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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The grant aims to support the implementation of nature restoration measures within sustainable farming systems. Its core objective is to scientifically demonstrate synergies between nature restoration/conservation and food security, identify effective measures for farmers, and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders to facilitate the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. - Target recipient type: Organizations applying the multi-actor approach, including researchers, policymakers, farmers, land managers, and agricultural advisors. - Target size: Not specified, but encourages participation from various types and sizes of farming systems and organizations. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Agriculture, Environment, Biodiversity. - Geographic scope: EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. - Key filtering criteria: Focus on nature restoration in agricultural landscapes, mandatory multi-actor approach, Research and Innovation Action (RIA). - Grant frequency: Part of the annual Work Programme 2025 within Horizon Europe, implying recurring opportunities.

Financial Structure

Funding mechanism: Grants will take the form of 'lump sum' contributions.
Budget range per grant: Minimum grant contribution is 5,000,000 EUR; maximum grant contribution is 6,000,000 EUR.
Total budget for this topic: The total indicative budget for this topic is 11,000,000 EUR for '2 expected grants'.
Currency: EUR.
Eligible costs for lump sum: Determined as an approximation of beneficiaries’ underlying actual costs, covering categories like Personnel costs, Subcontracting costs, Purchase costs (travel, equipment, goods, services), and Other cost categories.
Ineligible costs: Costs not eligible under Horizon Europe rules must be excluded from the lump sum calculation.
Indirect costs: Calculated by applying a flat rate of 25% to the direct cost categories.
Co-financing principle: The 'total estimated costs of the action is greater than the estimated Union contributions', ensuring compliance with co-financing.
Payment schedule: Lump sum contributions are paid per work package upon their 'proper implementation' and fulfillment of conditions.
Pre-financing: Follows 'standard Horizon Europe rules'.
Retention: Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Financial reporting: No reporting of actual costs required; focus is on technical implementation and delivery of work packages.
Audit: No financial ex-post audits for lump sum grants; checks focus on technical implementation.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Structure

Eligible: Entities able to participate in a 'multi-actor approach', which includes researchers, policymakers, farmers, land managers, and agricultural advisors. This broadly covers universities, research organizations, public bodies, private companies (e.g., farming businesses, agricultural consultancies), and NGOs.
Mandatory: Proposals 'must apply the multi-actor approach'. This means a consortium is required.
Potential Participant: The Joint Research Centre (JRC) 'may participate as member of the consortium'.

Geographic Requirements

Countries: Eligible countries are 'described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes'. For Horizon Europe, this typically includes EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe. This includes:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

Technical & Capacity Requirements

Expertise: Projects require a 'transdisciplinary approach', engaging experts and stakeholders from farming, biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as from social sciences and humanities (SSH).
Track Record: Proposals should 'build on existing knowledge and the results of other relevant projects', implying a need for a strong foundation of expertise and experience in the relevant fields.

Exclusion Criteria

None explicitly stated, but general Horizon Europe financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria apply as 'described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes'.

Application Process

Submission Model: Single-stage submission process.
Submission Platform: Applications are submitted via the 'Electronic Submission Service' on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Application Forms: Specific application forms are available in the Submission System, including 'Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)' and a 'Detailed budget table (HE LS)' for lump sum grants.

Timeline and Deadlines

Planned Opening Date: 2025-05-06.
Submission Deadline: 2025-09-17 00:00:00+0000.
Evaluation and Grant Agreement Timeline: Indicative timeline is 'described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes'.

Documentation and Materials

Required Documentation: Proposal (with page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of General Annexes, and Part B of the Application Form), and the detailed budget table.
Supporting Materials: Not explicitly listed beyond the application form itself.

Post-Award Requirements

Implementation: Work packages must be 'properly implemented' for lump sum payments.
Monitoring & Evaluation: Focus on the 'technical implementation of the action', particularly the fulfillment of conditions for releasing lump sum contributions per work package.
Reporting: No obligation to document costs incurred; beneficiaries remain subject to national accounting rules. Technical reporting on work package completion is key.
Checks: Checks, reviews, and audits will primarily focus on 'technical implementation', ethics, research integrity, dissemination, exploitation of results, IP management, and gender equality.

