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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to increase awareness and understanding among citizens and local/regional policymakers regarding the value of soils and challenges to soil health. It also aims to strengthen the capacities of local and regional authorities in promoting sustainable land management. The grant seeks to establish participatory processes that lead to the adoption and implementation of 'Territorial Management Agreements' for soil protection and restoration.

Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: Consortia involving local and regional authorities, researchers, land managers, civil society organizations, businesses, and other relevant stakeholders. Local/regional authorities can be direct beneficiaries or third parties.
MUST state if grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic scope and any location requirements: Projects should cover activities 'across Europe' with a focus on local and regional levels. Eligible countries are those specified in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, which typically includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. Non-EU/non-Associated countries may participate if specific funding provisions are made.
Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Focus on soil health, citizen engagement, sustainable land management, and significant involvement of local/regional governmental bodies. Applicants must propose a multi-actor approach and be prepared to launch at least 40 Territorial Management Agreements.
Grant frequency and program context: This is part of the 2025 Work Programme for the 'Mission A Soil Deal for Europe', which is a recurring program under Horizon Europe, building on previous years' efforts.

Financial Structure

The total budget for this specific topic is EUR 5,000,000.
One grant is expected to be funded under this topic.
The minimum contribution per grant is EUR 5,000,000.
The maximum contribution per grant is EUR 5,000,000.
Financial support to third parties is permitted in the form of grants.
The maximum amount of financial support to be granted to each third party is EUR 60,000.
Third-party funding should be provided following an open call of European dimension for local or regional authorities to run participatory processes.
Financial and operational capacity requirements are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
The legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Types

Eligible applicants must form a consortium following a multi-actor approach.
Consortia should include a balanced choice of relevant key actors with complementary types of knowledge (scientific, practical, etc.).
Specifically, local or regional authorities are expected to be actively involved, either as beneficiaries or as third parties receiving financial support.
Other potential actors within the consortium, as part of the multi-actor approach, include: researchers, farmers, foresters and their associations, advisors, land managers/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.

Geographic Location

Eligible countries are specified in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. This generally includes EU Member States and Associated Countries.
Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may participate if specific funding provisions are made by their respective countries.

Qualifications and Expertise

The consortium must bring together diverse expertise, including environmental and soil sciences, as well as transdisciplinary expertise on spatial planning and social sciences and humanities (SSH), including gender studies.

Consortium Requirements

A consortium is mandatory and must genuinely apply the multi-actor approach.
The involvement of different actors (especially end-users) should occur throughout the entire project lifecycle, from inception and planning to implementation, dissemination, and potential exploitation of results.
Projects are expected to build on and collaborate with ongoing Mission Soil projects and support structures (e.g., SoilWise and the Mission Soil Platform).
Projects are also expected to liaise closely with the Mission Secretariat and actively contribute to the development of the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO).

Application Process

Application Timeline

Planned opening date for submissions: 2025-05-06.
Application deadline: 2025-09-30T00:00:00.000+0000.
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission Process

This call operates under a single-stage submission procedure.
Applications must be submitted online via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
The specific application form (HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions) is available in the Submission System.

Required Documentation

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

Project Implementation

Projects are required to launch the implementation of at least 40 'Territorial Management Agreements', with one agreement per involved local or regional authority.
Capacity-building activities, including training, peer-to-peer learning, and knowledge-sharing, must be organized for representatives of local and regional authorities.
Proposals should include dedicated tasks and appropriate resources for coordination and joint activities with other relevant projects and initiatives funded under the Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe', including engagement with relevant cluster activities.
Knowledge generated must be summarized in an appropriate number of 'practice abstracts' using the common EIP-AGRI format.

Post-Award Requirements

Projects are expected to actively contribute to the development of the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and collaborate closely with SoilWise.
Proposals should demonstrate a clear route towards open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs.

Evaluation Criteria

Project Relevance and Impact

Contribution to the Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe', specifically Objective 8: 'improve soil literacy in society'.
Strengthening the capacities of local and regional authorities in line with the proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.
Contribution to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 (Life on land) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
Expected outcomes include: substantially increased awareness among citizens and local/regional policymakers about soil value and health challenges; an increased number of regions/municipalities adopting co-designed 'Territorial Management Agreements'; and improved access to capacity building activities for local/regional authorities on soil health and citizen engagement.

Quality of Implementation and Methodology

Proposals should outline credible pathways to contribute to the Mission's long-term impacts, particularly regarding innovative governance, improved soil monitoring, and engagement of stakeholders.
The proposed approaches and consortium composition must reflect a balanced choice of relevant key actors with complementary knowledge, ensuring practice-ready results.
Inclusion of existing practices and tacit knowledge, demonstrated through high-quality knowledge exchange activities.
Effective facilitation of multi-actor engagement processes using appropriate methods and expertise.
Development of practical, ready-to-use knowledge, approaches, tools, or products that are easily understandable and freely accessible.

Cross-Cutting Themes

Proposals must incorporate gender perspectives.
Attention must be given to the inclusion of people in vulnerable situations, ensuring that engagement and participatory processes are representative and inclusive.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Activities must be aligned with the proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.
Compliance with the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 is required.

Ethical Standards

Proposals must incorporate gender perspectives and ensure attention to the inclusion of people in vulnerable situations, promoting inclusive participatory processes.

Data and Intellectual Property

Projects are expected to ensure open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of all knowledge and outputs generated.
Close collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and SoilWise is a key requirement for data integration and knowledge sharing.

Risk Management

'Territorial Management Agreements' developed within the project should define roles, responsibilities, actions, and include monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track progress.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities

Multi-actor approach: This is a critical requirement, emphasizing the genuine and sufficient involvement of a targeted array of actors throughout the project lifecycle to ensure demand-driven, reliable, and practice-ready results through 'co-creation'.
Focus on 'Territorial Management Agreements': Applicants should adopt this specific terminology as defined by the Horizon Europe project Healthy Municipal Soils (HuMuS).
Strong emphasis on citizen engagement: Proposals must establish participatory processes involving citizens and stakeholders at the local and regional levels for soil protection and restoration.
Strategic collaboration: Projects are strongly encouraged to build on and collaborate with other ongoing Mission Soil projects and support structures, such as SoilWise and the Mission Soil Platform, to create synergies and avoid duplication.
Role of Local/Regional Authorities: They are central to the project, responsible for designing and running inclusive participatory processes and launching the implementation of Territorial Management Agreements.

Grant Details