Evaluation Criteria Explained

Your proposal will be evaluated against three core criteria, each scored out of 5. A minimum score of 3 is required for each criterion, with an overall threshold of 10 for funding consideration.

1. Excellence (Weight: 33.3%)

This criterion assesses the 'what' and 'how' of your project idea. It's about the quality of your science and innovation.

* Clarity and Pertinence of Objectives: Are your objectives concrete, measurable, and directly responsive to all aspects of the call's 'Scope' and 'Expected Outcomes'?

* Soundness of the Concept: How credible and robust is your methodology? This is where your deep integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) will be scrutinized. You must justify your approach to analyzing consumption patterns, identifying barriers, and designing interventions.

* Ambition and Innovation: Does your project go beyond the state-of-the-art? You must demonstrate how your proposed 'pathways to change' and 'social innovations' are genuinely new and have the potential for significant impact. The use of co-creation methodologies with citizens is key here.

2. Impact (Weight: 33.3%)

This is the 'so what?' criterion. It evaluates the project's potential contribution to the wider societal, economic, and policy goals of the EU.

* Credibility of Pathways to Impact: You must provide a convincing narrative, backed by a detailed plan, showing how your project will achieve all four of the 'Expected Outcomes' listed in the topic description. This includes:

1. Increased consumer awareness and demonstrated behavioral change.

2. Demonstrated value of circular choices to consumers.

3. Actionable guidance for public authorities and CSOs.

4. Strengthened skills for economic operators (e.g., designers).

* Contribution to EU Policy: Clearly articulate how your results will support the European Green Deal, Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), ESPR, and other mentioned policies.

* Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation: This requires a professional and targeted plan. Who are your target audiences (policymakers, businesses in your country, citizens, etc.)? What channels will you use? How will you ensure your results are used after the project ends? A strong exploitation plan detailing how your innovative services or models will be sustained is crucial for an Innovation Action.

3. Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation (Weight: 33.3%)

This criterion assesses your ability to deliver the project on time and within budget.

* Work Plan Coherence: Is your project broken down into logical Work Packages with clear objectives, tasks, deliverables, and milestones? Is the allocation of tasks appropriate?

* Consortium Quality: Does the consortium as a whole possess the necessary transdisciplinary expertise? This includes proven excellence in SSH, citizen engagement, circular economy, policy analysis, and communication. The involvement of non-academic partners (CSOs, municipalities, companies) is not optional; it is essential.

* Resource Allocation: Is the budget realistic and well-justified? You must demonstrate that you have allocated sufficient resources to all key activities, especially the demanding tasks of multi-country analysis, piloting innovations, and citizen co-creation.

Strategic Guide for HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-05

#1: Frame Your Proposal Around Social Innovation and Behavioral Science

This call is fundamentally about changing human behavior, not just developing technology. Your core strategy must be rooted in Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH).

* Lead with SSH Expertise: Position SSH experts as leaders in your consortium, not just as partners for a single task. Your methodology should be driven by behavioral economics, psychology, sociology, and cultural studies.

* Focus on the 'Why': Go beyond describing consumption patterns. Your proposal must convincingly analyze the underlying motivations, biases, and social norms that drive these patterns across diverse European demographics.

* Co-Design Interventions: Emphasize a co-creation approach. Propose workshops, living labs, and citizen science initiatives where you work directly with consumers, retailers, and communities to develop and test new narratives, tools, and business models.

#2: Build a Multi-Actor 'Quintuple Helix' Consortium

Success hinges on a consortium that mirrors the complex ecosystem you aim to influence. Move beyond the typical academic-industry partnership.

* Essential Partners:

* Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) & Consumer Associations: For authentic citizen engagement and dissemination.

* Municipalities & Regional Authorities: To test policy recommendations and ground the project in real-world governance. They are key for linking to the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI).

* Businesses (especially Retailers & Service Providers): To provide data, test circular business models (e.g., repair, sharing), and ensure market relevance.

* Design & Marketing Experts: To develop the 'convincing narratives' and 'storytelling tactics' the call demands.

* Leading Research Institutions: With proven expertise in circular economy, life cycle assessment (LCA), and SSH.

* Geographical Diversity: Ensure your consortium represents a wide range of cultural, social, and economic contexts from across the EU, including partners from your country, to make your findings broadly applicable.

#3: Directly Address and Integrate EU Policy & Initiatives

Demonstrate that your project is not just academically interesting, but a vital tool for implementing EU policy.

* Policy-Centric Work Packages: Dedicate specific work packages to analyzing the impact of, and providing recommendations for, key policies like the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the Green Claims Directive, and the EU Ecolabel.

* Explicitly Link to Synergies: Do not just mention the New European Bauhaus (NEB) and Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI). Propose concrete joint activities, workshops, or clustering events. For example, propose applying NEB principles (sustainable, inclusive, beautiful) to the design of circular product-service systems in partner cities from the CCRI network.

* Engage with JRC: Acknowledge the offer for the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to participate. Propose a specific role for them on your Scientific Advisory Board to ensure alignment with ongoing EU policy development.

#4: Propose Tangible, Testable 'Pathways to Change'

This is an Innovation Action (IA), which requires demonstrating and validating solutions.

* Develop a Portfolio of Interventions: Propose a mix of interventions targeting different actors:

* For Consumers: Test digital apps, labeling schemes, community repair cafes, or storytelling campaigns.

* For Businesses: Pilot new circular business models, develop training for product designers.

* For Public Authorities: Create policy toolkits, guidelines for green public procurement.

* Robust Validation Methodology: Clearly define how you will measure the effectiveness of these pathways. Use a mix of qualitative (surveys, interviews) and quantitative (sales data, waste reduction metrics, LCA) methods to demonstrate impact.