Open topic: Develop Earth Intelligence solutions using environmental observations and state-of-the-art AI for sustainable competitiveness and policy m...

The Horizon Europe program is offering a grant opportunity under the call HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-01-two-stage. This initiative focuses on developing Earth Intelligence solutions using environmental observations and advanced artificial intelligence to enhance sustainable competitiveness and policymaking. The call is categorized under Research and Innovation Actions, featuring a lump sum grant model.

Submissions open on February 12, 2026, with two critical deadlines: the first stage deadline is April 15, 2026, and the second stage deadline is September 30, 2026. The total budget for this initiative is €12 million, with an expectation of two grants amounting to approximately €6 million each.

Projects funded under this call are aimed at creating AI-powered tools to support evidence-based decision-making in areas such as sustainability and climate policy. The focus areas for project applications include utilization of Earth Observation data, socio-economic datasets, and a user-centric design approach. They must demonstrate explainability and robustness in their proposed solutions while outlining strategies for further upscaling at regional and national levels.

Eligible applicants primarily include various public and private entities from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some non-EU nations, thereby emphasizing collaboration with diverse organizations. The ability to form consortia is encouraged but not strictly mandated.

Proposals are expected to align with initiatives such as the European Green Deal and other relevant international policies. The two-stage submission process includes a blind evaluation for the first stage to ensure impartial judgments based on the proposals' merits.

Overall, this program seeks to leverage cutting-edge AI and digital technologies, enhancing the responsiveness of businesses and policymakers to climate-related challenges and contributing to a sustainable future through data-driven decision support mechanisms.

The Horizon Europe program is offering a grant opportunity, HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-01-two-stage, under Call 03 - two-stage (2026) (HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-two-stage). The topic is "Develop Earth Intelligence solutions using environmental observations and state-of-the-art AI for sustainable competitiveness and policy making". It falls under the HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) funding scheme with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement.

The planned opening date for submissions is 12 February 2026. There are two deadlines: 15 April 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time and 30 September 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this topic is 12,000,000 EUR, with an indicative grant amount of around 6,000,000 EUR and an expected number of 2 grants.

The expected outcomes of the projects should contribute to: AI-based demonstrators for Earth Intelligence tools integrating observations and socio-economic data, for evidence-based decision making, where Earth Intelligence refers to data-driven decision support tools with relevant research-based assessments, data, and options; support to national, EU and international environmental policy making or implementation (e.g. European Climate Law, Preparedness Union Strategy, Nature Restoration Regulation, Paris Agreement, or Sustainable Development Goals).

The scope of the projects should include developing and demonstrating downstream applications for various use cases, such as weather and climate-related risks, environmental hazards, or biodiversity reporting. This involves using Earth Observation and relevant datasets to support sustainability and competitiveness through Earth Intelligence. The aim is to provide AI-driven tools and insights to public or private actors, also in the frame of GEO Work Programme Activities, providing observation-based evidence to include preparedness, resilience, sustainability, competitiveness, biodiversity-friendliness or climate neutrality in their operations, decision- or policymaking.

Actions funded under this topic should: engage in uptake of Earth Observation (EO) data, including output data from Copernicus, operational European weather satellites, in-situ systems (incl. relevant European Research Infrastructures data), as well as socio-economic and impact datasets; follow a user-tailored, co-design approach in the development of the use cases, to provide innovative and competitive, fit-for-purpose information for decision and planning; demonstrate explainability, robustness and replicability of the approach; convincingly demonstrate, test or validate the developed products and delineate the plans to develop possible future uptake and upscaling at national and regional (incl. beyond EU) level for possible next steps after the research project.

Proposals should build on most recent advances of AI approaches and models trained/integrating information from Earth Observations, as well as digital twins, developments in Destination Earth (e.g. including related projects funded under HORIZON-INFRA-2024-TECH-01-03: New digital twins for Destination Earth) and available EURO HPC and EU AI Factory tools and facilities. Applicants are also encouraged to identify start-up and scale-ups and seek to develop business models and market opportunities for its products, potentially in cooperation with the project funded under HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-07.