Evaluation Criteria

Quality and Impact Assessment

Alignment with Objectives: Proposals must set out a credible pathway contributing to 'putting biodiversity on a path to recovery, and protecting and restoring ecosystems and their services' and specifically to the impacts outlined in the 'Biodiversity and ecosystem services' destination.
Expected Outcomes: Contributions to all expected outcomes are crucial:
- Scientific demonstration of synergies between nature restoration/conservation and food security.
- Identification and development of suitable measures/strategies and evidence-based recommendations for farmers.
- Strengthened collaborations and exchanges between farmers, researchers, and policymakers.
Scientific Rigor: Requirement to 'quantify the costs and benefits of restoration measures', 'develop and assess science-based targets', and 'generate evidence to support and improve incentive schemes'.
Comprehensiveness: Assessment and comparison of the potential of various farming approaches (conventional, organic, agroecological, etc.) to contribute to ecosystem restoration.

Innovation and Methodological Soundness

Innovative Approaches: Proposals should lead to 'improved knowledge, innovations, methods, pathways and tools'.
Research Design: 'Applied research' is expected to lay the foundation for Member States to comply with the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.
Digital Technologies: Advantage should be taken of 'advanced digital technologies and tools' such as high-performance computing (HPC), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Environmental Observation where appropriate.

Implementation Quality and Efficiency

Multi-Actor Approach: Mandatory and central to the proposal, ensuring adequate involvement of researchers, policymakers, farmers, land managers, and agricultural advisors.
Transdisciplinary Approach: Required, involving relevant experts and stakeholders from diverse fields.
Knowledge Dissemination: Proposals should 'increase practical, ready to use knowledge and tools' and promote 'freely accessible dissemination and open capacity building channels'.
Collaboration: Foresee adequate resources to 'collaborate with topic projects funded under other topics' (e.g., HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-06) and 'cooperation with appropriate Horizon Europe Partnerships' (e.g., Biodiversa+, Agroecology) and the JRC.

Cross-Cutting Themes and Social Impact

Inclusivity: Projects should take into 'due account gender and other social categories and their intersections to ensure promotion of democracy and a socially just transition'.
Stakeholder Engagement: 'Citizens and stakeholders’ engagement' is sought, including through 'living labs', contributing to 'protecting our democracy, upholding our values'.
Co-benefits: Focus on delivering 'multiple social, economic and environmental co-benefits' from nature restoration and nature-based solutions.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

EU Legislation: Compliance with 'EU environmental legislation', 'EU Nature Restoration Regulation', 'EU soil monitoring and resilience law', 'EU forest monitoring law', and 'EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities' is central.
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): Projects should align with the environmental objectives of the CAP.
International Agreements: Contributions to the 'Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)', 'Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)', and 'Paris Agreement' are encouraged.

Ethical and Social Standards

Ethics and Research Integrity: Compliance is a key aspect of grant agreement checks.
Gender and Social Categories: Projects must take into account 'gender and other social categories and their intersections' to promote democracy and a 'socially just transition'.

Intellectual Property (IP) and Data

Intellectual Property: Management of IP is an aspect of grant agreement checks.
Data Protection: While not explicitly stated, general EU data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) apply.
Open Access: Proposals should promote 'freely accessible dissemination and open capacity building channels'.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Considerations

Multi-Actor Approach (MAA): This is a 'mandatory' requirement, ensuring involvement of diverse stakeholders from practice and research.
Lump Sum Funding: The grant uses a simplified 'lump sum' funding model, focusing on results and technical progress rather than detailed cost reporting.
Transdisciplinary Approach: Critical for success, integrating scientific, socio-economic, and humanities perspectives.
Digital Transition: Encourages the use of 'advanced digital technologies' like HPC, AI, and Environmental Observation.
JRC Collaboration: Proposals may cooperate with the 'EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity' and the 'Science Service project BioAgora'.

Grant Details