2025 EU Just Transition Fund Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative (Call 2)

The Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is one of the schemes supported by the EU Just Transition Fund. Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and European Union, the EU Just Transition Fund has a single specific objective which is to enable regions and people to address the social employment, economic and environmental impacts of the transition towards the Union’s 2030 targets for energy and climate and a climate-neutral economy of the Union by 2050, based on the Paris Agreement.

In June 2025, the Department opened a second Call under the EU Just Transition Fund Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative. The competitive Call has a total budget of €10 million.

The Call will provide funding for the development of bioeconomy piloting and demonstration projects in the wider midlands area. It will support two projects up to a maximum value of €5 million each.

Proposals are being sought to support the bio-based sector to become climate neutral and sustainable with enhanced circularity, while remaining competitive on the global market. Funding will support close collaboration between stakeholders along the entire bio-based value chain.

The Call is open for submissions until Friday 08 August 2025.

For more information, and to view the Call topics, please read the Call Specification below. The Call Specification should be read in conjunction with the Call’s Guidelines for Applicants which can also be viewed hereunder.

On Tuesday 24 June, the Department hosted an online webinar for prospective applicants to the 2025 EU Just Transition Fund Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative. The webinar opened with an overview of the Just Transition Fund in Ireland and the development of the Irish Bioeconomy to date. The session then centred around the main details of the funding opportunity. A questions and answer session was held at the end.

Please see below a full recording of the webinar and the SlideDeck from the webinar.

The Department has prepared a Frequently Asked Questions document to provide further information for prospective applicants to the Call.

Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Martin Heydon T.D., along with his colleague Minister of State Noel Grealish T.D. and Minster for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Darragh O’Brien T.D. announced the opening of the EU Just Transition Fund Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative Call 2.

To read the full Press Release, see here