European partnership: Forests and Forestry for a Sustainable Future

The Horizon Europe funding opportunity titled HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-15 focuses on advancing sustainable forestry and bioeconomy innovations. This initiative aims to enhance forest sector value, biodiversity, and climate resilience in alignment with the European Green Deal and the EU Forest Strategy for 2030.

Eligible applicants include public organizations in EU Member States and Associated Countries, including universities, research institutes, governments, NGOs, and forestry stakeholders. The partnership encourages collaboration and may include new partners throughout its duration, facilitating a multi-stakeholder approach.

The primary funding mechanism is grant-based, specifically under HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions, Research and Innovation Actions, and Innovation Actions. The anticipated funding amounts range from €1 million to €5 million per project, with contributions varying by action type. The maximum grant that can be provided to any single third party over the entire Horizon Europe program is €10 million, with a funding rate of 30% of eligible costs.

A consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, emphasizing collaboration across countries. The initiative supports projects at various stages including research, development, and implementation, focusing on areas like carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable forest management practices.

The application process consists of a single-stage open call, with the submission deadline set for September 17, 2025. The call encourages synergies with other relevant initiatives and emphasizes principles like FAIR data and citizen engagement in research activities.

Overall, this grant is designed to mobilize research and innovation, aiming to transition towards a sustainable forest bioeconomy, enhancing the socio-economic and environmental aspects of forestry while integrating efforts to address global challenges such as climate change.

This is a comprehensive summary of the European Union's Horizon Europe funding opportunity, specifically focusing on the call "Cluster 6 Call 01" for the European Partnership: Forests and Forestry for a Sustainable Future (HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-15).

The primary goal of this partnership is to mobilize research and innovation to facilitate the transition to a sustainable forest bioeconomy. This transition aims to enhance forest sector value, biodiversity, and climate resilience, aligning with the European Green Deal's vision for a climate-neutral and prosperous economy by 2050 and the EU Forest Strategy for 2030.

The partnership's scope includes:

Identifying R&I priorities to align European and national research programs.
Developing new knowledge and solutions for a systemic approach to forest challenges.
Reinforcing European collaboration to understand forest ecosystem resilience.
Balancing forest functions and societal values, considering diverse stakeholder views.
Focusing on the multifunctional role and sustainable management of forests.
Considering the cascading use of forest products and supporting business development in rural areas.
Focusing on transformations toward sustainability in the forest-based and bioeconomy sector.
Ensuring forest and forest management monitoring for early alerts and impact assessment.
Strengthening international cooperation to address global challenges.

Eligible participants include public organizations in EU Member States and Associated Countries. The partnership encourages the integration of Ukraine to strengthen European sustainable forest management. It is open to new partners and aims for broad stakeholder engagement.

The funding details are as follows:

Funding rate: 30% of eligible costs.
Financial support to third parties: Allowed in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 10,000,000 per third party for the duration of Horizon Europe. The EUR 60,000 threshold typically applied to financial support to third parties does not apply here.

The call includes various topics with different types of actions and budgets:

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01: HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions, Budget: 20,000,000 EUR (for years 2025, 2026, and 2027), Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-02: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, Budget: 4,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 24,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-04: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 22,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-05: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 18,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-06: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 16,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 3, Contribution per grant: 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-07: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-08: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 14,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-09: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-10: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 11,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant: 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-01: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 10,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-02: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-04: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 10,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-05: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-06: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-07: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 18,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-08: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 11,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-09: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 10,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-10: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, Budget: 2,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-11: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 11,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-12: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, Budget: 2,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-13: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-14: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-15: HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions, Budget: 10,000,000 EUR (for 2025), 30,000,000 EUR (for 2026 and 2027), Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 10,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-02: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, Budget: 2,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-04: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-06: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-07: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2

The call adopts a single-stage submission process. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 17, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

Applicants are encouraged to explore synergies with other relevant Horizon Missions and Partnerships, such as ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’, ‘Climate-neutral and Smart Cities’, Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), Biodiversa+, Water4All, Agroecology, Built4People, and Sustainable Food Systems. Cooperation with the JRC is also encouraged for actions related to forest monitoring and management.

The call emphasizes the importance of FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable) and the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities disciplines. It also promotes citizen engagement in the co-design, co-creation, and co-assessment of research and innovation activities.

To apply, applicants should use the application form templates available in the Submission System and consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements, and other relevant documents provided on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Support services such as the Research Enquiry Service and National Contact Points are available to assist applicants.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster a sustainable forest bioeconomy through research and innovation, aligning with the European Green Deal and other key EU strategies. It encourages collaboration among various stakeholders and promotes the integration of social, environmental, and economic dimensions of forests and forestry. The call provides funding opportunities for a range of activities, including research and innovation actions, coordination and support actions, and innovation actions, with a focus on achieving climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity, and bioeconomy objectives.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is primarily targeted towards public organizations in EU Member States and Associated Countries. However, the partnership should mobilize key partners and stakeholders, including ministries in charge of research, forest-related areas, and environment, funding agencies, research performing organizations, research infrastructures, foresters, industry, NGOs, and international networks. The partnership is open to include new partners over its lifetime.

Funding Type: The primary funding mechanism is grant-based, specifically HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND), HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) under the Horizon Europe program. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity encourages collaboration and concerted actions, implying that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, although not explicitly stated as a requirement. The text mentions the need to pool resources from national or regional research programs, which suggests a consortium approach.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The opportunity is open to all EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe. Specific actions are planned to integrate Ukraine. Collaboration with strategic third-country partners is strongly encouraged, including participation of legal entities from international countries and regions, even those not automatically eligible for funding.

Target Sector: The program targets the forest-based sectors, bioeconomy, biodiversity, climate resilience, agriculture, environment, circular economy, and related industries. It aims to enhance forest sector value, biodiversity, and climate resilience through research and innovation.

Mentioned Countries: Ukraine is explicitly mentioned as a country for specific integration efforts. The opportunity is open to all EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe. Collaboration with strategic third country partners is strongly encouraged.

Project Stage: The opportunity supports a range of project stages, including research, innovation, development, and implementation. This is evident from the different types of actions funded, such as Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA).

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific action:
HORIZON-COFUND: Around €70,000,000 (with individual contributions of €20,000,000 - €30,000,000 per year)
HORIZON-RIA: Typically between €3,000,000 and €12,000,000, with some projects receiving up to €24,000,000.
HORIZON-IA: Typically between €5,000,000 and €9,000,000, with some projects receiving up to €18,000,000.
HORIZON-CSA: Around €2,000,000 to €4,000,000.
The funding rate is 30% of the eligible costs. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 10 000 000 for the whole duration of Horizon Europe.

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. Financial support to third parties is also envisioned, exclusively in the form of grants.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Partners are expected to provide financial and/or in-kind contributions, in line with the level of ambition of the proposed activities.

Summary: This Horizon Europe partnership aims to mobilize research and innovation to accelerate the transition to a sustainable forest bioeconomy in line with the European Green Deal and the EU forest strategy for 2030. It seeks to enhance forest sector value, biodiversity, and climate resilience by funding various types of actions, including co-fund actions, research and innovation actions, innovation actions, and coordination and support actions. The partnership is open to EU Member States, countries associated with Horizon Europe, and encourages collaboration with third-country partners. The funding amounts vary depending on the action type, with a 30% funding rate for eligible costs. The application process is a single-stage open call, and applicants are expected to pool resources and collaborate to address the diverse challenges in the forest-based sectors. The initiative also focuses on integrating Ukraine in the Partnership to strengthen European sustainable forest management.