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Grant Details

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

• Core objective: Strengthen taxonomic approaches for biodiversity to support EU environmental legislation and European Green Deal initiatives, ultimately contributing to biodiversity recovery and ecosystem restoration. • Target recipient type and size: Organizations with research capabilities, including universities, research institutions, public bodies, and potentially SMEs or other entities active in biodiversity research. • SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Environmental science, biodiversity, natural resources, agriculture, bioeconomy, climate action. • Geographic scope: EU Member States and Associated Countries. International cooperation is encouraged, especially with countries supporting global biodiversity efforts. Third-party funding specifically targets Central and East European, Mediterranean, and outermost regions. • Key filtering criteria: Focus on taxonomy and genomics for biodiversity, alignment with EU environmental and biodiversity policies, capacity for large-scale research projects. • Grant frequency: Part of the annual Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025.

Financial Structure

• Grant type: Research and Innovation Actions (RIA). • Maximum contribution per project: 12,000,000 EUR. • Minimum contribution per project: 12,000,000 EUR. • Expected number of grants: 2. • Total budget for this topic: 24,000,000 EUR. • Currency: EUR. • Financial support to third parties: - Allowed, in the form of grants. - Maximum amount per third party: 60,000 EUR (can be higher if duly justified and essential to objectives). - Maximum percentage of requested EU contribution allocated to third parties: 30%. • Eligible costs: Not detailed in this document but refer to Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA).

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type
  • Eligible organizations are generally entities capable of conducting Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs). This typically includes:
    • Universities
    • Research organizations
    • Public bodies
    • Companies (including SMEs) with significant research capacity.
    • Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in research or conservation.
    • Other legal entities established in EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Geographic Location
  • Organizations must be established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.
  • International cooperation is encouraged, particularly with countries supporting global efforts like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, SDGs, and Paris Agreement.
  • Financial support to third parties (up to 30% of the requested EU contribution, max 60,000 EUR per third party unless justified) must focus on reinforcing taxonomy in knowledge-lacking areas such as Central and East European, Mediterranean, and outermost regions.
Consortium Requirements
  • A consortium is implicitly required for Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) under Horizon Europe.
  • Proposals should foresee cooperation with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and the Science Service project BioAgora.
  • Proposals should coordinate and collaborate with relevant organizations like the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF), Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN), and the upcoming pilot on the EU Biodiversity Observation Coordination Centre (EBOCC).
  • Proposals should connect to existing global and European biodiversity data infrastructures (e.g., Catalogue of Life, DiSSCo, LifeWatch ERIC, EMBRC, eLTER, MIRRI-ERIC).
  • Proposals should coordinate and collaborate with other projects selected under this topic and related topics (HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-02 and HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-04).
Project Focus
  • Proposals must clearly indicate whether they are applying to 'Area A' or 'Area B'.
  • 'Area A' focuses on integrating and maximizing taxonomic work across stages and consolidating expert-based long-term monitoring.
  • 'Area B' focuses on widening participation and accessibility of genomic data, enhancing uptake/use of genomic data, and establishing a comprehensive biodiversity genomics system in Europe.
Technical Expertise
  • Expertise in taxonomy and genomics is essential.
  • Capacity to implement novel taxonomic approaches, including those using eDNA/eRNA, genomes, metagenomes, DNA barcoding, and whole-genome sequencing.
  • Ability to work with advanced digital technologies such as High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Quality Standards
  • Data produced must be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable (FAIR), exploring "FAIR-by-design" workflows.
  • Consideration of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) for data storage and access.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Standard Horizon Europe exclusion criteria apply (refer to Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes).

