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Developing transfer functions for the Soil Monitoring Law
Reference
48270661TOPICSen
Important Dates
September 30th, 2025
Overview
The grant opportunity under Horizon Europe, titled "Developing Transfer Functions for the Soil Monitoring Law," aims to facilitate the integration of diverse soil monitoring systems for a standardized assessment of soil health across the EU. This initiative aligns with the EU's mission for a "Soil Deal for Europe," addressing the need for consistency in soil data for effective monitoring, reporting, and verification in carbon farming.
Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and relevant organizations from EU member states and associated countries. The primary funding mechanism is a grant through Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), with expected funding amounts varying depending on project scope, typically ranging from €3 million to €12 million. It is anticipated that the minimum budget allocated for sampling and analyzing soil should be at least 30%.
Projects must deliver validated transfer functions for key soil descriptors, such as soil organic carbon and nutrient content, ensuring compatibility with EU-wide monitoring standards. These functions should facilitate interoperability across various national monitoring programs, including LUCAS, and improve the ability to generate harmonized EU statistics and maps.
The application process is a single-stage open call, opening on May 6, 2025, with a submission deadline of September 30, 2025. The success rates for similar projects are competitive, typically falling between 10% and 39%. Notably, Horizon RIA grants generally cover 100% of eligible costs without requiring co-funding.
Collaboration with the Joint Research Centre is encouraged to leverage existing sample archives and ensure that data generated during the project adheres to FAIR principles—ensuring that it is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable.
The call emphasizes the importance of a collaborative effort among stakeholders to achieve the objectives of improved soil health monitoring and resilience, contributing to ongoing EU climate and agricultural goals. Various topics within the call include distinct budgets and indicative grant numbers, designed to enhance the EU's capacity for effective soil health management through validated research outcomes.
Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and relevant organizations from EU member states and associated countries. The primary funding mechanism is a grant through Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), with expected funding amounts varying depending on project scope, typically ranging from €3 million to €12 million. It is anticipated that the minimum budget allocated for sampling and analyzing soil should be at least 30%.
Projects must deliver validated transfer functions for key soil descriptors, such as soil organic carbon and nutrient content, ensuring compatibility with EU-wide monitoring standards. These functions should facilitate interoperability across various national monitoring programs, including LUCAS, and improve the ability to generate harmonized EU statistics and maps.
The application process is a single-stage open call, opening on May 6, 2025, with a submission deadline of September 30, 2025. The success rates for similar projects are competitive, typically falling between 10% and 39%. Notably, Horizon RIA grants generally cover 100% of eligible costs without requiring co-funding.
Collaboration with the Joint Research Centre is encouraged to leverage existing sample archives and ensure that data generated during the project adheres to FAIR principles—ensuring that it is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable.
The call emphasizes the importance of a collaborative effort among stakeholders to achieve the objectives of improved soil health monitoring and resilience, contributing to ongoing EU climate and agricultural goals. Various topics within the call include distinct budgets and indicative grant numbers, designed to enhance the EU's capacity for effective soil health management through validated research outcomes.
Detail
This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call for proposals under the program "Supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission" (HORIZON-MISS-2025-05). The call, titled "Developing transfer functions for the Soil Monitoring Law," aims to integrate different soil monitoring systems for a harmonized soil health assessment in the EU. It also supports the implementation of the EU Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation by facilitating the interoperability of soil organic carbon data across the EU and thus harmonizing the production and use of soil datasheets for monitoring, reporting and verification in carbon farming, including statistics and maps.
The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this call are: Stakeholders having access to validated transfer functions for all soil descriptors included in the SML proposal, enabling compatibility, interoperability, and comparability of data for laboratorial and field methods used in the EU that differ from those prescribed in Annex II of the proposal; National monitoring programmes, Land Use and Coverage Area frame Survey (LUCAS) and protocols (e.g. ISO/CEN) included in the SML proposal are integrated by interoperability, enabling harmonised soil health assessments across the EU by using the existing monitoring schemes in Member States and at EU level; Enhanced understanding of the applicability of statistical methods for combining soil data collected with different protocols, to produce harmonised EU statistics and maps.
The scope of the call is to address the need for validated transfer functions to reliably convert soil measurements to a common reference method and to facilitate a smooth and cost-effective transition to a harmonized soil health assessment across the EU. The proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law SML) aims to put in place a coherent and integrated soil monitoring framework for all soils across the EU. However, currently there are many different methods in the EU to monitor and assess soil health, from sampling to laboratorial procedures, and some Member States have long-standing soil monitoring systems and procedures which they prefer to keep for economic reasons and to safeguard long-term datasets.
