Open topic: Innovative solutions for the European Water Resilience Strategy

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals focused on innovative solutions for the European Water Resilience Strategy, opening on February 4, 2027. The call falls under the HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-01-two-stage initiative and is set to provide a total budget of €11 million. This budget is aimed at funding two projects, each expected to receive a lump sum grant of €5.5 million.

Eligible applicants include research and innovation consortiums comprising universities, research organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises, larger companies in the water technology sector, water utilities, public authorities, agricultural enterprises, energy producers, NGOs, and various stakeholders including land managers and local authorities. A multi-actor approach is mandatory, requiring diverse stakeholder involvement throughout the project.

The funding will follow a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant structure, allowing for simplified financial management focusing on project results rather than detailed cost accounting. A consortium comprising multiple stakeholders is a strict requirement for this call, with no single-applicant proposals accepted. The opportunity is primarily targeted at EU Member States and Associated Countries, with possible participation from some non-EU countries under specific provisions.

Projects should focus on the development, validation, demonstration, and early commercialization of creative solutions that address the water cycle's restoration, create water-smart economies, and ensure clean, affordable water for all. Proposals need to outline plans for future scalability and implementation, particularly in facing climate change challenges.

The application process involves two stages. The first stage requires a brief proposal submitted by April 8, 2027, which will be evaluated without knowledge of the applicant's identity. Selected proposals will advance to the second stage, with a full proposal submission due by September 14, 2027.

Success rates are expected to be below 10% due to high competition, limited grants, and rigorous evaluation criteria. Co-funding is not formally required, but participants are encouraged to demonstrate financial sustainability and private investment commitment to enhance their proposals' competitiveness. This call strategically aligns with broader EU initiatives on water resilience, circular economy, and climate adaptation. It aims to contribute significant innovations towards EU water management and resilience goals by 2050.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals under Call 02, a two-stage call for 2027, focusing on "Innovative solutions for the European Water Resilience Strategy". The call falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program. The expected outcomes of the projects should contribute to the European Water Resilience Strategy objectives, specifically: restoring the water cycle, fostering water-smart economies, and ensuring clean and affordable water for all.

The European Commission has adopted the European Water Resilience Strategy, and this call aims to find creative and disruptive solutions for its implementation. Proposals should detail how they plan to demonstrate, test, or validate their developed tools and solutions. A multi-actor approach is mandatory, involving relevant stakeholders such as farmers, water-intensive industries, energy producers, land managers, water governance bodies, and local authorities. Plans for future uptake and upscaling at local, national, and EU levels should be included. The integration of gender and intersectional dimensions should be addressed if relevant. Proposals should build upon previous research, avoiding duplication, and should leverage relevant Copernicus elements. Complementarities with other projects funded under previous Framework Programmes, the Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All), the EU Missions 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030', 'Adaptation to Climate Change' and 'A Soil Deal for Europe' should be fostered. Collaboration with other projects funded under this topic is required.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can support the awarded consortium with its expertise on water-related risks and the Copernicus Emergency Management Service.

Proposals should address one or more of the following actions:

Restore the Water Cycle:
 Uptake of innovative solutions to help retain water in natural ecosystems at regional level, including groundwater, to restore free flowing and renaturalising river shapes, to promote water-efficient practices and optimised soil-water interactions, to implement the source-to-sea approach and supporting biodiversity.
 Increase preparedness against water scarcity, droughts and floods, and integrate global change adaptation strategies, including climate-resilient water infrastructure, early warning systems, and risk assessments to enhance the resilience of water systems to future climate impacts.
 Improve hydrological and ecological monitoring to better assess the impacts of various water resources management actions and interventions, while facilitating cross-border collaboration and open access to data.

Water Smart Economies:
 Identify techniques or methodologies and their advantages and develop indicators for water efficiency in various water consuming sectors, e.g. agriculture.
 Develop and propose water pricing systems and certification systems that rewards sustainable land management practices and that promote the efficient provision of water services and the efficient use of water.
 Propose a set of innovative technological and digital solutions for the water (services) sector and water user sectors, to promote a water-smart economy and to implement the water efficiency first principle.
 Develop and upscale innovative water reuse and recycling solutions, including potable applications where appropriate, contributing to circular water use.

Ensuring Clean and Affordable Water for All:
 Analyse the barriers that prevent public participation and engagement and developing actions to increase public awareness and engagement in drinking water resource protection and river basin management plans.
 Develop cost effective measures to ensure equitable access to affordable water and sanitation for groups in vulnerable situations such as women, children, elder people, low-income communities, indigenous peoples, or persons with disabilities LGBTIQ people, people with a racial or religious minority background.
 Develop methodologies to improve the influence of water footprint over consumption processes/patterns.

