Agroforestry for soil health at landscape level

The Horizon Europe call titled HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-03-two-stage focuses on promoting agroforestry for soil health at the landscape level. This initiative is part of the mission "A Soil Deal for Europe," with a total budget of €16 million, expected to fund approximately two projects each receiving €8 million. The application process consists of two stages, with the first stage deadline on April 8, 2027, and the second stage on September 14, 2027.

Eligible applicants must form consortia using a mandatory multi-actor approach, which should include diverse stakeholders such as research organizations, SMEs, farmers, public administrators, and civil society organizations. The funding type is a lump sum grant categorized under Horizon Innovation Actions, which allows for financial support to third parties, capped at €60,000 each.

The initiative aims to address barriers to agroforestry adoption, including lack of technical expertise and concerns regarding initial establishment costs. Projects should focus on co-design and piloting agroforestry systems, assessing their impact on soil health, and establishing sustainable business models. The targeted sectors include agriculture, forestry, environmental sustainability, and rural development, with geographic eligibility covering EU and Associated Countries.

Successful projects are expected to demonstrate the viability of sustainable agroforestry practices on a landscape scale, produce policy recommendations, and incorporate social sciences alongside natural sciences. The two-stage approach is designed to efficiently filter proposals while ensuring that those submitted are well-developed and impactful.

Overall, this opportunity promotes the implementation of agroecological practices tailored to local contexts, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve multiple EU policy objectives, including the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the Soil Strategy, and climate goals.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals under the mission "A Soil Deal for Europe", specifically targeting agroforestry for soil health at the landscape level. The call, identified as HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-03-two-stage, seeks to promote the implementation of sustainable soil management practices through agroforestry systems across entire value chains and territorial contexts within the EU and Associated Countries. It is a Horizon Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a lump sum grant agreement (HORIZON-AG-LS). The planned opening date is 04 February 2027, with deadlines for the two stages on 08 April 2027 and 14 September 2027. The total budget for this topic is 16,000,000 EUR, and it is expected that around 2 grants will be awarded.

The call aims to support the objectives of the Mission Soil, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, the EU Climate Action, the EU’s Action Plan on the Development of Organic Production, and the proposal for a Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive. The expected outcomes include increased adoption of agroforestry, enhanced access to agroecological solutions, validated business models for agroforestry and soil health, and a better understanding and dissemination of the benefits of agroforestry.

Proposals should focus on landscape-scale implementation of agroforestry practices, applying participatory, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches. Projects should co-design, co-develop, and pilot locally adapted agroforestry farming systems, assess and monitor the impacts on soil health, demonstrate the viability of the systems, involve public and private actors to mobilize finance, produce policy recommendations, and provide capacity building and training opportunities.

The multi-actor approach is mandatory, involving farmers, forest users, researchers, landowners, industry (SMEs), public administrations, and civil society representatives. Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is allowed, with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 per third party. Proposals should fill R&I gaps, demonstrate complementarity with past/ongoing EU-funded projects, and coordinate with the Horizon Europe Partnership Agroecology. Collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and the project SoilWise is expected, ensuring FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable). The effective contribution of social sciences and humanities disciplines is also required.

The general conditions for participation include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries (as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide), and other eligible conditions such as the multi-actor approach. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are detailed in Annex D and Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The legal and financial setup of the grants allows for financial support to third parties, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum.

Applicants should use the application form templates available in the Submission System and refer to the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, detailed budget table, information on financial support to third parties, and the guidance document "Lump sums - what do I need to know?". Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, the EU Grants AGA, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Statement.

This funding opportunity aims to promote agroforestry as a key practice for improving soil health and sustainability at the landscape level. It encourages collaborative projects that involve various stakeholders, from farmers and researchers to policymakers and consumers, to co-design and implement innovative agroforestry systems. The goal is to overcome the barriers to agroforestry adoption, such as lack of expertise and financial concerns, by developing viable business models, providing training and capacity building, and informing supportive policies. Ultimately, the projects funded under this call are expected to contribute to the broader objectives of the Mission Soil, the European Green Deal, and other EU strategies related to biodiversity, climate action, and sustainable agriculture.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are diverse and include farmers, forest users, researchers, landowners or land managers from both the farm and forestry sectors, industry (e.g., SMEs), public administrations (both in charge of farming and of forestry matters), and representatives of civil society (e.g., consumers, environmental NGOs). This indicates a broad range of eligible entities, encompassing research institutions, businesses, governmental bodies, and non-profit organizations.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, categorized under HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA). Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium, as it emphasizes the multi-actor approach. Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach to ensure that knowledge and needs from various sectors are brought together.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes the EU and Associated Countries. 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.

Target Sector: The program targets the agroecology and agroforestry sectors, focusing on soil health, sustainable agriculture, environmental benefits, and the integration of trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes. It also touches on climate action, biodiversity, and rural development.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions the EU and Associated Countries. 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.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is at the demonstration and validation stage, with an emphasis on piloting locally adapted agroforestry farming systems and testing sustainable business models. The call aims to scale up practices beyond the farm to the landscape level.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic, ranging from EUR 7,000,000 to EUR 24,000,000. The indicative number of grants per topic ranges from 1 to 2. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties, with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 to be granted to each third party.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a two-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 04 February 2027, with deadlines for the first stage on 08 April 2027 and for the second stage on 14 September 2027.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties to encourage and facilitate the involvement of different types of small actors, that can be provided through calls or, if duly justified, without a call for proposals.

Application Stages: The application process involves two stages.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants provides some context. For instance, topics with a budget of EUR 24,000,000 typically aim for 2 grants, while a topic with EUR 7,000,000 aims for 1 grant.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement from the applicant. However, the call encourages the involvement of public and private actors to mobilize finance, including blended finance, suggesting that leveraging additional funding sources is beneficial.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on promoting agroforestry for soil health at the landscape level within the EU and Associated Countries. It seeks to increase the adoption of agroforestry practices by addressing barriers such as lack of expertise and financial concerns. The call encourages proposals that implement a multi-actor approach, involving farmers, researchers, industry, public administrations, and civil society. Projects should co-design and pilot locally adapted agroforestry systems, assess their impacts on soil health, demonstrate their viability, and develop sustainable business models. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with opportunities for beneficiaries to provide financial support to third parties. The application process is a two-stage open call, with varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants per topic. The overall goal is to improve soil management, environmental performance, and the competitiveness of agriculture and food systems through agroforestry.