SSbD Bio-based solutions to replace Hazardous Conventional Chemicals for Textiles Production

Deadline: 18 September 2025

The European Commission is requesting proposals for SSbD bio-based solutions to replace hazardous conventional chemicals for textiles production.

The European Commission strategy for sustainable and circular textiles announced actions along the textiles value chain to increase circularity and sustainability. The European consumption of textiles has the fourth highest impact on climate change and the environment, after the food sector, housing and mobility.

Scope

Proposals under this topic should:
- Demonstrate SSbD bio-based alternatives to hazardous conventional chemicals used in the production of textiles. Bio-based solutions applicable to bio-based and/or fossil-based textiles production are both in scope.
  - Chemicals in scope for replacement include both those that are currently only used in production processes and those that are included in the end-product(s).
  - SSbD bio-based solutions in scope are:
    - chemicals (organic and/or inorganic compounds) and/or
    - processing routes, removing the need for chemical-to-chemical substitution.
- Ensure compatibility of the innovative chemicals and/or processes with textile manufacturing equipment and practices.
- Test the impact of the alternative bio-based chemical(s) and/or process on the end-product(s), based on available standards. The action can target garments, technical textiles or other products (e.g., footwear, non-woven textiles) towards improving the production of bio-based and/or fossil-based textiles. More specifically, assess their technical performance (depending on end application), human health safety and environmental impact against relevant benchmarks, considering production, use and end of life (EoL). Specify all the different and applicable EoL scenarios considered (e.g., recycling, remanufacturing etc.).

Funding Information

Grant Amount: €14 million

Eligibility Criteria

Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from no associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Entities eligible for funding:
- To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
  - the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
    - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
  - the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States:
    - Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).
  - Countries associated to Horizon Europe;
    - Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.