Additional activities for the European Biodiversity Partnership: Biodiversa+

The HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01 funding opportunity is part of Europe’s Horizon Europe program, particularly aimed at continuing the European Biodiversity Partnership, known as Biodiversa+. This grant initiative seeks to support additional activities that align with the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the European Climate Law, focusing on innovative solutions for ecosystem restoration, enhancement of natural carbon sinks, and nature-based solutions.

Eligible applicants must form a consortium, specifically requiring that the proposal be submitted by the coordinator of a consortium that has previously received funding under HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-02-01 or HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-18. While the core consortium must apply, they have the flexibility to include additional partners in their projects.

The funding is intended to bolster flagship programs over the period from 2025 to 2027. The projects should focus on continuity and expansion, involving research projects and biodiversity monitoring, as well as scientific policy advisory activities. The partnership is expected to continue its annual joint calls and enhance data availability within the European Open Science Cloud. Collaboration with entities such as the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and the BioAgora project, as well as EU space programs like Copernicus and Galileo, is encouraged.

The grant will be allocated through a single-stage open call process, with the maximum funding rate set at 30% of eligible costs. Moreover, beneficiaries can provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a ceiling of EUR 7 million per third party throughout the Horizon Europe duration.

The indicative budget allocated for this specific call is EUR 20 million per year for each of the years 2025, 2026, and 2027. The overall targeted number of grants is one. The success rates for the competitive application process are not explicitly mentioned, but similar Horizon Europe programs generally have rates ranging from 10% to 39%.

In summary, HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01 seeks to extend the efforts of the Biodiversa+ partnership by focusing on widely collaborative and preventive approaches towards biodiversity and ecosystem restoration in alignment with EU objectives, facilitated by significant financial support and a structured application process.

This EU funding opportunity is a HORIZON Programme Cofund Action under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically within Cluster 6, Call 01, designated as HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01. It aims to provide continued support to the European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+, building upon previous funding topics HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-02-01 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-18. The goal is to fund additional activities that align with the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the European Climate Law, focusing on innovative solutions for ecosystem restoration, carbon sink enhancement, and nature-based solutions.

The funding is specifically targeted towards the consortium that previously received funding under HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-02-01 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-18, recognizing their unique expertise and implementation experience. While additional partners can be included, the proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the existing consortium.

The scope of the application should concentrate on flagship programs for 2025-2027, adhering to the partnership's strategic research and innovation agenda. This includes research projects, biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring, science-based policy advisory activities, and horizontal activities supporting the partnership's operation and objectives. The partnership is expected to organize annual joint calls and expand data availability within the European Open Science Cloud. Collaboration with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity, the Science Service project BioAgora, and EU space programs like Copernicus and Galileo is strongly encouraged.

The funding rate for additional activities is 30% of eligible costs. Beneficiaries can provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 7,000,000 per third party for the duration of Horizon Europe. A retroactive starting date for grants is possible if justified.

Key aspects of this funding opportunity include:

Focus: Continuation of the European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+ to support the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and European Climate Law.

Scope: Flagship programs for 2025-2027, including research, monitoring, policy advice, and horizontal activities.

Collaboration: Encouraged with EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity, BioAgora, and EU space programs (Copernicus, Galileo).

Eligibility: Proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-02-01 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-18.

Funding: 30% funding rate, with potential for EUR 7,000,000 FSTP per third party.

Timeline: Single-stage submission, opening on 06 May 2025, with a deadline of 17 September 2025.

The indicative budget for HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01 is 20,000,000 EUR for each of the years 2025, 2026 and 2027.

The indicative number of grants is 1.