Proposed activities should: Identify and collect the information available in existing samples archives such as LUCAS; Develop and test, together with Member State monitoring bodies, transfer functions for all descriptors proposed in the SML proposal (e.g. soil organic carbon, excess nutrient content, soil acidity, pH, P-Olsen, Electrical conductivity, bulk density, etc.) and for the diverse methods used for field sampling collection (including sampling depth) and analysis different than those prescribed in the SML proposal. Identify conversion factors to transform data from one method to another; Compare results obtained by different sampling protocols and laboratorial procedures, and link national monitoring systems with LUCAS outputs and the protocols of ISO/CEN and others included in the SML proposal; Determine the most reliable statistical methods for combining soil data collected with different sampling protocols and analytical methodologies to produce harmonised and comprehensive statistics and maps; Validate transfer functions by sampling a subset of the LUCAS 2022 locations, covering at least 21 MS and 80% of the EU land surface area and analogous to LUCAS in terms of land cover and climate regions. A minimum of 30% of the budget must be allocated for the sampling and analysing of at least 4000 samples.
A strong collaboration is expected with the Joint Research Centre to identify and access existing samples archives and to make sure that relevant data, maps and information can be used and displayed by the EU Soil Observatory. Proposals should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the Joint Research Centre’s EU Soil Observatory (EUSO), SoilWise project, and the JRC Life Cycle Assessment group. Concrete efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of the funded project is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable), particularly in the context of real-time data feeds, exploring workflows that can provide “FAIR-by-design” data, i.e., data that is FAIR from its generation. Proposals are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the data, expertise and services offered by European research infrastructures in the environment, biological & food domains or imaging capacities. When dealing with transfer functions, actions should promote the highest standards of transparency and openness, as much as possible going well beyond documentation and extending to aspects such as assumptions, protocols, code and data, that is managed in compliance with the previously mentioned FAIR principles. Proposals should include dedicated tasks and appropriate resources for coordination measures and joint activities with other relevant EU-funded initiatives, specially under the Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”, including engagement with the relevant cluster activities. Likewise, projects should build on the results and data collected in previous related EU-funded initiatives, such as EJP SOIL.
The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
The call is structured into several topics, each with its own budget, type of action, and indicative number of grants. All topics have a single-stage submission process, open on 06 May 2025, and a deadline of 30 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.
The specific topics and their details are:
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 12,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 11,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-04: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-05: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-06: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-07: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-08: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-09: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), Budget: EUR 5,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-10: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), Budget: EUR 3,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-11: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
The general conditions for participation include: Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form; Eligibility of countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries; Other eligible conditions as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes; Financial and operational capacity and exclusion as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes; Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes; Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual; Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes; Legal and financial set-up of the grants as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details are: Application form templates available in the Submission System, using the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA); Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, using the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA); Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide; Model Grant Agreements (MGA) use the HE MGA template.
Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction; HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 12. Missions; HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes; HE Programme Guide; HE Framework Programme 2021/695; HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764; EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509; Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment; EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement; Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual; Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions; Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.
Partner search announcements can be viewed or edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the Portal.
To start the submission process, click on the submission button next to the type of action and the type of model grant agreement.
This funding opportunity is focused on improving soil monitoring and resilience across the EU. It aims to harmonize different soil monitoring systems by developing and validating transfer functions for various soil descriptors. These transfer functions will enable the conversion of soil measurements from different methods to a common reference, facilitating a more unified assessment of soil health. The projects funded under this call are expected to contribute to the objectives of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ and the proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law – SML), as well as supporting the EU Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation. The call encourages collaboration with the Joint Research Centre and other EU-funded initiatives to ensure open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of the generated knowledge and outputs. The call also emphasizes the importance of FAIR data principles and encourages the use of European research infrastructures. Overall, this opportunity seeks to enhance the understanding and management of soil health in the EU, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and supporting carbon farming initiatives.
The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this call are: Stakeholders having access to validated transfer functions for all soil descriptors included in the SML proposal, enabling compatibility, interoperability, and comparability of data for laboratorial and field methods used in the EU that differ from those prescribed in Annex II of the proposal; National monitoring programmes, Land Use and Coverage Area frame Survey (LUCAS) and protocols (e.g. ISO/CEN) included in the SML proposal are integrated by interoperability, enabling harmonised soil health assessments across the EU by using the existing monitoring schemes in Member States and at EU level; Enhanced understanding of the applicability of statistical methods for combining soil data collected with different protocols, to produce harmonised EU statistics and maps.
