Grants8 | The most comprehensive grants search on the web

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Adapting to and mitigating demographic trends in rural areas through evidence-based planning and innovative solutions. - Primary objective: Support rural communities in managing population changes, improving well-being, and enhancing attractiveness through sustainable and innovative approaches. - Target recipients: A wide range of organizations and stakeholders involved in rural development, including public authorities, rural communities, SMEs, and social economy actors. - Size: Not specified, open to various organizational sizes given the multi-actor approach. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC focusing on rural communities, demography, and related social, economic, and environmental aspects. - Geographic scope: Primarily EU and Associated Countries, with opportunities for non-EU/non-Associated Countries under specific conditions. - Key filtering criteria: Focus on rural areas, demographic trends, multi-actor collaboration, and innovative/evidence-based solutions. - Grant frequency: Part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, which is a recurring multi-annual funding framework.

Financial Structure

Budget range for the topic: EUR 13,000,000.
Expected number of grants: 2.
Individual grant amount: Each project is expected to receive EUR 6,500,000.
Currency: EUR.
Eligible costs: Not explicitly detailed here, but typically defined in Horizon Europe General Annexes for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA).
Financial support to third parties: Allowed in the form of grants.
Maximum amount per third party: EUR 60,000.
Co-financing/Matching fund requirements: Not explicitly stated for the main grant recipients in the provided text. Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) typically cover up to 100% of eligible costs.

Eligibility Requirements

General Eligibility Criteria

Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible Countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes (includes EU Member States and Associated Countries). Specific provisions may exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.
Applicants must meet financial and operational capacity requirements, and not fall under exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Organizational Type and Structure

Consortium required: Yes, proposals must implement the 'multi-actor approach'.
Eligible organization types (within a consortium):
Public authorities
Rural communities
SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises)
Organizations (general term, likely includes NGOs, research institutions, associations, etc.)
Social economy actors
This implies a broad range of entities: 'SME', 'NGO', 'PUBLIC', 'UNIVERSITY', 'OTHER' (for rural communities, social economy actors).

Technical and Experience Requirements

Proposals should build on existing research from the EU rural observatory and relevant Horizon Europe projects.
Proposals should link with the 'demographic toolbox'.
Effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH), including gender studies, is required.
Consideration of European research infrastructures like the European Social Survey (ESS ERIC) is encouraged.

Application Process

Application Process Overview

Submission model: Single-stage submission.
Submission platform: Electronic Submission Service via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Key Dates and Deadlines

Planned opening date: 2025-05-06
Application deadline: 2025-09-16 00:00:00+00

Required Documentation and Materials

Application form template (HE RIA, IA).
Proposal Part B, adhering to specified page limits and layout.
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) will be used for assessment.

Post-Award Requirements

Financial support to third parties: If proposals opt to provide financial support to third parties, the consortium must coordinate these activities and take stock of results for policy recommendations.
Project results: Expected to contribute to various outcomes related to understanding demographic trends, rural community preparedness, and improved well-being.
Tool development: Proposals should develop an accessible tool, potentially digital, to aid local and regional decision-makers.
Sustainability and replicability: Focus on long-term sustainability and replicability of strategies and solutions.

Evaluation Criteria

Standard Horizon Europe Evaluation Criteria Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific Scoring Factors for this Grant

Relevance to Topic Objectives: How well the proposal addresses understanding causes and impacts of demographic trends, supporting rural communities with evidence-based strategies, and developing innovative solutions.
Methodology and Approach: Quality and effectiveness of the proposed research and innovation actions, including:
Use of the 'multi-actor approach' to inclusively engage stakeholders (e.g., public authorities, rural communities, SMEs, social economy actors).
Integration of social sciences and humanities (SSH), including gender studies, to ensure a human-centered approach.
Application of social innovation for co-creating place-based solutions.
Focus on sustainability and replicability of strategies and solutions.
Development of an accessible tool (potentially digital) to support local/regional decision-makers.
Attention to gender and other social categories' (disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnic/cultural origins, sexual orientation) intersections.
Expected Impact: Contribution to:
Improved understanding of demographic trends' social, economic, and environmental impacts in rural areas.
Enhanced preparedness of rural communities to respond to demographic challenges through evidence-based planning and inclusive engagement.
Improved well-being and attractiveness of rural areas through sustainable and innovative solutions.
Empowerment of rural communities for transformative change towards sustainability and resilience.
Better adaptation to climate change and achievement of climate neutrality and environmental objectives.
Quality and Efficiency of Implementation: Capacity of the consortium, quality of the management, and allocation of resources.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

General conditions: Compliance with general conditions outlined in Annex A to G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, covering admissibility, eligible countries, financial capacity, evaluation, and legal/financial setup of grants.
Specific conditions: Refer to the specific topic section of the Work Programme.

Ethical and Social Considerations

Multi-actor approach: Mandatory involvement of various stakeholders including public authorities, rural communities, SMEs, and social economy actors.
Social sciences and humanities (SSH): Effective contribution of SSH, including gender studies, is a must.
Inclusivity and diversity: Consideration of gender and other social categories (disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnic/cultural origins, sexual orientation) and their intersections is required.

Intellectual Property and Technology

Intellectual Property policies: Typically governed by the Model Grant Agreements (MGA) for Horizon Europe projects.
Technology specifications: Proposals should consider using digital technologies for developing accessible tools for decision-makers.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities

Contribution to EU strategies: Supports the long-term vision for EU's rural areas, action plan flagship initiative 'R&I for rural communities', EU territorial agenda for 2030, and the food 2030 R&I initiative.
Alignment with Missions: Links with EU Missions ('A Soil Deal for Europe', 'Restore our Oceans and Waters', 'Adaptation to Climate Change') and the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Facility.
International cooperation: Encouraged to maximize impact.
Knowledge exploitation: Emphasis on exploiting knowledge from previous Work Programmes and research to deliver impact and increase sustainability.

Grant Details