iCOSHELLs Open Call: New innovations and solutions to be tested by the Living Labs

The iCOSHELLs Open Call is a funding opportunity under the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe," aimed at promoting soil health restoration across six Living Labs located in the Basque Country, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. This initiative invites single applicants from various sectors, including landowners, academic and research organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), public administrations, and civil society representatives, to propose innovative practices, technologies, or tools specifically targeting soil restoration and sustainable land management.

The total available funding for the call is €900,000, distributed among successful applicants with each beneficiary eligible for a maximum of €75,000. The funding operates under a grant-based model, offering up to 100% coverage of eligible costs without requiring co-financing. Applicants are permitted to subcontract specific activities but must submit proposals from a single entity.

Eligible applicants must demonstrate capacity for field testing and comply with Horizon Europe rules, including being in good legal standing (not declared bankrupt, no fraudulent behavior) and without conflicts of interest with iCOSHELLs beneficiaries. The application process is streamlined through an online portal and is due by February 4, 2026, at 14:00 CET. Each proposal must adhere to strict guidelines, including submission in English, and will undergo a two-stage evaluation process involving an eligibility filter and remote evaluation by independent experts.

Projects funded under this call are expected to focus on validation and demonstration in real-life conditions over a 24-month period, from April-May 2026 to April-May 2028. The Living Labs will address region-specific issues such as soil structure improvement in Sweden and Italy, salinity and pollution reduction in Spain and Greece, circular restoration in the Basque Country, and sustainable viticulture in Bulgaria.

The evaluation of proposals will consider various criteria, scoring each on a scale from 0 to 5, with specific minimum requirements. Proposals that integrate multiple complementary techniques to address the distinct soil health challenges will be favored.

Selected beneficiaries will receive financial support as well as non-monetary benefits including participation in the iCOSHELLs consortium activities and co-implementation of solutions within their Living Labs. This initiative not only provides funding but also facilitates knowledge sharing and capacity building among stakeholders committed to innovative and sustainable soil management practices throughout Europe.

The iCOSHELLs Open Call is an initiative under the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe," aimed at restoring healthy soils by 2030. It involves six Living Labs (LLs) located in the Basque Country, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. The project fosters collaboration among farmers, researchers, SMEs, NGOs, and public administrations.

The Open Call (OC) will provide funding to integrate new stakeholders and prototypes, including innovative practices, technologies, or tools, for testing in real-life conditions within the six Living Labs. Successful applicants will become members of the iCOSHELLs network, participating in co-creation activities and solution validation for soil restoration and sustainable management.

Each Living Lab focuses on specific regional challenges:

Soil structure and biodiversity improvement in Sweden and Italy.
Reduction of salinity and pollution in Spain and Greece.
Circular and community-driven restoration in the Basque Country.
Sustainable viticulture and erosion control in Bulgaria.

The opening date for submissions was December 4, 2025. The deadline for submissions is February 4, 2026, at 14:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is from April-May 2026 to April-May 2028. A total of EUR 900,000 is available, and the project acronym is iCOSHELLs. The full name of the EU-funded project is INNOVATIVE CO-CREATION SOIL HEALTH LIVING LABs, with grant agreement number 101157394. The topic is HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08 - Co-creating solutions for soil health in Living Labs.

The call is limited to single applicants, either natural persons or legal entities, although subcontracting specific activities is permitted. Eligible applicants, according to Horizon Europe rules, include:

Landowners or land managers (e.g., farmers).
Academic or Research organizations.
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Public administrations.
Representatives of civil society (e.g., consumers, environmental NGOs).

Eligible applicants must have the capacity to conduct field testing. Additional conditions include:

The applicant must not have been declared bankrupt or initiated bankruptcy procedures.
The applicant must not have convictions for fraudulent behavior, financial irregularities, or unethical business practices.
There should be no conflict of interest with any of the iCOSHELLs beneficiaries.
No double funding is allowed.

Multiple submissions are allowed, requiring a separate application form for each project proposal.

The application procedures are detailed in the Guide for Applicants, available at https://www.icoshells.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/iCOSHELLs_Open-Call_Guide-for-Applicants_EN2.pdf.

Submissions must be in English. The use of AI tools for translation is permitted. English is the official language for all deliverables presented to the European Commission. Internal reports can be in the local language, translated into English for consortium sharing.

Supporting documentation includes:

Guidelines for Applicants: Overview of rules, procedures, evaluation process, and general provisions.
Application Form: Online form with administrative questions.
Proposal description: A completed document uploaded as a PDF to the application form.

Applicants must read all OC documents and follow guidelines. Failure to adhere to instructions may result in ineligibility. Applicants are required to apply online, answer all mandatory questions, select the relevant Living Lab, accept the terms and conditions, and upload the Proposal description.

The evaluation process involves two steps:

Eligibility filter: Verifies basic requirements (eligible country, call alignment, correct templates, Horizon Europe rules).
Remote evaluation: Conducted by two evaluators: one from the iCOSHELLs consortium (LL-specific) and one external evaluator.

Evaluators must follow Horizon Europe rules on fairness, confidentiality, independence, and conflict of interest. Minor language errors will not affect scoring.