This topic is part of the EC-ESA Earth System Science Initiative, and projects should collaborate with related projects funded by ESA’s FuturEO programme, including sufficient means and resources for effective coordination.

Regarding admissibility conditions, applicants submitting a proposal for a blind evaluation must not disclose their organisation names, acronyms, logos, or names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System and Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other eligible conditions include the requirement that if projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

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

The first-stage proposals will be evaluated blindly, according to the award criteria, scoring, and thresholds 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.

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). Legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1 BLIND). Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1 BLIND).

Additional guidance and model grant agreements are available, including the HE Programme Guide, HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, Lump Sum MGA, and Operating Grants MGA. Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, EIC Work Programme 2026, ERC Work Programme 2026, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and other related documents.

There are partner search announcements available, and the submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

Applicants are encouraged to read all provisions carefully before preparing their application and to consult 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, ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment.

This Horizon Europe grant opportunity aims to foster the development and demonstration of innovative Earth Intelligence solutions. By leveraging Earth Observation data, state-of-the-art AI, and digital twins, the projects are expected to create tools and insights that support evidence-based decision-making for sustainability, competitiveness, and effective policymaking. The focus is on downstream applications addressing critical challenges like weather and climate risks, environmental hazards, and biodiversity reporting. The program encourages collaboration between research institutions, startups, and scale-ups, promoting the uptake of Copernicus and other relevant data sources. Ultimately, the goal is to provide public and private actors with the means to integrate observation-based evidence into their operations, contributing to a more resilient, sustainable, and climate-neutral future. The two-stage submission process allows for an initial blind evaluation, ensuring impartiality and focusing on the merit of the proposed research and innovation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is open to a variety of applicants, including public and private actors, start-ups, and scale-ups. The specific types of eligible applicants are further detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA). The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum. The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) used will be a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS].

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the encouragement of collaboration with start-ups, scale-ups, and other projects suggests that a consortium is preferred, although single applicants might be possible. Partner search announcements are available, indicating that collaboration is encouraged.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be EU member states and associated countries. However, the opportunity also mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. The possibility of uptake and upscaling at the national and regional level, including beyond the EU, is also mentioned.

Target Sector: The program targets several interconnected sectors, including: Earth Observation (EO), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Climate, Environment, Sustainability, Competitiveness, Policy Making, and Digital Technologies (Digital Twins, EURO HPC, EU AI Factory). The focus is on developing Earth Intelligence solutions for various use cases, such as weather and climate-related risks, environmental hazards, and biodiversity reporting.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity refers to EU member states, non-EU associated countries, and third countries. No specific countries are named, but the geographic scope includes national and regional levels, including regions beyond the EU.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is development and demonstration. Proposals should develop and demonstrate downstream applications, test or validate developed products, and delineate plans for future uptake and upscaling. The call also mentions AI-based demonstrators.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-01-two-stage is EUR 12,000,000. The indicative number of grants is 2, suggesting that the funding per project will be around EUR 6,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is a two-stage open call. The first deadline is April 15, 2026, and the second deadline is September 30, 2026. The first-stage proposals will be evaluated blindly.

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

Application Stages: The application process is two-staged.

Success Rates: The success rate cannot be determined from the provided text. The indicative number of grants is 2, but the number of applications is unknown.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-01-two-stage) aims to fund projects that develop and demonstrate Earth Intelligence solutions using Earth Observation data and state-of-the-art AI. The goal is to provide AI-driven tools and insights to public and private actors for evidence-based decision-making related to sustainability, climate change, and environmental policy. Projects should engage in the uptake of Earth Observation data, follow a user-tailored co-design approach, and demonstrate the explainability, robustness, and replicability of their approach. The call is part of the EC-ESA Earth System Science Initiative, encouraging collaboration with ESA’s FuturEO programme. The application process is two-staged, with the first stage evaluated blindly. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with a total budget of EUR 12,000,000 and an indicative number of 2 grants to be awarded, suggesting around EUR 6,000,000 per project. Eligible applicants include a variety of public and private actors from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some non-EU countries. The project stage should be focused on development and demonstration, with a clear plan for future uptake and upscaling of the developed solutions.