Description

This grant from the European Commission aims to accelerate the transition of local and regional areas in Europe into "Bioeconomy Places"—geographically defined zones where bioeconomy solutions drive sustainable prosperity and community well-being. Projects are expected to develop clear definitions and benchmarks for what constitutes a "Bioeconomy Place," building on existing EU initiatives such as Regional Innovation Valleys and the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative.

Applicants must establish at least three pilot sites in different EU Member States or Associated Countries (including at least one in Ukraine), analyze local needs and opportunities, and devise transformation plans for each site. These plans must foster multi-stakeholder partnerships, create synergies between urban and rural/coastal areas, promote new business models and value chains, support job creation, and provide training for technical and entrepreneurial skills. Emphasis is placed on capacity-building, improving access to funding, and delivering policy recommendations for circularity and bioeconomy deployment. Proposals must co-create solutions with local authorities, industry, educational institutions, and civil society, leveraging knowledge from previous EU projects.