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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core objective: Mobilize research and innovation to accelerate the transition to a sustainable forest bioeconomy, enhancing forest sector value, biodiversity, and climate resilience within the EU.
Target recipient: Public organizations in EU Member States and Associated Countries, forming a partnership to pool national/regional research programs for forest R&I.
MUST state if grant is 'SECTOR-SPECIFIC' or 'SECTOR-AGNOSTIC': SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic scope: EU Member States and Associated Countries. International cooperation is encouraged, particularly with strategic third country partners and Ukraine.
Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Must be a public organization (or a consortium of such) from eligible countries, focused on forest research and innovation, and capable of managing significant funds and providing financial support to third parties through sub-grants.
Grant frequency and program context: Recurring opportunity for the duration of Horizon Europe. This grant is part of Horizon Europe, Cluster 6 'Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment', specifically Destination 'Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors'.

Financial Structure

Total budget for this specific topic is 70,000,000 EUR.
The minimum and maximum grant amount for this particular topic are both 70,000,000 EUR.
The funding rate is 30% of eligible costs, meaning applicants must provide substantial co-financing from national/regional research programmes and/or in-kind contributions.
The selected partnership will provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants as one of its primary activities.
The maximum amount that can be granted to each third party is 10,000,000 EUR for the whole duration of Horizon Europe, though this amount may be higher if duly justified as necessary for achieving the action's objectives.
The usual EUR 60,000 threshold for financial support to third parties (from Article 207(a) of Financial Regulation No. 2024/2509) does not apply to this grant due to its nature as a primary activity.
Requirements for financial and operational capacity assessment are outlined in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type

Eligible entities are primarily public organizations in EU Member States and Associated Countries, forming a partnership.
A consortium is required, responsible for pooling financial resources from national or regional research programmes.
Participants in the partnership can include ministries, funding agencies, research performing organizations, research infrastructures, industry, NGOs, and international networks.

Geographic Location

Applicants must be established in an EU Member State or an Associated Country to Horizon Europe.
Strategic third country partners and Ukraine are encouraged to be involved in the partnership's activities and transnational calls, but funding eligibility for entities from these countries depends on specific provisions.

Legal & Financial

Applicants' financial and operational capacity requirements are detailed 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.
Partners are expected to provide financial and/or in-kind contributions to supplement the grant funding, as the funding rate is 30%. This implies significant co-financing from national/regional research programmes.

Application Process

Application Deadline

The submission deadline for proposals is 2025-09-17 00:00:00+0000 (UTC).
The planned opening date for submissions was 2025-05-06.

Submission Process

The application follows a single-stage submission procedure.
Application forms and specific instructions are available via the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System.
Proposals must adhere to specified page limits and layout requirements, as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and in Part B of the Application Form.

Evaluation & Award Timeline

The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement signature is provided in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Required Documentation & Forms

Applicants will need to use the Standard application form (HE COFUND).
The evaluation will be based on a Standard evaluation form (HE COFUND), adapted as necessary for this topic.

Post-Award Requirements

The expected duration of the partnership grant is seven to ten years.
Regular reporting obligations will be in place, consistent with monitoring and evaluation expectations, such as assessing the impact of forestry practices and providing early alerts on disturbances.

Application Support

Comprehensive guidance and support are available through various resources, including the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the Partner Search tool.

Evaluation Criteria

General Criteria

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds for evaluating proposals are detailed in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Research & Innovation Quality

Proposals must focus on developing new knowledge and innovative solutions for systemic and inclusive approaches to forest and forestry challenges.
Emphasis is placed on improving the understanding of the resilience of forest ecosystems and forest-based sectors to multiple hazards.
Projects should seek to strike an optimal balance in various forest functions and societal values, supporting the forest industry's transition towards a greener and circular bioeconomy.
Expected to deliver new knowledge, methods, and processes to support major transitions and innovations in the sustainable forest-based bioeconomy, leading to higher added value.

Impact & Societal Relevance

Expected contributions include climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity protection and restoration.
Proposals should demonstrate support for a sustainable forest bioeconomy and enhancement of forest sector value.
Contribution to employment creation, quality job opportunities, and diversified revenue for foresters in rural areas is a key factor.
Projects should foster industrial development in critical sectors such as sustainable forest-based industries, construction, transport, and energy.
Societal impact is crucial, including involving civil society and disadvantaged groups in fostering a circular economy.

Strategic Alignment & Synergies

Strong alignment is required with the European Green Deal and various EU strategies, including the EU forest strategy for 2030, EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target, EU biodiversity strategy, EU bioeconomy strategy, European industrial strategy, circular economy action plan, LULUCF Regulation, EU Nature Restoration Regulation, and the proposed forest monitoring framework.
Synergies with other Horizon Europe Clusters (e.g., Cluster 4 and 5), EU Missions (e.g., 'A Soil Deal for Europe', 'Adaptation to Climate Change'), and existing European Partnerships (e.g., CBE JU, Biodiversa+, Water4All) are encouraged.
Cooperation with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may also be envisaged.

Collaboration & Data Management

The ability to effectively mobilize key partners and stakeholders (e.g., ministries, funding agencies, research performers, industry, NGOs) is important.
Data produced within the project should be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).
Cross-articulation with data spaces and the European Open Science Cloud should be explored.
Proposals must include an effective contribution from social sciences and humanities disciplines (SSH).
The approach should empower citizens to contribute to the co-design/co-creation/co-assessment of research and innovation agendas, contents, and outcomes.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must ensure compliance with the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, particularly concerning the provisions for financial support to third parties.
Adherence to all relevant guidelines, standards, and legislation in the fields of forestry and bioeconomy is mandatory.
Strong alignment is expected with core EU policy initiatives, including the European Green Deal, EU forest strategy for 2030, EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target, EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, EU bioeconomy strategy, European industrial strategy, circular economy action plan, Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation (LULUCF), EU Nature Restoration Regulation, and the proposed EU forest monitoring regulation.
Projects should also support the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

Data Management & Intellectual Property

All data generated within the context of this topic must be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).
Exploration of synergies with European Open Science Cloud and other data spaces is encouraged.
General Intellectual Property (IP) policies for Horizon Europe grants are outlined in the Annotated Model Grant Agreement (HE MGA).

Ethical & Social Considerations

When involving civil society, particular attention should be given to ensuring the participation of disadvantaged groups, considering gender and other social categories.
An effective contribution from social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines is expected.
The project approach should empower citizens to actively contribute to the co-design, co-creation, and co-assessment of research and innovation agendas and outcomes.

Collaboration & Ecosystem Integration

A unique aspect of this grant is its focus on establishing a European Partnership aimed at reducing fragmentation in forest R&I by pooling national and regional resources.
The partnership is designed to be open to including new partners throughout its duration.
Its governance structure should facilitate the engagement of a broad range of stakeholders.
International cooperation with strategic third country partners is strongly encouraged, highlighting the global dimension of forestry challenges.

Financial Support to Third Parties

A central function of this grant is for the selected partnership to pool financial resources and then provide financial support to third parties via joint calls for transnational proposals. This is a core activity, not merely a supplemental one.
The ability to effectively manage and disburse significant sub-grant amounts (up to 10,000,000 EUR per third party over the program's duration) is a key operational requirement.

Grant Details