Innovative biotechnologies to restore soil health and improve agricultural competitiveness and resilience

This summary outlines the details of a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program centered on innovative biotechnologies aimed at restoring soil health and enhancing agricultural competitiveness and resilience. Titled "Innovative biotechnologies to restore soil health and improve agricultural competitiveness and resilience," this call, designated with the code HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-05-two-stage, is set to open on February 4, 2027, with the first application deadline on April 8, 2027, and a second submission deadline on September 14, 2027.

Eligible applicants include a diverse range of stakeholders, which must participate in a multi-actor approach. This encompasses academia, research organizations, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), startups, investors, product developers, legal and intellectual property advisors, manufacturers, distribution partners, and end-users, such as farmers and practitioners. The requirement for involvement from multiple actors emphasizes collaboration across various sectors in the agricultural biotechnology value chain.

Funding for the program is provided in the form of grants classified as Innovation Actions (IA) under Horizon Europe, specifically utilizing a lump sum funding model. The total budget allocated for this specific opportunity is €12.8 million, with an expectation to award approximately two grants of €6.4 million each. Project budgets may range from €1 million to over €5 million based on the scope and composition of the consortium.

The planned projects should reach the development, validation, and commercialization stages. They must aim to advance, validate, and deploy scalable and sustainable biotechnological solutions that improve soil health and remediation, particularly leveraging the soil microbiome. Projects are expected to tackle issues such as soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and climate change impacts through innovative practices, including the development of bio-based fertilizers, microbial inoculants, and solutions for bioremediation of contaminated soils.

Geographical eligibility spans the European Union, the European Economic Area, and associated countries. Although specific countries are not mentioned, engagement across all EU member states is anticipated given the broader context of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission.

Applicants will undergo a two-stage application process. The first stage involves a concise outline proposal that evaluates on the criteria of excellence and impact. Successful candidates from this stage will be invited for the second stage to submit a comprehensive full proposal, evaluated across all designated criteria.

There are no explicit co-funding requirements, though applicants are encouraged to explore sustainability beyond the funding period. Furthermore, successful proposals should incorporate stakeholder engagement, regulatory compliance, and the establishment of market-readiness pathways.

The success rates for previous calls under Horizon Europe typically range between 10 and 39%, although specific rates for this initiative have not been disclosed.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to foster innovative solutions that contribute to sustainable soil management, addressing key European challenges while advancing agricultural productivity, environmental health, and resilience. It aligns with strategic policy objectives like the EU Soil Strategy for 2030 and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, marking a significant investment in the future of sustainable agriculture in Europe.

This is a Horizon Europe call focused on "Innovative biotechnologies to restore soil health and improve agricultural competitiveness and resilience" under the "Supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission" (HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-two-stage). It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The call is forthcoming with a two-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 04 February 2027, with deadlines on 08 April 2027 and 14 September 2027.

The expected outcome is to advance, validate, and bring to market readiness level innovative, scalable, sustainable, and cost-effective biotechnologies, particularly those leveraging the soil microbiome, which enhance crop quality and productivity, while remediating soil pollution and improving soil health. Validated, market-ready biotechnological solutions for soil remediation and soil health improvement should be made available to relevant stakeholders, to enable reduced dependency on synthetic chemicals, increased crop resilience, and agricultural productivity.

The scope addresses challenges due to soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and the impacts of climate change in Europe. It emphasizes the transformative role of biotechnology in diverse environmental conditions and land-use types. Biotechnology solutions should improve soil health, enhance crop productivity by restoring essential nutrients and microbial balance, and provide innovative methods to decontaminate and rehabilitate degraded soils and lands.

Proposals should develop, identify, upscale, pilot, and validate biotechnology solutions, particularly leveraging the soil microbiome (such as novel bio-based fertilizers or microbial inoculants but not only) which remediate, restore, and improve soil health across diverse pedoclimatic and cropping conditions. They should address bioremediation of contaminated soils (i.e., by heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, PFAS), increasing soil organic carbon stocks, improving soil structure to enhance soil biodiversity, water retention, and nutrient availability. Overall, this should lead to enhanced crop quality and productivity, enabled higher and more sustainable biomass production.

Developed solutions should be scalable, sustainable, cost-effective, and integrate circular economy principles to boost resource efficiency and support sustainable soil management practices. The economic, environmental, and social impact of developed biotechnological solutions should be assessed, and their socio-economic feasibility (including cost-benefit, adoption barriers, and market potential) should be analyzed. Scalability and market readiness should be validated through stakeholder collaboration (e.g., SMEs, farmers, industry). Challenges related to environmental stability and sustainability of the developed solutions and the adaptability to varying environmental conditions should be addressed.

