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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

- - The core objective of this grant is to improve soil health and foster sustainable biomass production by enhancing land suitability choices. - It targets a broad range of recipients, including researchers, farmers, foresters, land managers, businesses, civil society organizations, and government representatives, participating in multi-actor consortia. - This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, primarily focused on agriculture, forestry, environmental science, and the bioeconomy. - The geographic scope covers Europe, with activities expected to be applicable across EU Member States and Associated Countries. - Key filtering criteria for initial screening include a strong focus on soil health, sustainable biomass production, innovative land management practices, and a collaborative, multi-actor project approach. - The grant is part of the Horizon Europe 'A Soil Deal for Europe' Mission's 2025 Work Programme, indicating it's a recurring opportunity within the mission's framework.

Financial Structure

The maximum grant amount per project is EUR 6,000,000.0.
The minimum grant amount per project is EUR 6,000,000.0.
No explicit matching fund requirements are stated, but Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) typically fund up to 100% of eligible costs for non-profit organizations and 70% for for-profit entities.
Financial reporting requirements and mechanisms are generally described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Indirect cost policies follow standard Horizon Europe flat rates.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type

Applicant consortia must adopt a 'multi-actor approach', ensuring the genuine and sufficient involvement of a diverse range of actors.
Eligible actors include, but are not limited to: researchers, farmers, foresters, representatives of professional associations, advisors, land managers and owners, spatial planners, food and bioeconomy businesses, consumer associations, local communities, educators, cultural and creative industries, citizens, civil society organizations (including NGOs), and government representatives.
The choice of key actors should be balanced and reflect complementary types of knowledge (scientific, practical, etc.).

Geographic Location

Organizations from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe are generally eligible for funding, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific eligibility rules for non-EU/non-Associated Countries may apply if they have made provisions for funding their participants.

Technical Expertise

Demonstrated capacity to develop process-based models using various data sources (e.g., EUSO data repository, EJP SOIL, Earth observation datasets).
Expertise in simulating soil properties, land suitability, and their impact on soil health and biomass production.
Ability to conduct comprehensive literature reviews on land suitability conditions, soil-water interactions, and socio-economic/environmental aspects of biomass production.
Experience in upscaling experimental results and models to regional, national, and European levels, integrating socio-economic data.

Project Approach

Projects must adhere to a 'multi-actor approach' throughout all phases: inception, planning, implementation, dissemination, and exploitation of results.
Proposals must clearly describe how objectives and activities address the needs and challenges of (end-)users.
Consortia must include existing practices and tacit knowledge through high-quality knowledge exchange activities.
Activities should generate practical and ready-to-use knowledge, approaches, tools, or products that are easily understandable and freely accessible.

Application Process

Application Deadline

The submission deadline is 2025-09-30 00:00:00+00:00.

Submission Process

The application process is single-stage.
Proposals must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Applicants will need to confirm their choice of action type and model grant agreement within the submission system.

Required Documentation

Application form templates (HE RIA, IA) are available in the Submission System.
Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout requirements as described in Part B of the Application Form and Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and Selection

Evaluation form templates (HE RIA, IA) will be used for assessing proposals.
The evaluation and award processes, including indicative timelines, are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Support and Guidance

Comprehensive guidance is available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ.
Assistance can be sought from the Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), IT Helpdesk, and European IPR Helpdesk.
Partner Search tools are available to help form consortia.

Project Implementation and Reporting

Projects are expected to deliver concrete solutions by 2030, contributing to the Mission Soil objectives.
Close liaison with the Mission Secretariat and active contribution to the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) are required.
Knowledge generated must be summarized in 'practice abstracts' using the EIP-AGRI format where applicable to CAP objectives.
Projects should include dedicated tasks and resources for coordination with other relevant Mission Soil projects and initiatives.

Evaluation Criteria

Alignment and Impact

Contribution to the Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe's specific objectives, particularly 'Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration' and 'Reduce the EU global footprint on soils'.
Alignment with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the Nature Restoration Law.
Expected outcomes include improved soil health, optimized sustainable biomass production, enhanced knowledge of biomass-soil-water interactions, and increased deployment of sustainable biomass systems.
Contribution to at least one of the three key strategic orientations of the Strategic Plan 2025-2027: improved governance, enhanced monitoring, or increased awareness/engagement in soil health solutions.

Quality and Methodology

Sound development of process-based models utilizing relevant data sources (EUSO, EJP SOIL, Earth observations).
Effectiveness of engagement strategies with land managers to understand needs and develop decision tools.
Rigor and comprehensiveness of the literature review on optimal land suitability conditions, including social, economic, and environmental aspects.
Feasibility and methodology for upscaling experimental results and models to larger scales (regional, national, European) and integrating with socio-economic data.
Focus on selected key agricultural and forest crops/plants (ten most important annual and perennial in Europe) and consideration of multifunctional cropping systems.
Clear pathway for open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs (FAIR data principles).
Evidence of considering data, expertise, and services from European research infrastructures where relevant.

Multi-actor Approach

Demonstrated genuine and sufficient involvement of diverse actors throughout the project lifecycle.
Clarity and relevance of how proposed objectives and activities target the needs/problems/challenges of (end-)users.
Balance and complementarity of expertise within the consortium, reflecting scientific and practical knowledge.
Quality and number of knowledge exchange activities demonstrating cross-fertilization of skills and ideas.
Effectiveness of proposed methods for facilitating multi-actor engagement.
Potential for developing practical, ready-to-use, understandable, and freely accessible knowledge/tools/products.
Strategy for disseminating results and outputs through channels most consulted by end-users across countries and regions.

General Evaluation

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must comply with the general conditions and annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme (A, B, C, D, E, F, G).
Adherence to the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 is mandatory.
Specific requirements for multi-actor projects must be fully integrated into the proposal and implementation.

Data Management and Open Science

Proposals must outline a clear pathway towards open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs.
This includes adopting standard-based ontologies/vocabularies and data harmonization mechanisms.
Close collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and the SoilWise project is expected.
All data produced within the project context must be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable).

Collaboration and Synergies

Projects are strongly encouraged to build upon and collaborate with ongoing Mission projects and support structures like SoilWise and the Mission Soil Platform.
Active participation in coordination measures and joint activities with other relevant projects under the Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe', including engagement with cluster activities, is required.
Involvement of interactive innovation groups, such as EIP-AGRI Operational Groups, is strongly recommended where relevant for agricultural, forestry, and rural development aspects.

Cross-Cutting Considerations

Projects should contribute to climate mitigation and climate resilience adaptation strategies.
The work should align with international commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD).
Proposals are encouraged to leverage digital technologies and Earth observation data.

Grant Details