footwear through… — expected outcomes, evaluation and traps

Topic	HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-05
Status	Forthcoming
Call	HORIZON-CL6-2027-01 — Call 01 - single stage (2027)
Destination	Circular economy and biobased sectors (2026-27)
Type of action	Research and Innovation Actions · lump sum
Opening	20 April 2027
Deadline	22 September 2027
Budget	EUR 4 million to EUR 5 million per project · 2 projects expected · EUR 9 million in total
TRL at the end	TRL 4–5
Part B page limit	45 pages (standard application form; check your call)
Template	Work Programme 2026–2027 application form

Expected outcomes

Projects should contribute to all of the expected outcomes. The topic says: “Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:”

EO1 all relevant stakeholders, including consumers, economic and social economy operators and waste managers, have an improved understanding of the technical, environmental, economic and social challenges and benefits to circularity in the footwear industry.
EO2 economic operators and waste managers are provided with evidence-based, innovative, cost-effective, and scalable solutions that improve the management of end-of-life footwear products, valorise post-consumer footwear waste materials and increase the circularity of the value chain.
EO3 consumers have access to user-friendly solutions to correctly dispose of end-of-life footwear, thus reducing landfill, improving sustainability practices, supporting them in making more conscious choices, and contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation by reducing waste and promoting circular economy practices.

Expected impacts named in the destination

The wider, long-term effects the destination seeks. Your outcomes feed them; they are not project deliverables.

EI1 Improved climate change adaptation and mitigation through the transition to a more sustainable and circular economy and bioeconomy, underpinned by biotechnologies and sustainable industrial solutions, such as carbon capture and utilisation and recovery of materials, water and energy.
EI2 Industrial competitiveness, sustainability and strategic autonomy are improved through the development of safe, sustainable, circular and/or bio-based value chains. This is done by promoting the efficient and circular use of secondary materials and water, fostering the multi-functionality of forests, and ensuring the sustainable supply of critical resources from land and sea.
EI3 Living conditions for individuals and communities are improved through innovative, affordable and sustainable safe and sustainable by design products and services based on circular and/or bio-based solutions while demonstrating a reduction of environmental and climate pressures.
EI4 Advanced societal transformation based on a systemic approach, as well as people’s involvement and integration of social sciences and humanities for fair, safe, sustainable and circular value chains, sustainable consumption patterns, environmental justice, gender equality and social inclusion.

What evaluators will look for in this topic

Expected outcomes

Projects should contribute to all of the expected outcomes.
For each outcome (EO1 to EO3), name who will use or adopt your results (a specific group, not “industry” or “society”), how they get them, and the indicator that shows the change, with baseline, target and date.
Use the topic's own words for each outcome, so the evaluator can tick it off.

What the scope asks for

Evaluators check the proposal against these sentences of the scope. Answer each one visibly, in the call's own words.

“The transition to a circular economy requires innovative solutions to manage end-of-life products, including footwear, which can have significant environmental and climate impacts if landfilled and not properly collected, sorted, and recycled.”
“Proposals should:. assess the technical, environmental, economic and social challenges and benefits linked to the transition of the footwear industry towards circularity, particularly in the collection, sorting and recycling of post-consumer footwear waste;. develop and test new methods and technologies that facilitate the collection, sorting, preparation for reuse and recycling of post-consumer footwear products, integrating digital tools…”
“Successful proposals should bring together all relevant stakeholders active in the footwear value chain, namely industry representatives, SMEs, brand owners, producers, retailers, local authorities, waste managers, economic operators, consumer organisations, researchers, and NGOs.”
“The proposed solutions should also be consistent with the Waste Framework Directive, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles, the Clean Industrial Deal and the EU Circular Economy Act, supporting Europe’s efforts to develop a single market for sustainable products.”
“This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.”

Conditions that shape the proposal

Part B, sections 1–3: 45 pages (standard application form). Text beyond the limit is not read; tables and figures count.
Lump sum: the budget is fixed per work package and paid when each work package is completed. Every work package needs activities and deliverables an evaluator can verify, and the effort must match the money.
TRL: the topic expects TRL 4–5 by the end of the project. State where you start and the evidence for it.

Impact pathway and traps

The topic asks for social sciences and humanities (SSH) expertise. Evaluators look for SSH partners with a real role in the methodology, not a token task.
Market uptake is part of the scope. Evaluators look for a credible route to market with named first adopters.
Policy or regulation is in scope. Name the policy owners you will reach and what you will give them.
Keep outputs, outcomes and impacts apart: what you deliver, what changes when others use it, and the long-term effect.
For each destination impact you claim, show which of your outcomes feeds it. Destination impacts are long-term effects, not project deliverables.
Name the barriers outside the project (regulation, markets, user behaviour) that could block uptake, and what you will do if they do.
Section 2.3 (the summary canvas) is optional on this call; the old split into scientific, economic and societal impact is no longer required.

The scope, as published

The transition to a circular economy requires innovative solutions to manage end-of-life products, including footwear, which can have significant environmental and climate impacts if landfilled and not properly collected, sorted, and recycled. In line with the EU's ambitious circular economy targets and policies, such as the Waste Framework Directive and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, this topic aims at improving the circularity of the footwear value chain and reducing the environmental footprint of end-of-life post-consumer footwear, whilst promoting a more regenerative and restorative approach to the footwear value chain. Proposals should: assess the technical, environmental, economic and social challenges and benefits linked to the transition of the footwear industry towards circularity, particularly in the collection, sorting and recycling of post-consumer footwear waste; develop and test new methods and technologies that facilitate the collection, sorting, preparation for reuse and recycling of post-consumer footwear products, integrating digital tools (including AI) and the use of the Digital Product Passport to enable reuse and recycling, and minimise the release of hazardous chemicals and microplastics during the recycling process; explore and develop innovative business models that enable the transition towards a circular and sustainable footwear value chain, promote the uptake of design for preparing for reuse and recycling, enable the development of take-back solutions and stimulate informed consumer choices and sustainable consumption patterns; develop and test innovative solutions that facilitate the collaboration between the relevant stakeholders, including footwear manufacturers, retailers, consumers and waste managers, to ensure the effectiveness and uptake of the proposed solutions, including strategies for managing hazardous chemicals and microplastics in footwear waste. Successful proposals should bring together all relevant stakeholders active in the footwear value chain, namely industry representatives, SMEs, brand owners, producers, retailers, local authorities, waste managers, economic operators, consumer organisations, researchers, and NGOs. The topic supports EU policies, particularly the European Green Deal, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and its working plan, as well as the zero pollution action plan. The proposed solutions should also be consistent with the Waste Framework Directive, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles, the Clean Industrial Deal and the EU Circular Economy Act, supporting Europe’s efforts to develop a single market for sustainable products. This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Technology readiness, as published

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL.

Source and attribution

Topic text from the official topic page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, retrieved 19 October 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU (CC BY 4.0). Changes: the expected outcomes and impacts are split into numbered statements, long passages are shortened, and the evaluator checklist is GrantWise's own commentary. Your call and the Work Programme always win; check them before you submit. GrantWise is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the European Commission.

Innovative circular solutions for end-of-life footwear through collection, sorting and recycling

Expected outcomes

Expected impacts named in the destination

What evaluators will look for in this topic

Expected outcomes

What the scope asks for

Conditions that shape the proposal

Impact pathway and traps

Other topics in HORIZON-CL6-2027-01

Source and attribution