Survey on IPCEI Biochemicals, Biomaterials, and More

Introduction

This is a call for expressions of interest to participate in a potential European IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) in the field of biomaterials, biochemicals, and innovative ingredients for food and animal feed. Through this call, we aim to assess the interest among companies in the Netherlands regarding potential participation in an IPCEI for Biochemicals, an IPCEI for Biomaterials, and an IPCEI for Biotechnology Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed. RVO emphasizes that this is merely an assessment of interest and not a call for subsidy applications for concrete projects in biochemicals, biomaterials, or innovative ingredients for food and feed. No rights can be derived from this inventory.

The goal of an IPCEI is to create a combination of projects that are interrelated and reinforce each other. These projects should provide participants with the opportunity to develop further technical solutions and economies of scale.

Conditions

To be classified as a project of common European interest, the project must:

• be quantitatively and qualitatively innovative and executed within the Netherlands;

• have demonstrable European 'spillover effects,' also beyond the directly involved project partners and member states;

• fit within the European value chain of the biochemicals, biomaterials, or innovative ingredients for food and feed industry;

• contribute to strengthening and ensuring the future of European value chains for biochemicals, biomaterials, or innovative ingredients for food and feed;

• be particularly large in scale or scope;

• exhibit a significant degree of technological or financial risk;

• have such a high ambition level that implementation without public funding would not be possible. Up to 100% of the non-viable portion may be subsidized.

Technology Scope

• The following domains fall within the technology scope of the IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, and the IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed: Strongly innovative projects (biochemistry, biomaterials, biotech for food/feed) that go beyond the current state of technology. Aimed at bridging pilot/demo to first industrial application (First Industrial Deployment), including necessary testing and scaling activities but not focused on mass production or commercial rollout.

• Core technologies:

o Fermentation (microbial, precision, biomass, and gas fermentation)

o Biotechnological conversion platforms

o Chemical-catalytic conversion platforms

o Photobioreactors and algae cultivation systems

o Lignocellulose pretreatment and fractionation

o Advanced biomass processing

o Production of cellulose fibers and composites, bio-based polymer synthesis, fiber-based shaping and casting technologies (for biomaterials)

o Recycling, regeneration, and upgrading of biobased materials, including mechanical, enzymatic, and chemical routes (for biomaterials)

o Cultivation of cell cultures in bioreactors, for example for cultured meat or dairy ingredients

• Outputs/products:

o Bio-based chemicals and building blocks for the chemical industry and manufacturing

o Advanced biomaterials (sustainable, recyclable, biodegradable)

o Innovative ingredients for food and feed (such as proteins, fats, enzymes, additives, and functional substances)

Types of Projects for This Expression of Interest

1) Large developmental projects with a pre-commercial character based on innovative technology ('direct participant')

To participate directly in an IPCEI, a project must be highly innovative, have demonstrable European spillover effects, and align with the specified value chain. It should be particularly large in scale or scope and/or exhibit a very significant degree of technological or financial risk. The ambition level must be so high that without public funding the projects would not be possible. For projects that are part of an IPCEI, governments may provide more support than within the usual state aid frameworks, up to a maximum of 100% of the non-viable portion (funding gap).

Projects in this category must first meet the overall criteria for projects within the IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, or the IPCEI for Biotechnology for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed. This means that the project:

• is highly (disruptively) innovative;

• will be executed within the Netherlands;

• falls within the above-mentioned technology scope of the IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, or IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed;

• explicitly contributes to strengthening and future-proofing the European value chains for biochemicals, biomaterials, or innovative ingredients for food and feed;

• carries a significant technological and financial risk;

• has such a high ambition level that implementation without public means would not be possible;

• explicitly offers the possibility and willingness to collaborate with Dutch and broader European companies, including SMEs;

• delivers demonstrable spillovers (collaboration and knowledge dissemination);

• also includes a significant own contribution from the applicant(s).

Additionally, specific for projects in this category:

• project duration: 2 to 7 years (first industrial application but not yet commercial, and possibly preparatory RD&I activities);

• a state aid assessment by the European Commission is mandatory prior to approval of the projects registered by the Netherlands, where criteria are set regarding non-viable portion/Funding Gap analysis, market failure, and spillover effects;

• the emphasis is primarily on the 'first industrial application.' The end result should ideally be a product that is marketed on a large scale;

• there must be demonstrable market failure;

• the Do no significant harm criterion must be met;

• minimal market disruption should occur;

• parties should have clear visibility and a strong role within the communities of the IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, or IPCEI for Biotechnology for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed in terms of spillover effects and collaboration.

In addition to direct participation in IPCEIs, this expression of interest also investigates how the broader IPCEI ecosystem can be supported in the context of the mentioned technology areas. For medium-sized and small companies, direct participation in an IPCEI project can be challenging due to stringent requirements and the time investment involved in navigating a European process.

This expression of interest is explicitly aimed at helping SMEs, start-ups, and scale-ups advance. This aligns with the commitment to enable promising Dutch SMEs to make significant strides and develop leading-edge new applications.

2) Collaborative Research & Development Projects (associated participant)

In addition to direct IPCEI projects, we are also looking for collaborative projects in the field of research and development. This category is focused on supporting (medium-sized) highly promising research and development projects.

