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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

GRANT PURPOSE AND TARGET: - Core objective: To deliver innovative solutions that increase resilience and climate adaptation for Atlantic coastal communities. - Target recipient type: Legal entities participating in multi-actor consortia, including research organizations, public bodies, NGOs, and businesses. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: This grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC, focusing on environmental protection, social resilience, and innovative solutions for coastal and marine environments. - Geographic scope: Atlantic coastal communities across EU, associated, and specified non-EU countries, emphasizing a 'pole-to-pole' dimension. - Key filtering criteria: Projects must address climate adaptation for coastal communities, involve a multi-actor approach, and foster international cooperation, especially with All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) partners. - Grant frequency: This is a specific topic within the Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme, making it a one-time call for this particular topic, though it is part of a recurring larger funding program.

Financial Structure

FINANCIAL STRUCTURE: - Grant type: HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA). - Maximum grant amount per project: 6000000.0 EUR. - Minimum grant amount per project: 6000000.0 EUR. - Expected number of grants: 1. - Total budget for this specific topic (HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-COMMUNITIES-03): 6000000.0 EUR. - Currency: EUR. - Funding rate: Not explicitly stated in the topic description. For Horizon Europe Innovation Actions, funding typically covers up to 70% of eligible costs for for-profit entities and 100% for non-profit/public entities. - Eligible and ineligible costs: These are generally defined by Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, which is not detailed in the provided grant material.

Eligibility Requirements

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Organizational Type & Structure

Eligible applicants are legal entities. There are no explicit limitations to specific types like 'SME' or 'Startup'; a broad range of entities (e.g., research organizations, NGOs, public authorities, businesses) is expected.
Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach, ensuring adequate involvement of relevant stakeholders such as researchers, regional and local authorities, citizens, youth, NGOs, local businesses, private investors, and social innovators.

Geographic Location

Applicants from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe are eligible for funding.
For the consortium, participation of at least three legal entities established in at least three of the following countries is required (as a beneficiary or associated partner): Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Ghana, Iceland, Morocco, Norway, Senegal, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America.
Legal entities established in Brazil are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.

Project Stage

This call is for Innovation Actions (IA), which typically involve demonstrating, piloting, or prototyping new solutions, bringing them closer to market or implementation.

Technical & Experience Requirements

Projects should build on existing scientific outputs and traditional knowledge for coastal resilience.
Experience in co-creation, participatory processes, and integrating Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines (including gender studies and citizen social science) is expected.

Application Process

APPLICATION PRACTICAL INFORMATION: Application Submission

Submission deadline: 2025-09-16 00:00:00+0000.
Submission procedure: Single-stage application process.
Submission platform: Electronic Submission Service via the European Commission's Funding & Tenders Portal.
Application forms: Standard application forms (HE RIA, IA) are available within the Submission System.

Required Documentation

Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout specifications described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and specifically Part B of the Application Form.

Evaluation Process

The evaluation and award processes, including the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, are detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Support and Guidance

A variety of resources are available to applicants, including the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, and the European IPR Helpdesk.
A Partner Search service is also provided to assist in forming consortia.

Evaluation Criteria

EVALUATION CRITERIA: General Criteria

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

Specific Criteria

Relevance and Impact: Proposals will be assessed on their clear contribution to increasing the resilience of Atlantic coastal communities to climate change and environmental challenges, aligning with EU climate policies (e.g., Green Deal, 2030 biodiversity strategy, European Ocean Pact).
Capacity Building: Projects should demonstrate how they will enhance coastal communities' capacities for adaptation through innovation, professional skills development, and intergenerational learning.
Knowledge Exchange & Literacy: The effectiveness of building community climate change literacy through inclusive, sustainable learning spaces that value local cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.
Implementation of AAORIA: Contribution to the implementation of the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) Declaration, particularly its focus on coastal community resilience.
Community Engagement: The quality of engagement with Atlantic coastal communities to understand their unique challenges, needs, and traditional environmental knowledge.
Solution Development & Toolbox: The comprehensiveness and innovative nature of the 'toolbox' of scientific outputs and traditional knowledge developed and tested for coastal resilience, including nature-based solutions.
Social Equity & Maladaptation: Consideration of gender dimensions and other social categories (e.g., disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnic/cultural origins, sexual orientation) to ensure adaptation actions avoid climate maladaptation and address social inequities.
Digital Interface Development: Design and functionality of an 'interface' (digital and participatory) enabling communities to access and tailor coastal resilience solutions, including an online platform with interoperability and API integration.
Piloting & Validation: The rigor of testing and piloting the toolbox and interface in living labs across diverse Atlantic communities (coastal cities, regions, islands).
Dissemination & Training: Plans for living labs to serve as effective centers for knowledge dissemination, training, community engagement, and collaborative problem-solving.
Multi-Actor & SSH Integration: Demonstrated effective application of the multi-actor approach and integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines for a human-centered approach.
Complementarity & Synergy: Evidence of collaboration and synergy with relevant ongoing Horizon Europe projects (e.g., OKEANO), and other key initiatives (e.g., Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’) to maximize impact and avoid duplication.

Compliance & Special Requirements

COMPLIANCE AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Regulatory Compliance

Projects must comply with all general conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annexes A, B, C, D, E, F, G).
Adherence to the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 is required.

Ethical and Social Considerations

Proposals must explicitly consider the gender dimension and other social categories (e.g., disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnic/cultural origins, sexual orientation) in their approach to disaster preparedness and capacity-building.
Solutions should be designed to avoid climate maladaptation, which can exacerbate existing social inequalities.
The integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines, including gender studies and citizen social science, is mandatory to ensure a human-centered approach and social innovation.

Technical Standards

Digital components of the solution (e.g., online platform) must aim for interoperability and offer API integration to seamlessly connect with existing digital decision-making, mapping, and planning tools (e.g., those from the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters).

Specific Project Requirements

It is mandatory to implement a multi-actor approach, involving a wide range of relevant stakeholders from the target communities.
The project must contribute directly to the implementation of the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) Declaration.
Projects are expected to work in close collaboration with relevant ongoing Horizon Europe projects (e.g., OKEANO), and other key initiatives (e.g., Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’ projects, Mission Ocean Implementation Platform), to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication.
Solutions must be tested and piloted in living labs established in diverse Atlantic communities.

International Cooperation

International cooperation is strongly encouraged, particularly with AAORIA partner countries and other countries across the Atlantic basin.

Grant Details