Demonstrating solutions to help hotspots in coastal regions to adapt to climate change

The grant opportunity HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-03 invites applications for projects focused on enhancing climate resilience in vulnerable coastal regions identified as hotspots for climate change. This initiative is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically under the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission. The goal is to demonstrate innovative solutions that combat challenges such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, and flooding through nature-based and digital approaches.

Eligible applicants include regional and local authorities, research institutions, and associated partners from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. A consortium of multiple applicants is required, with demonstration activities taking place in at least three different coastal authorities across three distinct Member States or Associated Countries. Projects should also identify additional "replicating" authorities interested in applying lessons learned.

The funding type is a grant, categorized as a Horizon Innovation Action, with a total budget of approximately €30 million allocated for the topic, aiming to award around three grants of roughly €10 million each. The application process is a single-stage open call, with the deadline set for September 24, 2025. Successful projects are expected to emphasize stakeholder engagement, co-design solutions with local communities, and contribute to broader EU climate adaptation frameworks and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Projects should focus on practical, scalable solutions and demonstrate effective collaborations with various stakeholders, including social sciences and humanities experts, to address long-term climate impacts. Additionally, while co-funding is not explicitly required, leveraging synergies with other funding sources is encouraged to support broader deployment of solutions across Europe.

In summary, this grant opportunity emphasizes innovative, collaborative approaches to improve climate resilience in coastal regions through demonstrated solutions, community involvement, and comprehensive stakeholder engagement, aligning with the overarching objectives of the European Green Deal and EU climate strategies.

This EU funding opportunity focuses on demonstrating solutions to help hotspots in coastal regions adapt to climate change, aligning with the European Green Deal, the EU Adaptation Strategy, and the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. The call, HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-03, falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program and specifically supports the implementation of the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission. It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model grant agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline.

The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is September 24, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget allocated to this topic is 30,000,000 EUR, and it is anticipated that around three grants will be awarded, with each grant potentially receiving around 10,000,000 EUR.

The expected outcomes of successful proposals include: Demonstrated climate resilience solutions that protect citizens and activities in coastal regions, made widely available for upscaling. These solutions encompass social, governance, nature-based, and digital approaches. Increased climate resilience in coastal regions, cities, and local authorities, both within the projects and beyond, leading to better preparedness for adapting to climate change.

The scope of the call is driven by the rationale that Southern Europe, low-lying coastal regions, and EU outermost regions are climate risk hotspots requiring urgent action, as highlighted in the European Climate Risk assessment. The IPCC sixth assessment report also recognizes sea level rise as an existential threat to coastal communities. Therefore, this call specifically targets coastal resilience in these hotspot regions.

Solutions sought should identify and demonstrate innovative approaches to enhance climate resilience in coastal areas. Proposals should explore systemic adaptation to various pressures, including sea level rise, coastal floods, erosion, saltwater intrusion, invasive species, and changes in water properties. Innovative solutions should avoid maladaptation, consider equity and inclusivity, and address long-term climate impacts up to 2100 and beyond.

Nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation are prioritized, aligning with the Mission Implementation Plan and the Nature Restoration Law. Blue-green infrastructures are favored over grey infrastructure, offering multipurpose benefits that enhance environmental, social, and economic resilience.

Given the need for transformational adaptation in coastal areas, proposals should integrate stakeholder and citizen engagement. Solutions should be co-designed with regional and local stakeholders, tailored to their needs, and consider socio-economic impacts, social acceptability, and population response. A coherent and systemic approach is essential, considering trade-offs and co-benefits, and requiring the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines, experts, and institutions.

Digital solutions for adaptation are encouraged, including connecting climate adaptation measures to early-warning systems for near-real-time responses to extreme weather events.

Demonstration activities must occur in at least three different coastal regional or local authorities, each in a different Member State or Associated Country, with their active involvement. At least one demonstration site must be located in a EUCRA hotspot area, such as Southern Europe, a low-lying coastal area, or an EU Member State outermost region.

Proposals should identify at least three "replicating" coastal regional or local authorities from different Member States or Associated Countries, interested in reapplying the project's lessons. The consortium may include partners to support technical exchanges and knowledge uptake in these replicating regions. While replicating regions are not expected to conduct on-the-ground demonstrations during the project, they should prepare a theoretical framework for replicating successful solutions and explore funding mechanisms for implementation.

Proposals should build on existing knowledge and adaptation solutions from previous projects, exploring synergies with EU and national programs like Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Interreg, LIFE, Copernicus, and the EU Mission Restore our Oceans and Waters. Climate risk assessments should be compatible with the CLIMAAX framework.

Synergies with other funding sources (EU and national) should be sought to support the transfer of knowledge and innovative solutions to other regional and local authorities. This ranges from identifying opportunities to scaling up the solutions demonstrated and fostering their broad deployment across Europe. These funding sources could be public, private or a mix of both. Relevant public funding includes the LIFE programme, and its integrated projects in particular, the European Regional Development and European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Funds.