Application Process

Application Deadline
  • Submission deadline: 2025-09-17 00:00:00+00.
  • Planned opening date: 2025-05-06.
Submission Process
  • Submission is through the Electronic Submission Service on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
  • Single-stage submission procedure.
  • Applicants will need an EU Login account.
Required Documentation
  • Application form specific to this call (available in the Submission System).
  • Part B of the application form must adhere to specified page limits and layout (Annex A and E of General Annexes).
Evaluation and Grant Agreement Timeline
  • Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Post-Award Requirements
  • Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties under specific conditions (see Financial Structure).
  • Legal and financial set-up of grants described in Annex G of General Annexes.
  • Financial reporting and audit requirements apply, as per standard Horizon Europe rules.
  • Progress tracking and monitoring as per Annex F.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria
  • To ensure a balanced portfolio, grants will be awarded not only by ranking but also to at least one project that is the highest ranked within 'Area A' and one project that is the highest ranked within 'Area B', provided all thresholds are attained.
  • Standard Horizon Europe evaluation criteria (Excellence, Impact, Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation) described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes will apply.
Expected Outcomes and Impact
  • Proposals must set out a credible pathway contributing to "putting biodiversity on a path to recovery, and protecting and restoring ecosystems and their services."
  • Contributions to all following expected outcomes:
    • Strengthened taxonomic community and its capacity to support policy/decision-making on biodiversity, climate change, and environmental issues.
    • Developed strategic approaches for systematic reinforcement of expertise and training in Europe (including genomics for identification/monitoring).
  • Projects should contribute to one or more of the broader impacts of the "Biodiversity and ecosystem services" destination:
    • Improved knowledge, innovations, methods, pathways, and tools for protecting healthy ecosystems and restoring degraded ones, ensuring ecosystem services (including climate adaptation/mitigation).
    • Better understanding of the biodiversity crisis and its consequences, with policymakers and society well-informed and grasping opportunities for protection/restoration, leading to transformative change.
    • Farmers, foresters, and land managers testing and implementing biodiversity-friendly practices while safeguarding food security and long-term sustainability.
    • Progress towards Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework goals, reducing pressure on biodiversity and ensuring sustainable development.
  • Contributions to the EU Green Deal, EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework.
  • Contribution to "Protecting our democracy, upholding our values" by engaging civil society.
Innovation and Methodology
  • Proposals should demonstrate novel taxonomic approaches.
  • Integration of advanced digital technologies (High-Performance Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Environmental Observation) where appropriate.
  • Citizen science approach is encouraged as a research methodology, following R&I approach in line with disciplinary/sectoral standards.
Cross-Cutting Themes
  • Consideration of gender and other social categories and their intersections to promote democracy and a socially just transition.
  • Engagement with citizens and stakeholders, including through living labs.
  • Data to be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable), particularly for real-time data feeds.
  • Use of AI could be considered for analyses.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance
  • Projects must contribute to and align with:
    • EU environmental legislation
    • EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
    • European Green Deal initiatives (e.g., Nature Restoration Regulation, soil/forest monitoring laws, EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities)
    • Invasive Alien Species Regulation
    • European Climate Law (for climate expenditure contribution)
    • Relevant international agreements (Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Paris Agreement, BBNJ Agreement).
Data Management and Open Science
  • Data produced must be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable), exploring "FAIR-by-design" workflows.
  • Consideration of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) for data storage and access.
Ethical and Social Considerations
  • Interdisciplinarity and trans-disciplinarity, including contributions from social sciences and humanities (SSH), are encouraged.
  • Due account for gender and other social categories and their intersections to ensure promotion of democracy and a socially just transition.
  • Engagement with citizens and stakeholders is sought, including with living labs.
Strategic Collaboration
  • Projects are expected to build on results from relevant projects (e.g., TETTRIs, BGE, EuropaBON) and existing platforms/information sharing mechanisms.
  • Collaboration with EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity, BioAgora.
  • Coordination with organizations like CETAF, GBIF, EASIN, EBOCC, COL, and major European research infrastructures (DiSSCo, LifeWatch ERIC, EMBRC, eLTER, MIRRI-ERIC).
Technology Integration
  • Use of advanced digital technologies (HPC, AI, Environmental Observation) is encouraged.
  • Specific focus on DNA barcoding and whole-genome sequencing, including participation in iBOL and Earth BioGenome Project.
Other Specific Conditions
  • Admissibility, eligible countries, financial/operational capacity, exclusion criteria, evaluation/award criteria, submission/evaluation processes, indicative timeline, legal/financial setup are described in the respective Annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
  • Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (sub-grants).

Grant Details

biodiversity data biodiversity identification biodiversity monitoring dna data collection evolution genes genetic genomic metagenomes species systematic taxonomy edna erna environmental science ecosystem services climate action research and innovation horizon europe fair data artificial intelligence citizen science european green deal kunming-montreal global biodiversity nature restoration agri-food systems marine ecosystems conservation biology ecology biogeography sustainability
Strengthening taxonomic approaches for biodiversity
48211437TOPICSen
Horizon Europe
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH_DEVELOPMENT NGO SME ENTERPRISE PUBLIC OTHER
AT BE BG HR CY CZ DK EE FI FR DE GR HU IS IE IL IT LV LI LT LU MK MD ME NL NO PL PT RO RS SK SI ES SE CH TR UA UK
ENVIRONMENT TECHNOLOGY AGRICULTURE OTHER
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH_DEVELOPMENT
OTHER
SDG2 SDG9 SDG13 SDG14 SDG15 SDG17
FUNDING RESEARCH_DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY_BUILDING NETWORKING INNOVATION_COMMERCIALIZATION
24000000.00
12000000.00
12000000.00
EUR
None
Sept. 17, 2025, midnight
None