Long-term drivers and consequences of soil degradation: learning from the past to improve future soil health

The Horizon Europe call titled "Long-term drivers and consequences of soil degradation: learning from the past to improve future soil health" (HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-06-two-stage) is a forthcoming opportunity aiming to fund research and innovation actions focused on soil degradation. The planned opening date is February 4, 2027, with two stages for submissions: the first stage deadline is April 8, 2027, and the second stage deadline is September 14, 2027. The call has a budget of €7 million, with only one grant expected to be awarded.

Eligible applicant types for this opportunity include research-intensive consortia that are interdisciplinary in nature, comprising universities, research institutions, and centers across various fields such as soil sciences, environmental sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The call emphasizes international collaboration, particularly with institutions from China, as part of the EU-China Food, Agriculture and Biosolutions flagship initiative.

The funding mechanism is a lump sum grant which simplifies cost reimbursement, offering fixed amounts rather than traditional cost-based funding methods. The application process is competitive and follows a two-stage submission system; only those proposals that pass the initial evaluation will be invited to submit detailed applications in the second stage.

Projects funded under this call are expected to improve knowledge regarding soil health, assess long-term drivers and consequences of soil degradation, and foster public awareness of its societal impacts. Proposals should involve interdisciplinary methodologies to study and reconstruct past soil degradation patterns using various evidence, such as historical documents and archaeological data, as well as engage citizens in the research process.

The overall objective aligns with the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, the European Green Deal, and UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially concerning climate action and life on land. While specific success rates are not disclosed, the expectation of a single grant suggests high competitiveness in this area. There is no explicit requirement for co-funding, as grants typically cover 100% of eligible costs under the lump sum model.

This call serves as a crucial opportunity for research and collaboration aimed at improving sustainable land management practices and advancing understanding of soil health dynamics over time.

This is a Horizon Europe call under the program Supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission (HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-two-stage). The call aims to fund research and innovation actions related to long-term drivers and consequences of soil degradation. The type of action is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) and the Model Grant Agreement is HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS].

The call follows a two-stage submission process and is forthcoming. The planned opening date is 04 February 2027. The deadline for the first stage is 08 April 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time, and the deadline for the second stage is 14 September 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this topic are:

1. Improved access to knowledge and quantitative data on changes in soil degradation over the past centuries to millennia across different pedo-climatic regions, alongside projections for future soil health trends under different scenarios for policymakers and other relevant stakeholders.
2. Advanced understanding of the long-term drivers (and the similarities and differences with short-term drivers) and long-term consequences of soil degradation processes including their role in the climate and biodiversity systems and in the water and nutrient cycles, both in the past and in the future for policymakers, land managers and other relevant stakeholders.
3. Expanded comprehension of the social and cultural factors driving historical soil degradation and societal perceptions of soil degradation and soil health, as well as an enhanced understanding of the long-term socio-economic consequences of soil degradation processes, e.g. in terms of EU’s agricultural competitiveness, both in the past and in the future for policymakers and other relevant stakeholders.
4. Increased awareness among citizens of the societal impacts of soil degradation and the lengthy recovery process, to foster an accelerated acceptance of sustainable soil management practices.

The scope of the call is to address the limited knowledge of changes in soil health over long time scales (centuries to millennia) and the need for a thorough understanding of the drivers and consequences of soil degradation.

Proposals should:

1. Study past soil degradation processes and their socio-economic, cultural and natural drivers and consequences across different pedo-climatic regions, based on multiple lines of evidence coming from, for instance, historical documents, historical records, archaeological data, sediment archives, buried fossil soils and archived soil and plant samples.
2. Apply, validate and advance the development of methodologies to study past soil health, using techniques such as ancient eDNA analysis, pollen, spores, environmental radionuclides and other proxy indicators, and implement a multi-scalar approach to integrate these data at the scale of pedo-climatic regions.
3. Utilise numerical models and digital tools to reconstruct past soil degradation patterns and predict future trends and develop trajectories for sustainable soil management.
4. Encourage citizen and stakeholder involvement through active participation in the data collection and data analysis with citizen science initiatives, as well as carry out communication and awareness raising activities on the long-term changes of soil health and the societal impact of soil degradation.

Consortia should work in an interdisciplinary way, bringing expertise from soil sciences, environmental sciences, social sciences, and humanities (including history, archaeology, sociology, and social geography).

International cooperation is strongly encouraged, particularly with China under the EU-China Food, Agriculture and Biosolutions (FAB) flagship initiative. Development of specific technologies above TRL 4 is out of the scope of this topic.

Proposals are expected to collaborate with and build on the results of the projects funded under HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02: Social, economic and cultural drivers, and costs of land degradation. Proposals should also demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the EU Soil Observatory and the SoilWise project.

The call contributes to Sustainable Development Goals SDG 13 (Climate action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

The 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 described in 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.
5. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is 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. This is further described 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. The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is the Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

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 call in 2027 is as follows:

HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-01-two-stage - HORIZON-RIA: 24,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-02-two-stage - HORIZON-RIA: 24,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-03-two-stage - HORIZON-IA: 16,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-04-two-stage - HORIZON-RIA: 11,000,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-05-two-stage - HORIZON-IA: 12,800,000 EUR, indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-06-two-stage - HORIZON-RIA: 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.

Additional support and information can be found in the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment. Partner Search tools are also available.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on understanding the long-term impacts of soil degradation by studying historical data and using advanced techniques to project future trends. It encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and international cooperation, particularly with China. The call aims to inform policymakers and raise public awareness to promote sustainable soil management practices. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process involves a two-stage submission. The call provides a significant opportunity for research and innovation actions that contribute to the objectives of the Mission Soil and the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, ultimately supporting the Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action and life on land.

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 Innovation Actions (IA), eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The call encourages interdisciplinary consortia, suggesting that a mix of different types of organizations is desirable.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. The call explicitly states that "In carrying out the activities, consortia should work in an interdisciplinary way".

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries as described in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. The opportunity also mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the agriculture/food and climate sectors, with a focus on soil health, soil degradation, sustainable soil management practices, environmental sciences, social sciences, and humanities. It is aligned with the Mission Soil and the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, as well as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 13 (Climate action) and 15 (Life on Land).

Mentioned Countries: China is explicitly mentioned as international cooperation with China is strongly encouraged under the EU-China Food, Agriculture and Biosolutions (FAB) flagship initiative.

Project Stage: The project stage targets research and innovation actions, with a technology readiness level (TRL) below 4. The focus is on studying past soil degradation, developing methodologies, utilizing models and digital tools, and encouraging citizen involvement, indicating a research, development, and validation stage.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call.
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: The 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 stated, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-06-two-stage indicates one grant will be awarded from a budget of EUR 7,000,000, while other topics indicate two grants will be awarded.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly mentioned. However, Horizon Europe grants often cover a significant portion of the eligible costs, implying that applicants might need to secure additional funding from other sources.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, "Supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission," aims to address soil degradation by funding research and innovation actions. The call seeks to improve the understanding of long-term drivers and consequences of soil degradation, enhance access to knowledge and data on soil health changes, and promote sustainable soil management practices. Interdisciplinary consortia are encouraged to apply, bringing together expertise from soil sciences, environmental sciences, social sciences, and humanities. International cooperation, particularly with China, is encouraged. The call operates under a two-stage submission process, with funding provided as lump sum grants. The projects should contribute to the objectives of the Mission Soil, the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, and the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on climate action and life on land.