Governing global commons sustainably

The Horizon Europe call numbered HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-06 focuses on "Governing global commons sustainably" and is designated as a Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA). The call is scheduled to open on May 12, 2026, with a submission deadline of September 23, 2026. A total budget of 12 million euros has been allocated for this topic, with individual project contributions ranging from a minimum of 3.5 million euros to a maximum of 4 million euros. It is expected that three grants will be awarded.

The opportunity encourages applicants from a diverse range of research-performing and policy-relevant entities, including universities, research institutes, governmental bodies, NGOs, and international organizations. The call specifically welcomes the engagement of indigenous rights holders and emphasizes a consortium approach, requiring collaboration among multiple participating organizations to foster interdisciplinary research involving policymakers, diplomats, and civil society.

The focus areas of this opportunity include climate governance, biodiversity governance, and governance of spaces beyond national jurisdiction. Expected outcomes involve enhancing the understanding of systemic challenges to sustainable management of global resources, improving science-policy interfaces, and strengthening multilateral cooperation. Research themes include the assessment of existing legal frameworks, stakeholder motivation analysis, civil society participation, and developing methods for governing global commons amidst geopolitical tensions.

Applications are to be submitted through a single-stage process, using standardized forms that include a detailed budget. The support provided is primarily in the form of lump sum grants, with no mandatory co-funding requirements stipulated. Expected research activities should engage experts and promote collaboration with a view to yielding conceptual tools and actionable insights that support sustainable governance of global commons, addressing the pressing issues of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

The application will require adherence to strict submission guidelines, detailing a clear proposal structure aligned with designated thematic areas. This call aims to harness research to equip EU institutions and other global stakeholders with the necessary tools and strategies for effective management of shared resources in an increasingly fragmented global context.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-06, focused on Governing global commons sustainably. It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 12 May 2026, and the deadline is 23 September 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this topic is 12,000,000 EUR, with individual project contributions ranging from 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR. The indicative number of grants to be awarded is 3.

The expected outcomes of funded projects are:

EU institutions, Member States, decision-makers worldwide, relevant international organisations, civil society organisations, and other societal actors having a better shared understanding of the systemic challenges and the underlying drivers and motivations that undermine managing global commons sustainably.

EU institutions, Member States, decision-makers worldwide, relevant international organisations, academies of science, higher education institutions, and research-performing organisations being better equipped with tools to improve the science-policy interface in foreign and security policies, and multilateral/national science advisory bodies in foreign policy, with recognition of the need to engage citizens in a more participatory and inclusive approach to research and policy-making.

Strengthened rules-based multilateralism through the development of concepts, methods, processes, and information relevant for decision-making that foster the sustainable governance of global commons within the evolving geopolitical context, informing the EU’s science diplomacy actions.

The scope of the call addresses the increasing threats to global commons from overuse and degradation by state and non-state actors. It highlights the need for collective management of spaces beyond national jurisdiction to ensure sustainability. The call acknowledges the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, exacerbated by geopolitical tensions, weakened multilateral cooperation, technological advances, and declining trust in science.

Key research areas include:

Reviewing the effectiveness of existing legal instruments and accompanying the implementation of new instruments with research.

Enhancing the impact of science-policy fora and their links to relevant conventions and agreements.

Mapping actors’ motivations and values on societal, corporate, and state levels across different regions and coalitions of countries.

Investigating how the current governance of global commons affects intergenerational justice and human rights, including gender equality and the impact on different social groups.

Enabling civil society to access information, provide knowledge (including Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities knowledge), and participate in the governance of global commons.

Studying the rights of appeal and redress in policies related to the global commons, including the “rights of nature”.

Developing multi- and interdisciplinary concepts and solutions for governing the global commons sustainably, including through science diplomacy and learning from best practices in different types of commons.

Exploring how imbalances in the governance of global commons may contribute to geopolitical tensions, conflicts, and human rights violations.

Considering the wider implications of governance gaps for international stability and the rules-based global order.

Proposals are expected to address one of the following thematic areas:

Area A: Climate governance: Strengthening climate governance considering the current geopolitical context, analysing drivers underlying diverging positions towards climate change, reinforcing the role of science-policy interfaces, and informing EU and global science diplomacy action.

Area B: Biodiversity governance: Examining the integration of rights of appeal and redress in environmental decision-making processes, reinforcing the role of science-policy interfaces, enhancing access to environmental information for citizens and civil society, and mainstreaming gender equality and human rights considerations into biodiversity policy frameworks.

Area C: Governance of spaces beyond national jurisdiction: Providing a cross-cutting assessment of how different types of spaces beyond national jurisdiction have been governed, studying current and emerging pressures, and developing approaches to governing these spaces sustainably despite geopolitical fragmentation.