Proposals should include a mechanism and the resources to establish operational links and collaboration with the Mission Implementation Platform, and other relevant knowledge platforms such as Climate-ADAPT. Projects funded under this topic will get direct access to and will be expected to participate in the exchanges of the Mission’s Community of Practice, to the networking activities supported by the Mission Implementation Platform, and to share relevant knowledge to feed the work of the project stemming from HORIZON-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-01. These networking and joint activities could, for example, involve the participation in joint workshops, the exchange of knowledge, the development and adoption of best practices, or joint communication activities.

In addition, projects will be requested to feed their results and contribute to the monitoring in place under the leadership of the Mission Implementation Platform on the progress towards the objectives of the Mission and provide information and data to contribute to the visualisation of the Mission progress in Europe. To that end, proposals are encouraged to (dedicate resources to) link up their monitoring to the framework developed by the project stemming from HORIZON-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-03.

Applicants should acknowledge these requests and already account for them in their proposal, making adequate provisions in terms of resources and budget to engage and collaborate with the Mission.

The general conditions for this call include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries, and other eligibility criteria. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are also specified. Evaluation and award processes, submission guidelines, and indicative timelines are detailed in the annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme and the Online Manual. Legal and financial aspects of the grants are also outlined.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme. Application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Applicants can find standard application forms for HE RIA, IA, CSA, RI, and PCP actions. Evaluation form templates will be adapted as necessary. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide and various Model Grant Agreements (MGA). Call-specific instructions, detailed budget tables, information on financial support to third parties, information on clinical studies, and guidance on lump sums are also provided. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025, the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and other relevant regulations and guidelines.

A partner search function is available on the Funding & Tenders Portal to help applicants find suitable partners.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to bolster climate resilience in vulnerable coastal regions by supporting innovative, nature-based, and digital solutions. It emphasizes collaboration between regional and local authorities, stakeholder engagement, and the transfer of knowledge to facilitate the upscaling and replication of successful adaptation strategies across Europe. The call encourages projects that demonstrate tangible climate resilience solutions, contributing to the broader goals of the European Green Deal and the EU Adaptation Strategy.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are regional and local authorities, research institutions, social science and humanities experts and institutions, and other relevant stakeholders. The call specifically targets regional and local authorities located in coastal areas identified as hotspots for climate change. The call also emphasizes the need for consortia to include experts in social sciences and humanities (SSH).

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) under the Horizon Europe program. The Model Grant Agreement type is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. Demonstration activities must take place in the territory of at least 3 different coastal regional or local authorities, each established in a different Member State or Associated Country. The involvement of these regional or local authorities is required, preferably as beneficiaries or associated partners in the consortium. The proposals should also identify at least 3 "replicating" coastal regional or local authorities from 3 different Member States or Associated Countries, interested in reapplying the lessons learnt.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. Demonstration activities must take place in the territory of at least 3 different coastal regional or local authorities, each established in a different Member State or Associated Country. At least one of the demonstration activities should be located in a "EUCRA hotspot area," which includes Southern Europe, low-lying coastal areas, or EU Member State outermost regions.

Target Sector: The program targets the climate, environment, and digital sectors, with a focus on climate adaptation and resilience in coastal areas. It also emphasizes the importance of social sciences and humanities (SSH) and digital solutions for climate adaptation.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions Southern Europe, EU Member States, and Associated Countries. It also refers to EU Member State outermost regions.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is demonstration. The call aims to demonstrate innovative solutions to increase climate resilience in coastal areas.

Funding Amount: The budget for the topic HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-03 is 30,000,000 EUR, with an indicative number of 3 grants to be awarded, suggesting an average funding of around 10,000,000 EUR per project. Other topics in the same call have different budget allocations.

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.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for the topic HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-03 suggests that 3 projects will be funded out of all applications received.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement. However, the call encourages synergies with other funding sources (EU and national), which could imply that leveraging additional funding is beneficial.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, Supporting the implementation of the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission (HORIZON-MISS-2025-01), specifically topic HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-03, aims to fund projects that demonstrate innovative solutions for increasing climate resilience in coastal areas identified as climate change hotspots. The call is open to regional and local authorities, research institutions, and other relevant stakeholders from EU Member States and Associated Countries. The projects should address various pressures such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, and invasive species, while prioritizing nature-based solutions and integrating stakeholder engagement. The selected projects will receive funding as HORIZON Innovation Actions, with a budget of approximately 10,000,000 EUR per project. The call emphasizes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the involvement of social sciences and humanities (SSH) experts. Demonstration activities must take place in at least 3 different coastal regional or local authorities, with at least one located in a EUCRA hotspot area. The call also encourages the identification of replicating regions to ensure the broader application of the project's findings. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a deadline of 24 September 2025.