Call for Projects: Belgium Builds Back Circular - Substitution of Hazardous Substances

The BBBC calls for projects aim to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in Belgium. This BBBC call for projects focuses solely on the substitution of hazardous substances.
You can submit projects under this call for projects until 31 December 2023.

Substitution of Hazardous Substances

The substitution of hazardous substances is considered in a broad sense. It includes

• research projects on the substitution of these substances;
• research into alternatives to these substances;
• innovation projects aimed at bringing to market chemicals, technologies and/or alternative products that eliminate the use of substances of concern, or the presence of substances of concern in a product.

The substitution call for projects aims to support research, innovation or product/service development initiatives that tackle the main bottlenecks in the system, in particular by preventing "regrettable substitution" (simply replacing one hazardous chemical with another).

In particular, projects aiming to develop sufficient knowledge and transparency on the origin of proposed alternatives and potential risks throughout the life cycle.

For this call for projects, three groups of priority hazardous substances have been identified for Belgium. The federal government wishes to accelerate the phase-out of these substances wherever possible. Projects may also cover substances other than those in these three groups.

PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances)

PFAS are used in a multitude of applications in sectors such as:

• aerospace
• automotive
• food contact materials and food processing
• textiles, leather and accessories
• construction and household products
• electronics
• firefighting
• medical supplies

Recognising the need to eliminate PFAS, the Federal Government is issuing a call to support projects that focus on developing safe and sustainable alternatives to PFAS. Given the problematic nature of all PFAS, as well as their many applications across numerous sectors, no specific priority areas are defined under this theme.

Endocrine Disruptors

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) represent a major public health issue. These chemicals are widely distributed in the environment (water, soil, air) and daily consumer products (food, toys, building materials, cosmetics, textiles, electronic devices, etc.)

The establishment of risk management measures at the European level is still expected to take many years according to the European Commission's timetable. The implementation of additional measures at the national level is therefore essential.

Priority Substances for Belgium

In addition to these two groups of substances, there is also a list of substances which will be prioritised because they have been shown to be very important for industry and/or relevant for the general public.

These substances are the following:

Who Can Submit a Project?

This call is intended for:

• organisations or consortia that are Belgian or active on Belgian territory, in particular companies with a special focus on SMEs
• public or private research centers, research centers attached to universities or colleges
• start-ups, NGOs, consultancies and similar institutions

What Is the Budget Allocated to the Call for Projects?

A minimum of €50,000 and a maximum of €2,000,000 per selected project will be granted.

Documents

The documents and the slides of the presentation shown on the launch and networking event are available: see the French webpage or the Dutch webpage

More Information?

• Frequently asked questions (PDF, 133.83 KB)
• Ask your questions at our online Q&A session: 17 November 2023
  Inscription Q&A session

Contact

Send your questions by email to BBBCsubstitution@economie.fgov.be