European Commission logo
European Commission

Waste-to-value devices - circular production of renewable fuels, chemicals and materials

Funds research turning hard-to-recycle waste streams like plastics, flue gases and desalination brine into fuels, chemicals and materials, with EU contributions up to EUR 4 million per project.

ClosedEuropean CommissionEU

The Commission wants next-generation technology that turns problematic waste, hard-to-recycle mixed plastics, polymer composites, micro- and nanoplastics, flue gases, wastewater and seawater desalination brine, into higher-value fuels, chemicals and materials, reducing reliance on fossil feedstocks and imported critical raw materials. Proposals can come from a single legal entity or a consortium o…

This EIC Pathfinder Challenge looks for early-stage technology that converts problematic waste streams — mixed plastics, flue gases, wastewater and seawater desalination brine — into fuels, chemicals or materials, using approaches such as solar reforming, brine mining, microbial or photocatalytic remediation, and bottom-up synthetic biology. Proposals must pick exactly one of three focus areas: integrated waste-to-value devices, computational material science and AI for the underlying mechanisms, or synthetic-biology cell factories for waste valorisation. Thermochemical recycling, food and biomass waste, and bulk metal, glass or paper waste are explicitly out of scope.

CycleiHow often this grant runs - e.g. annually, on a rolling basis, or a one-off call.No fixed schedule
Next deadlineiThe next date applications are due. Rolling means you can apply any time.-
Decision timeiTypical time from the deadline to the funder's decision.-
Project durationiHow long the funded work is expected to run.36–48 months
Award typeiThe form of funding - grant, equity, loan, tax credit, etc.Grant
Match fundingiThe share of project costs you must cover yourself. 0% = fully funded.-
Funding pooliThe total budget available across all awards in this round.€120M

Sign up free to see the funding breakdown

Sign up free to see the industries in scope

Sign up free to see the full eligibility

Sign up free to see how to apply

Sign up free to see how they score you

Sign up free to see the timeline

Sign up free to see where teams trip up

Guides for this application

All guides →

More from European Commission

All grants from this funder →
European Commission logo
Open

Digital Europe Programme

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds Europe-wide digital capability development in AI, cybersecurity, semiconductors, hardware, and IoT.

AICybersecurity+3
Oct'26
European Commission logo
Open

Crime prevention approaches, online and off-line, tackling the nexus between addictions and crime

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds research and pilot collaboration between police authorities and civil-society groups to prevent addiction-linked crime across the EU.

€3MNov'26
European Commission logo
Open

Horizon Border Security: Accessible Travel Facilitation

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds two €4M border-crossing tech projects, run with Border or Coast Guard Authorities, built for travelers with disabilities or low digital skills.

DefenseAI
€4MNov'26
European Commission logo
Open

Horizon Border Security: Age Assessment Reliability

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds a €1.33M project, run with border and coast guard authorities, that compares how reliable different ways of estimating a young migrant's age really are.

Defense
€1.3MNov'26
European Commission logo
Open

Horizon Border Security: Surveillance & Drone Detection

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds two €6M projects that build border detection and surveillance tech, run jointly with national Border and Coast Guard authorities.

DefenseIoT & Edge
€6MNov'26
European Commission logo
Open

Horizon Civil Security: Bioterrorism Prevention

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds a €3M project that reviews how synthetic biology could be misused for bioterrorism and pinpoints where monitoring and regulation fall short.

Synthetic BiologyDefense
€3MNov'26