Integrated market-readiness pathways for the developed biotechnology solutions should be designed to accelerate their safe, effective, and socially accepted deployment. The pathways should ensure regulatory compliance including risk assessment considerations, stakeholder engagement strategies, market acceptance analysis, and policy foresight.

Proposals must implement the 'multi-actor approach' and ensure adequate involvement of all relevant actors of the value chain, such as academia, research-technology organizations, small-medium enterprises (including start-ups), investors, product developers, intellectual property and legal advisors, manufacturing and distribution partners, as well as end-users, like farmers and practitioners.

Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources, and a plan on how they will collaborate with other projects funded under this topic and other relevant topics. They should participate in joint activities, workshops, focus groups or social labs, as well as organise common communication and dissemination activities and show potential for upscaling and cross-fertilisation. Applicants should plan the necessary budget to cover these activities.

General conditions include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries are detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions: Proposals must apply the multi-actor approach, as defined in the introduction to this work programme part and Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme and the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community. Further details are in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details are as follows:

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA).

Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).

Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.

Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA.

Call-specific instructions include a Detailed budget table (HE LS) and Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"

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 year 2027 is as follows:

HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-01-two-stage - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: 24,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2

HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-02-two-stage - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: 24,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2

HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-03-two-stage - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 16,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2

HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-04-two-stage - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: 11,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2

HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-05-two-stage - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions: 12,800,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2

HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-06-two-stage - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: 7,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 1

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the Portal.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

For support, applicants are encouraged to read the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ. Additional support is available through the Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks.

This Horizon Europe call aims to foster the development and implementation of innovative biotechnological solutions to address soil degradation and enhance agricultural sustainability. It seeks to leverage the power of the soil microbiome and other biotechnologies to improve soil health, remediate contamination, and increase crop productivity. The call emphasizes a multi-actor approach, encouraging collaboration between researchers, SMEs, industry stakeholders, and end-users to ensure the development of scalable, cost-effective, and market-ready solutions. Ultimately, this initiative contributes to the broader goals of the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and the Zero Pollution Action Plan, promoting a more sustainable and resilient agricultural sector in Europe.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include academia, research-technology organizations, small-medium enterprises (including start-ups), investors, product developers, intellectual property and legal advisors, manufacturing and distribution partners, as well as end-users, like farmers and practitioners. The call emphasizes the 'multi-actor approach,' requiring the involvement of all relevant actors in the value chain.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, provided through HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA). Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, as the 'multi-actor approach' necessitates the involvement of various actors across the value chain.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility is focused on Europe, with specific provisions for participants from non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: biotechnology, agriculture/food, environment, and innovation, with a focus on soil health, soil remediation, and sustainable agriculture. Specific emphasis is placed on biotechnologies leveraging the soil microbiome.

Mentioned Countries: While no specific countries are explicitly mentioned, the focus is on Europe and non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific provisions for funding in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project should be at the development, validation, and market readiness level, with an emphasis on upscaling, piloting, and validating biotechnology solutions. The call aims to bring innovative biotechnologies to market readiness level.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic:
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-01-two-stage: EUR 24,000,000 (around EUR 12,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-02-two-stage: EUR 24,000,000 (around EUR 12,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-03-two-stage: EUR 16,000,000 (around EUR 8,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-04-two-stage: EUR 11,000,000 (around EUR 5,500,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-05-two-stage: EUR 12,800,000 (around EUR 6,400,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-06-two-stage: EUR 7,000,000 (around EUR 7,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves two stages.

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.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated, but applicants should plan the necessary budget to cover activities such as collaboration with other projects, workshops, and dissemination activities.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under the Mission Soil initiative, seeks to advance and validate innovative biotechnologies for restoring soil health, improving agricultural competitiveness, and enhancing resilience across Europe. The call aims to address challenges related to soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change impacts by integrating biotechnology solutions. It targets a wide array of applicants, including academia, research organizations, SMEs, investors, and end-users like farmers, emphasizing a 'multi-actor approach' to ensure comprehensive value chain involvement.

The funding is provided as lump sum grants through Horizon Innovation Actions (IA) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), with project budgets ranging from EUR 7 million to EUR 24 million depending on the specific topic. Projects should focus on developing, upscaling, and validating biotechnology solutions, particularly those leveraging the soil microbiome, to remediate contaminated soils, increase soil organic carbon, improve soil structure, and enhance crop quality and productivity.

Eligible projects should ensure scalability, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness of developed solutions, integrating circular economy principles and assessing the economic, environmental, and social impacts. Applicants are expected to design integrated market-readiness pathways for their biotechnology solutions, ensuring regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, and market acceptance.

The application process is a two-stage open call, with the first deadline for contributions on April 8, 2027, and the final deadline on September 14, 2027. This initiative is crucial for achieving the objectives of the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and the Zero Pollution Action Plan, contributing to sustainable soil management and improved environmental performance in agriculture and food production.