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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to support research and innovation in SECTOR-SPECIFIC areas related to biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate change. Its core objective is to improve knowledge and develop advanced modelling tools to effectively guide the restoration of degraded ecosystems and enhance existing climate and land-use policy models.

Primary objective: Develop and refine models for dynamic ecosystem processes to support nature restoration and improve climate/land-use policies.
Target recipient type: Primarily research organizations, universities, public bodies, and potentially innovative businesses with expertise in environmental science, ecological modelling, and related digital technologies.
Target size: Not explicitly defined for organizations, but suitable for collaborative, multi-beneficiary projects of varying sizes.
Geographic scope: Open to EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, with strong encouragement for wider international cooperation.
Key filtering criteria: Projects must focus on ecosystem modelling for restoration, align with EU biodiversity and climate goals, and demonstrate scientific rigor and practical application potential.
Grant frequency and program context: This is a specific topic within the annual Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, Cluster 6, part of an ongoing program supporting Green Deal objectives.

Financial Structure

Funding mechanism: The grant will take the form of a 'lump sum contribution'.
Total budget for this topic: The total estimated budget for this topic is EUR 18,000,000.
Estimated grants: It is expected that 3 grants will be awarded under this topic.
Minimum grant amount per project: EUR 6,000,000.
Maximum grant amount per project: EUR 6,000,000.
Eligible costs: Proposals must base their lump sum on estimated direct and indirect costs that would be eligible under an actual cost grant. This typically includes personnel costs, subcontracting, purchase costs (travel, equipment, other goods/services), and other specific cost categories.
Ineligible costs: Costs that are normally ineligible under Horizon Europe rules must be excluded from the lump sum calculation.
Indirect cost policy: A 25% flat rate for indirect costs is included in the lump sum calculation.
Payment schedule: Payments are not dependent on actual incurred costs but on the proper implementation and completion of work packages as defined in the grant agreement. Lump sum contributions for completed work packages are paid to the coordinator.
Financial guarantees: Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Reporting: Beneficiaries are not required to report actual costs. Financial checks will focus on the technical implementation and fulfillment of work package conditions.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Legal Status

Eligible organization types: Not explicitly limited, but Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) typically involve a wide range of legal entities including universities, research organizations, public bodies, private companies (SMEs and large enterprises), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Partnership/Consortium requirements: Formation of a consortium is typically required or strongly encouraged, as indicated by the plural 'applicants', emphasis on collaboration, and encouragement of international cooperation.

Geographic Location

Eligible countries: Organizations must be established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country. Funding may also be available for participants from specific non-EU/non-Associated countries if special provisions exist.

Financial & Operational Capacity

Applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity to carry out the proposed project, as detailed in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Technical & Project Specifics

Action type: Proposals must be for a 'Research and Innovation Action' (RIA).
Focus areas: Proposals must clearly indicate if they primarily focus on 'Area A: main focus on terrestrial ecosystems' or 'Area B: main focus on marine ecosystems'.
Data usage: If the project utilizes satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation, or related timing data/services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Other data and services may be used in addition.
Previous relationship with funder: No specific requirements mentioned, but standard Horizon Europe rules apply.

Application Process

Application Process & Timeline

Application deadline: 2025-09-17 00:00:00+00:00.
Submission model: Single-stage application process.
Planned opening date: 2025-05-06.
Submission platform: Applications must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Required Documentation & Materials

Application form: Use the standard application form (HE RIA, IA) available in the Submission System.
Proposal structure: Adhere to page limits and layout described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
Budget: A detailed budget table (HE LS) is required for lump sum proposals. Applicants must propose the lump sum amount based on estimated direct and indirect costs, with a breakdown per work package and per beneficiary/affiliated entity.
Supporting materials: Not explicitly listed as additional documents, but generally required to substantiate the proposal's technical and financial aspects.

Evaluation & Selection Process

Evaluation criteria: Proposals are evaluated against excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation, with specific scoring factors relevant to this topic.
Review process: External independent experts will assess proposals, including a check of the budget estimate for each work package against relevant benchmarks.
Selection criteria: Grants will be awarded not only by ranking but also to ensure a balanced portfolio, specifically aiming for at least one project from Area A (terrestrial) and one from Area B (marine), provided all thresholds are met.

