Improved land suitability for soil health and sustainable biomass production

The grant opportunity titled HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-07 focuses on improving land suitability for soil health and sustainable biomass production as part of the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe." The program seeks to support innovative research that enhances soil health and promotes sustainable practices in biomass production, aligning with EU strategies on bioeconomy and environmental restoration.

Eligible applicants for this grant include research institutions, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and public-private partnerships involved in soil health, biomass, or sustainable land management. While the grant typically encourages multi-stakeholder collaboration, exact eligibility criteria are not clearly specified.

The funding is primarily a grant provided under Horizon Europe’s Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), aimed at delivering non-repayable financial support to selected projects. A consortium of partners is likely required for proposals due to Horizon Europe's emphasis on cross-country collaboration among EU and associated countries.

The project is expected to target geographical areas within EU member states and associated countries. Its focus spans several sectors, including agriculture, bioeconomy, and environmental conservation, addressing critical issues of soil health, biomass production, land suitability, and ecosystem restoration.

The total budget allocated for this specific topic is approximately €6 million, aimed at funding one project. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline set for September 30, 2025. As for the nature of support, it is purely monetary, provided as grants, and the application process is designed to support only one specific project under this topic.

In terms of project viability, success rates are inferred to be between 10-39%, reflecting the competitive nature of Horizon Europe grants. There are no explicit co-funding requirements mentioned; however, additional financial commitments could strengthen proposals.

The funded projects should aim to develop models that assess land suitability for biomass production, engage with land managers, review existing literature for optimal strategies, and upscale findings to broader scales. The initiative stresses the importance of open access, sustainable practices, interoperability of data, and collaboration with related projects and organizations.

Overall, this grant aims to foster research that contributes to the conservation and enhancement of soil resources while ensuring healthy and sustainable biomass production across Europe, focusing on practical solutions that prioritize environmental health and sustainability.

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission. The call, titled "Improved land suitability for soil health and sustainable biomass production," aims to support projects that contribute to reducing soil pollution, enhancing soil restoration, and minimizing the EU's global footprint on soils, aligning with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the Nature Restoration Law.

The expected outcomes of funded projects include:

Improved soil health and optimized sustainable biomass production across various land types, including agricultural lands, forests, peatlands, and marginal lands.
Enhanced understanding of the relationships between biomass production, soil biodiversity, ecosystem health, and soil-water interactions.
Better assessments of land suitability and management practices for soil restoration and sustainable biomass production.
Increased deployment of sustainable biomass production systems that improve soil health and contribute to nature restoration, climate mitigation, and climate resilience.

The scope of the call emphasizes the importance of soil properties in land use planning for biomass production. Proposals should prioritize land suitability alongside biophysical aspects like climate to maintain soil health and ensure sustainable biomass production. The call encourages activities that:

Develop process-based models using data from sources like the EUSO data repository, the European Joint Programme on Agricultural Soil Management (EJP SOIL), and Earth observation datasets to simulate soil properties, land suitability, and their impact on soil health and biomass production.
Engage with land managers to understand their needs and develop decision tools for enhancing biomass production while maintaining soil health.
Conduct a comprehensive literature review to assess optimal land suitability conditions for improving soil health and producing sustainable biomass, considering soil water interactions and socioeconomic aspects.
Broaden the scope of findings by upscaling experimental results and models to regional, national, and European scales, integrating socioeconomic data.
Focus on selecting the ten most important annual and perennial agricultural and forest crops and paludicultural plants in Europe, including peatland and marginal land biomass.
Consider multifunctional cropping systems and value creation chains that improve the nexus of soil, water, biodiversity, climate adaption, climate protection, and overall resilience.
Adapt biomass to the typical peatland vegetation for each pedoclimatic region, considering rewetting actions and avoiding afforestation.
Outline a clear pathway towards open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs, including adoption of standard-based ontologies/vocabularies and data harmonization mechanisms, through collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and the SoilWise project, ensuring FAIR data principles.
Consider the data, expertise, and services offered by European research infrastructures.
Include dedicated tasks and resources for coordination and joint activities with other relevant projects and initiatives funded under the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’.