This expression of interest also aims to explore how the broader IPCEI ecosystem can be supported in the context of the mentioned technology areas. For medium-sized and small companies, direct participation in an IPCEI project can be challenging due to stringent requirements and the time investment involved in navigating a European process.

This expression of interest is explicitly aimed at aiding SMEs, start-ups, and scale-ups. This aligns with the commitment to ensure that promising Dutch SMEs can make significant advances and develop leading-edge new applications. The specifics of any eventual arrangement will be clarified only when transitioning to a formal project request.

We distinguish the category 'Collaborative Research & Development Projects.' This is an integral part of the IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, and IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed, and focuses on supporting (medium-sized) highly promising research and development projects.

Projects in this category must also meet the overall criteria for projects within the IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, or IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed. This means that the project:

• is highly (disruptively) innovative;

• will be executed within the Netherlands;

• falls within the above-mentioned technology scope of the IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, or IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed;

• explicitly contributes to strengthening and future-proofing the European value chains for biochemicals, biomaterials, or innovative ingredients for food and feed;

• carries a significant technological and financial risk;

• has such a high ambition level that implementation without public means would not be possible;

• explicitly offers the possibility and willingness to collaborate with Dutch and broader European companies, including SMEs;

• delivers demonstrable spillovers (collaboration and knowledge dissemination);

• also includes a significant own contribution from the applicant(s).

Additionally, specific for this category projects:

• The end result can be a proof of concept or a prototype;

• The project involves extensive collaboration between companies and/or knowledge institutions, including cooperation with at least one 'direct partner';

• R&D project scale needing subsidies of 10 – 20 million euros;

• maximum R&D project duration: 5 years;

• a project will receive state aid based on AGVV rules;

• project members are involved in the communities of IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, or IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed for networking and visibility.

Register Your Interest

The expression of interest is aimed at projects in various stages of development. The detail level of the information at this stage is not decisive for selection in the IPCEI process. However, the more concrete your project plan is, the better it can be assessed whether the project potentially fits within the objectives of the IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, or IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed. This allows for a better assessment of the chances of participating in this specific IPCEI.

We kindly ask you to send the following completed forms to us:

1) Template project plan for the expression of interest for IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, or IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed

2) Budget for the expression of interest for IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, or IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed

You must express your interest by July 5, 2026, at 23:59, by emailing your submission to teamiris@rvo.nl

After Your Registration

• After the closing date, we will have an understanding of the interest in the IPCEI for Biochemicals, the IPCEI for Biomaterials, and the IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed, and how we will organize the follow-up process. You will also receive advice on further participation in the European matchmaking process and ultimately the call for proposals.
• At this stage, the coordination team for the IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, and IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed (Germany, Finland, Estonia) will organize international matchmaking meetings for projects that may be of interest for the IPCEI for Biochemicals, the IPCEI for Biomaterials, and the IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed. These matchmaking meetings are expected to take place in November 2026.
• Following the matchmaking, there will be a call in the Official Gazette for subsidy applications if there is sufficient interest from industry and a sufficient number of member states involved.

Background

In December 2025, more than 10 member states of the Joint European Forum for IPCEI committed to designing a potential IPCEI for Biochemicals, a potential IPCEI for Biomaterials, and a potential IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed. The aim of these IPCEIs is to create an innovative European ecosystem for the production of bio-based chemicals, bio-based materials, and innovative ingredients for food and feed. This ecosystem aims to enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the EU and contribute to the realization of a circular and climate-neutral economy.

Since then, the member states have been working together, closely coordinating with representatives from the biochemicals, biomaterials, and innovative ingredients for food and feed industry in these member states and the European Commission, to identify opportunities to strengthen Europe’s position as a technological leader.

Governments are allowed to provide more support for projects that are part of an IPCEI than allowed under the usual state aid frameworks. In addition to receiving approval from the European Commission (EC) for this extra support, the governments must also comply with the criteria outlined in the IPCEI communication from the EC. By integrating multiple (inter)national projects into one large project on a European scale, Europe is working towards a robust value chain for biochemicals, biomaterials, and innovative ingredients for food and feed.

Want to Know More?

If you have questions about this expression of interest, please contact Team IRIS.

Webinars: Information Sessions about the IPCEI Biotechnology Expression of Interest

We are organizing two webinars to inform you about the background and setup of the three IPCEIs in the field of Biotechnology, specifically focused on this expression of interest. We have separated the information sessions for the IPCEIs related to Biochemicals and Biomaterials, and the IPCEI related to Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed.

On Wednesday, June 17 from 9:00 – 10:30, we will hold the webinar for the IPCEI Biochemicals and IPCEI Biomaterials. Registration Link

On Thursday, June 18 from 9:00 – 10:30, we will hold the webinar for the IPCEI Biotechnology Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed. Registration Link

Attachments for Writing Your Project Plan:

1) Template project plan for the expression of interest for IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, and IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed

2) Budget for the expression of interest for IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials, and IPCEI for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed

Background attachments IPCEI for Biochemicals, IPCEI for Biomaterials and IPCEI for Biotechnology for Innovative Ingredients for Food and Feed

3) Publication Official Gazette

4) Communication from the European Commission. Criteria for the assessment of compatibility with the internal market of state aid to promote the realization of important projects of common European interest (2014/C 188/02).

Want to know more about the expression of interest? Keep an eye on the RVO website: Expression of Interest IPCEI Biotechnology | RVO.nl