Demonstrating transformative solutions to increase cross-border climate resilience

Horizon Europe Innovation Action HORIZON-MISS funds demonstrations to develop, test and showcase transformative solutions increasing climate resilience in cross-border regions, prioritising multi-level governance, nature-based solutions and SSH integration. The topic has an indicative budget of €72,323,812.37 with expected EU contributions of €10,000,000 to €15,000,000 per project and an indicative five grants, single-stage submission via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal with deadline 21 September 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time. Eligible consortia must include at least three independent legal entities from different Member States or Associated Countries and demonstrations must take place in at least two adjacent cross-border sites with at least one replicating site identified for scaling and replication.

Demonstrating transformative solutions to increase cross-border climate resilience

Call HORIZON-MISS-2027-01-CLIMA-01 (Horizon Europe Missions)

Short overview

Funds innovation actions to develop, test and demonstrate systemic climate-resilience solutions for regions that span internal EU borders. Projects must improve cross-border preparedness and governance, include nature-based, social or governance innovations, embed solutions in local or national adaptation planning, and involve social sciences to ensure societal impact. Demonstrations must be implemented in adjacent regions on both sides of a national border and must identify at least one additional replicating cross-border site.

Who can apply:Consortia led by legal entities from Horizon Europe eligible countries (EU Member States and Associated Countries). Expected participants include regional and local authorities (ideally as beneficiaries or associated partners), research organisations, civil society and private sector partners; projects must engage cross-border regional/local authorities directly.

1. 1Demonstration activities in at least two distinct cross-border sites located in different Member States or Associated Countries
2. 2Identification of at least one separate replicating cross-border site interested in reapplying lessons learnt
3. 3Meaningful engagement of regional/local authorities and inclusion of Social Sciences and Humanities expertise

Projects should plan resources for cooperation with the Mission Implementation Platform and align monitoring with existing frameworks (e.g., UNDERPIN and CLIMAAX). Proposals are selected competitively under Horizon Europe rules; applicants must consult the Work Programme and General Annexes for admissibility, eligibility and evaluation rules ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1See the Horizon Europe Missions Work Programme part and the Adaptation Mission Implementation Plan for full guidance and templates: Horizon Missions WP 2026-2027 and Mission Implementation Plan.

Demonstrating transformative solutions to increase cross-border climate resilience (HORIZON-MISS-2027-01-CLIMA-01)

Programme: Horizon Europe — Supporting the implementation of the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission. Type of action: HORIZON-IA Innovation Actions. Model Grant Agreement: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. Opening date: 09 February 2027. Deadline: 21 September 2027, 17:00 Brussels time. Deadline model: single-stage. Status: forthcoming. Official topic page: EU Funding & Tenders Topic Page. Work Programme reference: Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027 Part 12 — Missions, section HORIZON-MISS, pp. 57+. Work Programme document: Missions WP 2026–2027. Mission Implementation Plan background: Adaptation Mission Implementation Plan.

Opportunity Summary and Scope

This Innovation Action funds large, multi-actor demonstrations that develop, test, and showcase integrated cross-border solutions which increase climate resilience in adjacent regions across national borders within EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. The call directly supports the EU Adaptation Strategy, the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, the EU Preparedness Union Strategy, and contributes to the forthcoming European Climate Adaptation Plan. It targets European internal border regions where climate risks are transboundary in nature and require joint governance, coordinated services, and common solutions.

Expected Outcomes

• Demonstrated climate resilience solutions for cross-border risks, covering social, governance, nature-based, and other integrated approaches.
• Improved joint preparedness of regional and local authorities on both sides of borders to withstand climate impacts, including systemic, cascading, and compound risks.
• Active, shared responsibilities among national, regional, and local authorities for co-developing and testing innovative solutions to cross-border climate risks.

Solutions and Activities Sought

• Address at least one major cross-border climate risk (e.g., water scarcity/drought, floods, storms, wildfires, sea level rise), with strong encouragement to tackle systemic, cascading and compound risks and risks from ecosystem service degradation.
• Develop and demonstrate a common cross-border classification of climate risks and jointly define acceptable risk levels across the national border.
• Develop and demonstrate innovative, integrated solutions to achieve climate resilience on both sides of the border, particularly in cross-border governance and socio-economic dimensions; prioritize nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation.
• Embed development and testing of solutions in participating regional/local adaptation plans and/or national plans to ensure post-project sustainability.
• Ensure effective contribution and involvement of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) to enhance societal impact (e.g., governance models, social innovation, citizen engagement, equity and just transition).
• Explore services to predict, monitor, and report cross-border climate events as an initial step (e.g., early warning, joint situational awareness, harmonised data).

