The issue of environmental impact has become a central concern for the cosmetics sector. In 2023, the work of the “Roquelaure de la biodiversité” group, initiated by public authorities, resulted in a shared action plan: the French cosmetics industry has made the reduction of its environmental and social footprint a development priority, by collectively rethinking its sourcing models and sustainability practices.

Interest within the industry in ingredients of natural origin, and particularly in bio-based functional agents, is growing rapidly. One of COSMETIC VALLEY’s missions is precisely to support innovation in this area, notably through an initiative called “Agricosmetics”.

 

Among the most strategic resources for the industry are palm oil and its derivatives, which are widely used in cosmetic products to perform essential functions in formulations, notably foaming properties, emulsion stability, texture, and application comfort.

However, the use of these derivatives in cosmetics raises concerns among consumers due to environmental issues, even though the industry is committed to responsible and sustainable production practices.

 

Building on these observations, COSMETIC VALLEY and FEBEA, with the technical support of the Institut des Corps Gras (ITERG), have launched a collective reflection on the search for sustainable alternative solutions, without compromising product quality, performance, or economic viability.

 

COSMETIC VALLEY and FEBEA are today launching a Call for Expressions of Interest (CEI) aimed at identifying and mobilizing stakeholders capable of proposing viable and sustainable alternatives to palm oil derivatives.

 

 

 

OBJECTIVE

 

• To stimulate the emergence of concrete solutions that enable the diversification of supply sources for bio-based functional molecules, while ensuring functional performance equivalent to or superior to that offered by palm oil derivatives.

• To bring forward existing projects that can provide solutions for diversifying sourcing, with an assessed impact on biodiversity, the environment, and social aspects.

• To collectively define, within the industry, the technologies to be promoted in order to develop viable solutions for the sector as a whole.

 

 

This CEI is open to a wide range of stakeholders in order to encourage the emergence of solutions arising from both the industrial and research communities.

 

Eligible applicants include:

 

• Companies: start-ups, SMEs, mid-sized companies, and large corporations.

• Academic and research organizations: public or private laboratories, technical centers, and specialized institutes.

• Collective organizations: business consortia, cooperatives, associations, or clusters.

• Hybrid partnerships: combinations of industrial, academic, and institutional stakeholders (collaborative projects).

 

IF YOU ARE SELECTED…

 

This Call for Expressions of Interest is not linked to a dedicated funding scheme. Selected projects will benefit from support from COSMETIC VALLEY and FEBEA. Financial structuring will be examined in order to implement an experimental project with the French industry, through public funding (BPI, regional authorities, ADEME, European programs) and/or private funding.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

 

Create an account on the IDCosm platform: https://www.idcosm.com/ or log in if you already have one. Create your project under the "New project" tab, or select the project you wish to enter if you have already registered it. Submit and validate your application.

Submission of applications by February 28, 2026.

 

CONTACTS

 

For any questions relating to this Call for Expressions of Interest or for support in preparing applications, project leaders may contact the designated teams:

 

 

 

Find more information about this Call for Expressions of Interest in the

brief.