ORMAT 2026 Call for Proposals to Support Recycling and Circular Economy Projects

In 2026, ADEME is renewing its ORMAT (Objectif Recyclage MATières) call for projects, funded by the Circular Economy Fund. It aims to accelerate the industrial deployment of recycling in France, particularly by supporting the production of recycled raw materials (RRMs) and their incorporation into finished or semi-finished products.

Against a backdrop of supply constraints for virgin materials and stricter regulations on decarbonization requirements, the ORMAT call for projects serves as a strategic lever for industrial players seeking to establish or strengthen their recycling operations.

Who is eligible for the ORMAT 2026 call for projects?

The ORMAT call for projects is open to industrial companies (SMEs, mid-sized companies, and large corporations) involved in the recycling and incorporation of recycled raw materials (RMM), provided that the site involved in the project is located in France (excluding the PACA region, which has a dedicated regional program).

This includes, in particular:

• Pre-processors responsible for sorting and preparing waste for conversion into RCM
• Regenerators or recyclers who produce RCM from prepared waste material for industrial use
• Processors who incorporate or wish to incorporate recycled material into a semi-finished or finished product
• Or even contracting companies, which rely on the manufacturing processes of subcontracting processors and must, while incorporating RMM, improve the recyclability of their products.

Which materials are eligible for ORMAT?

The ORMAT 2026 program targets 6 major families of strategic materials:

1. Plastics, elastomers, and composites
2. Textiles
3. Metals and batteries
4. Wood
5. Paper and cardboard
6. Glass and mineral materials

In the event of budget constraints, the first 3 categories will be prioritized.

This approach supports sectors facing the most significant challenges in terms of industrial sovereignty, carbon footprint reduction, and supply security.

What types of projects are funded?

The program is structured around two complementary pillars:

Pillar 1: Diagnostics, studies, performance tests, and experiments

This pillar aims to support investment decisions by funding the preparatory work necessary for the technical, economic, or environmental validation of a project (feasibility studies, technical-economic assessments, testing of new processes or parameters, MPR characterization tests, incorporation experiments, etc.)

• Eligible expenditure ceiling: between €50,000 and €100,000
• Grant rate of up to 80% of eligible expenses depending on the size of the company

Pillar 2: Investments in production facilities

This component supports projects enabling a sustainable improvement in recycling performance or the incorporation of recycled materials (increased capacity, improved quality of recycled materials, implementation or increased incorporation rates, creation of new units, remanufacturing and repurposing of batteries, etc.)

• Aid ceilings apply depending on the size of the company and the material category
• Aid rate of up to 60% of eligible expenses depending on the size of the company

Which projects are eligible?

Projects must involve mature technologies (minimum TRL 8, TRL 7 considered on a case-by-case basis) and fall under one of the following categories:

• Preparation, sorting, and quality control of waste prior to recycling
• Production of MPR (regeneration/recycling) — creation, expansion, or improvement of capacity
• Incorporation of MPR into manufactured or semi-finished products, as a substitute for virgin material
• Quality control of MPR at the end of regeneration or at the start of incorporation
• Preparation for battery repurposing, remanufacturing, or regeneration

Why choose ABGi for your ORMAT 2026 application?

The ABGi teams have concrete experience from previous rounds of the ORMAT call for projects, as well as in-depth knowledge of ADEME’s expectations regarding the financing of industrial projects related to recycling and the circular economy.

Preparing an ORMAT application requires a detailed understanding of the specifications, prioritization criteria, and ADEME’s technical and financial requirements. ABGi supports industrial companies in determining their eligibility, structuring their application, and monitoring the review process to maximize their chances of success and the level of funding awarded.

Contact our experts to conduct an initial analysis of your project and identify available funding opportunities.