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Living labs to enhance soil health in Continental, Black Sea, Pannonian and Steppic biogeographical regions

European Commission · Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON)

Posted 4 Feb 2027 · About 6 months left

Summary

Expected Outcome:

Activities under this topic respond directly to the goal of the Mission Soil to set up 100 living labs and lighthouses to lead the transition to healthy soils by 2030 and support its specific objectives[1].

Activities should also contribute to the Common Agricultural Policy and to meeting the European Green Deal ambitions and targets and more specifically those of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the EU Soil Strategy for 2030 and the proposal for a Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Communication on Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU, as well as to the Sustainable Development Goals[2].

Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

enhanced capacities for participatory, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary R&I to co-create, and co-implement economically viable soil health solutions;

improved soil health monitoring and increased availability of high quality, standardised soil data at local and regional levels;

increased availability of practice-oriented knowledge for land managers and land users, leading to better adoption of effective soil health solutions…

Excerpt from the donor's page. The full text, annexes and forms are on the original call.

Eligibility and conditions

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">General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions

Proposals must apply the multi-actor approach. See definition of the multi-actor approach in the introduction to this work programme part.

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion

described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds

Proposals must focus either on the Continental biogeographical region or on one or more of the following three biogeographical regions: Black Sea, Pannonian and Steppic. This means that the majority of the living labs of each proposal must be located either within the Continental biogeographical region or within one or more of the three biogeographical regions (Black Sea, Pannonian and Steppic). Proposals must clearly indicate their focus. To ensure a balanced portfolio covering different biogeographical regions, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to those that are the highest ranked within Black Sea, Pannonian and Steppic biogeographical regions, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.[[Biogeographical regions in Europe according to the European Environmental Agency.]]

are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes

The overall threshold for the second stage evaluation will be 12, with a minimum threshold of 4 for the ‘Excellence’ criterion’.

are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement

described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants

Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties to facilitate active involvement of smaller actors (e.g. land managers and owners such as farmers, SMEs or civil societies) in one or more of the living labs of the project. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants (further to calls or, if duly justified, without a call for proposals). The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000.

described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions

described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):

Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System

Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations

Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)

Guidance

HE Programme Guide

Model Grant Agreements (MGA)

HE MGA

Call-specific instructions

Information on financial support to third parties (HE)

Additional documents:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 12. Missions

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes

HE Programme Guide

HE Framework Programme 2021/695

HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment

EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

Themes