Evaluation criteria include five sections, each scored from 0 to 5. The minimum score per section is 3, with an overall threshold of 15. The "Budget" section is weighted 1.5. Proposals passing both individual and overall thresholds will be considered for funding, within the available budget.

The evaluation of proposed budgets will assess:

Coherence with the work plan: Budget allocations must align with described activities, deliverables, and time frame.
Proportionality and cost-effectiveness: The budget must reflect efficient resource use relative to expected outputs and impact. Profit margins are not eligible.
Completeness and clarity: Budgets must be presented within eligible cost categories with clear justifications.

An additional scoring rule favors proposals that:

Integrate several complementary prototypes or techniques to address multiple soil health challenges.
Clearly bridge several objectives of the Living Lab scope (e.g., combining nutrient-efficiency improvement with biodiversity enhancement or salinity reduction).

The increase in score will depend on the scientific and technical quality of the testing plan and its feasibility within available resources.

The Open Call will provide up to 100% lump-sum funding of the eligible budget. At least two applications will be selected for each Living Lab. EUR 900,000 will be distributed, with a maximum amount of EUR 75,000 per beneficiary.

Selected applicants will cooperate with the iCOSHELLs consortium, participating in co-creation processes. They will become full actors within their respective Living Labs, benefiting from shared knowledge and activities, building capacity, co-implementing solutions, providing data, and participating in Living Lab initiatives.

An information webinar in English was held on Wednesday, December 17, at 10:00 CET.

In summary, the iCOSHELLs Open Call is a funding opportunity for stakeholders to contribute to soil health restoration through innovative prototypes and practices within established Living Labs across Europe. The call seeks to integrate new participants into the iCOSHELLs network, providing them with funding and a platform to test and validate their solutions in real-world conditions. The focus is on collaborative efforts to address regional soil challenges, with selected applicants becoming active members of the Living Labs and contributing to the overall goals of the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe." The application process involves a detailed proposal, adherence to specific guidelines, and a two-stage evaluation process to ensure alignment with the project's objectives and the Horizon Europe framework.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity are single applicants, either natural persons or legal entities. Specifically, eligible applicants include landowners or land managers (e.g., farmers), academic or research organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), public administrations, and representatives of civil society (e.g., consumers, environmental NGOs). Applicants must have the capacity to conduct field testing and must reside in one of the eligible countries described in the Horizon Europe general annexes to the Work Programme. Additional conditions include not being declared bankrupt, not having convictions for fraudulent behavior or unethical business practices, and not having any conflict of interest with any of the iCOSHELLs beneficiaries. No double funding is allowed.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically cascade funding, providing up to 100% lump-sum funding of the eligible budget for each selected applicant.

Consortium Requirement: A single applicant is required. However, the applicant is allowed to use part of the funding to subcontract specific activities.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes applicants residing in one of the eligible countries described in the Horizon Europe general annexes to the Work Programme. The iCOSHELLs initiative involves Living Labs in the Basque Country, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.

Target Sector: The target sector is primarily agriculture and environment, focusing on soil health, restoration, and sustainable management. This includes areas such as soil structure and biodiversity improvement, reduction of salinity and pollution, circular and community-driven restoration, and sustainable viticulture and erosion control.

Mentioned Countries: Basque Country, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is at the prototype stage, involving the testing of innovative practices, technologies, or tools in real-life conditions within the Living Labs. The projects should focus on validation and demonstration of solutions for soil restoration and sustainable management.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is EUR 900,000. Each beneficiary can receive a maximum amount of EUR 75,000. At least two applications will be selected for each Living Lab.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump-sum funding. They will also receive non-monetary services through cooperation with the iCOSHELLs consortium, inclusion in co-creation processes, access to knowledge shared by the project, capacity building, and co-implementation of solutions in their experimental sites.

Application Stages: The application process involves two stages: an eligibility filter and a remote evaluation. The eligibility filter verifies that applicants meet basic requirements, such as eligible country, call alignment, correct templates, and adherence to Horizon Europe rules. The remote evaluation involves assessment by two evaluators: one from the iCOSHELLs consortium (LL-specific) and one external evaluator.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the call is described as competitive. At least two applications will be selected for each Living Lab, suggesting a relatively low success rate given the likely number of applications.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly required, as the call provides up to 100% lump-sum funding.

Summary: The iCOSHELLs Open Call, part of the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe," aims to restore healthy soils by 2030. It supports the integration of new stakeholders and prototypes into six Living Labs located in the Basque Country, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. The call is open to single applicants, including landowners, researchers, SMEs, public administrations, and civil society representatives, who can propose innovative practices, technologies, or tools for soil restoration and sustainable management. Selected applicants will receive up to EUR 75,000 in lump-sum funding and will become full members of the iCOSHELLs network, participating in co-creation activities and solution validation. The application process involves an eligibility filter and a remote evaluation, with proposals evaluated based on criteria such as coherence with the work plan, proportionality and cost-effectiveness, and completeness and clarity of the budget. The call seeks to address specific regional challenges, including soil structure and biodiversity improvement, reduction of salinity and pollution, circular restoration, and sustainable viticulture. Applicants must submit their proposals in English through the iCOSHELLs OC page by February 4, 2026. The initiative provides an opportunity for stakeholders to test and validate their solutions in real-life conditions, contributing to the broader goal of achieving healthy soils in Europe.