BIONetZero

Are you an SME or startup developing biosolutions and aiming for net-zero production?

The BIONetZero accelerator programme invites innovative SMEs including startups to apply for financial support, expert guidance and access to a strong European ecosystem supporting the transition to climate-neutral production across agrifood and energy-intensive industries.

Application deadline: 9 June, 2026

Why join BIONetZero?

By joining BIONetZero, your company becomes part of an European biosolution ecosystem designed to accelerate innovation, strengthen competitiveness and support the transition to a greener and more resilient industry.

What BIONetZero offers

Selected SMEs and startups gain access to a comprehensive support combining a cascade of direct financial support with tailored innovation and business development services. This includes dedicated key account management, access to experts, mentors and technology providers, learning and maturation through networking and matchmaking plus exposure and engagement with investors. Hereby, the program supports both scaling and commercialization.

Overview

Grant types and funding

BIONetZero follows a four-stage funding model, allowing companies to progress through different levels of support:

Stage 1: Ideation stage: Networking and travel grants (up to €3,500 per SME)
Stage 2: Validation & development: Grants for testing and validation of products and processes (up to €15,000 per SME)
Stage 3: Commercialisation: Funding for further development and market adaptation (up to €40,000 per SME)
Stage 4: Internationalisation: Support for entering third-country high growth markets (up to €5,000 per SME)

Each SME and startup may receive up to €60,000 in total financial support through BIONetZero. All grants require 25% co-financing by the participating companies.

Who can apply?

BIONetZero is open to innovative SMEs and startups developing biosolutions.

To be eligible, your company must:

Be an SME or startup according to the EU definition
Develop a bio-based product, process or service
Have a biosolution at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4–8 at the time of application.
Be established in an EU country or associated eligible countries in the Single Market Programme
Be able to participate in the mandatory kick-off meeting (7–10 September 2026)
Be able to provide 25% co-financing

Your solution should be relevant to one or more of the following BIONetZero areas: Agrifood or energy-intensive industries

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
Reduction of dependency on critical raw materials
Validation, scaling or commercialisation of biosolutions supporting net-zero production

Is BIONetZero the right match for you?

Before you apply, please check details about eligibility, funding and requirements in the Funding Handbook for Applicants

Ready to take the next step with BIONetZero?

Get up to €60,000 to develop and scale your biosolution

Apply now

To apply for BIONetZero, start by accessing the application form.

Application deadline is 9 June, 2026 at 17:00 CET

After submitting your initial details, you will receive an email with a personal link to the BIONetZero application form. Here, you must:

Complete your application
Add information on key team members
Upload required documents, including a pitch deck (mandatory)
Submit your application

You can save as your draft application and return any time for completion using the personal link received by email. Final submission is required; saving a draft is not sufficient. You will receive a confirmation e-mail once your application has been successfully submitted

To support a smooth application process, we have prepared a step-by-step application guide, which we recommend keeping open alongside the application platform. Completing the application typically takes around 30 minutes.

Please make sure you have prepared and are ready to upload:

Your pitch deck (mandatory and matching the requirements described in the application guide)

Application deadline: 9 June, 2026 at 17:00 CET
Evaluation results communicated: July 2026
Mandatory kick-off meeting: 7 to 10 September 2026 (Copenhagen and Odense, Denmark). Participation is supported through the Travel Grant (Ideation Stage) of up to €3,500 with 25% co-financing required.
The call for the second cohort of SMEs is expected to open in early 2027.
Programme duration: September 2026 - Summer 2028

About

BIONetZero

The project supports the development and deployment of new biosolutions, substitute products and innovative services that reduce dependency on critical inputs and technologies while enabling net-zero production.

BIONetZero is a European initiative coordinated by Food & Bio Cluster Denmark along with LITMEA | Smart Food Cluster , Cluster Industrial Biotechnology (CLIB) and Bioeconomy Cluster (BEC) as consortium partners.

Follow the project on LinkedIn

FAQ

Each SME or startup may receive up to €60,000 in total financial support throughout the BIONetZero programme. Funding is distributed across four stages, depending on your company’s development needs: networking & travel, testing & validation, commercialisation, and internationalization. All grants require 25% co-financing from participating companies.

Funding can be used for activities such as:

Testing and validation
Pilot activities
External technical services
Materials and consumables
Certification and regulatory activities
Travel related to programme activities

Please note that overhead costs (e.g. rent or general administration) are not eligible.

After creating your profile, you will receive an email with a personal link to the application platform.

We recommend saving this link as a bookmark in your browser, so you can easily return to your application. You can also access it again via this email at any time. You are welcome to share the link with others who need to edit or upload documents for the application.

Yes. Click “Save” at the bottom of the page to store your progress. We recommend saving your progress regularly while working on your application. Once saved, you can leave the platform and return later using the personal link sent to you by email after creating your profile. We recommend saving this link as a bookmark in your browser, so you can easily return to your application and continue working on it at any time before submitting your final application.

To apply for BIONetZero, you must upload a pitch deck. Detailed requirements for the pitch deck can be found in the BIONetZero Application Guide.

TRL 4–8 corresponds to technologies validated in laboratory to demonstrated in relevant environments). See definition here: TRL definition (pdf).

You will be assigned a BIONetZero Key Account Manager (KAM) and the interactions during the kickoff metting will be part of the evaluation process and partly form the basis for who will proceed to the next stages and receive further funding. Progression between stages is conditional on evaluation. Participation in Stage 1 does not guarantee funding in later stages.

Co-financing must consist of real, documented project costs (e.g. staff time, services or materials).