The call also lists other funding opportunities:

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-02 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of 4 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 24 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 22 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-05 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 18 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 3.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-06 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 16 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 3.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-07 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 12 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-08 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 14 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-09 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 6 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-10 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 11 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-01 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 10 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 8 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 8 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-04 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 10 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-05 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 12 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-06 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 8 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-07 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 18 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-08 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 11 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-09 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 10 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-10 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of 2 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-11 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 11 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-12 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of 2 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-13 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 8 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-14 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 12 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-15 - HORIZON-COFUND HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions with a budget of 30 000 000 EUR for each of the years 2025, 2026 and 10 000 000 for 2027 and an indicative number of grants of 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 10 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-02 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of 2 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 8 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 6 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 12 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-06 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 8 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 1.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-07 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 12 000 000 EUR and an indicative number of grants of 2.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to continue supporting the European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+ by providing financial resources for additional activities that contribute to the EU's nature restoration and climate objectives. The focus is on flagship programs, collaborative efforts, and the implementation of innovative solutions for ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation. The coordinator of the existing Biodiversa+ consortium is the primary applicant, with the possibility of including additional partners. The funding supports research, innovation, and coordination activities, with a significant emphasis on providing financial support to third parties to achieve the partnership's objectives.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type is a consortium. Specifically, the proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium that received funding under HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-02-01 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-18. While the coordinator must be from this specific consortium, the opportunity is open to including additional partners in the proposal.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Programme Cofund Action (HORIZON-COFUND) and HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. The action is intended to be implemented in the form of an amendment of the grant agreement concluded pursuant to topic HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-02-01. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, but with a specific condition. The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium already funded under HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-02-01 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-18. Additional partners can be included.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The target sector is biodiversity, climate, and environment, focusing on the continuation of the European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+. It aims to support the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the European Climate Law. The program also targets food, bioeconomy, natural resources, and agriculture.

Mentioned Countries: Non-EU and non-Associated Countries are mentioned as having specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project stage is continuation and expansion of existing activities. It focuses on flagship programmes for 2025-2027, building on previous work from 2021-2024. The expected maturity of the project is validation, demonstration, and potentially scale-up, given the focus on implementing and expanding existing initiatives.

Funding Amount: The budget overview provides specific amounts for different types of actions: HORIZON-COFUND actions have budgets of 10,000,000, 20,000,000 and 30,000,000 EUR. HORIZON-RIA actions have budgets ranging from 6,000,000 to 24,000,000 EUR. HORIZON-IA actions have budgets ranging from 8,000,000 to 18,000,000 EUR. HORIZON-CSA actions have budgets of 2,000,000 and 4,000,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant. They may also provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum of EUR 7,000,000 for the whole duration of Horizon Europe to an individual third party.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01 aims for 1 grant with a budget of 20,000,000 EUR per year, while other topics aim for 2-3 grants with smaller budgets.

Co-funding Requirement: The partnership should pool the necessary financial resources from the participating national (or regional) research programmes with a view to implementing joint calls for transnational proposals resulting in grants to third parties. The funding rate is 30% of the eligible costs.

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting the continuation and expansion of the European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+. The call aims to provide further support to the Biodiversa+ partnership, building upon its previous work and aligning with the objectives of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the European Climate Law. The funding is intended for additional activities, potentially involving new partners, focusing on innovative solutions for ecosystem restoration, enhancing natural carbon sinks, and developing nature-based solutions.

The application process is a single-stage open call, but with a unique eligibility condition: the proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium that previously received funding under specific Horizon Europe topics (HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-02-01 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-18). This requirement recognizes the existing consortium's expertise and the potential disruption that would occur if a new consortium were to take over the ongoing activities.

The scope of the call emphasizes flagship programmes for 2025-2027, aligning with the partnership's strategic research and innovation agenda. Activities include research projects, biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring, science-based policy advisory activities, and horizontal activities to support the partnership's objectives. The partnership is expected to continue organizing joint calls annually, widen data availability in the European Open Science Cloud, collaborate with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and the Science Service project BioAgora, and explore collaborations with EU space programmes like Copernicus and Galileo.

Funding will be provided through a grant agreement amendment, with a funding rate of 30% of eligible costs. Beneficiaries can provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, up to a maximum of EUR 7,000,000 per third party for the duration of Horizon Europe. The call encourages the pooling of financial resources from national and regional research programmes to implement joint transnational calls.

In essence, this opportunity is designed to ensure the continuity and expansion of the European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+, leveraging its existing expertise and infrastructure to address critical challenges related to biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, and climate change in alignment with EU policies and regulations. The call is structured to support a range of activities, from research and innovation to coordination and support actions, with a focus on fostering collaboration and widening data availability.