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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to support the development and mainstreaming of an improved framework and toolbox for climate risk assessment.
It also provides financial support (cascade funding) to at least 50 regional and local authorities for conducting comprehensive climate risk assessments and developing adaptation plans.
Target recipient types for the main grant are organizations capable of conducting advanced research and innovation, managing complex projects, and implementing cascade funding mechanisms.
This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant focused on environmental resilience and climate adaptation.
Geographic scope covers EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
Key filtering criteria include expertise in climate risk assessment, digital tool development, and experience with cascade funding to regional/local authorities.
The grant is part of the Horizon Europe Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, indicating a programmatic context with potential for future iterations.

Financial Structure

Total budget for this specific grant (HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-01): EUR 17,650,000.
Minimum grant amount per primary applicant: EUR 17,650,000.
Maximum grant amount per primary applicant: EUR 17,650,000.
Currency: EUR.
Mandatory cascade funding (Financial Support to Third Parties - FSTP) is required.
Maximum amount to be granted to each third party (regional/local authority) via cascade funding: EUR 200,000.
At least 60% of the total EU requested contribution for the primary grant must be allocated to financial support for third parties.
Eligible costs for third parties (regional/local authorities) include conducting comprehensive climate risk assessments or refining existing ones using the developed framework and toolbox.
Indirect cost policies are not specified in the provided text, but standard Horizon Europe rules would apply (typically a flat rate on direct eligible costs).

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Organization Types

Research Organizations (e.g., universities, public research bodies, private research institutes)
Industry/Companies (e.g., SMEs, large enterprises, particularly those developing technological solutions for climate adaptation)
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) active in climate action, research, or local development.
Public Bodies (e.g., national or regional agencies with mandates related to climate adaptation or disaster risk management) as lead applicants or consortium members.

Geographic Location

Applicants (and third parties receiving cascade funding) must be established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Capacity Requirements

Must possess the scientific and technical capacity to further develop and mainstream a multi-risk, multi-sector climate risk assessment framework and supporting toolbox.
Must demonstrate the organizational and financial capacity to manage and disburse significant financial support to at least 50 regional and local authorities via cascade funding.
Must be able to engage in co-design and co-production processes with regional/local authorities and practitioners from diverse EU Member States and Associated Countries.
Must have expertise in effective and accessible communication of complex climate risks to non-specialist audiences.

Partnership/Consortium Requirements

Application must be submitted by a consortium, as typical for Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) under Horizon Europe.
Proposals must adopt a participatory approach, involving collaboration and engagement with local communities affected by climate impacts.
Co-design and co-production with regional/local authorities and practitioners from several EU Member States/Associated Countries is required.
Collaboration with the Mission Implementation Platform and Mission National Hubs is expected.

Exclusion Criteria for Cascade Funding Beneficiaries

Regional and local authorities (or entities acting on their behalf) are ineligible for cascade funding if they have already received financial support under the CLIMAAX project for the same territories/scope, or if the concerned territories were already covered by CLIMAAX.

Application Process

Application Timeline

Call opening date: 2025-05-06
Application deadline: 2025-09-24 00:00:00+0000 (single-stage submission).
The first cascade funding call (for third parties) is preferably launched within the first 12 months of the project's duration.

Required Documentation

The proposal has a page limit of 70 pages.
Applicants must use the application form specific to this call, available in the Submission System.
Proposals must include a detailed description of how financial support will be provided to third parties, adhering to the FSTP Annex and General Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Adequate provisions for resources and budget must be made for engaging and collaborating with the Mission entities.

Submission Format and Platform

Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service.

Project Implementation and Reporting

The project must establish an open support line or helpdesk to assist European regional and local authorities not financially supported by the project, but interested in using the developed toolbox.
Collaboration with Mission National Hubs is expected to facilitate good practice sharing and replicability at the national level.
Data generated as part of the project should be harvested and made available through the Joint Research Centre’s Risk Data Hub.
Awarded projects are expected to cooperate closely with the Mission Implementation Platform, Climate-ADAPT platform, and other relevant Horizon Europe projects and EU programs (e.g., LIFE, Technical Support Instrument).
Contribution to the monitoring of the Mission is required, with appropriate resources dedicated to this task.

