Deadline Date: September 17, 2026
The European Commission is inviting proposals for innovative projects that strengthen textile reuse, repair, and circular economy systems at the city and regional level through the Horizon Europe programme.
The initiative focuses on improving textile collection and sorting systems, promoting reuse and repair practices, supporting second-hand markets, increasing citizen awareness and behavioural change towards sustainable consumption, enabling large-scale replication of circular textile solutions across European cities and regions, and encouraging businesses to adopt repair strategies and circular business models that create new employment opportunities. The programme also prioritises digital solutions, AI-enabled textile sorting, supply chain traceability, repair affordability, collaboration with social enterprises, and the inclusion of gender-sensitive and inclusive approaches.
Under the topic “Demonstrating and deploying innovative collection, sorting-for-reuse and repair systems for textiles at city/region level,” proposals are expected to develop and validate innovative solutions that help local and regional authorities improve textile waste management systems with a strong emphasis on reuse and repair. The projects should involve citizens, upcycling businesses, social enterprises, retailers, and manufacturers in designing and implementing local textile repair and reuse strategies.
The programme also encourages the development of improved data systems for tracking textile waste flows and ensuring transparency throughout the supply chain. Applicants are expected to explore innovative sorting and preparation-for-reuse solutions, including digital technologies and artificial intelligence, particularly in support of future digital product passports and affordable repair services.
Another important aspect of the call is encouraging manufacturers to support reparability by providing spare parts such as buttons, zippers, and repair materials, while also extending product guarantees. Projects should further produce actionable recommendations that can be replicated in other European cities and regions.
The topic is part of the European Commission’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI), which supports place-based innovation and systemic circular transitions. Proposals are encouraged to collaborate with the CCRI Coordination and Support Office and cluster with other related projects funded under Horizon Europe.
Projects should also evaluate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the proposed solutions using robust assessment methods, including lifecycle assessments where relevant. The call additionally requires the effective involvement of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) expertise to maximise societal impact.
The funding opportunity falls under HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-04 – HORIZON Innovation Actions, with a total budget of €10 million and an expected EU contribution of around €5 million per project.
For more information, visit European Commission.
