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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Grant Purpose and Target

The core objective of this grant is to strengthen the capacity of citizen science in biodiversity observation.
This aims to enhance citizen engagement and contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation measures at local level.
Target recipients are organizations and consortia with expertise in citizen science, taxonomy, genomics, IT, education, and communication, capable of coordinating and promoting citizen science initiatives.
This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, focused on Environment, Biodiversity, and Climate Action.
Geographic scope: Organizations from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe, with activities covering terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments.
Key filtering criteria for initial screening: Must involve citizen science, focus on biodiversity observation, and contribute to climate change mitigation/adaptation. The project must also include coordination and support activities for harmonizing citizen science efforts.
Grant frequency: This topic is part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, suggesting that similar calls may recur annually under the broader Horizon Europe framework.

Financial Structure

Funding amounts: A fixed lump sum of 4,000,000 EUR is available for one expected grant.
Currency: EUR
Co-financing requirements: The total estimated costs of the action must be greater than the estimated Union contribution to comply with co-financing principles.
Eligible cost categories: The lump sum covers estimated direct and indirect project costs, including:
Personnel costs (employees, contractors, seconded staff, SME owners, natural person beneficiaries)
Subcontracting costs
Purchase costs (travel, subsistence, equipment, other goods, works, services)
Other cost categories (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, transnational/virtual access to research infrastructure, PCP/PPI procurement costs).
Ineligible costs: Costs that would be ineligible under standard Horizon Europe rules are excluded from the lump sum calculation.
Indirect cost policies: A 25% flat rate for indirect costs is included in the lump sum calculation.
Payment schedule and mechanisms: Payments are linked to the proper implementation and completion of specific work packages as defined in the grant agreement. Lump sum contributions per work package are paid if conditions are met; if not, they may be paid in subsequent reporting periods or not at all, leading to grant reduction.
Financial reporting: Highly simplified. Payments do not depend on actual costs incurred. Beneficiaries are not required to document incurred costs for the granting authority.
Financial guarantees: Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Organization Types:
This grant is open to a wide range of legal entities, typically including UNIVERSITY, NGO, PUBLIC bodies (e.g., research organizations, government agencies), ENTERPRISE (e.g., SMEs, technology companies involved in data handling), and OTHER entities such as private research organizations or consultancies that can effectively coordinate and support citizen science activities.
Consortium applications are required. Proposals must demonstrate strong cooperation with relevant entities.
Geographic Location Requirements:
Participants must be established in one of the EU Member States or countries associated with the Horizon Europe Programme.
The activities are expected to cover terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments.
Technical Expertise and Infrastructure Requirements:
Project teams must include experts in taxonomy, genomics, IT, education, and communication to effectively analyze, develop, and promote citizen science tools and strategies.
Proposals should demonstrate the capacity to handle data collection, validation, storage, and sharing, as well as interoperability of digital tools.
Partnership Requirements:
Strong emphasis on consortium formation and cooperation.
Mandatory cooperation with the European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+, the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity, and the Science Service project BioAgora.
Required cooperation with the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN), the upcoming pilot on the EU Biodiversity Observation Coordination Centre (EBOCC), national biodiversity monitoring hubs, and national statistical offices.
Expected collaboration with other projects working on citizen science for biodiversity, the European Citizen Science platform (eu-citizen.science), and relevant organizations like the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA).
Organizational Maturity Requirements:
Not explicitly defined, but proposals should demonstrate the capacity and experience to lead and coordinate complex, multi-stakeholder projects at an EU level.