Post-Award & Reporting Obligations

Implementation timeline: Projects are expected to have clearly defined timelines for implementation and achieving key milestones.
Reporting: While no actual cost reporting is required, technical progress reporting linked to the completion of work packages will be essential for receiving lump sum payments.
Compliance: Beneficiaries must comply with all obligations under the grant agreement, focusing on the technical implementation, ethics, research integrity, dissemination, exploitation of results, and intellectual property management.

Evaluation Criteria

Core Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be assessed based on the standard Horizon Europe criteria: - Excellence: Quality of the research, methodology, scientific advancements, and novelty. - Impact: Potential contribution to expected outcomes, benefits for target stakeholders, and the overall societal, economic, and environmental impact. - Quality and Efficiency of Implementation: Soundness of the work plan, appropriateness of resources, quality of the consortium, and effective risk management. Specific Scoring Factors for this Topic

Contribution to expected outcomes: The extent to which the project contributes to updated knowledge and new tools for restoration, and the integration of nature restoration into climate and land-use policy models.
Model development: Capacity to develop a dynamic ecosystem model simulating processes and interactions across scales, drawing from literature, existing datasets, and demonstration cases.
Ecological reference values: Ability to estimate ecological reference values tailored to specific ecosystems and contexts, including climate change.
Synergy identification: Prioritization of ecosystems where restoration offers synergies with climate change mitigation/adaptation, land degradation neutrality, or disaster risk prevention.
Data handling: Approach to addressing data gaps, ensuring data is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable), and considering the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).
Practical guidance: Formulation of practical guidelines for practitioners, including addressing invasive alien species.
Model improvement: Capacity to improve and expand existing climate and land-use policy models by coupling new functionalities.
Collaboration and synergy: Demonstrated plans to build on relevant existing projects, collaborate with other selected projects under this topic, and engage with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and BioAgora.
Scientific grounding: Integration of knowledge from IPBES assessment reports and potential for providing timely information for future reports.
Transparency: Commitment to the highest standards of transparency and openness for models (assumptions, protocols, code, data).
Citizen engagement: Appropriateness and planned use of Citizen Science approaches for data production and analysis.
Interdisciplinarity: Integration of interdisciplinarity and trans-disciplinarity, including contributions from Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH).
Inclusivity: Attention to gender and other social categories to ensure a socially just transition.
Stakeholder engagement: Plans for citizen and stakeholder engagement, potentially through living labs.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

General compliance: Adherence to general Horizon Europe conditions for admissibility, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, and exclusion criteria.
EU policy alignment: Projects must align with and support the implementation of EU environmental legislation, European Green Deal initiatives, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, EU Nature Restoration Regulation, EU soil/forest monitoring laws, EU Taxonomy, and the EU action plan for marine ecosystems.
Data usage: Compliance with Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS requirements if using satellite-based Earth observation data.
Financial regulations: Compliance with the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.

Ethical & Data Standards

Ethical standards: Adherence to high ethical standards and research integrity principles.
Data principles: All data produced must be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable), with emphasis on 'FAIR-by-design' workflows.
Data storage: Consideration of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) for storing and accessing research data.
Transparency: Promote the highest standards of transparency and openness for models, extending to assumptions, protocols, code, and data management.

Special Requirements & Considerations

International collaboration: Strong encouragement for international cooperation, particularly supporting IPBES, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, SDGs, Paris Agreement, and BBNJ.
Digital transition: Contribution to the twin green and digital transition, including the use of advanced digital technologies like High-Performance Computing (HPC), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Environmental Observation.
Interdisciplinarity: Proposals should benefit from interdisciplinarity and trans-disciplinarity, including the contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH).
Social considerations: Due account for gender and other social categories and their intersections to ensure a socially just transition.
Stakeholder engagement: Engagement with citizens and stakeholders, potentially through 'living labs', contributing to 'Protecting our democracy, upholding our values'.
Cooperation with other projects: Projects are required to foresee cooperation with projects selected under ESA's Future EO programme, and specifically with HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-04 and HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-06.
Collaboration with EC bodies: Cooperation with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and the Science Service project BioAgora.
Funding structure: The grant uses a lump sum funding model, which simplifies financial reporting but places strong emphasis on demonstrating completion of defined work packages.

Grant Details