Evaluation Criteria

Quality of the Proposed Work

Innovation and Robustness: The extent to which the proposed multi-risk, multi-sector climate risk assessment framework and toolbox are improved, broadly applicable, and address identified knowledge/data gaps (e.g., cascading/compounding risks, dynamic nature of risk, translating future scenarios).
Technical Quality: How well the proposed solution integrates tailored 'responses', explores advanced digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), and leverages relevant EU datasets (e.g., Copernicus, Destination Earth) and research infrastructures.
Openness and Accessibility: Commitment to making the improved toolbox and related IT tools open source, free, and open licensed, with a simple Graphical User Interface for non-experts.
Co-creation and Feedback: Effectiveness of plans for co-design and co-production with regional/local authorities and practitioners, including mechanisms for continuous feedback and iterative improvements.

Impact and Contribution to Mission Objectives

Accelerating Adaptation: The project's potential to significantly accelerate adaptation efforts and strengthen scientific knowledge on climate risk assessments for regional and local authorities.
Enhanced Resilience: Effectiveness in equipping regional and local authorities to reduce vulnerability and exposure to climate change, leading to improved climate resilience.
Stakeholder Engagement: Plans for establishing stronger links between climate adaptation and disaster risk management policy actors, communities, scientists, and civil society.
Communication Effectiveness: Strategies for clearer communication of current and future climate risks to non-specialist audiences, boosting buy-in for climate resilience actions and combating disinformation.
Cascade Funding Strategy: The quality and feasibility of the plan to provide financial support to at least 50 regional and local authorities, ensuring geographical balance and inclusivity/equity.
Data Contribution: Plans to harvest and make generated data available through recognized hubs like the Joint Research Centre's Risk Data Hub.

Quality of the Implementation

Work Plan Coherence: Soundness and feasibility of the overall work plan, including the prompt launch of the cascade funding call (preferably within the first 12 months).
Consortium Management: Adequacy of the consortium's composition, expertise, and management structure to achieve the project's ambitious objectives.
Resource Allocation: Appropriateness of the budget and resources dedicated to all project activities, including mandatory collaborations with Mission entities and external support activities.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Adherence to general conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (e.g., admissibility, eligible countries, financial/operational capacity).

Intellectual Property Policies

The improved toolbox and related IT tools developed under this grant must be made open source, free, and open licensed.

Data Protection and Security

Exploitation of digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) is encouraged for better quantification and assessment of climate risks.
Proposals must explore ways to harvest generated data to enhance the resolution and quality of European-wide climate risk datasets and assessments.
Data from assessments conducted under the project must be made available through the Joint Research Centre’s Risk Data Hub.

Risk Management

The developed framework and toolbox must be for multi-risk and multi-sector assessment, including exposure and vulnerability.
Consideration of cascading and compounding risks, and risks from other crises (e.g., biodiversity loss, pollution), is encouraged.

Special Considerations

Cascade Funding: A central requirement is to provide financial support to at least 50 regional and local authorities for climate risk assessments. This is a primary function of the granted project.
Co-design & Co-production: A strong emphasis on co-designing and co-producing the framework and toolbox with regional/local authorities and practitioners to ensure practical relevance.
Accessibility & Disinformation: Dedicated efforts are required to make the toolbox accessible and understandable by non-experts, and to combat climate disinformation.
Synergies & Collaboration: Mandatory collaboration with various EU initiatives, platforms, and projects (e.g., CLIMAAX, Pathways2Resilience, Mission Implementation Platform, Mission National Hubs, Climate-ADAPT, Copernicus, Destination Earth) is key for success and wider impact.
Long-term Relevance: The framework and toolbox should have a built-in mechanism for continuous feedback and iterative improvements to remain relevant as climate science and policy evolve.

Grant Details