The scope of the call is to address the need for validated transfer functions to reliably convert soil measurements to a common reference method and to facilitate a smooth and cost-effective transition to a harmonized soil health assessment across the EU. The proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law SML) aims to put in place a coherent and integrated soil monitoring framework for all soils across the EU. However, currently there are many different methods in the EU to monitor and assess soil health, from sampling to laboratorial procedures, and some Member States have long-standing soil monitoring systems and procedures which they prefer to keep for economic reasons and to safeguard long-term datasets.
Proposed activities should: Identify and collect the information available in existing samples archives such as LUCAS; Develop and test, together with Member State monitoring bodies, transfer functions for all descriptors proposed in the SML proposal (e.g. soil organic carbon, excess nutrient content, soil acidity, pH, P-Olsen, Electrical conductivity, bulk density, etc.) and for the diverse methods used for field sampling collection (including sampling depth) and analysis different than those prescribed in the SML proposal. Identify conversion factors to transform data from one method to another; Compare results obtained by different sampling protocols and laboratorial procedures, and link national monitoring systems with LUCAS outputs and the protocols of ISO/CEN and others included in the SML proposal; Determine the most reliable statistical methods for combining soil data collected with different sampling protocols and analytical methodologies to produce harmonised and comprehensive statistics and maps; Validate transfer functions by sampling a subset of the LUCAS 2022 locations, covering at least 21 MS and 80% of the EU land surface area and analogous to LUCAS in terms of land cover and climate regions. A minimum of 30% of the budget must be allocated for the sampling and analysing of at least 4000 samples.
A strong collaboration is expected with the Joint Research Centre to identify and access existing samples archives and to make sure that relevant data, maps and information can be used and displayed by the EU Soil Observatory. Proposals should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the Joint Research Centre’s EU Soil Observatory (EUSO), SoilWise project, and the JRC Life Cycle Assessment group. Concrete efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of the funded project is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable), particularly in the context of real-time data feeds, exploring workflows that can provide “FAIR-by-design” data, i.e., data that is FAIR from its generation. Proposals are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the data, expertise and services offered by European research infrastructures in the environment, biological & food domains or imaging capacities. When dealing with transfer functions, actions should promote the highest standards of transparency and openness, as much as possible going well beyond documentation and extending to aspects such as assumptions, protocols, code and data, that is managed in compliance with the previously mentioned FAIR principles. Proposals should include dedicated tasks and appropriate resources for coordination measures and joint activities with other relevant EU-funded initiatives, specially under the Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”, including engagement with the relevant cluster activities. Likewise, projects should build on the results and data collected in previous related EU-funded initiatives, such as EJP SOIL.
The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
The call is structured into several topics, each with its own budget, type of action, and indicative number of grants. All topics have a single-stage submission process, open on 06 May 2025, and a deadline of 30 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.
The specific topics and their details are:
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 12,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 11,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-04: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-05: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-06: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-07: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-08: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-09: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), Budget: EUR 5,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-10: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), Budget: EUR 3,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-11: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Budget: EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1
The general conditions for participation include: Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form; Eligibility of countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries; Other eligible conditions as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes; Financial and operational capacity and exclusion as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes; Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes; Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual; Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes; Legal and financial set-up of the grants as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details are: Application form templates available in the Submission System, using the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA); Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, using the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA); Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide; Model Grant Agreements (MGA) use the HE MGA template.
Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction; HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 12. Missions; HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes; HE Programme Guide; HE Framework Programme 2021/695; HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764; EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509; Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment; EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement; Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual; Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions; Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.
Partner search announcements can be viewed or edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the Portal.
To start the submission process, click on the submission button next to the type of action and the type of model grant agreement.
This funding opportunity is focused on improving soil monitoring and resilience across the EU. It aims to harmonize different soil monitoring systems by developing and validating transfer functions for various soil descriptors. These transfer functions will enable the conversion of soil measurements from different methods to a common reference, facilitating a more unified assessment of soil health. The projects funded under this call are expected to contribute to the objectives of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ and the proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law – SML), as well as supporting the EU Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation. The call encourages collaboration with the Joint Research Centre and other EU-funded initiatives to ensure open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of the generated knowledge and outputs. The call also emphasizes the importance of FAIR data principles and encourages the use of European research infrastructures. Overall, this opportunity seeks to enhance the understanding and management of soil health in the EU, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and supporting carbon farming initiatives.
