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Grant Details

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to provide funding for additional activities to continue the European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All). Its core objective is to support the partnership's existing work, including joint calls for research projects, fostering R&I uptake, and demonstrating innovative solutions for water security. - Target recipient: The coordinator of the existing European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All) consortium (funded under HORIZON-CL6-2021-CLIMATE-01-02 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-01). - This grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC focusing on water security, climate action, and related environmental fields. - Geographic scope: Applicants from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Specific eligible countries are detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. - Key filtering criteria for initial screening: Applicants must be the specified existing Water4All partnership coordinator. The project must focus on water security and climate action within the partnership's framework. - Grant frequency: This is a recurring grant, intended as a continuation and expansion of an existing partnership, which is expected to organize joint calls on an annual basis.

Financial Structure

  • The total budget for this specific grant (HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-05) is EUR 70,000,000.
  • The minimum and maximum contribution for this single expected grant are both EUR 70,000,000.
  • The funding rate is 30% of eligible costs.
  • Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) is a primary activity of this action and is permitted.
  • FSTP MUST be provided in the form of grants.
  • The standard EUR 60,000 threshold for FSTP (as per Article 207 (a) of Financial Regulation No 2024/2509) DOES NOT apply to this action.
  • The maximum amount of FSTP to be granted to an individual third party is EUR 7,000,000 for the whole duration of Horizon Europe. This amount may be higher if the action's objectives would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult, provided it is duly justified in the proposal.
  • The consortium is expected to pool financial resources from participating national (or regional) research programs to implement joint calls for transnational proposals.
  • Synergies with the European Regional Development Fund are encouraged.
  • Costs incurred from the starting date of the action may be considered eligible, if the need for a retroactive starting date is justified in the application.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Eligibility
  • The proposal MUST be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium that received funding under HORIZON-CL6-2021-CLIMATE-01-02 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-01 (European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All)).
  • Additional partners CAN be included in the consortium, beyond the original members.
Geographic and Regulatory Requirements
  • Eligible countries are defined in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes (generally EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries).
  • All applicants must comply with the general admissibility conditions, financial and operational capacity requirements, and exclusion criteria described in Annexes A, C, and D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Technical Requirements
  • If projects utilize satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation, and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries are REQUIRED to make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.
Consortium Requirements
  • A consortium is explicitly required, as the grant is a continuation for an existing partnership.

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Submission
  • Application deadline: 2025-09-16 00:00:00+0000.
  • The submission session is available since 2025-05-07.
  • Submission procedure: Single-stage.
  • Submission format: Proposals must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
  • Application form: Use the standard application form (HE COFUND TOP-UP) specific to this call.
Required Documentation
  • The proposal's page limit and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form.
  • A separate document MUST be submitted outlining the additional activities and any new partners to be covered by the award, detailing how they would be reflected in the grant agreement.
Support and Guidance
  • Applicants can access guidance from the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (MGA), and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.
  • FAQs related to submission, evaluation, and grant management are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
  • Assistance is available from the Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs) in EU and associated countries, Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks.
Project Implementation and Reporting
  • The action is intended as an amendment to the existing grant agreement for HORIZON-CL6-2021-CLIMATE-01-02.
  • The partnership is expected to continue organizing joint calls on an annual basis.
  • Monitoring and evaluation requirements, as well as reporting schedules, are detailed in the general grant agreement and Work Programme General Annexes (specifically Annex F for evaluation and grant agreement timelines).

