Call for proposals Circular Health & Care
To activate stakeholders in the health and care chain to develop innovations that contribute to CE’s mission by 2025, the Circular Health & Care call has been launched. This call is being implemented by Health~Holland in collaboration with ChemistryNL.
In this Circular Health & care call, Health~Holland and ChemistryNL are making €2 million in PPP funding available in 2025, with the aim of stimulating innovation and research for the development of circularity-promoting products, services, and protocols suitable for the health and care domain. This call focuses specifically on two impact groups: 1) Disposables and 2) Instruments, devices, and aids. The innovation challenges for a circular health and care sector lie at three levels: product, process, and system innovation, which are discussed in more detail below.
Product innovation
- Material substitution through the use of recycled and bio-based raw materials, monomaterialization, and the elimination of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs).
- Product redesign focused on reuse, lifespan extension, remanufacturing, refurbishment, and recycling.
- Dematerialization (reduced material use) through: lighter weight design, replacement of (hardware) products with software solutions, and more intensive/optimal product use.
- Product reuse, for example, the reuse of products in new markets due to broader requirements, such as cascading a product from acute care to a nursing home.
Proces innovation:
- Smart separation and upgrading processes for hospital waste
- Decontamination processes for product reuse and material recycling
- Recovery of critical raw materials (CRMs) from healthcare products
System innovation:
- Development of (new) revenue models for stakeholders in (circular) healthcare chains
- Development of quality standards and admission criteria for the use of circular materials (biobased & recyclate) in products, medications, and packaging, among other things.
For whom?
PPP grant applicants will form a consortium consisting of research organizations (at least one) and companies (at least one), and preferably also relevant public organizations, while retaining their own identity and responsibility, jointly realizing a project based on a clear and optimal division of tasks and risks. Larger consortia are encouraged. The main applicant must be located in the Netherlands.
How much grant can be applied for?
PPP funding of between €250,000 and €500,000 can be requested per project. Dutch research organizations and Dutch SMEs are eligible for this funding, subject to applicable financial conditions. Co-financing by all consortium partners is required.
The application procedure consists of two steps:
Step 1: Preliminary application deadline: October 14, 2025, 5:00 PM CET
The preliminary application serves as an inventory; there will be no selection procedure. The application will be checked for completeness (consortium composition and PPP grant application). Where applicable, consortia with similar proposals will be contacted, and considerations will be provided for developing a full application. In addition, the number of submissions and the PPP grant applications will be shared so that consortia can estimate their chances of success.
The documents required for the preliminary application and details about the submission can be found here.
Step 2: Full application deadline: December 9, 2025, 5:00 PM CET
The documents required for the full application and details about the submission can be found here.
More information
If you have specific questions about this call or would like to schedule a meeting to discuss your project idea, please contact Andrea Stavenuiter or Harmen Veldman, stating “Circular Health and Care Call” in the subject line.