Novel combinations of knowledge and research methods to address social issues and advance a fair green transition of neighbourhoods

The Horizon Europe funding opportunity titled "Novel combinations of knowledge and research methods to address social issues and advance a fair green transition of neighbourhoods" (HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-PARTICIPATION-03) is aimed at fostering innovative solutions through collaborative research and innovation actions. This upcoming grant initiative, scheduled to open on May 5, 2027, and close on December 1, 2027, offers a lump sum financial mechanism with a budget of €14 million allocated specifically for four expected grants, each potentially worth €3.5 million.

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, public authorities, NGOs, social enterprises, private companies including small and medium-sized enterprises, and local community organizations, with a particular emphasis on including social sciences and humanities expertise in proposals. The project requires the formation of consortia to encourage multi-disciplinary approaches, as no single organization can apply independently. Participants must be based in EU Member States or Associated Countries, and proposals should involve testing approaches in at least three neighbourhoods located in different countries to ensure diverse geographical representation.

The initiative targets sectors related to environmental sustainability, urban development, social inclusion, housing affordability, and community engagement. The focus is on understanding and addressing social challenges that impact green transitions within neighborhoods.

Applications will go through a single-stage evaluation process with no prior expression of interest required. Successful proposal submissions will be evaluated based on their excellence, implementation strategy, and impact criteria. While specific success rates for this call are not disclosed, historical data suggests rates typically range from 10% to 20%. There is no explicit co-funding requirement for the grants, although leveraging additional funding from various sources is encouraged.

Projects funded under this initiative must develop transdisciplinary approaches, integrating knowledge from scientific research and local community insights. Successful applicants will be expected to contribute to the New European Bauhaus initiative, which emphasizes sharing findings and best practices.

Overall, this grant represents a significant investment in promoting fair, sustainable development in urban areas, addressing multifaceted social issues through empirical research and collaborative efforts among various stakeholders.

This is a description of a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, specifically the call "Innovative models for neighbourhoods that integrate beauty, inclusiveness and sustainability (HORIZON-NEB-2027-01)". The focus is on "Novel combinations of knowledge and research methods to address social issues and advance a fair green transition of neighbourhoods" (HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-PARTICIPATION-03). This is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The deadline model is single-stage, with a planned opening date of 05 May 2027 and a deadline of 01 December 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of funded projects are:
1. A better understanding within the scientific community, public authorities, and neighbourhood actors of social issues influencing the green transition in neighbourhoods, achieved through novel, transdisciplinary combinations of knowledge and research methods.
2. Robust evidence informing decision-making, policymaking, design and planning, and/or public service design for the green transition of neighbourhoods, including their nature-positive transformation, resulting from novel, transdisciplinary combinations of knowledge and research methods.
3. Skills transfer among the scientific community and non-scientific actors involved in planning and implementing the green transition at the neighbourhood level.

The scope of the funding opportunity is to address social challenges (e.g., access to affordable housing, energy poverty, access to quality green spaces) that impact the quality of life, health, and well-being of individuals and communities in neighbourhoods and influence how inhabitants experience and engage with the green transition. It acknowledges that the know-how of local communities and other non-scientific actors remains underexplored in generating and/or validating solutions to advance the green transition. The topic focuses on innovative approaches for combining knowledge from local communities and non-scientific actors with scientific knowledge and/or formal research methods to address social issues that influence the green transition in neighbourhoods.

Proposals are expected to:
1. Develop an innovative, transdisciplinary approach that brings novel insights on social issues that hinder a fair green transition in neighbourhoods, including their nature-positive transformation. This approach should:
 * Define the social issue(s) to be investigated.
 * Where relevant, identify links between the social issue(s), relevant social phenomena, and local specificities.
 * Integrate knowledge from local communities and non-scientific actors with scientific knowledge and/or formal research methods that are not usually combined.
 * Be tested or validated in at least three neighbourhoods (in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas) located in different Member States and/or Associated Countries.
2. Propose guidelines and recommendations for the uptake of the resulting insights and transdisciplinary approaches in decision-making, policymaking, design and planning, and/or public service design for neighbourhoods.

Proposals are expected to follow a participatory and transdisciplinary approach through the integration of different actors and disciplines. The effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines, the involvement of SSH experts and institutions, and the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise are required. Proposals are expected to allocate at least 0.8% of their budget for engaging with the Horizon Europe-funded 'New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact' to share their intermediate and final results, findings and learning, as well as to contribute to impact assessment.

General conditions for participation 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.
2. Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as 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 described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
 * Submission and evaluation processes described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
 * 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.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme and Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information:
* Application form templates are available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE RIA, IA).
* Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations (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 on lump sums.