The general conditions include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries (described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide), and other eligibility conditions such as the use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for projects using satellite data. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a beneficiary with zero funding or as an associated partner. The multi-actor approach is an additional eligibility criterion.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D, with first-stage proposals evaluated blindly. Submission and evaluation processes are detailed in Annex F and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also described in Annex F.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. Legal and financial setup of the grants is described in Annex G. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application forms are available in the Submission System, with standard application forms (HE RIA, IA) and evaluation form templates. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, detailed budget table (HE LS), and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, and 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, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are partner search announcements available. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header. Support is available through 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.

The budget overview includes the following topics:

HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-01-two-stage: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) with a budget of 11,000,000 EUR. The call is two-stage, opening on 2027-02-04, with deadlines on 2027-04-08 and 2027-09-14. Approximately 2 grants will be awarded, with contributions around 5,500,000 EUR each.

HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR. The call is two-stage, opening on 2027-02-04, with deadlines on 2027-04-08 and 2027-09-14. Approximately 2 grants will be awarded, with contributions around 6,000,000 EUR each.

HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR. The call is two-stage, opening on 2027-02-04, with deadlines on 2027-04-08 and 2027-09-14. Approximately 2 grants will be awarded, with contributions around 6,000,000 EUR each.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks innovative projects that contribute to the European Water Resilience Strategy by addressing the restoration of the water cycle, promoting water-smart economies, and ensuring clean and affordable water for all. It encourages a multi-actor approach, demonstration and validation of solutions, and upscaling plans. The call is structured in two stages, with specific deadlines and budget allocations for Innovation Actions and Research and Innovation Actions. Applicants should carefully review the general and specific conditions, leverage Copernicus elements, and ensure complementarities with other relevant EU initiatives. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and detailed guidance and support are available through various channels.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, the call mentions the importance of the multi-actor approach and the involvement of stakeholders such as farmers, water intensive industries, energy producers, land managers, water governance bodies and local authorities. This suggests that a variety of entities, including but not limited to research institutes, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, NGOs, governmental bodies, and other relevant organizations, are likely eligible, provided they can demonstrate relevant expertise and stakeholder engagement. The Enterprise Europe Network is mentioned, suggesting SMEs are encouraged to apply.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. 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.

Consortium Requirement: The call emphasizes the multi-actor approach and the need for collaboration, strongly suggesting that a consortium is required. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium. Partner search announcements are available, further indicating the need for consortia.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility is for EU member states and associated countries, as this is a Horizon Europe program. However, the text 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. Applicants should consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide for detailed information on eligible countries.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is environment, specifically focusing on water resilience and related areas. This includes: Water management, Water technology, Climate change adaptation, Agriculture (related to water use), Biodiversity, Circular economy (water reuse and recycling), Hydrological and ecological monitoring, Water governance, and Digital solutions for the water sector. The call also touches upon sectors like energy, agriculture, and industry due to their water usage.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the call is open to EU member states and associated countries. The text refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for funding participants, indicating that some third countries may be eligible.

Project Stage: The expected project stage is geared towards demonstration, testing, and validation of developed tools and solutions. The call seeks creative or disruptive solutions and emphasizes the need for proposals to convincingly explain how they will plan and/or carry out demonstration, testing or validation of developed tools and solutions. Therefore, the project stage is primarily at the validation and demonstration phases, potentially leading to commercialization and scale-up.

Funding Amount: The budget overview provides specific figures for different topics: HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-01-two-stage has a budget of EUR 11,000,000, with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 5,500,000. HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage and HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage each have a budget of EUR 12,000,000, with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 6,000,000. Therefore, the funding range is approximately EUR 5.5 million to EUR 6 million per project.

Application Type: The application type is a two-stage open call. The call is part of the Horizon Europe Programme, and the submission process is managed through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The first stage involves a blind evaluation.

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

Application Stages: The application process is two-stage. The first stage proposals of this topic will be evaluated blindly.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

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

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call focuses on "Innovative solutions for the European Water Resilience Strategy" and aims to address challenges related to water management, climate change adaptation, and ensuring clean and affordable water for all. The call is structured around three main actions: Restore the Water Cycle, Water smart economies, and Ensuring clean and affordable water for all. Proposals should offer creative and disruptive solutions, with a strong emphasis on demonstration, testing, and validation of tools and solutions. The multi-actor approach is crucial, requiring the involvement of diverse stakeholders such as farmers, industries, and local authorities. Projects should leverage Copernicus elements and ensure complementarities with other EU initiatives. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a two-stage submission with a blind evaluation in the first stage. The call is primarily targeted at consortia comprising entities from EU member states and associated countries, although some third countries may also be eligible. The indicative funding per project ranges from approximately EUR 5.5 million to EUR 6 million. The overall goal is to contribute to the objectives of the European Water Resilience Strategy by promoting innovative and sustainable water management practices across various sectors.