A series of questions asked in Webinar Open Call Kickoff. Hopefully these may answer general queries.
How many projects will be funded?
Up to six projects will receive funding.
Are organisations eligible to apply if they were a part of the long-listed winners of the previous CBC Blueprint Project funding?
Organisations that were successful in receiving funding in previous CBC Blueprint Project open calls are unable to be the lead or sole applicant for the current 2025 open call. This includes phase 1 and phase 2 in the first blueprint project open call. However, if you are a non-leading member of a new coalition or new partnership you would be able to apply again.
Can local authorities apply?
Local authorities are eligible to apply, however there is generally a bigger focus in CBC on business, value chain and private sector solutions. Having said that, collaboration with local authorities is also understood as vital to a circular economy transition. Provided the application is strong and relevant to one or many of the challenge areas it is possible. It is also worth checking the local authority internal legislation to ensure individual cities are able to receive the funding.
Can one organisation submit two different applications?
Yes, it is possible for one organisation to submit multiple applications, provided each application is related to a different project or circular economy solution. Multiple applications relating to one idea is not acceptable. It is worth noting that one organisation in the form of a solo application would not be selected twice even for separate projects/ideas. However, if a part of a coalition, a non-leading member could be a part of multiple winning projects.
Do initiatives need to be fundamentally novel?
In the application grading criteria, one category assesses the 'originality' of a project. The full application grading criteria can be found below where the weighting of each scoring criteria is provided.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15gFDfafnZ8kg2MjKvW8tWa_w1kXvoRxP/view
Would building components (e.g. solar panels) be accepted, or is there a preference for construction materials (e.g. concrete)?
The emphasis of CBC is about facilitating the use of circular, reused, regenerative materials, therefore reducing the operational energy consumption, or switching to renewable energy (e.g. solar) is less relevant to this Open Call. We encourage applicants to illustrate how the initiative can address the challenge(s) outlined in the challenge brief.
Does ‘reused secondary materials’ include ‘reused elements’?
Yes, materials, elements and components are all considered of interest.
Is the BPP Open Call only for the building economy or are circular infrastructural solutions accepted?
The Open Call is focused on supporting initiatives that can accelerate the adoption of circular economy practices in Europe’s built environment. While previous research effort has focused on buildings, the built environment can also include infrastructure. Nevertheless, we encourage applicants to demonstrate the ability of the initiative to address one (or more) of the challenge areas outlined in the briefing document.
How important is scalability to the selection criteria – for example would prototype equipment be supported?
Scalability is very important to the selection criteria. In addition, the feasibility of the initiative or solution to provide a real-world application is a selection criterion, which supports established initiatives over early-stage concepts.
What stage of projects is CBC hoping to support?
We are looking for compelling proven solutions that are ready to be piloted, tested and scaled-up in terms of their market diffusion and reach. This means the concept would have been confirmed and a receptive marked identified.
Who owns the IP of the output?
The final output should be one that can be openly shared by the CBC and operates under a Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-SA. Furthermore Blueprint projects are intended as an initiative that helps push the sector forward, rather than increasing the competitive advantage of a single organization.
Is there an expectation for organisations to have a co-finance plan?
Co-contribution plans are a part of the selection criteria by CBC for winning projects. However, co-contributions do not have to be purely financial, they could be in the form of other resources such as time. It is more important that an organisation has a strong co-contribution strategy that meaningfully contributes to the scaling of the circular economy, rather than an exact financial match of CBC.
How detailed are the interim reports expected to be?
There will be two progress reports during the project. These are structured to be light progress reports to maintain progress. Greater detail of project outcomes and learnings is required for the final publicly facing output.
Will all reports be required to be written up within the six-month scope?
Yes, it is expected that these are written during the project scope
What are the expectations at the end of the six-month scheme? Is it expected in this timeframe to have a methodology or a real-world demonstration?
There is a preference for applications with solutions that are able to be applied in practice, and that the CBC support and funding is used to scale-up the solution. Therefore, in the six-month period it is not necessarily expected for a project to go from concept to realised, but rather that from the beginning it is close to real-world.
How does this Open Call differ from 2024 one?
It largely follows the same structure however differs on two fronts. Firstly, in this round there is a stronger preference for real-world solutions that are ready to be scaled, rather than projects at a prototype or testing stage. Secondly, the public facing output no longer has to be a white paper that will be agreed and aligned with the CBC.
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