Application Process

Application Practical Information

Application Deadlines and Submission Window:
The submission deadline is 2025-09-17.
This is a single-stage submission process.
Required Documentation and Materials:
Application form specific to this call, available in the Submission System.
Part B of the application form, adhering to specified page limits and layout.
A detailed budget table (HE LS) for lump sum, showing a breakdown per work package and per beneficiary/affiliated entity.
Declaration by beneficiaries confirming the use of their own accounting practices for budget preparation.
Application Procedure and Steps:
Applications are submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service.
Authentication is required to access the submission service (e.g., EU Login account).
Evaluation and Review Process:
Proposals are evaluated by external independent experts according to standard Horizon Europe procedures (excellence, impact, quality and efficiency of implementation).
Experts with financial expertise will check the budget estimate against benchmarks.
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes (not specified in provided document).
Types of Support Offered:
FUNDING: Financial support in the form of a lump sum grant.
MENTORSHIP / NETWORKING: Implicitly provided through coordination, cooperation, and partnership requirements, encouraging interaction with various entities and platforms.
RESOURCES / TRAINING_EDUCATION: Support for developing tools, training schemes, and materials for citizen science.
CAPACITY_BUILDING: The core objective is to strengthen capacity.
OPERATIONAL_SUPPORT: Provided through the coordination and support activities.
Project Implementation and Reporting:
Implementation should align with the detailed work packages described in the proposal.
Payments are linked to the proper implementation and completion of work packages.
Reporting focuses on the technical implementation and fulfillment of work package conditions, rather than detailed financial cost reporting.
Regular progress tracking and reporting of deliverables are expected for work package completion.
Pre-application Requirements:
Familiarity with the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes is crucial, as they describe admissibility conditions, eligible countries, other eligibility conditions, financial/operational capacity, evaluation/award criteria, submission/evaluation processes, indicative timelines, and legal/financial setup of grants.
Understanding of lump sum funding mechanisms is necessary (guidance available on 'Lump sums - what do I need to know?').
Application Assistance Availability:
Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ.
Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network.
IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk.
Partner Search functionality on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Information on the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for Recruitment.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated according to standard Horizon Europe procedures, focusing on:

Excellence:
Quality and pertinence of the project's objectives and methodology.
Soundness of the proposed concept and approach for strengthening citizen science capacity in biodiversity observation.
Robustness of the tools and strategies developed.
Consideration of interdisciplinarity and trans-disciplinarity, including contributions from social sciences and humanities (SSH).
Impact:
Contribution to improved knowledge, innovations, methods, pathways, and tools for protecting and restoring ecosystems and their services, particularly for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Enhancement of capacity for citizen engagement in biodiversity observation.
Promotion and coordination of citizen science initiatives.
Better integration of citizen science into taxonomic networks and systematic biodiversity observation.
Awareness-raising on biodiversity crisis and benefits of ecosystem services.
Contribution to transformative change and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Engagement with policymakers and relevant sectors of society.
Alignment with EU environmental legislation (e.g., EU Nature Restoration Regulation, European Green Deal, EU soil/forest monitoring law, EU Taxonomy).
Contribution to the twin green and digital transition.
Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation:
Clarity and effectiveness of the work plan, including appropriate allocation of tasks and resources.
Quality and competence of the consortium, including the necessary financial know-how.
Effectiveness of the proposed management structures and procedures.
Appropriateness of the budget for the proposed activities and expected outputs.
Consideration of cybersecurity and personal data protection aspects for digital tools.
Plans for dissemination and exploitation of results, and management of intellectual property.
Integration of citizens and stakeholders' engagement, including vulnerable groups.
Adherence to ethical standards and research integrity.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Compliance and Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance Requirements:
Projects must align with and support the implementation of EU environmental legislation, including the European Green Deal, EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, and the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.
Contribution to objectives of the European Climate Law and other European Green Deal initiatives (e.g., EU soil monitoring and resilience law, EU forest monitoring law, EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities).
Adherence to international commitments such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), Paris Agreement, and related international agreements (e.g., BBNJ).
Data Protection and Privacy Regulations:
Cybersecurity and personal data protection aspects must be considered, particularly for digital tools used by citizen scientists.
Ethical Standards and Requirements:
Compliance with ethical standards and research integrity is expected.
Proposals should take due account of gender and other social categories and their intersections to ensure promotion of democracy and a socially just transition.
Intellectual Property Policies:
Management of intellectual property (IP) generated by the project must be addressed.
Risk Management Expectations:
While financial audit is reduced, the focus shifts to rigorous technical checks, reviews, or audits to ensure proper implementation of work packages and compliance with grant agreement obligations.
Unique Aspects / Strategic Opportunities:
This topic is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA), focusing on coordinating existing efforts and building capacity rather than pure research.
Strong emphasis on interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches, including the contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH).
Encouragement of citizens and stakeholders' engagement, including living labs and engagement with civil society.
Specific focus on involving vulnerable groups (e.g., young people not in education/employment, elderly, migrants, ethnic minorities, pregnant women, persons with disabilities).
Exploration of advanced digital technologies and tools, including High-Performance Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Environmental Observation, where appropriate.
Contribution to the new Commission priority “Protecting our democracy, upholding our values” by engaging with civil society.
Maximizing impacts through international cooperation, particularly supporting IPBES, Kunming-Montreal GBF implementation, SDGs, and Paris Agreement.
Industry-Specific Regulatory Compliance:
Projects must consider data need scenarios for environmental authorities and bodies providing scientific advice to policymakers.
Consortium Requirement:
Participation in a consortium is mandatory for this type of action (HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions).
The proposal should clearly outline the cooperation plans with specified entities.

Grant Details