Additional documents include:
* HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
* HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB)
* HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
* EIC Work Programme 2026
* ERC Work Programme 2026
* 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 lists several topics under the call, including:
* HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-BUSINESS-01 (HORIZON-IA): Budget 10,000,000 EUR, indicative grant around 5,000,000 EUR, 2 grants
* HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-BUSINESS-02 (HORIZON-RIA): Budget 10,500,000 EUR, indicative grant around 3,500,000 EUR, 3 grants
* HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-BUSINESS-03 (HORIZON-RIA): Budget 7,000,000 EUR, indicative grant around 3,500,000 EUR, 2 grants
* HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-PARTICIPATION-01 (HORIZON-IA): Budget 10,760,000 EUR, indicative grant around 5,380,000 EUR, 2 grants
* HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-PARTICIPATION-02 (HORIZON-IA): Budget 10,500,000 EUR, indicative grant around 5,250,000 EUR, 2 grants
* HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-PARTICIPATION-03 (HORIZON-RIA): Budget 14,000,000 EUR, indicative grant around 3,500,000 EUR, 4 grants
* HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-REGEN-01 (HORIZON-RIA): Budget 12,000,000 EUR, indicative grant around 4,000,000 EUR, 3 grants
* HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-REGEN-02 (HORIZON-RIA): Budget 8,000,000 EUR, indicative grant around 4,000,000 EUR, 2 grants
* HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-REGEN-03 (HORIZON-IA): Budget 11,000,000 EUR, indicative grant around 5,500,000 EUR, 2 grants

Partner search announcements are available for collaboration on this topic. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header. General FAQs and support are available through the provided links.

In summary, this Horizon Europe funding opportunity aims to foster innovative, transdisciplinary research that combines local community knowledge with scientific methods to address social issues hindering a fair green transition in neighbourhoods. Projects should develop and test approaches in diverse neighbourhoods, provide guidelines for uptake, and contribute to the New European Bauhaus initiative. Funding is provided as a lump sum, and proposals must involve SSH disciplines and allocate a portion of the budget to engage with the New European Bauhaus hub. The call encompasses various topics related to business, participation, and regeneration within the context of the green transition.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the Horizon Europe framework, eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, non-profit organizations, public authorities, and other relevant entities from eligible countries. The call emphasizes the involvement of local communities and non-scientific actors, suggesting that NGOs and community-based organizations are also encouraged to apply, potentially in partnership with more traditional research institutions.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the Type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) being HORIZON-AG-LS.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. The proposals are expected to be tested or validated in at least three neighbourhoods located in different Member States and/or Associated Countries, implying the need for multiple partners to cover these locations. The emphasis on transdisciplinary approaches also suggests the need for a consortium with diverse expertise.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries, as stated in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. The text also mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects, so eligibility may extend beyond the EU and Associated Countries under certain conditions.

Target Sector: The program targets multiple sectors, including social sciences and humanities (SSH), urban and rural development, environmental sustainability, energy, housing, and community engagement. It focuses on the green transition in neighbourhoods, integrating social, economic, and environmental aspects.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries as the primary geographic focus. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific funding provisions, indicating a broader potential scope.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is research and innovation actions (RIA). The call aims to develop and test innovative approaches, implying a stage of development, validation, and demonstration rather than just basic research or commercialization.

Funding Amount: The funding range varies depending on the specific topic within the call. For the topic "Novel combinations of knowledge and research methods to address social issues and advance a fair green transition of neighbourhoods" (HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-PARTICIPATION-03), the budget is EUR 14,000,000, with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 3,500,000. Other topics within the call have different budget allocations and indicative grant amounts, generally ranging from EUR 7,000,000 to EUR 12,000,000 per topic, with individual grant amounts typically between EUR 3,500,000 and EUR 5,500,000.

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 to support their research and innovation actions.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage, as indicated in the budget overview.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, the topic HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-PARTICIPATION-03 aims to award around 4 grants with a budget of EUR 14,000,000.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, Horizon Europe grants often encourage or require some level of co-funding, which would be detailed in the specific call documents.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, "Innovative models for neighbourhoods that integrate beauty, inclusiveness and sustainability (HORIZON-NEB-2027-01)," aims to foster a fair green transition in neighbourhoods by combining knowledge from local communities and scientific research. The call seeks innovative, transdisciplinary approaches to address social issues hindering this transition, such as access to affordable housing, energy poverty, and quality green spaces. Projects should integrate knowledge from local communities with scientific methods, test their approaches in at least three diverse neighbourhoods across EU Member States or Associated Countries, and provide guidelines for broader uptake. The call requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities and allocates a portion of the budget for engaging with the New European Bauhaus hub. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and applications are submitted through a single-stage process. The geographic focus is primarily on EU Member States and Associated Countries, with potential for participation from non-EU/non-Associated Countries under specific conditions. This initiative is designed to promote skills transfer, inform decision-making, and enhance the societal impact of research activities related to the green transition at the neighbourhood level.