Environmental biotechnology applications in service of remediation of polluted ecosystems

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity focuses on environmental biotechnology aimed at remediating polluted ecosystems, contributing to the EU's zero pollution initiative and addressing climate change. The call is structured to support projects that develop and implement bio-based and nature-based solutions for restoring soils, sediments, and water that have been contaminated. The eligible applicant types for this grant include startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research institutions, and universities from EU member states and associated countries. The Joint Research Centre may also participate as a consortium member.

The funding type utilizes a lump sum grant approach, covering 100% of eligible costs without requiring detailed financial reporting. A consortium is required for the application, consistent with Horizon Europe's framework for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), which favors collaboration between various organizations, including public and private partners. Geographic eligibility includes entities from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially third countries where specific arrangements for funding are established.

The targeted sectors for this grant include environmental biotechnology, pollution remediation, and areas contributing to a circular economy. Budgets for awarded projects typically range from €6 million to €30 million, depending on the specific action type, with the majority of awards being structured around multi-partner collaborations.

The grant application process is a single-stage open call, with a submission deadline established. Participants are expected to engage in activities that include developing integrated remediation strategies, assessing risks and benefits associated with contaminants, and sharing findings across related projects. The initiative emphasizes the integration of citizen science and encourages international cooperation.

Successful proposals should focus on solutions that restore ecosystems affected by pollution, enhancing their resilience to climate change, and contribute to the overarching goals set by the EU’s Green Deal and Nature Restoration Regulation. Key tasks include investigating degraded ecosystems, creating and evaluating bio-based solutions, and employing innovative digital techniques such as artificial intelligence for optimizing remediation strategies.

Overall, this grant aims to facilitate the development of sustainable and effective remediation solutions while bolstering collaborative research efforts across Europe’s research and innovation landscape.

This is a Horizon Europe call focusing on environmental biotechnology applications for the remediation of polluted ecosystems, aligning with the zero pollution action plan and the European Climate Law. The call aims to restore degraded soil, sediment, and water using bio-based and nature-based solutions, and to enhance ecosystem resilience to climate change.

The expected outcomes include engaging stakeholders in ecosystem protection, integrating remediation solutions into local and national strategies, and utilizing digital innovation like AI for pollution remediation, especially in emergencies.

The scope encompasses remediation of soil, sediment, and water contaminated by hazardous chemicals, pharmaceuticals, waste, litter, and plastics, including restoration after anthropogenic accidents and climate events. Projects should contribute to the Nature Restoration Regulation and Member States' adaptation strategies.

Proposals should:

Select and analyze case studies of degraded ecosystems in the EU and Associated Countries, potentially exacerbated by climate change or biodiversity loss.

Develop bio-based solutions for environmental remediation, integrating them with nature-based solutions, and assess their alignment with the precautionary principle, sustainability, and efficiency.

Develop AI-enabled models for optimizing remediation approaches, particularly for emergency disaster response.

Identify and assess the economic, social, and safety risks and benefits of remediation, focusing on circular economy and reducing human health risks from contaminants, including heavy metals, plastics, and organic chemicals.

Deliver an overall risk assessment for the developed integrated solutions.

Share methodologies and findings with related projects, including HORIZON-CL6-2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-10 and HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-6.

Integrate Citizen Science and SSH disciplines, including gender studies, for risk assessment.

Encourage multi-actor approach and international cooperation.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may contribute expertise.

General conditions include:

Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate as a consortium member.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C.

Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D.

Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F and the Online Manual.

Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F.

Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Legal and financial setup as described in Annex G.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information:

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including a standard application form (HE RIA, IA).

Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including a standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).

Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.

Model Grant Agreements include the Lump Sum MGA.

