EU global footprint on soils

The EU Global Soil Footprint grant opportunity, part of the Horizon Europe program under the "A Soil Deal for Europe" mission, is focused on mitigating the EU's impact on global soils, particularly due to consumption and production of bio-based products. The initiative aims to improve knowledge and data access for stakeholders regarding how EU demand affects non-EU soils and emphasizes the need for innovative management practices that reduce this impact.

Key activities under this grant include developing a framework to assess the EU's global soil footprint, evaluating the socio-economic and environmental effects of enhanced production systems, and providing policy recommendations aimed at minimizing the EU's soil footprint. The program also aims to conduct awareness campaigns and foster international collaboration, particularly with partners from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and NGOs, with an encouragement for participation from non-EU countries. The funding primarily comes in the form of grants through Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). Various topics have specific funding amounts, ranging from €3 million to €12 million depending on the topic area.

The application process consists of a single-stage open call, with submissions opening on May 6, 2025, and closing on September 30, 2025. There are no explicit co-funding requirements mentioned, although applicants may need to contribute some project costs depending on organization type and specific call rules.

Overall, this Horizon Europe grant opportunity aims to promote sustainable soil management through innovative research and cooperation while ensuring alignment with EU soil health objectives.

The EU Global Soil Footprint grant opportunity, under the Horizon Europe program, aims to reduce the EU's global impact on soils by addressing the impact of EU consumption and production of bio-based products. This initiative falls under the 'A Soil Deal for Europe' mission, specifically targeting the reduction of the EU's global footprint on soils. The program seeks to enhance knowledge and data accessibility for policymakers and stakeholders regarding the effects of EU demand for bio-based products on non-EU soils. It also aims to improve the understanding among businesses, stakeholders, and citizens about how their choices affect global soil health and related social issues. The ultimate goal is to accelerate the adoption of innovative and reproducible management practices that minimize the global impact on soils resulting from EU demand.

To achieve these goals, proposed activities should focus on several key areas:

Develop and test a robust EU Global Soil Footprint framework to track, assess, and establish a baseline for the global soil footprint related to the EU's demand for and import of bio-based products, including food, feed, fiber, wood, and biomass.

Explore the social, economic, and environmental impacts, both positive and negative, of improved production systems in other regions. This includes examining soil conservation and restoration efforts aimed at reducing the EU's global soil footprint.

Provide policy recommendations to minimize the EU's global soil footprint, identify obstacles, and propose incentives for adopting and scaling up measures that can help reduce this footprint.

Conduct communication and awareness campaigns about the EU's global soil footprint, and demonstrate and disseminate measures to reduce it, in collaboration with international organizations like UNCCD, FAO, and UNEP.

The program strongly encourages cooperation with international partners, particularly those in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), given the region's significant biodiversity and trade relationship with the EU. Collaboration with African partners is also encouraged. Activities should align with the EU-CELAC Action Plan on Science, Technology, and Innovation.

When assessing soil impacts, proposals should consider soil health indicators from the Mission Soil Implementation Plan and soil descriptors from the proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.

Projects should include dedicated tasks and resources for coordination with other relevant projects and initiatives under the 'A Soil Deal for Europe' mission, including engagement with relevant cluster activities. Proposals should build on the results of the SOLO project and its roadmap, and collaborate with organizations like UNEP, UNCCD, FAO, and FARA. Synergies with SCAR-ARCH and Agricultural Research for Development should also be explored.

Proposals must demonstrate a commitment to open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs, working closely with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO), the Life Cycle Assessment group, and the SoilWise project.

The general conditions for this grant 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 criteria for 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.

Other eligible conditions, also described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Requirements for financial and operational capacity and exclusion, detailed 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, detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, also described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial setup 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, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025, the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, rules for legal entity validation, the EU Grants AGA, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions.

The budget overview for the call in 2025 includes several topics:

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01, a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02, a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 11,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-03, a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 6,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-04, a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 6,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-05, a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 6,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-06, a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 6,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-07, a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 6,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-08, a HORIZON-CSA with a budget of 6,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-09, a HORIZON-CSA with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-10, a HORIZON-CSA with a budget of 3,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-11, a HORIZON-RIA with a budget of 6,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 30, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

There are partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic.

In summary, this Horizon Europe grant opportunity seeks to fund projects that will develop a framework for assessing and reducing the EU's global soil footprint, particularly concerning the demand for bio-based products. It encourages international collaboration, open access to data, and alignment with EU soil health policies. The program is structured to support research and innovation actions (RIA) and coordination and support actions (CSA), with varying budget allocations for each topic. The ultimate aim is to promote sustainable practices and policies that minimize the EU's impact on global soil health.

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, NGOs, and other relevant organizations. The call encourages cooperation with international partners, suggesting that entities from non-EU countries can also participate, although their funding eligibility may vary.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically through HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). These actions provide budget-based grants to support research, development, innovation, and coordination activities.

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the call encourages cooperation with international partners and mentions the need for coordination measures and joint activities, implying that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, although single applicants might be eligible depending on the specific topic requirements.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility is for EU member states and associated countries within the Horizon Europe framework. However, the call also encourages the involvement of international partners, particularly from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Africa, indicating that entities from these regions can participate, subject to specific funding provisions outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: agriculture, environment, climate, and innovation, with a focus on soil health, bio-based products, life cycle assessment, and sustainable production and consumption.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity details explicitly mention the following regions: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Africa. No specific countries are mentioned, but the call is relevant to EU member states and associated countries participating in Horizon Europe.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project for this opportunity ranges from research and development to demonstration and policy recommendations. The call aims to develop and test a framework, explore impacts, and bring forward policy recommendations, suggesting a focus on validation and demonstration stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call:
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01: around €12,000,000
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02: around €5,500,000 (for 2 grants)
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-03 to HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-07 and HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-11: around €6,000,000 each
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-08: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-09: around €5,000,000
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-10: around €3,000,000

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, development, and coordination activities.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage, meaning applicants submit a full proposal that undergoes evaluation.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic suggests a competitive process.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned, but Horizon Europe grants typically cover a significant portion of the project costs, with beneficiaries potentially needing to provide some level of co-funding, depending on the specific rules of the call and the type of organization.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, "Supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission," focuses on reducing the EU's global footprint on soils. It seeks to fund projects that enhance knowledge, promote sustainable practices, and inform policy related to the impact of EU consumption and production of bio-based products on global soil health. The call encourages international cooperation, particularly with partners from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Africa. The projects should develop tools and frameworks to assess the EU's global soil footprint, explore the socio-economic and environmental impacts of production systems, and provide policy recommendations. The funding is provided through Horizon Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), with varying budget allocations for different topics within the call. The application process is a single-stage open call, and while co-funding is not explicitly required, it may be necessary depending on the specific circumstances of the beneficiaries. The call aims to engage a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, businesses, researchers, and citizens, to promote sustainable soil management practices and reduce the EU's environmental impact on global soils.