Evaluation Criteria

General Evaluation and Award Criteria
  • Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
  • The evaluation committee will be partially composed of representatives from EU institutions.
Specific Project Alignment and Impact
  • Proposals should demonstrate a credible pathway contributing to 'fostering mitigation of and adaptation to climate change' in areas covered by Cluster 6, and specifically to one or more of the following impacts:
    • Better understanding of short-, medium-, and long-term ocean health and integrity under various emission scenarios and existing/emerging threats.
    • Improved understanding and management of medium- and longer-term climate change risks and opportunities for agriculture and forestry at relevant scales.
    • Further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, forestry, and land-use sectors, alongside improved monitoring, reporting, and verification.
    • Fostering adaptation and mitigation of water systems to build a water-resilient society and environment.
Methodological and Strategic Considerations
  • A systemic multidisciplinary approach, strong international cooperation, and integration of indigenous and local knowledge are expected.
  • Social innovation should be encouraged to involve all stakeholders, promoting ownership of new practices and uptake of solutions.
  • The proposal should clearly describe specific activities that strengthen complementarities with related EU Missions (e.g., 'Adaptation to climate change', 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030', 'A Soil Deal for Europe') and European Partnerships (e.g., Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, Biodiversa+, Driving Urban Transition).
  • The project should aim for a balance in terms of lower and higher Technological Readiness Levels (TRLs).
  • Activities should leverage digital technologies, such as AI, robotics, 5G, cloud computing, and Earth Observation, given their enabling role.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance
  • Projects must ensure compliance with the Horizon Europe Regulation and the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
  • General compliance with EU data protection and privacy regulations is expected.
Strategic and Thematic Alignment
  • The action supports the implementation of the European Ocean Pact and fosters mitigation/adaptation to climate change on land, in oceans, and water.
  • It aligns with the European Green Deal and the ambition for Europe to be the first climate-neutral and climate-resilient continent by 2050.
  • Support for the European Climate Law, amended Regulation on land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF), and amended Effort Sharing Regulation is expected.
  • R&I actions should be aligned with Communications on sustainable carbon cycles and the EU 2040 climate target.
  • Contributions to the implementation of the proposed Regulation establishing a Union certification framework for carbon removals and the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change are expected.
  • Activities in agriculture and forestry must contribute to the EU methane strategy, EU forest strategy for 2030, and the proposal for an EU Forest Monitoring Law.
  • When affecting the marine environment, actions must align with the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
International Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing
  • International cooperation is encouraged, specifically supporting goals of the Paris Agreement, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ).
  • The grant supports the European Ocean Pact and objectives of the EU Arctic policy, fostering regional and international initiatives.
  • Strengthening the climate-ocean-cryosphere-polar science nexus is a priority.
  • R&I will support and close key knowledge gaps for international treaties and bodies like IPCC, WOA, UNFCCC Ocean-Climate Dialogue, UN Decade of Ocean Science, UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, IPOS, and WMO Greenhouse Gas Watch.
  • Emphasis is placed on the recently adopted Nature Restoration Regulation, the announced European water resilience strategy, and climate adaptation plan.
Intellectual Property and Technical Standards
  • Beneficiaries must adhere to intellectual property policies as per Horizon Europe guidelines.
  • Specific technical standards and guidelines may be required, particularly for data and system interoperability (e.g., Copernicus, Galileo/EGNOS usage).
Unique Considerations
  • This grant is specifically for 'additional activities' and a 'top-up' to an existing grant agreement (HORIZON-CL6-2021-CLIMATE-01-02), rather than a call for new, independent projects. This means the applicant must be the existing coordinator.
  • The grant allows significant Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP), indicating a cascading funding mechanism, where the main grant recipient will redistribute funds to other entities through joint calls.
  • The total budget is allocated to one expected grant for the continuation of the partnership.
  • The evaluation process will take into account the existing context and the scope of the two prior evaluations related to the Water4All partnership.

Grant Details

water security water management water resilience climate action climate change adaptation european partnership horizon europe cofund action research and innovation environmental protection sustainable development goals sdg6 sdg13 sdg14 sdg15 sdg17 water4all clean water wastewater management hydrology ecosystem services nature restoration copernicus galileo earth observation digital solutions living labs international cooperation ghg emissions agriculture forestry marine environment polluion control water re-use water technology r&i uptake
Additional activities for the European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All)
48212262TOPICSen
Horizon Europe
UNIVERSITY PUBLIC OTHER
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 IS NO TR RS ME MK AL BA MD UA GE IL TN
ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY OTHER
DEVELOPMENT GROWTH
OTHER
SDG6 SDG13 SDG14 SDG15 SDG17
FUNDING RESEARCH_DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY_BUILDING PILOT_PROJECTS INNOVATION_COMMERCIALIZATION NETWORKING
70000000.00
70000000.00
70000000.00
EUR
30.00
Sept. 16, 2025, midnight
None