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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Primary objective: Improve environmental resilience by enhancing knowledge and management of soil-water interactions, specifically to mitigate risks from extreme events like droughts, wildfires, and floods.
Target recipients: Research organizations, universities, businesses (SME, Enterprise), NGOs, public bodies, and individuals forming multi-actor consortia with a mix of scientific and practical knowledge.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Environment, Agriculture, Land Management, Research.
Geographic scope: EU Member States and Associated Countries, covering diverse pedoclimatic areas and land uses.
Key filtering criteria: Focus on soil-water nexus, environmental resilience, multi-actor approach, and ability to contribute to EU Soil Mission objectives.
Grant frequency: Recurring within the Horizon Europe 'A Soil Deal for Europe' Mission framework (annual work programmes).

Financial Structure

Funding type: Lump sum contribution.
Budget range: 6,000,000 EUR per grant.
Minimum grant amount: 6,000,000 EUR.
Maximum grant amount: 6,000,000 EUR.
Currency: EUR.
Eligible costs: Personnel costs (employees, direct contractors, seconded persons, SME owners), subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel, equipment, other goods/services), and other cost categories (e.g., financial support to third parties).
Ineligible costs: Any costs not eligible under standard Horizon Europe rules.
Indirect costs: A flat rate of 25% applied to direct costs that qualify for indirect cost calculation.
Co-financing: Required; total estimated costs of the action must be greater than the estimated Union contribution.
Payment mechanism: Lump sum contributions are paid per work package upon proper implementation of the work package activities, as defined in the grant agreement. Payments do not depend on actual costs incurred.
Financial guarantees: Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type and Structure

Eligible types: Not strictly limited, but multi-actor consortia are required, including researchers, farmers, foresters, professional associations, advisors, land managers, food/bioeconomy businesses, consumer associations, local communities, educators, cultural/creative industries, citizens, civil society organizations (NGOs), government representatives.
Consortium requirement: Yes, proposals must follow a multi-actor approach, ensuring genuine and sufficient involvement of targeted actors (end-users, practitioners, researchers) throughout the project lifecycle (inception, planning, implementation, dissemination, exploitation).

Geographic Requirements

Location: Organizations from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are eligible.

Technical Requirements

Technical capacity: Projects must have the capacity to develop/validate indicators for soil water holding capacity, identify soil properties and factors affecting soil-water dynamics (including using remote sensing), assess the role of soil biodiversity, and develop/validate new models for risk assessment of extreme events.
Data standards: Commitment to making data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable), particularly for real-time data feeds.
Model transparency: Actions dealing with models should promote high standards of transparency for assumptions, protocols, code, and data.

Exclusion Criteria

Not specified, but standard Horizon Europe exclusion criteria apply (e.g., financial capacity, ethical concerns).

Application Process

Application Timeline

Application opens: 2025-05-06.
Submission deadline: 2025-09-30.
Evaluation timeline: Not explicitly stated, but standard Horizon Europe timelines apply (indicative timeline described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes).

Submission Process

Submission format: Proposals must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service.
Application forms: Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) and detailed budget table (HE LS) are required.
Authentication: Requires authentication, e.g., via EU Login account or third-party sign-in services. SMS authentication will no longer be possible from 2025-07-01.

Project Implementation

Project start: Not specified.
Project duration: Not specified, but contributes to Mission objectives by 2030.
Reporting: Progress tracked by work package completion; lump sum payments are conditional on completing work packages.
Data sharing: Obligation to ensure data produced is FAIR and to collaborate with the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) and SoilWise.

Support and Resources

Application assistance: Available through the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC, ETSI Research Helpdesk.
Partner Search: A matchmaking platform (SOILL Matchmaking Platform) is available to connect with peers and form consortia.

Evaluation Criteria

Project Quality and Implementation

Excellence: Assessed for scientific and technical quality, including the soundness of methodology and the clarity of objectives.
Quality and efficiency of the implementation: Assessed on the proposal's capacity to deliver results effectively, including the multi-actor approach, quality of the consortium, resources, and work plan. This involves how proposed approaches reflect a balanced choice of relevant key actors with complementary knowledge (scientific, practical).
Cross-fertilization: The extent to which skills, competencies, and ideas between actors generate innovative findings and solutions.
Data management: Commitment to open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs, particularly adherence to FAIR data principles.

Impact and Alignment

Expected Impact: Assessed on the potential to significantly contribute to the EU Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe' objectives, specifically enhancing understanding, raising awareness, and increasing environmental resilience related to the soil-water nexus.
Strategic Alignment: Contribution to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, Nature Restoration Law, EU Soil Strategy for 2030, proposed Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive, EU Water Framework Directive, and EU Action Plan on Organic Production.
Deliverables: Development of practical and ready-to-use knowledge, approaches, tools, or products that are easily understandable and freely accessible, with clear dissemination channels for end-users.
Risk Mitigation: Contribution to mitigating risks associated with extreme events (droughts, wildfires, floods) and other undesired soil health processes.
Cross-cutting themes: While not explicitly scored, alignment with cross-cutting priorities like AI and Digital Agenda, and addressing gender equality, may be considered.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Ethical Compliance

Data Protection: Adherence to FAIR principles for data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable).
Environmental Standards: Projects must align with EU environmental policies including the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, Nature Restoration Law, EU Soil Strategy for 2030, and EU Water Framework Directive.
Ethical Standards: Expected to adhere to general principles of research integrity.

Intellectual Property and Data Usage

Intellectual Property: Open access is encouraged for knowledge and outputs.
Data Sharing: Close collaboration with the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) and SoilWise is expected, including contributing data in a FAIR-by-design manner.

Collaboration and Networking

Coordination: Proposals should include dedicated tasks and resources for coordination with other relevant EU-funded initiatives, especially under the 'A Soil Deal for Europe' Mission (e.g., Living Labs, SpongeBoost, SpongeScapes).
Liaison: Projects are expected to liaise closely with the Mission Secretariat.

Multi-Actor Approach Specifics

Co-creation: Emphasis on co-creation processes where building blocks come from both science and practice.
End-user involvement: (End-)users are involved not as study objects but as contributors of practical and local knowledge, fostering 'co-ownership' of results.
Knowledge exchange: High-quality knowledge exchange activities demonstrating active roles of non-scientific actors are required.
Practical outputs: Development of practical and ready-to-use knowledge, approaches, tools, or products that are easily understandable and freely accessible.

Unique Aspects

Lump Sum Funding: Simplified financial management focusing on technical delivery rather than detailed cost reporting.
Strategic Focus: Direct contribution to the EU Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe' vision of healthy soils by 2050.
Cross-cutting priorities: Actions contribute to AI and Digital Agenda.

Grant Details