Demonstration Sites and Replication

• Mandatory: At least two distinct cross-border demonstration sites located in EU Member States or Associated Countries; areas must span adjacent regions on both sides of a national border. Regional or local authorities in these areas should actively participate, preferably as beneficiaries or associated partners.
• Replication: Identify at least one replicating cross-border site in Member States or Associated Countries. Replicators should prepare the theoretical framework and explore funding for implementation; they may not be required to perform on-the-ground actions during the project. Consortia may include partners to support technical exchanges and knowledge uptake in replicating regions.

Coordination, Clustering, and Framework Alignment

• Projects must collaborate under the Adaptation Mission umbrella, coordinate activities and align outputs to maximize impact.
• Establish operational links and allocate resources for collaboration with the Mission Implementation Platform (including monitoring) and participate in the Mission Community of Practice.
• Leverage existing knowledge and outcomes from EU and national programmes (notably Interreg and LIFE) and plan synergies for scaling and deployment.
• Encouraged to align monitoring with the UNDERPIN outcome-oriented framework and rely on the updated CLIMAAX Climate Risk Assessment framework for risk assessments. References: UNDERPIN project overview, CLIMAAX CRA Framework.
• When relevant, consider JRC’s evidence on cross-border and emerging risks. Reference: JRC Cross-border and emerging risks in Europe.

Funding Details

Categorisation and Structured Information

Eligible Applicant Types:Regional and local authorities; national public bodies and agencies; universities and higher education institutions; research and technology organisations; SMEs and large enterprises; nonprofit organisations and NGOs; public utilities and operators (e.g., water, energy, transport); civil protection and emergency management authorities; environmental agencies; public-private partnerships; innovation and finance actors (e.g., development banks, investment funds) as relevant to implementation and scaling.

Funding Type:Grant (Horizon Europe Innovation Action, budget-based grant under the HORIZON Action Grant Model Agreement).

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. Horizon Europe minimum: at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Associated Country, with at least one in a Member State. Given the cross-border demonstration requirement, consortia must include regional/local authorities from both sides of at least two national borders, ideally as beneficiaries or associated partners. Multidisciplinary and multi-actor participation, including SSH expertise, is expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are fully eligible. Some non-associated third countries may participate without EU funding unless specific provisions apply (see General Annex B of the Work Programme). Demonstration sites must be in adjacent regions across national borders within EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Target Sector:Climate adaptation and resilience; environment and ecosystems; water management and hydrology; disaster risk management and civil protection; coastal and river basin management; forestry and wildfire risk; urban and regional planning; infrastructure and built environment; governance and public policy; social innovation and equity; nature-based solutions; digital/ICT-enabled services for monitoring, early warning and risk analytics.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are named; eligibility and demonstrations are defined by EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. The opportunity explicitly concerns intra-EU borders and borders with Associated Countries.

Project Stage:Demonstration and scale-up preparation. Projects are expected to develop, test, and demonstrate integrated cross-border solutions (typical TRL 6–8 depending on component maturity), and to embed solutions into adaptation planning for sustainability beyond project end.

Funding Amount:Indicative EU contribution per project is approximately €10,000,000 to 15,000,000; total topic budget €72,323,812.37; around 5 grants expected.

Application Type:Open call, single-stage submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Topic page: Official Portal Topic Page.

Nature of Support:Financial grant support (money). Non-financial support also arises indirectly through required collaboration with the Mission Implementation Platform and the Mission Community of Practice (knowledge services, clustering, and coordination).

Application Stages:1 stage (single-stage). Proposals are evaluated against Excellence, Impact, and Quality & Efficiency of Implementation criteria under Horizon Europe rules.

Success Rates:Not specified in the topic documentation. Success rates vary by call and year and are published post-call by the European Commission where applicable.

Co-funding Requirement:Horizon Europe Innovation Actions typically reimburse 70% of eligible costs for for-profit beneficiaries and 100% for non-profit organisations (subject to the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement). There is no explicit additional co-funding obligation in the topic text; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to leverage and align with other EU, national, and regional funds (e.g., Interreg, LIFE, Cohesion Policy, RRF) to scale and deploy solutions beyond the project. Replicating regions may explore funding to implement uptake after the project.