Research activities should involve experts with practical experience, including policymakers, diplomats, the business sector, academia, civil society, and indigenous rights holders. Engagement with international partners is strongly encouraged, with involvement of the EU’s outermost regions particularly welcome for area C. Research should have a multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary systemic perspective, bringing together expertise across natural sciences and engineering as well as social sciences and humanities. Selected projects should cooperate to foster synergies and links between different governance frameworks and explore potential collaboration opportunities with other relevant EU-funded projects.

The admissibility conditions include a 50-page limit for Part B of the Research and Innovation (RIA) application using lump sum, and the mandatory submission of a detailed budget table. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, and specific provisions may apply to non-EU/non-Associated Countries. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

To ensure a balanced portfolio, grants will be awarded to applications that are the highest ranked within each thematic area (A, B, and C), provided they attain all thresholds. Proposals should clearly indicate the thematic area(s) they have selected. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the end of the action.

Application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, and a detailed budget table. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and various guidance documents related to legal entity validation, financial capacity assessment, and grant agreements.

This Horizon Europe call aims to address the critical need for sustainable governance of global commons in a world facing increasing environmental threats, geopolitical tensions, and declining trust in science. It seeks to fund research and innovation actions that can provide EU institutions, Member States, and international organisations with the knowledge, tools, and strategies necessary to manage shared resources effectively and equitably. The call encourages multi- and interdisciplinary approaches, active engagement with stakeholders, and a focus on science diplomacy to strengthen rules-based multilateralism and promote a more sustainable and just global order. By addressing climate governance, biodiversity governance, and the governance of spaces beyond national jurisdiction, this call aims to contribute to a better shared understanding of the challenges and solutions for managing global commons sustainably.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call is open to a wide range of applicants, including but not limited to EU institutions, member states, decision-makers worldwide, relevant international organisations, civil society organisations, societal actors, academies of science, higher education institutions, and research-performing organisations. The call encourages the meaningful involvement of experts with practical experience, including policymakers, diplomats, the business sector, academia, civil society, and indigenous rights holders.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) under the Horizon Europe program. The grants will be disbursed as a lump sum contribution.

Consortium Requirement: The call encourages engagement with international partners, suggesting that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, although not explicitly stated as a requirement. The involvement of experts with practical experience in relevant processes and bodies, including policymakers, diplomats, the business sector, academia, and civil society, including indigenous rights holders, is expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call targets EU institutions, member states, and decision-makers worldwide, indicating a broad geographic eligibility encompassing EU member states, associated countries, and potentially international entities, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-associated countries. Involvement of the EU’s outermost regions is particularly welcome for area C.

Target Sector: The program targets multiple sectors, including climate, biodiversity, ocean, polar regions, outer space, science diplomacy, governance, policy, social sciences, humanities, and international relations. It aims to develop multi- and interdisciplinary concepts and solutions for governing the global commons sustainably.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity details mention the EU and non-EU/non-Associated Countries. It also refers to various international groupings and coalitions of countries around the world, such as G7, G20, G77, BRICS, and Small Island Developing States.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is research and innovation actions (RIA), innovation actions (IA) and coordination and support actions (CSA), suggesting projects in the research, development, and validation stages.

Funding Amount: The funding range varies depending on the specific topic within the call, with contributions ranging from approximately €3,000,000 to €6,000,000. Specific funding amounts and indicative numbers of grants are provided for each topic. For example, HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-01 has a budget of €12,000,000 and aims to award 3 grants with contributions ranging from €3,500,000 to €4,000,000.

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 lump sum grants to support research, innovation, coordination, and support actions.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage, as indicated by the "single-stage" designation for each topic.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate. For instance, a topic with a budget of €12,000,000 and an indicative number of 3 grants suggests a more competitive environment than a topic with a similar budget but fewer grants.

Co-funding Requirement: The details do not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society 2026 work program, focuses on "Governing global commons sustainably." It seeks to fund research and innovation projects that address the systemic challenges and motivations undermining the sustainable management of global commons. The call is structured around three thematic areas: climate governance, biodiversity governance, and governance of spaces beyond national jurisdiction. It encourages multi- and interdisciplinary approaches, involving experts from various sectors and regions, to develop concepts and solutions for sustainable governance, including through science diplomacy. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants for each topic, ranging from approximately €3,000,000 to €6,000,000 per project. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of September 23, 2026. The call aims to strengthen rules-based multilateralism and equip decision-makers with the tools needed to improve the science-policy interface in foreign and security policies, fostering citizen engagement in research and policy-making.