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Breakdown
Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations from eligible countries.
Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically through Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The grants are budget-based.
Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required, but it is implied that a consortium is preferred, as there is a partner search function and emphasis on collaboration with Member State monitoring bodies and the Joint Research Centre.
Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and associated countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe projects.
Target Sector: The target sector is environment, agriculture/food, and climate, specifically focusing on soil monitoring, soil health assessment, carbon removal, and carbon farming.
Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on the EU, with specific mention of Member States needing to integrate their soil monitoring systems.
Project Stage: The project stage is primarily research, development, and validation, with an emphasis on developing and testing transfer functions and statistical methods.
Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €3,000,000 to €12,000,000.
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 grants to support their research and innovation activities.
Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.
Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic suggests a competitive environment.
Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.
Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, "Supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission," aims to integrate different soil monitoring systems for a harmonized soil health assessment across the EU. It supports the EU Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation by facilitating the interoperability of soil organic carbon data. The call focuses on developing and testing transfer functions for soil descriptors, integrating national monitoring programs, and enhancing the understanding of statistical methods for combining soil data.
The call includes several topics, each with a specific budget and indicative number of grants. The types of actions include Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The call is open for submission with a deadline of September 30, 2025.
Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other relevant organizations from EU Member States and associated countries. Projects should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs, with strong collaboration expected with the Joint Research Centre and other EU-funded initiatives. A significant portion of the budget (at least 30%) should be allocated for sampling and analyzing soil samples. The application process is a single-stage submission, and applicants are encouraged to use the partner search function to form consortia. The call seeks to enhance soil monitoring and resilience across the EU, contributing to the objectives of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission and the proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.
Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically through Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The grants are budget-based.
Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required, but it is implied that a consortium is preferred, as there is a partner search function and emphasis on collaboration with Member State monitoring bodies and the Joint Research Centre.
Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and associated countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe projects.
Target Sector: The target sector is environment, agriculture/food, and climate, specifically focusing on soil monitoring, soil health assessment, carbon removal, and carbon farming.
Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on the EU, with specific mention of Member States needing to integrate their soil monitoring systems.
Project Stage: The project stage is primarily research, development, and validation, with an emphasis on developing and testing transfer functions and statistical methods.
Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €3,000,000 to €12,000,000.
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 grants to support their research and innovation activities.
Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.
Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic suggests a competitive environment.
Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.
Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, "Supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission," aims to integrate different soil monitoring systems for a harmonized soil health assessment across the EU. It supports the EU Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation by facilitating the interoperability of soil organic carbon data. The call focuses on developing and testing transfer functions for soil descriptors, integrating national monitoring programs, and enhancing the understanding of statistical methods for combining soil data.
The call includes several topics, each with a specific budget and indicative number of grants. The types of actions include Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The call is open for submission with a deadline of September 30, 2025.
Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other relevant organizations from EU Member States and associated countries. Projects should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs, with strong collaboration expected with the Joint Research Centre and other EU-funded initiatives. A significant portion of the budget (at least 30%) should be allocated for sampling and analyzing soil samples. The application process is a single-stage submission, and applicants are encouraged to use the partner search function to form consortia. The call seeks to enhance soil monitoring and resilience across the EU, contributing to the objectives of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission and the proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.
Short Summary
- Impact
- This grant aims to operationalize the EU Soil Monitoring Law by developing harmonized methods to convert disparate soil health data into standardized metrics, supporting the EU's 2050 goal of achieving healthy soils through improved monitoring frameworks.
- Applicant
- Eligible applicants include research institutes, universities, public authorities, and consortia involving soil science experts or environmental monitoring entities, with a focus on collaboration and technical expertise.
- Developments
- The funding will support research and development activities focused on creating validated transfer functions for soil descriptors, integrating national monitoring programs, and enhancing statistical methods for soil data analysis.
- Applicant Type
- Research institutes, universities, public authorities, and consortia with expertise in soil science and environmental monitoring.
- Consortium Requirement
- The funding likely requires a consortium, as Horizon RIA projects typically necessitate multi-stakeholder collaboration.
- Funding Amount
- Funding amounts vary, typically ranging from €1,000,000 to €5,000,000 depending on project scope and specific topics within the call.
- Countries
- The grant is available to applicants from EU member states and associated countries, with a focus on EU-wide implementation.
- Industry
- This funding is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting environmental monitoring, soil science, and agriculture.