Technical and Implementation Requirements

• Cross-border risk focus and systemic risk treatment: Floods and droughts in international river basins; wildfires across borders; coastal risks due to sea level rise and erosion; storms; water scarcity; and compound events. Projects must consider cascading effects and ecosystem service degradation.
• Common classification and acceptable risk levels: Jointly design a cross-border risk classification and define acceptable risk thresholds and standards across jurisdictions.
• Integrated governance and socio-economic solutions: Build joint governance mechanisms, protocols, and operational arrangements for shared responsibilities. Include equity, inclusion, and just transition considerations.
• Priority for nature-based solutions: Ecosystem restoration, green/blue infrastructure, ecological corridors, and hybrid grey-green measures as primary options where relevant.
• Monitoring, prediction, and reporting services: Explore and pilot shared early warning, monitoring, and incident reporting solutions for cross-border climate events; align with EU civil protection data needs where relevant.
• Embedding and sustainability: Integrate solutions into local/regional/national adaptation plans to ensure continuation beyond project life.
• SSH integration and citizen engagement: Include SSH experts and institutions; design participatory governance processes; engage citizens and stakeholders in co-design, co-implementation, and co-evaluation.
• Framework alignment and data: Use or align with CLIMAAX Climate Risk Assessment framework and explore linkage to UNDERPIN’s outcome-oriented indicators and Mission monitoring needs.
• Clustering and mission community: Dedicate resources to interact with the Mission Implementation Platform and to coordinate deliverables and KPIs across projects.

Eligibility and Compliance

• General Horizon Europe admissibility and eligibility criteria apply (see General Annexes A and B of the Work Programme).
• Specific eligibility: Demonstration activities must take place in at least two distinct cross-border sites in EU Member States or Associated Countries, spanning adjacent regions on both sides of a national border.
• Regional or local authorities in the demonstration areas should actively participate (ideally as beneficiaries or associated partners).
• Consortium composition should reflect multi-actor needs, including public authorities, research/academia, NGOs/civil society, SMEs/industry, infrastructure/operators, and SSH experts.
• Ethics, open science and data management: Comply with Horizon Europe requirements, including Data Management Plan, FAIR data, and ethical approvals where relevant.

Budgeting, Funding Rates, and Synergies

• Indicative project size: €10–€15 millionEU contribution.
• Funding rates: Typically 70% for for-profit beneficiaries; 100% for non-profits (as per HORIZON-IA rules in the Model Grant Agreement).
• Synergies and leveraging: Applicants are encouraged to build on, align with, and leverage complementary EU/national/regional financing (e.g., Interreg for cross-border cooperation; LIFE for climate and environment; Cohesion Policy Funds; RRF; InvestEU; national sources) to scale and deploy solutions beyond demonstrations.
• Mission links: Budget appropriately for collaboration with the Mission Implementation Platform and clustering with other funded projects.

Evaluation, Submission, and Timeline

• Evaluation criteria: Excellence; Impact; Quality and efficiency of the Implementation. Scoring thresholds and weights as per General Annex D.
• Submission: Single-stage, electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Part A (forms/administrative) and Part B (technical narrative) must be completed per the portal guidance.
• Indicative timeline: Opening 09 February 2027; Deadline 21 September 2027; Evaluation and grant agreement timelines per General Annex F.
• Legal and financial set-up: HORIZON Action Grant (budget-based), with standard provisions under General Annex G.

Recommended Application Structure and Templates

Applicants must use the application forms available in the Submission System. Standard templates and guidance are in the Reference Documents on the portal. The following outline reflects common Part B sections for a HORIZON-IA and call-specific expectations:

1. 1Excellence: Project objectives aligned to the topic scope and expected outcomes; state-of-the-art and innovation beyond it; cross-border climate risk rationale; SSH integration; co-creation methodology; alignment with CLIMAAX for risk assessment and with UNDERPIN for outcome indicators where applicable.
2. 2Impact: Credible pathways to impact at cross-border regional scale; adoption and embedding in local/regional/national adaptation plans; policy, governance and socio-economic benefits; nature-based solution co-benefits; alignment with the Adaptation Mission objectives and Community of Practice; exploitation, upscaling and business/governance models; replication plan for at least one cross-border site; communication, dissemination, and stakeholder and citizen engagement strategies.
3. 3Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation: Work plan, WPs, tasks, deliverables, milestones; demonstration design and KPIs; risk management (including cascading risks); cross-border governance arrangements; consortium composition, roles and complementarity; involvement of regional/local authorities and civil protection/emergency services; data management and open science; ethics and security; collaboration plan with the Mission Implementation Platform; clustering plan with other Mission projects; monitoring and evaluation framework linking to Mission expectations.
4. 4Resources and Budget: Cost breakdown per participant and WP; justification of resources; funding rate application per beneficiary type; provisions for replication support and post-project sustainability.
5. 5Ethics and Security: Identify any issues (e.g., data protection, vulnerable communities, environmental sensitivities) and propose mitigation/management measures.

What Strong Proposals Should Demonstrate

• Clear cross-border added value: joint risk classification, agreed acceptable risk levels, interoperable monitoring/early warning, shared governance and maintenance of solutions.
• Integrated and systemic resilience packages: combining NBS/EbA, digital services, governance innovation, and socio-economic measures addressing vulnerable groups and just transition.
• Embeddedness and sustainability: formal commitments from authorities to integrate outcomes in adaptation plans and relevant sectoral strategies; provisions for maintenance and long-term operation.
• Replication-readiness: concrete support and planning with at least one replicating cross-border site, including funding exploration for post-project deployment.
• Robust monitoring and learning: KPIs tied to resilience outcomes, linkage to UNDERPIN’s outcome-oriented framework where suitable, and contribution to Mission-level monitoring via the Implementation Platform.
• Coherence with EU and national initiatives: informed by Interreg cross-border cooperation experience, LIFE projects on adaptation/NBS, and JRC evidence on cross-border and emerging risks.

Key References and Resources

• Official topic page and submission portal: HORIZON-MISS-2027-01-CLIMA-01
• Work Programme 2026–2027, Missions (Part 12): WP Missions 2026–2027
• Adaptation Mission Implementation Plan: Mission Implementation Plan
• CLIMAAX Climate Risk Assessment Framework: CLIMAAX Framework
• UNDERPIN outcome indicators for resilience monitoring: UNDERPIN Project
• JRC Cross-border and emerging risks in Europe: JRC Report

Comprehensive Answers to the Requested Categorisation

Eligible Applicant Types:Regional/local authorities; national competent authorities; universities; research institutes; SMEs; large enterprises; nonprofit organisations; NGOs; public utilities and operators (water, energy, transport); environmental agencies; civil protection authorities; PPPs; financial and advisory actors. Multi-actor consortia with SSH expertise are expected.

Funding Type:Grant (Horizon Europe Innovation Action, budget-based).

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. Minimum three independent legal entities from three different EU Member States or Associated Countries (Horizon Europe rules). Cross-border demonstrations require partners and authorities from both sides of at least two national borders.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries (standard HE eligibility). Demonstrations must be located in adjacent regions on both sides of a national border within MS or AC.

Target Sector:Climate adaptation; environment; water; disaster risk reduction; coastal/riparian management; forestry/wildfire; governance and policy; nature-based solutions; infrastructure and construction; social sciences and humanities; digital early warning/monitoring.

Mentioned Countries:Regionally defined: EU Member States and Associated Countries. No specific individual countries are cited in the topic text.

Project Stage:Demonstration, validation in operational environments, and preparation for deployment and replication (typically TRL 6–8 for technological components; governance and social innovation at mature piloting level).

Funding Amount:Per project: approximately €10–€15 million; total topic budget €72.323 million; about 5 grants expected.

Application Type:Open competitive call; single-stage proposal; electronic submission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Money (grants). Additional coordination/knowledge support through Mission Implementation Platform and clustering obligations.

Application Stages:1 stage (single-stage evaluation and grant agreement preparation thereafter).

Success Rates:Not provided in the call text; to be published by the Commission after evaluations where applicable.

Co-funding Requirement:No explicit co-funding requirement beyond standard Horizon Europe IA funding rates. Strong encouragement to align with and mobilise additional EU/national/regional funds for scaling and replication (e.g., Interreg, LIFE, Cohesion Policy, RRF, InvestEU).

