The issue of environmental impact has become a central concern for the cosmetics industry.

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

However, the use of these derivatives raises increasing concerns among consumers due to the associated environmental issues, despite the industry's commitment to responsible and sustainable production practices.

In this context, COSMETIC VALLEY and FEBEA are today launching a Call for Expressions of Interest (AMI) aimed at identifying and mobilizing actors capable of proposing viable and sustainable alternatives to palm oil derivatives.

Eligible candidates

This call for expressions of interest is open to a wide range of actors in order to promote the emergence of solutions from both industrial and research environments.

Eligible include, in particular:

• Companies : start-ups, SMEs, mid-sized companies and large groups.
• Academic and research organizations : public or private laboratories, technical centers and specialized institutes.
• Collective structures : business consortia, cooperatives, associations or competitiveness clusters.
• Hybrid partnerships : collaborative projects involving industrial, academic and institutional actors.

Goals

The objectives of this call for expressions of interest are to:

• Stimulating the emergence of concrete solutions to diversify the sources of supply of bio-based functional molecules, while guaranteeing functional performance equivalent to or superior to that of palm oil derivatives.
• Highlight existing projects providing solutions for diversifying supplies, with an assessed impact on biodiversity, the environment and social aspects.
• To collectively define, at the industry level, the technologies to be promoted in order to develop viable solutions for the entire sector.

Application procedures

Applications must be submitted before February 28, 2026 , via the IDCosm platform:
👉 https://www.idcosm.com/en/pages/cei-bio-based-functional-agents-26.html

Contact

For any questions relating to this call for expressions of interest or for support in preparing application files, project leaders can contact:

• Nathalie Simonin – Head of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine branch
  [email protected]
• Édouard Champaud – Head of Biodiversity & Climate
  [email protected]

A competition that offers great visibility for cosmetic research and innovation

Beyond a scientific competition, The COSMETIC VICTORIES represents a real opportunity to highlight 💡 emerging projects in the industry.

Thanks to this competition, your innovation can benefit from significant visibility 🎯 among major brands and key players in the sector.

Participating in the competition allows your project to be:

Recognized and noticed by the professional ecosystem,
As highlighted in official communications from COSMETIC-VALLEY,
Recognized at major industry events,
Positioned as a credible and structured project within a recognized network,
It's on the radar of companies, laboratories and institutions.

Take advantage of a unique opportunity to participate in the conferences of the COSMETIC 360 2026 trade show

🌱 The 2026 edition is centered on the theme: "Scientific progress in the service of sustainability in the cosmetics sector"

If you are working on projects related to sustainability 🌿, biomimicry 🔬, the use of plants 🌸, environmental impact 🌍 or eco-processes ⚙️, you can apply to this program.

By putting this theme at the forefront, THE COSMETIC VICTORIES positions science 🔬 at the heart of the major transitions in the industry towards more sustainable and responsible cosmetics ♻️.

The ANR opens the LabCom 2026 call for projects

COSMETIC VALLEY assists you in identifying financing options

The French National Research Agency (ANR) is launching the 2026 edition of its LabCom call for projects, a mechanism dedicated to the co-construction of joint laboratories between public research organizations and start-ups, SMEs or mid-sized companies.

The LabCom program aims to provide financial support to academic research teams wishing to develop structured and sustainable bilateral partnerships with businesses. These collaborations aim to strengthen innovation by leveraging joint research activities conducted within an academic laboratory and a company.

Two submission sessions are planned:

• First session : until February 27, 2026 at 5 p.m. (CET)

• 2nd session : until September 22, 2026 at 5 p.m. (CEST)

👉 The full text of the call for proposals is available on the ANR website: https://anr.fr/LabCom-2026

Do you have a need regarding the development of your innovation project?
Contact: [email protected]

Are you a start-up, a research center or a company looking for new opportunities? The unmissable event of the fall is back: the 4th edition of the “Develop Your Innovation” webinar!

Next meeting: Friday, January 30, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. , live on COSMETIC VALLEY LIVE.

Registration: HERE

✨ This innovative bimonthly format, organized every first Friday of the month (except in exceptional circumstances), offers you a deep dive into the heart of cosmetic innovation.

On the agenda:

• Presentation of innovative French and international projects seeking partners (startups, laboratories, companies)

• Numerous innovation topics were addressed: digital solutions, bio-based ingredients, innovative packaging, formulation technologies, equipment and processes...

• Identifying current calls for projects to boost and finance your developments

• Presentation of COSMETIC VALLEY's support tools to finance your innovation initiatives

If your expertise matches the needs of the projects presented, you may be put in contact with the project leaders!

An exclusive meeting to start new collaborations, reserved for COSMETIC VALLEY members.

Registration: HERE

What if Santa Claus came early this year… to your labs? 🎅

🎁 Participate in the international competition THE COSMETIC VICTORIES 2026 and give yourself a unique opportunity to have your work evaluated by an international scientific jury and a prestigious industrial jury.

Give yourself the opportunity to boost the scaling up of your scientific work within the cosmetics industry.

To be won:
• Visibility among key players in the sector
• A recognized scientific endorsement,
• A price of €10,000,

🌱 2026 Theme
"Scientific progress at the service of a sustainable cosmetics industry"

Santa Claus is expecting work focusing in particular on sustainability, biomimicry, biosourcing, the use of plants, environmental impact, eco-processes, sustainable industry…

✨ Join a scientific community of excellence and give your results the recognition they deserve.

📅 Applications open until January 31, 2026

Researchers → Fanélie Paulmier: [email protected]
Companies → Aline Landier: [email protected]

Develop your Digital and Cosmetic innovation

📅 Join us on December 5th at 11:30 am to discover new co-development projects for decision support tools and devices adapted to the cosmetics industry (Raw materials, Substitution, Diagnostics, Industrial safety...)!

As part of the European Loire Valley Data Hub program, this edition will focus specifically on Digital and Cosmetic innovations.

Do you want to take part in an innovative project? Do you have your own project and are you looking for funding to get started?

This appointment is for you!

On the agenda:

• Presentation of R&D and digital support via COSMETIC VALLEY and the Loire Valley Data Hub
• A closer look at national and international projects focusing on digital innovations.
• Focus on digital financing opportunities by the consulting firm Rydge Conseil, at a regional, national and European scale

Whether you are a startup, a laboratory or an SME, come and discover concrete opportunities to enhance your expertise and develop your digital innovation!

This webinar returns every two months: strategic monitoring to take part in new innovation projects!

💡 The icing on the cake: If your expertise matches the needs of certain projects, you will have the opportunity to be put in contact with the project leaders after the webinar!

REGISTRATION: on COSMETIC VALLEY LIVE and select the webinar for December 5th!

📬 Info & contact: [email protected]