The call specifies several general conditions related to admissibility, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, evaluation and award processes, and legal and financial setup, referencing relevant annexes and guides within the Horizon Europe framework. Specific conditions are detailed in the work program.

Application forms and model grant agreements are available in the Submission System, with guidance provided through the HE Programme Guide and other resources.

The budget overview indicates that the call is structured around multiple topics (HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01 to HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-11), each with a specific budget allocation, type of action (Research and Innovation Actions or Coordination and Support Actions), and indicative number of grants. The total budget allocated to these topics is substantial, reflecting the importance of soil health and sustainable biomass production within the Horizon Europe program. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 30, 2025.

Partner search announcements are available to facilitate collaboration among potential applicants.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster research and innovation projects that improve soil health and promote sustainable biomass production across Europe. It encourages a holistic approach that considers ecological, social, and economic aspects, with a strong emphasis on data sharing, collaboration, and the development of practical tools for land managers. The call is structured around several specific topics, each offering significant funding opportunities for eligible research and innovation actions.

The call is about supporting projects that will help improve the way we use land in Europe to grow biomass, which includes plants used for food, animal feed, restoring ecosystems, and making bio-based materials. The main goal is to make sure that we're not harming the soil while we're growing these plants. Soil is really important for our ecosystems, and if we don't take care of it, we can end up with problems like soil pollution and a bigger environmental footprint.

To achieve this, the projects should develop computer models that use different kinds of data to figure out the best ways to use land for growing biomass without damaging the soil. They should also talk to farmers and other land managers to understand what they need and create tools that can help them make better decisions. The projects should also look at existing research to find out the best ways to keep soil healthy while growing biomass.

The call also wants projects to focus on the most important crops and plants in Europe, including those that grow in peatlands and on less productive land. When it comes to peatlands, the projects should focus on plants that are naturally suited to these areas and avoid planting forests, as rewetting is the best way to restore these areas.

Finally, the projects need to make sure that all the information and data they collect is easily accessible and can be used by others. They should also work with other projects and organizations that are working on similar goals.

In essence, this call is about finding ways to grow biomass in Europe that are good for the soil, good for the environment, and good for the economy. It's about making sure that we're using our land in a way that's sustainable for the long term.

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, and other relevant organizations. The call is open for submission, implying a broad range of eligible entities.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically through HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to favor consortia, as it is a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) and Coordination and Support Action (CSA) within Horizon Europe, which typically involves multiple partners. The partner search announcements further suggest that consortia are expected.

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 Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The target sector is multidisciplinary, focusing on agriculture, forestry, environment, climate, and bioeconomy. Specifically, it targets soil health, sustainable biomass production, land suitability, ecosystem restoration, climate mitigation, and climate resilience.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions Europe and refers to EU and non-EU associated countries. It also mentions Partner countries with LTEs.

Project Stage: The project stage ranges from research to demonstration and implementation. The call aims to develop process-based models, engage with land managers, conduct literature reviews, and upscale findings, suggesting activities span research, development, and implementation.

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: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support research, innovation, coordination, and support 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 for each topic provides some insight. For example, HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01 aims to fund 1 project with a budget of €12,000,000, while HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02 aims to fund 2 projects with a budget of €11,000,000.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly mentioned. As a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action, co-funding is not necessarily required, but it can strengthen the proposal.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, "Supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission (HORIZON-MISS-2025-05)", aims to improve soil health and promote sustainable biomass production across Europe. The call is structured around several topics, each with a specific focus and budget, ranging from €3,000,000 to €12,000,000. The call encourages applicants to develop process-based models, engage with land managers, conduct literature reviews, and upscale findings to larger scales. The call targets a wide range of applicants, including universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other relevant organizations from EU member states and associated countries. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of September 30, 2025. The funding type is a grant, specifically through HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The call emphasizes the importance of open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs, as well as collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and the SoilWise project. The call contributes to the EU's Bioeconomy Strategy, the Nature Restoration Law, and the objectives of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’.