Leveraging long-term field experiments and other datasets to develop AI-ready decision support systems for sustainable soil management

The HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-04 grant opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe research and innovation initiative, specifically targeting the development of AI-ready decision support systems for sustainable soil management. The total budget for this call is €9 million, with an expectation to fund one significant project.

Eligible applicants can include research institutions, universities, public bodies, private enterprises, landowners, farmers, and advisors. The call emphasizes a multi-actor approach, requiring collaboration among various stakeholders throughout the project's lifecycle. This encourages participation not only from entities within EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries but also from organizations in Africa.

The funding mechanism is a lump sum grant under the HORIZON Innovation Actions scheme, simplifying financial management by predefining eligible costs. Moreover, beneficiaries can provide financial support to third parties, with a maximum amount of €60,000 per third party, to stimulate the creation of innovative AI applications.

Projects must focus on harmonizing soil data collection methods, integrating long-term field experiment (LTE) data with other datasets, and developing tools for analyzing this data through AI. Activities should include establishing standardized protocols for data collection, creating interoperable platforms for this data, and building a network of at least 50 LTEs across diverse climatic regions.

The application process is a single-stage open call, with a submission window opening on February 4, 2026, and closing on September 23, 2026. Proposals should be comprehensive, integrating research, technology, and practical implementation paths.

While the exact success rates are not provided, competitive indicators suggest that funding will be highly selective given the substantial budget and limited number of grants available. Co-funding is not explicitly required, though complementary in-kind contributions from participants would enhance project viability.

Overall, this call aligns with EU policy initiatives aimed at addressing soil health and sustainable management practices, fostering innovation through partnerships, and enhancing decision-making for land management through artificial intelligence and harmonized datasets.

This is a Horizon Europe grant opportunity focused on leveraging long-term field experiments (LTEs) and other datasets to develop AI-ready decision support systems for sustainable soil management. The call, HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-04, falls under the Horizon Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) funding scheme and is part of the "Supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission" call (HORIZON-MISS-2026-05). The expected outcomes include enhanced adoption of sustainable soil management solutions, harmonized methods for LTE data collection and integration, and improved access to high-quality soil data for scientists, policymakers, and land managers.

The scope of the projects should address the limitations of LTEs, such as the need for standardized data collection methods, integration with other data sources, improved data accessibility, and higher resolution temporal and spatial data. The projects should also address the challenges faced by independent advisory services on soil health, such as limited access to comprehensive data and the inability to provide tailored recommendations. The opportunity lies in using AI and machine learning to analyze complex soil data and develop predictive models for effective soil management practices.

Proposed activities should include: designing and implementing standardized protocols for harmonized soil data collection from different LTEs; developing frameworks for integrating LTE data with other relevant soil health datasets; developing open-access and user-friendly interoperable systems and platforms for data sharing; building a network of at least 50 LTEs across the EU and Associated Countries; promoting the use of the developed infrastructure for widespread data integration; developing AI-driven tools to analyze integrated datasets and generate predictive models; examining correlated explanatory covariates to facilitate spatial downscaling and forecasting; developing and training open-source AI components and nurturing open-source communities; and mining large data from publicly available databases to pre-train deep learning models and AI mobile apps for real-time soil status assessments.

The projects must implement the multi-actor approach, involving landowners, farmers, scientists, advisors, and public authorities. Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is allowed, with a maximum of EUR 60 000 per third party, to incentivize developers to create or improve innovative AI-powered applications. Proposals should build on the work of the SoilWise project and collaborate with the EU Soil Observatory. Collaboration with other Mission Soil projects and participation of African organizations are encouraged.

The general conditions for this grant include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries, other eligible conditions, and financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria. The evaluation and award process will follow the standard Horizon Europe procedures. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Additional guidance and documents are provided, including the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements, call-specific instructions, detailed budget table, and information on financial support to third parties.

The budget for the HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-04 topic is EUR 9 000 000, with an indicative number of one grant to be awarded. The planned opening date for the submission system is 04 February 2026, and the deadline for submission is 23 September 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

This opportunity is about advancing sustainable soil management by leveraging long-term data and AI technologies. It aims to create a comprehensive and accessible system that integrates soil data from various sources, including long-term field experiments, and uses AI to provide tailored advice to farmers and land managers. The goal is to enhance decision-making, promote sustainable practices, and contribute to the objectives of the Mission Soil and the EU Soil Strategy for 2030. The project encourages collaboration between researchers, farmers, advisors, and policymakers, and promotes the development of open-source AI tools for widespread use.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the context, eligible applicants could include public research institutions, scientists, landowners, farmers, advisors, local/regional/national public authorities, and third-party developers. The call encourages the participation of African organizations, suggesting that they are also eligible. The multi-actor approach implies a diverse range of actors can be involved.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the Horizon Europe Programme. Beneficiaries may also provide financial support to third parties (FSTP).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a multi-actor approach, implying that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, if not required. The text mentions building a network of at least 50 LTEs involving at least 7 owning institutions, further suggesting a consortium approach.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes the EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Participation of African organizations is encouraged, and non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the agriculture/food sector, with a focus on soil health and sustainable soil management. It also involves the use of ICT, specifically artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, to improve decision support systems for land managers.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions the EU, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and Africa. Germany is mentioned in a reference document.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is innovation actions, implying a stage of development, validation, and demonstration, with the goal of enhancing the adoption of sustainable soil management solutions.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the type of action:
HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions): around €5,000,000
HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions): around €7,000,000
HORIZON-IA (Innovation Actions): around €9,000,000
Additionally, beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties, with a maximum amount of €60,000 per third party.

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 a lump sum grant. They can also provide financial support to third parties.

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 is provided:
HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-01: 1 grant
HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-02: 2 grants
HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-03: 1 grant
HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-04: 1 grant

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement from the applicant. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Summary: This Horizon Europe funding opportunity aims to promote sustainable soil management by leveraging long-term field experiments (LTEs) and other datasets to develop AI-ready decision support systems. The initiative falls under the Mission Soil and the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, contributing to the implementation of the Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive. The program seeks to enhance the adoption of sustainable soil management practices by land managers, harmonize data collection methods, and improve access to high-quality soil data for scientists and policymakers. Projects should focus on designing standardized protocols for soil data collection, integrating LTE data with other relevant datasets, developing open-access platforms for data sharing, building a network of LTEs, and creating AI-driven tools for analyzing integrated datasets. The multi-actor approach is essential, involving landowners, farmers, scientists, advisors, and public authorities. Participation of African organizations is encouraged. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with opportunities for beneficiaries to provide financial support to third-party developers creating innovative AI applications for soil management. The call is a single-stage submission, with varying funding amounts depending on the type of action (CSA, RIA, or IA). The overall goal is to foster more effective, sustainable soil management practices through the use of cutting-edge technologies and collaborative efforts.