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The Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is one of the schemes supported by the EU Just Transition Fund. Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and European Union, the EU Just Transition Fund has a single specific objective which is to enable regions and people to address the social employment, economic and environmental impacts of the transition towards the Union’s 2030 targets for energy and climate and a climate-neutral economy of the Union by 2050, based on the Paris Agreement.
This call aims tosupport the development of bioeconomy piloting and demonstration projects in the wider midlands area.
The Call will support the development of bioeconomy piloting and demonstration projects in the wider midlands area. Proposals are being sought to support the bio-based sector to become climate neutral and sustainable with enhanced circularity, while remaining competitive on the global market. Funding will support close collaboration between stakeholders along the entire bio-based value chain.
Proposals are being sought to support the bio-based sector to become climate neutral and sustainable with enhanced circularity, while remaining competitive on the global market. This can be achieved by replacing non-renewable and fossil based raw materials and mineral resources with sustainably sourced biomass and biobased waste to produce biobased innovation and solutions for use as agricultural inputs, food ingredients, construction materials and biobased chemicals.
The projects will aim to develop the Just Transition Fund Territory in Ireland as an exemplar, in Irelands and Europe’s mission as set out in the EU Green Deal to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent, by increasing the sustainability and circularity of biobased production and consumption systems through the development, demonstration and deployment of biobased innovation and solutions.
Funding will support close collaboration between stakeholders along the entire bio-based value chain, including SMEs, research performing organisations, universities, local authorities, clusters, primary producers, bioprocessing industries, and consumer brands.
This includes the entire counties of Laois, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon, Westmeath, and municipal districts of Ballinasloe (Co. Galway), Athy and Clane-Maynooth (Co. Kildare), and Carrick-on-Suir and Thurles (Co. Tipperary).
The funding offers the opportunity to support close collaboration between stakeholders along the entire bio-based value chain at the Just Transition Fund territorial level, including SMEs, research performing organisations, universities, local authorities, clusters, primary producers, bioprocessing industries, and consumer brands.
Calls for project proposals are open to legal entities, be it private or public, for-profit, or not-for-profit organisation, considering the following collaborative approach:
+ Proposals may be co-led by a. SMEs, b. Research Performing Organisations. c. Local Authorities
+ Proposals can be supported by the active funded involvement of local actors developing acompetitive bio-based innovation and skills ecosystem including technological infrastructures(e.g., pilot lines, testing facilities, innovation hubs, open innovation testbeds, Key EnablingTechnologies Centres, demonstration sites or living labs), clusters, NGOs, regional authorities,Education and Training Boards, community, and local action groups. The formation of operational groups to aid cooperation following the EIP-AGRI model are encouraged.
+ Large industry participation in projects is welcomed+
Stakeholders of the bio-based industries ecosystem are invited to apply for funding in a balanced and integrated consortium. This means that all partners must be integral to the project and make a real and substantive contribution to the outcome.
Grant applications are from collaborative proposals which may be co-led by at least 2 outof 3 partners from Research Performing Organisations (RPOs), SMEs and Local Authorities.
Indicative total budget of the 2025 call: EUR 10 million
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