Programme by SPRIND supports teams in Europe to develop AI-enabled biomanufacturing processes for sustainable chemicals and materials.

The German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND) has launched the ‘Engineering Microbial Consortia’ Challenge, a new funding opportunity aimed at accelerating the development of resilient, resource-efficient biomanufacturing processes that support a circular economy.

Funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), the initiative seeks to advance fermentation processes using microbial consortia that can reliably produce sustainable chemicals and materials from variable feedstocks. Projects are expected to integrate AI-supported Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycles, combining experimental measurements with artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve process design, prediction and control.

The Challenge focuses on technologies that can help close material and carbon cycles, reduce environmental impacts and improve cost competitiveness compared with existing alternatives. Successful approaches should demonstrate reliable production even when feedstocks or operating conditions change, or when inhibitory compounds are generated during processing.

The competition will run for up to 38 months across three stages:

• In Stage 1 (14 months), up to ten teams will receive up to €1.2 million each to demonstrate consortium-based production and establish initial process-control capabilities.
• Stage 2 (12 months) will support up to five teams with up to €1.3 million each to operate an integrated process, assess robustness and process control, and refine AI-driven predictions using accumulated project data.
• In Stage 3 (12 months), up to €1.8 million is provided for up to three teams each to validate process performance under commercial conditions, establish technoeconomic viability and deliver engineering samples for customer acceptance testing.

The call is open to university research groups, research institutes, start-ups, established companies, incubators and newly formed teams. Teams are expected to establish a company at the start of Stage 1 if they do not already have one. Eligible organisations must be headquartered in the EU, EFTA or the UK, although teams based elsewhere may apply if they can demonstrate plans to relocate their project to Germany.

SPRIND will host online information events for prospective applicants on 12 October and 3 November 2026.