Evaluation Criteria & Scoring Guidance

Proposals are assessed under the standard Horizon Europe RIA criteria (max 45 points, threshold 10/15 for Impact, 10/25 overall). Below is an expert unpacking of what evaluators will look for in this specific topic.

1. Excellence (15 points)

* Clarity & relevance of objectives (5 pts)

* Objectives must mirror the three scope bullets (process development, validation, long-term biodegradability).

* Include quantified targets (e.g., complete disintegration ≤24 months, nutrient release curve R² > 0.95 to crop demand).

* Soundness of methodology (7 pts)

* Robust experimental design: Design-of-Experiments for coating optimisation, replicated field trials across ≥2 climatic zones.

* SSbD integration: dedicated WP, test matrices, thresholds proposal.

* Compliance with CEN/ISO and delegated act 2024/1682 test methods.

* Interdisciplinarity & innovation (3 pts)

* Novel bio-based polymers or process intensification (e.g., reactive extrusion with CO₂ foaming) clearly benchmarked vs SoA.

2. Impact (15 points) – **minimum 10 pts needed**

* Credibility of pathways (7 pts)

* Logical impact narrative from lab proof → regional value chain → EU policy support (fertilising products regulation, SSbD).

* Suitability of KPIs, measures to maximise impact (5 pts)

* Detailed KPIs for microplastics reduction, soil health, farmer income, CO₂ savings.

* DEC plan with quantified targets (e.g., 3 policy briefs, 10,000 stakeholders reached).

* Barriers & risk mitigation (3 pts)

* Technical, regulatory, market barriers analysed with mitigation (e.g., conformity assessment under Regulation EU 2019/1009 Module B+E).

3. Quality & Efficiency of Implementation (15 points)

* Workplan & resources (6 pts)

* Coherent WPs, realistic person-months, balanced budget across partners.

* Consortium quality (5 pts)

* Complementary skills; inclusion of at least one farming organisation and one industrial scale-up actor.

* Project management, risk, & gender/SSh integration (4 pts)

* Professional PMO, clear decision processes, contingency plans, gender balance in leadership roles.

4. Cross-Cutting CBE JU Considerations (non-scored but may influence tie-breaks)

* Climate mainstreaming: aim ≥35 % climate expenditure share.

* Social sustainability: rural jobs created, acceptance of bio-based fertilisers.

* Synergies: clear links to other EU programmes (LIFE, CAP AKIS).

Proposals ranking above threshold are panel-ranked; funding line cut-off depends on available envelope. In case of ties, priority is given to higher Impact score and stronger contribution to CBE JU KPIs (bio-based content, GHG savings, investments mobilised).

Application Strategy

1. Build a Balanced, Impact-Centric Consortium

* Core technology partners: polymer scientists, bio-refineries, fertiliser manufacturers.

* Validation & user partners: at least two farming cooperatives representing diverse pedo-climatic zones (e.g., Mediterranean & Continental).

* Impact enablers: LCA/SSbD experts, socio-economists, soil microbiome labs, policy/regulatory advisers, digital monitoring SMEs.

* Governance: install a Steering Board with an independent Stakeholder Advisory Panel (regulators, NGOs, Mission Soil board member).

2. Craft a Convincing Excellence Section

* Present a clear problem statement: 42 000 t of microplastics/year, 8 000 t from polymer-coated fertilisers.

* Show state-of-the-art gaps: no commercially available bio-based coated CRFs with proven full biodegradation in soil & water.

* Describe innovative concept: highlight feedstock origin (e.g., PHAs from agro-waste, lignin-based coatings) and controlled-release kinetics modelling.

* Detail work packages mapping directly to scope bullets (WP1 Process design, WP2 Material optimisation, WP3 SSbD & risk, WP4 Field trials, WP5 Exploitation).

3. Address Impact with Quantified KPIs

* Microplastics avoided: ≥90 % versus reference PCF after 12 weeks.

* N-use efficiency gain: +15 % vs conventional urea.

* Soil health indices: no adverse effect on microbial diversity (Shannon index) after 2 seasons.

* Climate: ≥30 % GHG reduction (kg CO₂-eq/kgN) via LCA.

* Market uptake: engage 5 fertiliser producers, sign 2 LoIs for scale-up plants by Month 36.

4. Implementation Excellence

* Provide a Gantt chart and PERT with realistic critical path (lab → pilot → demo plots).

* Allocate ≥8 % budget to SSbD/LCA; ≥5 % to dissemination & exploitation.

* Embed risk register: technical (low coating adherence), regulatory (REACH), market (price premium) with mitigation plans.

* Show data management plan aligned with FAIR & EOSC.

5. Leverage Complementarity & Mission Links

* Map deliverables to Mission Soil objectives and Ocean Mission pollution pillar.

* Show synergies with ongoing CBE projects; propose joint workshops and shared datasets.

6. Writing & Submission Tips

* Use the new Part B template (04/04/2025)—activate automatic table of deliverables & milestones.

* Keep narrative ≤45 pages; annex additional graphs as optional PDF.

* Employ clear sub-headings mirroring evaluation criteria; insert call text excerpts to demonstrate alignment.

* Schedule internal reviews 4–6 weeks before deadline; rehearse the 3-minute abstract video (optional but impactful for evaluators).

7. Post-Award Strategy

* Plan early for IPR (background/foreground mapping, joint ownership agreements).

* Define a commercialisation roadmap reaching TRL 7 via follow-up CBE-IA or Innovation Fund.

* Prepare for CBE JU reporting (continuous monitoring via KPIs dashboard; periodic reports every 12 months).