Facilitating implementation of actionable solutions for climate adaptation of regions and local authorities

This summary focuses on the upcoming EU grant opportunity titled HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-02 under the Horizon Europe program, specifically aimed at facilitating the implementation of actionable solutions for climate adaptation in regions and local authorities. This initiative is part of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, which has previously funded over 50 projects to develop climate adaptation solutions. The opportunity is structured as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with a funding amount of €5 million, provided as a lump sum grant.

The call is open to a wide range of eligible applicants, including research organizations, universities, various enterprises, public bodies, non-governmental organizations, and others with expertise in climate adaptation and knowledge management. While regional and local authorities are the primary target audience for the solutions developed, their participation in the consortium is not mandatory. It is emphasized that successful proposals will act as knowledge brokers to ensure that actionable solutions derived from research are made accessible to the relevant decision-makers.

The project kicks off on February 4, 2026, with a submission deadline of September 23, 2026, and will be expected to run until the end of 2030. Successful applicants must demonstrate capability to work closely with the Mission secretariat, the Mission Implementation Platform, and National Hubs to ensure effective dissemination and collaboration. The proposal should present a structured inventory of climate adaptation solutions, allowing for replication and implementation tailored to local conditions. Critical aspects include multilingual outreach to make solutions accessible to a broader audience.

Overall, this grant opportunity aims to address practical climate adaptation needs and enhance the knowledge flow between research outcomes and local governance. The focus is on the systematic identification and dissemination of tested adaptation solutions, engaging with various stakeholders, and embedding actionable insights into EU policy-making processes.

This EU funding opportunity aims to facilitate the implementation of actionable solutions for climate adaptation in regions and local authorities. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program and specifically supports the implementation of the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission (HORIZON-MISS-2026-1). The action type is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. It is a forthcoming, single-stage deadline model with a planned opening date of February 4, 2026, and a deadline of September 23, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of successful proposals include:

A wide range of climate adaptation solutions tested and deployed within the Adaptation Mission, along with good practices from its Community of Practice, are harvested, assessed, structured, and systematized to support the Mission's implementation.
Regional and local authorities gain access, in their local languages, to the latest and most actionable climate adaptation solutions relevant to their specific climatic conditions.
Adaptation solutions stemming from research and innovation are prepared for replication and scale-up, contributing to the delivery of the Adaptation Mission and accelerating adaptation efforts across Europe.
The legacy of knowledge created by the Mission is ensured.
Knowledge and understanding of the policy implications of adaptation solutions are increasingly utilized in policy cycles at the EU, national, regional, and local levels.

The scope of the funding opportunity includes:

Rationale: EU Missions, grounded in Research and Innovation, aim to mobilize R&I actors to tackle pressing societal issues. The Adaptation Mission has funded over 50 projects to develop climate adaptation solutions. This topic aims to ensure that actionable solutions are actively brought to the knowledge of decision-makers and made available to regions and local authorities.
Target Audience: The primary target audience is regional and local authorities, particularly those already involved in the Adaptation Mission. These authorities should benefit from the project, which will use the Mission Implementation Platform’s channels to provide new information products based on their needs.

Activities of the Project: Proposals should address the following aspects:

Systematically identify and harvest knowledge and solutions from relevant projects, prioritizing those funded by the Adaptation Mission but also considering other relevant projects from Horizon Europe and other EU and national funding programs.
Produce a detailed inventory of adaptation solutions, in coordination with the Mission Implementation Platform. Each solution should be presented in a way that enables regions and local authorities to easily implement or replicate it. The inventory should:
Be structured in line with the Mission Implementation Plan’s “key community systems and enabling conditions” to ensure maximum coherence within the Mission.
Build on previous analyses or information already harvested by REGILIENCE-plus, other projects such as NetworkNature+, RESIST’s inventory, and other relevant projects/initiatives.
Include key information to allow for replication, such as cost-effectiveness, financing, and potential barriers and enablers.
Proactively promote these solutions to regions and local authorities participating in the Adaptation Mission to support replication and uptake, using a multilingual approach.
Support authorities in the development and implementation of solutions in their regional and local contexts (i.e., know-how).
Feed the EU policy cycle by identifying good practices that merit attention from EU policymakers to strengthen policy innovation.
The project is expected to last until the end of 2030.

