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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to address soil salinity in Europe by investigating its drivers, current levels, and temporal changes. It aims to improve indicators, knowledge, and quantitative data for policymakers and stakeholders, while also developing innovative land management strategies.

Target recipient type: Diverse organizations including research institutions, land managers (farmers, foresters), businesses (food, bioeconomy), civil society, and public bodies.
Target size: Collaborative consortia of varying sizes, with emphasis on multi-actor involvement.
This grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC focusing on agriculture, environment, and soil science.
Geographic scope: Europe, including EU Member States and Associated Countries.
Key filtering criteria: Focus on soil salinity, multi-actor approach, European collaboration, and Research & Innovation Action (RIA).
Grant frequency: This is part of the Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme, specifically within the 'A Soil Deal for Europe' Mission.

Financial Structure

This grant is funded as a lump sum contribution, meaning payments are linked to the successful completion of work packages, not actual incurred costs.
The estimated grant amount for this specific topic (HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-11) is EUR 6,000,000 for one expected project.
Eligible costs for calculating the lump sum may include: personnel costs (employees, direct contractors, seconded persons, SME owners), subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel, equipment, goods/services), and other categories (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, research infrastructure access).
Ineligible costs under Horizon Europe rules cannot be included in the lump sum calculation.
Indirect costs are calculated by applying a 25% flat rate to eligible direct costs.
Co-financing is required; the total estimated costs of the action must be greater than the estimated Union contribution.
Pre-financing follows standard Horizon Europe rules.
A portion of the total lump sum (between 5% and 8%) is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Financial reporting of actual costs is generally not required; the focus is on technical progress and work package completion.
The lump sum amount is fixed in the grant agreement as the maximum grant amount.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type and Structure

Eligible organizations are diverse and include, but are not limited to, researchers, farmers, foresters and their professional associations, advisors, land managers and owners, spatial planners, food and bioeconomy businesses, consumer associations, local communities, educators, artists, citizens, civil society organizations (including NGOs), and government representatives.
A multi-actor approach is mandatory, requiring genuine and sufficient involvement of a targeted array of actors, especially 'end-users' of project results, from inception to exploitation.
Consortium composition must be balanced, reflecting complementary knowledge (scientific, practical).

Geographic Requirements

Eligible Countries are those described in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. This typically includes: AT, BE, BG, HR, CY, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IE, IT, LV, LT, LU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SI, ES, SE, NO, IS, LI, UK, TR, AL, BA, ME, MK, RS, UA, MD, GE, IL.

Technical and Capacity Requirements

Proposals must demonstrate the capacity to investigate complex environmental issues (soil salinity, its relationship with climate, biodiversity).
Capacity to develop harmonized assessment methodologies and quantitative models for future predictions is essential.
Ability to co-create innovative land management strategies with relevant stakeholders is required.
Experience in integrating high-resolution remote sensing data and earth observation techniques is expected.

Exclusion Criteria

Organizations from countries not listed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes are generally ineligible for funding.
Proposals that do not adhere to the mandatory multi-actor approach will be deemed ineligible.

Application Process

Application Process Steps

Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Submission Service via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
The submission procedure is 'single-stage'.

Application Deadlines

The submission deadline is 2025-09-30 00:00:00+00:00.
The submission session opened on 2025-05-06.

Required Documentation and Materials

Standard application form for Research and Innovation Actions (HE RIA, IA).
Detailed budget table (HE LS) breaking down estimated costs per work package and per beneficiary/affiliated entity.
Proposals must include a declaration that beneficiaries have followed their own accounting practices for budget preparation.

Project Implementation Timeline

Projects are expected to contribute to the Mission's objectives and deliver results by 2030, indicating a multi-year project duration.
Implementation phases are expected to cover inception, planning, implementation, dissemination, and exploitation of results.

Reporting and Compliance Obligations

Payments are conditional on the proper implementation of corresponding work packages as defined in the grant agreement.
Progress tracking will focus on technical implementation and work package completion.
No cost reporting is required from beneficiaries.
Compliance checks, reviews, and audits will focus on technical implementation, fulfilment of work package conditions, ethics, research integrity, dissemination, exploitation of results, management of intellectual property, and gender equality.

Application Assistance and Support

Applicants can find guidance in the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ.
Support is available from the Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, and ETSI Research Helpdesk.
A Partner Search facility is available to help find consortium members.

Evaluation Criteria

Main Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on three standard Horizon Europe criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of the implementation.

Specific Scoring Factors

Excellence:
Scientific and technical quality of the proposed research, including the soundness of the approach to investigate soil salinity drivers, indicators, and temporal changes.
Adequacy of the proposed methodology for harmonized assessment and quantitative modeling.
Extent to which the proposal goes beyond the state-of-the-art.
Quality of the interdisciplinary approach and involvement of diverse knowledge types (scientific, practical).
Impact:
Contribution to the objectives of the Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe', especially Target 4.6 ('Halt and reduce secondary salinization').
Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
Potential for policy makers and stakeholders to access improved indicators and knowledge on soil salinity.
Likelihood of accelerating uptake of innovative and reproducible sustainable land management strategies.
Plans for open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs (FAIR data).
Expected engagement with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and SoilWise.
Quality and efficiency of the implementation:
Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including appropriate resources and timeline.
Quality and complementarity of the consortium members and management structures.
Effectiveness of the multi-actor engagement process, including knowledge exchange activities and precise roles of non-scientific actors.
Appropriateness of the budget estimate for each work package, assessed by experts with financial know-how.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Ethical Compliance

Projects must adhere to all relevant regulatory compliance requirements, as specified in the Work Programme General Annexes.
Ethical standards and research integrity are subject to checks and audits throughout the project lifecycle.
Labor standards are expected to align with the 'European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment'.

Data Management and Intellectual Property

Data produced by the project must adhere to FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable).
Open access to knowledge and outputs is required, with longevity, sustainability, and interoperability ensured.
Collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and SoilWise is expected for data and knowledge management.
Standard Horizon Europe intellectual property policies apply, though not detailed in this document.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Considerations

Lump Sum Funding: This grant uses a simplified lump sum funding model, which reduces administrative burden related to financial reporting but shifts focus to robust technical project delivery.
Multi-Actor Approach: A crucial requirement is the genuine and sufficient involvement of a diverse range of stakeholders, including 'end-users', throughout the project's duration. This fosters 'co-creation' and 'co-ownership' of results.
Strategic Alignment: The project must clearly demonstrate its contribution to the EU Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe', especially its target on halting and reducing secondary salinization, and broader long-term impacts on governance, monitoring, and awareness.
Knowledge Dissemination: Results and practical knowledge (e.g., in EIP-AGRI format 'practice abstracts') must be developed to be easily understandable and accessible, feeding into existing dissemination channels across countries and regions.
Cross-cutting Themes: While not explicitly evaluation criteria, gender equality is mentioned as a compliance check point, implying its importance.
Collaboration with Existing Initiatives: Proposers are encouraged to build on and collaborate with ongoing Mission projects and support structures like SoilWise and the Mission Soil Platform.
Risk Management: While not detailed, the lump sum model implies a higher emphasis on robust project planning and technical risk mitigation upfront, as financial reviews are minimal post-award.

Grant Details