Additional activities for the European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All)

The EU grant opportunity HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-05 focuses on supporting the European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All). This initiative aims to tackle water security challenges through research, innovation, and international collaboration. Targeting the third installment of the partnership within the Work Programme for 2025, it builds on previous initiatives HORIZON-CL6-2021-CLIMATE-01-02 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-01.

The primary objective is to fund activities that align with the Water4All strategic research and innovation agenda for 2023-2027. Emphasis is placed on the existing consortium, which must submit the proposal, but it can include additional partners. Geographic eligibility primarily covers EU Member States and associated countries, but specific provisions exist for non-EU entities as well.

Key focus areas of the grant include fostering transnational research projects, promoting the uptake of research results, supporting living labs and demonstration sites, enhancing international collaborations aimed at achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals, and transferring solutions to different contexts.

The call highlights the need for activities that conform to the Nature Restoration Regulation and climate adaptation plans. Funding varies by topic, with a general range expected to fall under multi-million euro budgets. The application process involves a single-stage open call, and co-funding is a requirement, reflecting a pool of financial resources from national and regional programs.

Successful proposals will lead to grant agreement amendments, focusing on integrating new activities and partners, with a funding rate of 30% of eligible costs. The deadline for submissions is set for September 16, 2025, following an opening date on May 6, 2025, creating a highly competitive funding environment.

The initiative also encourages synergies with other programs, including the European Regional Development Fund and emphasizes compliant use of satellite data management through Copernicus and Galileo/EGNOS. Applicants must adhere to specific proposal formatting guidelines and criteria outlined in the Horizon Europe documentation.

The EU grant opportunity HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-05 focuses on providing continued support to the European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All). This initiative aims to address water security challenges through research, innovation, and international collaboration. The call specifically targets the third installment of the partnership within Work Programme 2025, building upon the outcomes and activities of previous topics HORIZON-CL6-2021-CLIMATE-01-02 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-01.

The primary objective is to fund additional activities aligned with the scope and duration of the Water4All partnership, as outlined in Article 24(2) of the Horizon Europe Regulation. The call emphasizes the importance of the existing consortium, which has demonstrated expertise in the partnership's objectives and activities, making them uniquely positioned to continue the work.

The scope of the application should concentrate on the 2023-2027 programs, following the partnership's strategic research and innovation agenda. Key areas of focus include:

Joint calls for research projects: Funding transnational research projects to address water-related challenges.

Fostering uptake of R&I results: Activities aimed at ensuring that research findings are utilized by various stakeholders.

Living labs and demonstration sites: Demonstrating the effectiveness of innovative water solutions in real-world settings.

Enhancing international collaborations: Promoting cooperation with international partners to achieve water-related UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Transfer of solutions to foreign contexts: Adapting and implementing successful water management strategies in different global environments.

Coordination and alignment of programs: Actions to align EU, national, and regional initiatives, strengthening the research-policy interface.

Horizontal activities: Supporting the overall operation and specific objectives of the Water4All partnership.

Emphasis is placed on activities that contribute to the Nature Restoration Regulation, the European water resilience strategy, and climate adaptation plans. The partnership is expected to organize joint calls annually, allowing ample time for co-funded projects.

The call also highlights the need for specific activities that strengthen complementarities with related Missions, such as Adaptation to Climate Change, Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030, and a Soil Deal for Europe, as well as Partnerships like Sustainable Blue Economy and Biodiversa+.

While the grant award is intended for the existing Water4All consortium, the evaluation process will consider the context, scope, and obligations of previous evaluations and grant agreements. Proposals should include a separate document detailing additional activities and partners, and how they will be integrated into the grant agreement.

The partnership is expected to pool financial resources from participating national and regional research programs to implement joint calls for transnational proposals, resulting in grants to third parties. Synergies with the European Regional Development Fund are encouraged.

Admissibility conditions include adhering to proposal page limits and layout guidelines, as 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 those listed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other eligibility conditions stipulate that the proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the existing Water4All consortium. Projects utilizing satellite-based data must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are outlined in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The evaluation committee will include representatives from EU institutions. Successful proposals will proceed to grant agreement amendment preparations, with the coordinator of the existing consortium invited to submit an amendment on behalf of the beneficiaries.

Evaluation criteria, submission processes, and indicative timelines are detailed in Annex D and Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Legal and financial aspects are governed by an amendment to the grant agreement concluded under HORIZON-CL6-2021-CLIMATE-01-02. The funding rate 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. Retroactive starting dates for grants may be considered if justified.

Additional information can be found in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application forms, evaluation templates, and guidance documents are available in the Submission System and through links provided in the call details.

The budget overview lists several topics under Call Cluster 6 Call 02, including climate-related and farm-to-fork initiatives, with varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 16, 2025.

This opportunity is a continuation of the Water4All partnership, aiming to enhance water security through research, innovation, and collaboration. It provides funding for additional activities, focusing on joint calls, stakeholder engagement, living labs, international cooperation, and alignment with EU policies and regulations. The call is specifically targeted at the existing Water4All consortium, requiring them to submit a proposal for grant agreement amendment, with a focus on integrating new activities and partners. The initiative encourages the pooling of financial resources and synergies with other funding mechanisms, such as the European Regional Development Fund, to achieve its objectives.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type is primarily a consortium, specifically 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). While the coordinator must submit the proposal, the opportunity is open to including additional partners in the consortium. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Programme Cofund Action (HORIZON-COFUND) under a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model grant agreement. This involves co-funding from the EU and participating national or regional research programs. Beneficiaries may also provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, with the coordinator of the existing Water4All partnership consortium as the primary applicant. Additional partners can be included to complement the existing consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility is for entities within the EU and associated countries. However, the opportunity mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects, suggesting some level of international eligibility.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is climate, specifically focusing on water security and related research and innovation. This includes areas such as water resource management, climate change adaptation related to water, nature restoration, and alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program also touches on food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, and environment.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions EU countries and non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific funding provisions for Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily continuation and new development of existing activities. The opportunity aims to fund additional activities within the existing European Partnership Water4All, building on its co-created strategic research and innovation agenda. This includes activities from research to demonstration and fostering the uptake of R&I results.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. For the HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-05 topic, the budget is 24,000,000 EUR in 2025, 23,000,000 EUR in 2026 and 23,000,000 EUR in 2027. The indicative number of grants is 1. The maximum amount of Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) to be granted to an individual third party is EUR 7,000,000 for the whole duration of Horizon Europe.

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

Nature of Support: The 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. The funding rate is 30% of eligible costs.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage. If successful, the next stage involves grant agreement amendment preparations.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants for the HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-05 topic is 1, suggesting a highly competitive process.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is required, as this is a HORIZON-COFUND action. The partnership should pool financial resources from participating national or regional research programs.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-05) focuses on providing continued support to the European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All). It aims to fund additional activities aligned with the partnership's strategic research and innovation agenda for 2023-2027. The call is specifically targeted towards the coordinator of the existing Water4All consortium, although additional partners can be included. The scope includes joint research calls, fostering uptake of R&I results, living labs, demonstration sites, international collaborations, and support for UN SDGs related to water. Emphasis is placed on aligning with the Nature Restoration Regulation, the European water resilience strategy, and climate adaptation plans. The funding mechanism is a co-fund action, requiring financial resources to be pooled from participating national and regional research programs. The application process is a single-stage open call, and successful applicants will enter into a grant agreement amendment process. The call encourages synergies with the European Regional Development Fund and the use of Copernicus and Galileo/EGNOS for projects involving satellite data.