Links to the Mission and other projects and initiatives: Collaboration with the Mission and other initiatives is crucial. Close collaboration should be sought with:

Mission secretariat to ensure the relevance of activities.
The Mission Implementation Platform to support and cooperate with, avoid duplication, and streamline communication. This collaboration should be formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding.
The National Hubs to enhance information dissemination tailored to the national context.
Collaboration with other relevant platforms, projects, and initiatives is encouraged.
Applicants should acknowledge these elements and allocate resources and budget to engage and collaborate with the Mission.

General conditions for admissibility include:

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.
Eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may exist 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 setup of the grants: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of July 7, 2021.
Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

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

Application form templates are available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE CSA).
Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form HE CSA).
Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include HE MGA and Lump Sum MGA.
Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 12. Missions
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
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

The budget overview for the call in 2026 is as follows:

HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-01 - HORIZON-CSA: 10,000,000 EUR, single-stage, indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-02 - HORIZON-CSA: 5,000,000 EUR, single-stage, indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-03 - HORIZON-RIA: 9,186,307.3 EUR, single-stage, indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-04 - HORIZON-CSA: 5,000,000 EUR, single-stage, indicative number of grants: 1
HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-05 - HORIZON-IA: 21,000,000 EUR, single-stage, indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-06 - HORIZON-RIA: 12,000,000 EUR, single-stage, indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-07 - HORIZON-CSA: 20,000,000 EUR, single-stage, indicative number of grants: 1

There are 13 partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header. There are no topic Q&As available, but general FAQs are available.

Support is available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and Partner Search.

In summary, this funding opportunity seeks to enhance the implementation of climate adaptation solutions by bridging the gap between research and practical application at the regional and local levels. It aims to create a comprehensive, accessible, and multilingual inventory of effective adaptation strategies, fostering collaboration among key stakeholders and feeding valuable insights into EU policymaking. The program is designed to run until the end of 2030 and offers substantial funding for coordination and support actions, research and innovation actions, and innovation actions, all contributing to the broader goals of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and the European Climate Adaptation Plan.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations with expertise in climate adaptation, knowledge management, and dissemination. Regional and local authorities are the target audience but are not expected to participate in the consortium.

Funding Type: The funding type includes grants for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), and Innovation Actions (IA) under the Horizon Europe Programme. The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium of multiple applicants, as it emphasizes collaboration with various actors, platforms, and initiatives. Although regional and local authorities are the target audience, they are not expected to participate in the consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-associated countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The target sector is climate adaptation, with a focus on facilitating the implementation of actionable solutions for climate adaptation of regions and local authorities. It also involves knowledge management, dissemination, and policy innovation.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity is focused on the European Union, with mentions of EU member states and associated countries. There is also a reference to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific provisions for funding.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on the implementation and replication of existing solutions, rather than basic research. It involves harvesting, assessing, structuring, and systematizing knowledge and solutions from relevant projects, with an emphasis on making these solutions accessible and actionable for regional and local authorities.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the type of action:
HORIZON-CSA: €5,000,000 to €20,000,000, with one grant per topic except for HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-02 and HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-04
HORIZON-RIA: €9,186,307.3 to €12,000,000, with one to two grants per topic
HORIZON-IA: €21,000,000, with three grants per topic

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant to support their coordination, research, and innovation activities.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants per topic provides some insight into the potential competitiveness of each call.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary: This opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically under the call supporting the implementation of the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission. It aims to mobilize research and innovation actors to address climate adaptation challenges in regions and local authorities across Europe. The focus is on identifying, harvesting, and disseminating actionable solutions for climate adaptation, with the goal of accelerating adaptation efforts and informing EU policy cycles. The funding is provided through lump sum grants for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), and Innovation Actions (IA). Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other relevant organizations with expertise in climate adaptation, knowledge management, and dissemination. Regional and local authorities are the target audience but are not expected to participate in the consortium. The geographic scope includes EU member states and associated countries, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-associated countries. The application process involves a single-stage submission, and collaboration with various actors, platforms, and initiatives is emphasized. The project is expected to last until the end of 2030.