Call-specific instructions and a detailed budget table (HE LS) are provided, along with guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

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

Budget overview:

The call includes several topics with varying budgets and indicative grant numbers. All topics have a single-stage submission process with an opening date of 06 May 2025 and a deadline of 17 September 2025.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01: HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions, 20,000,000 EUR budget in 2025, 20,000,000 EUR in 2026 and 20,000,000 EUR in 2027, indicative number of grants: 1, contribution around 60,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-02: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, 4,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 1, contribution around 4,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 24,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 12,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-04: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 22,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 11,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-05: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 18,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 3, contribution around 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-06: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 16,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 3, contribution between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-07: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 12,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-08: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 14,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 7,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-09: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 6,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 3,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-10: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 11,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-01: HORIZON Innovation Actions, 10,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 5,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-02: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 8,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 4,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 8,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 4,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-04: HORIZON Innovation Actions, 10,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 5,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-05: HORIZON Innovation Actions, 12,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-06: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 8,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 4,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-07: HORIZON Innovation Actions, 18,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 9,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-08: HORIZON Innovation Actions, 11,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 5,500,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-09: HORIZON Innovation Actions, 10,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 5,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-10: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, 2,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 1, contribution around 2,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-11: HORIZON Innovation Actions, 11,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 5,500,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-12: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, 2,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 1, contribution around 2,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-13: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 8,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 4,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-14: HORIZON Innovation Actions, 12,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-15: HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions, 10,000,000 EUR budget in 2025, 30,000,000 EUR in 2026 and 30,000,000 EUR in 2027, indicative number of grants: 1, contribution around 70,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 10,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 1, contribution around 10,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-02: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, 2,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 1, contribution around 2,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 8,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 4,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-04: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 6,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 1, contribution around 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, 12,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 6,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-06: HORIZON Innovation Actions, 8,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 1, contribution around 8,000,000 EUR.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-07: HORIZON Innovation Actions, 12,000,000 EUR budget, indicative number of grants: 2, contribution around 6,000,000 EUR.

Partner search announcements: There are 17 partner searches available for collaboration on this topic.

This Horizon Europe call is essentially a funding opportunity for projects that aim to develop and implement innovative, bio-based, and nature-based solutions for the remediation of polluted ecosystems in the EU and associated countries. It encourages a holistic approach, integrating scientific research, technological innovation, citizen involvement, and policy considerations to achieve a zero-pollution environment and enhance ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and successful projects are expected to contribute to the goals of the European Green Deal and the Nature Restoration Regulation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include entities eligible for Horizon Europe funding, such as research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations from EU member states and associated countries. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily grant-based, utilizing HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (COFUND) with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding, and multi-actor approach and international cooperation are encouraged.

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 made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: environment, biotechnology, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, circular economy, health, climate, agriculture, food, bioeconomy, and natural resources. Specifically, it focuses on remediation of polluted ecosystems, bio-based and nature-based solutions, and ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States and Associated Countries are mentioned. 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 project stage appears to target research, development, and innovation, with a focus on developing and implementing bio-based and nature-based solutions, suggesting stages from development to demonstration.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic, ranging from €2,000,000 for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) to €30,000,000 for Programme Cofund Actions (COFUND). Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA) have budgets ranging from €6,000,000 to €24,000,000.

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 a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants is provided for each topic, allowing for an estimation of the success rate based on the expected number of proposals.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding may be required for HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (COFUND), as these actions are designed to support programmes with co-funding from other sources.

Summary: This Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call focuses on "Environmental biotechnology applications in service of remediation of polluted ecosystems." It aims to support projects that develop and implement bio-based and nature-based solutions for the remediation of soil, sediment, and water, contributing to the EU's zero pollution action plan and the Nature Restoration Regulation. The call encourages a multi-actor approach, international cooperation, and the integration of citizen science. Funding is provided through various action types, including Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Programme Cofund Actions (COFUND), with a single-stage submission process and lump sum grants. Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, SMEs, and other relevant entities from EU member states and associated countries. The call targets projects that address the degradation of ecosystems due to pollution and climate change, promoting the use of biotechnology and digital innovation to restore and protect the environment.