Proposals under this topic should:

• Consider the existing datasets related to environmental sustainability assessment and its methodology options and in particular Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data developed under the past BBI JU projects, as a baseline to develop/expand guidelines, digital tools and other policy recommendations for the regional-level authorities and other bio-based sector’ stakeholders. Within the scoping of methologies for safe and sustainability assessment, the safe and sustainable by design assessment framework should be considered.
• Include into study the following considerations: i) projections on bio-based chemicals and materials market growth, their value chains including biorefining options (small, including mobile, and large scale) and applications at EU/national and regional level, based on available sources, ii) tools to assess/model biomass (including secondary) availability requirements for chemicals, polymers and materials. iii) cover scenarios of growth while estimating impacts on food security Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), biodiversity and ecosystems integrity (including potentials/limitations of biomass provision from marginal land).
• Perform a policy analysis (e.g. conflicting policies/trade-offs)/SWOT) and provide recommendations to policy makers at local/regional/EU level, taking into account the geographical distribution of the feedstock, and considering the regional ecological and socio-economic boundaries, as well as the related social impacts
• Collect and analyze the (range of) best available industrial bio-based systems in the scope of CBE JU within the EU in terms of environmental and circular performances,
• Develop practical forums for case studies’ collection and exchange of best practice at regional level, to build a preliminary set of benchmarks or references of best performing industrial systems, across a diversity of European regions, providing an inclusive platform for all stakeholders, including expert voices, market actors (especially SMEs), civil society (especially NGOs) and policy makers.
• Deploy actions to create or improve awareness of the policy makers related to opportunities in bio-based sectors, with a specific focus on under-represented regions.
• Ensure synergies and complementarities with parallel activities, including those of Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) and the projects funded under the Horizon Europe programme on bioeconomy governance, in particular when related to circular bio-based innovation systems.