Templates:Use the Part A (administrative) and Part B (technical) forms available in the Submission System. Part B should typically include: Excellence; Impact; Quality and efficiency of the Implementation; Work plan with WPs/deliverables/milestones; Consortium and management; Risk management; Ethics and security; Data Management Plan and Open Science; Stakeholder and citizen engagement; SSH integration; Cross-border governance design; Monitoring and evaluation plan; Alignment with CLIMAAX and UNDERPIN; Collaboration with the Mission Implementation Platform; Replication plan; Budget and resources.

General Summary

This Horizon Europe Innovation Action funds large cross-border demonstrations that help European border regions jointly tackle climate risks that do not stop at national boundaries. Projects must set up at least two adjacent cross-border demonstration sites in EU Member States or Associated Countries, co-develop a shared risk classification and acceptable risk levels, and implement integrated solutions that combine governance, socio-economic measures, and nature-based solutions. Proposals must embed solutions in local/regional/national adaptation plans and plan replication with at least one additional cross-border site. Strong SSH participation and citizen engagement are mandatory to ensure just, inclusive, and effective adaptation. Consortia are expected to coordinate with the Adaptation Mission Implementation Platform, align with the CLIMAAX Climate Risk Assessment framework, and contribute to Mission-wide monitoring, leveraging UNDERPIN’s outcome-oriented approach where suitable. With typical grants of €10–€15 million, projects should deliver tangible, scalable results that improve preparedness and resilience, while paving the way for broader deployment using complementary funding sources such as Interreg and LIFE. The call operates as a single-stage, open competition on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and follows standard Horizon Europe IA rules for eligibility, evaluation, funding rates, and grant management.

Demonstrating Transformative Solutions to Increase Cross-Border Climate Resilience

Funding Opportunity Overview

This is a Horizon Europe Innovation Action call under the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, designed to support transformative solutions that address climate risks spanning national borders. The call aims to develop, test and demonstrate integrated approaches to climate resilience in cross-border regions, with emphasis on multi-level governance, nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation.

Call Identifier:HORIZON-MISS

Programme:Horizon Europe, Supporting the implementation of the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission

Type of Action:HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA)

Grant Agreement Type:HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based

Key Dates and Deadlines

Call Opening Date:9 February 2027

Call Deadline:21 September 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time

Submission Model:Single-stage call

Funding Details

Total Budget Available:€72,323,812.37

Expected EU Contribution per Project:€10,000,000 to €15,000,000 per project

Indicative Number of Projects to be Funded:Approximately 5 projects

Scope and Objectives

This call targets the development and demonstration of transformative solutions to increase climate resilience in cross-border regions. The rationale is grounded in the fact that 37.5 percent of the EU population lives in border areas spanning 38 intra-EU borders, and climate risks do not respect national boundaries. Approximately 70 percent of Europe's freshwater bodies are part of international river basins, making flooding and droughts typical cross-border risks. Wildfires, sea level rise and coastal erosion similarly pose significant cross-border threats.

Expected Outcomes

• Climate resilience solutions for cross-border risks have been developed and demonstrated, including social, governance and nature-based solutions
• Regional and local authorities from each side of country borders are better prepared to jointly withstand the impacts of climate change, including systemic risks and cascading effects
• National, regional and local authorities are taking on shared responsibilities and are actively involved in the development and testing of innovative solutions to deal with cross-border climate risks

Solutions Sought

Proposals should develop, test and demonstrate approaches and innovative solutions relevant for cross-border risks, leading to an increase of climate resilience in cross-border regions. Particular attention should be given to coordination between national and regional governance aspects of bordering regions. Services to better predict, monitor and report on cross-border climate events should be explored as a first step.

• Address at least one relevant cross-border climate risk such as water scarcity, flooding, storms, wildfires or sea level rise, with encouragement to address risks systemically and cover cascading and compound risks as well as risks emerging from ecosystem service degradation
• Develop and demonstrate a common classification of climate risks and define what level of risks are acceptable across the national border
• Develop and demonstrate innovative integrated solutions to make both sides of the border climate resilient, covering cross-border governance and socio-economic aspects, with nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation explored as a priority
• Embed development and testing of proposed solutions in the adaptation planning of participating regional or local authorities and national plans to ensure sustainability beyond project duration
• Include effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities disciplines and involvement of SSH experts to produce meaningful societal impact

Demonstration Sites and Activities

The Mission encourages collaborations between regional and local authorities facing similar challenges as an efficient approach to secure large impact. Demonstration activities must meet the following requirements:

• Must take place in at least two distinct cross-border demonstration sites located in EU Member States or Associated Countries, with demonstration areas spanning adjacent regions on both sides of a national border, fostering cross-border collaboration
• Regional or local authorities in these areas should actively participate in the project, ideally as beneficiaries or associated partners within the consortium
• Should identify at least one replicating cross-border site spanning adjacent regions on either side of a national border, located in Member States or Associated Countries, interested in reapplying lessons learnt
• For replication, the consortium could include partners providing support for technical exchanges and knowledge uptake in replicating regions or local authorities
• Replicating regions are not necessarily expected to carry out on-the-ground activities during the project, but should at least prepare the theoretical framework for replicating successful solutions and explore means to fund implementation

Eligibility Criteria

Consortium Requirements

Unless otherwise provided for in specific call conditions, only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in Horizon Europe actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows: at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State, and at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

Additional Eligibility Conditions

• Demonstration activities must take place in at least 2 distinct cross-border demonstration sites located in EU Member States or Associated Countries
• The demonstration areas must span adjacent regions on both sides of a national border
• Eligible countries are described in General Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes
• Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in General Annex C
• Participation of Chinese universities linked to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is subject to specific eligibility conditions

Evaluation and Award Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on award criteria described in General Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. The evaluation process is described in General Annex F, with an indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement also provided in General Annex F.

Links to the Mission and Other Initiatives

Proposals should build on existing knowledge and adaptation solutions developed by previous projects and explore synergies with ongoing projects from EU and national programmes. Synergies with other funding sources are encouraged to identify opportunities to scale up demonstrated solutions and foster broad deployment across Europe through other programmes.

Proposals should include a mechanism and resources to establish operational links and collaboration with the Mission Implementation Platform, including on monitoring. Projects funded under this topic will be expected to participate in the Mission Community of Practice and share relevant knowledge to feed the work of projects stemming from HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-02.

All projects funded under this topic should work together as a cluster under the umbrella of the Mission, coordinate their activities and align their outputs to maximise impact. Proposals are encouraged to dedicate resources to link their monitoring to the framework developed by the UNDERPIN project and to rely on the updated CLIMAAX framework for climate risk assessments.

Who Can Apply

This call is open to all legal entities from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Applicants must form consortia meeting the minimum consortium requirements. Regional and local authorities are the primary target beneficiaries but are not required to be direct consortium members; they should actively participate as beneficiaries or associated partners.

Application Process and Support

Proposals must be submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Applicants should consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide for detailed guidance on the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe. The Online Manual provides guidance on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.

Support is available through multiple channels: National Contact Points provide guidance and practical information on participation in Horizon Europe; the Research Enquiry Service answers questions about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes; the IT Helpdesk assists with technical aspects of submission; and the European IPR Helpdesk provides support on intellectual property issues.

Legal and Financial Framework

The legal and financial set-up of grant agreements is described in General Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Beneficiaries should review the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement for detailed information on rights, obligations and financial rules.

Strategic Context

This call is part of the Horizon Europe 2026-2027 Work Programme and supports the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, which aims to support at least 150 European regions and local authorities to become climate-resilient by 2030. The Mission has evolved from its initial build-up phase to full deployment, with this call providing continuity of support structures, focusing on synergies with other initiatives and laying the ground to scale up research and innovation results.

The call aligns with the EU Adaptation Strategy, the EU Preparedness Union Strategy and the upcoming European Climate Action Plan. It responds to the urgent need to ramp up adaptation efforts in Europe, as highlighted by the European Climate Risk Assessment published in March 2024, and supports the Political Guidelines for the European Commission 2024-2029 which call for development of a European Climate Adaptation Plan.

Key Resources and References

• EU Funding and Tenders Portal: [[ec.europa.eu
• Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Contains detailed guidance on structure, budget and political priorities
• Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 12 Missions: Full details on all mission-related calls
• EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change Implementation Plan: Outlines detailed objectives and intervention strategy
• CLIMAAX Framework: Updated framework for climate risk assessments recommended for use in proposals
• UNDERPIN Project: Develops outcome indicators to measure progress on climate resilience at national, regional and local levels

Footnotes

1. 1The Horizon Europe 2026-2027 Work Programme was adopted by the European Commission on 11 December 2025 through Decision C(2025) 8493. The total Horizon Europe budget for 2026-2027 is approximately €14 billion, with at least 35 percent dedicated to climate goals.