Restoration of ecosystem functioning, integrity and connectivity

The BiodivConnect call represents a significant EU funding opportunity under the Biodiversa+ partnership, focusing on the restoration of ecosystem functioning and connectivity. This initiative encourages transnational research consortia composed of academic institutions, research organizations, and potential non-academic stakeholders aimed at addressing biodiversity challenges. The call is structured to support innovative research integrated into practical nature restoration efforts across diverse ecosystems, including terrestrial, marine, coastal, and freshwater realms.

Eligible applicants must form consortia involving partners from at least three different countries, explicitly including at least two EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. This emphasizes the importance of international collaboration in addressing ecosystem restoration challenges. The total budget for this grant amounts to €40 million, supporting various innovative projects that align with EU biodiversity goals.

The application process follows a two-step procedure, requiring the submission of pre-proposals followed by full proposals. Key deadlines include November 7, 2025, for pre-proposals and April 14, 2026, for full proposals. The evaluation process considers aspects such as the fit to the call's scope, novelty, and potential societal impact, ensuring that projects meaningfully contribute to ongoing biodiversity efforts.

Projects must demonstrate interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches, incorporating a wide range of academic disciplines and embracing collaboration with stakeholders outside of academia. Through this funding opportunity, the EU aims to make significant progress toward international biodiversity commitments by 2030, fostering a future where ecosystem restoration is a priority in environmental science and policy.

The Biodiversa+ BiodivConnect call is the 5th annual EC co-funded call for transnational research projects. It aims to foster innovative research integrated into nature restoration practices for interconnected and well-functioning ecosystems and habitats, with special consideration for long-term sustainability and future-proofing of restoration efforts across spatial scales, including their evaluation. The call covers restoration efforts for biodiversity in all types of ecosystems and habitats, in all regions of the world, encompassing all realms (terrestrial, marine, coastal and freshwater). It supports high-quality research and innovation projects on biodiversity and ecosystem restoration with holistic, systemic, and integrated approaches.

The call is structured around three main topics:

Topic 1: Setting restoration targets and measuring success. This topic addresses the need for coherent and operational restoration targets and measurements of success in terms of ecosystem functioning, integrity, and connectivity. Projects are expected to consider shifting baselines and integration of ecological, cultural, and social contexts, with objective-based or reference-based approaches.

Topic 2: Scaling and transferability of nature restoration efforts. This topic addresses the need for a better understanding of the possibilities and methods for meaningful and effective scaling and transferability of nature restoration efforts. It seeks advancements in approaches and processes for reproducing successful efforts across different socio-economic and environmental contexts.

Topic 3: Long-term sustainability of restoration efforts. This topic addresses the need for long-term sustainability of restored species, habitats, and ecosystems, including resilience to climate change and other pressures. It calls for advanced predictive modelling and anticipatory strategic foresight based on policy learning, as well as the development of novel approaches to restoration, experimental approaches with high risk tolerance, and/or open-ended restoration efforts such as rewilding.

The opening date for the call is 09 September 2025. There are multiple cut-off deadlines: 07 November 2025 at 12:00 (Brussels time) and 14 April 2026 at 12:00 (Brussels time). The total funding available is 40,000,000.00 €. The project acronym is Biodiversa-plus, and the full name of the EU funded project is The European Biodiversity Partnership. The grant agreement number is 101052342. The topic is HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-02-01 - European partnership rescuing biodiversity to safeguard life on Earth.

A two-step application procedure will be used, involving a mandatory submission of pre-proposals at the first step and submission of full proposals at the second step, via the Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS).

To be eligible, transnational research consortia must be composed of eligible research partners from a minimum of 3 different countries financially participating in the call and requesting support from a minimum of 3 different Funding Organisations, including at least two different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Proposals must be exclusively written in English. Each research partner involved in a proposal must comply with the eligibility criteria and rules of its national / regional funding organisations.

Research proposals will be evaluated by independent experts against the following criteria:

At step 1 (pre-proposal stage): (1) Fit to the scope of the call, (2) novelty of the research, and (3) impact.

At step 2 (full proposal stage): (1) Scientific excellence, (2) quality and efficiency of the implementation of the project plan, and (3) impact (including expected societal impact which includes policy impact, and approach to stakeholder engagement).

Research proposals shall demonstrate significant transnational added value of the project. They are expected to be interdisciplinary, involving multiple academic disciplines (natural sciences, technical sciences, social sciences, humanities and art). Proposals are also strongly encouraged to be transdisciplinary to include non-academic stakeholders working together with researchers to co-produce knowledge of high relevance for society and end-user oriented.

At least 36 funding organisations from 29 countries are participating in this call. The full up-to-date list of funding organisations participating in this call, their reserved budget, and their national / regional eligibility rules are available on the Biodiversa+ website.

The BiodivConnect call aims to support progress towards international biodiversity commitments by and beyond 2030, under the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, and relevant biodiversity policy objectives at different levels in Europe and globally.

In summary, this opportunity is a call for transnational research projects focused on nature restoration and biodiversity. It encourages collaborative, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research that addresses key challenges in setting restoration targets, scaling restoration efforts, and ensuring long-term sustainability. The call is open to consortia from multiple countries and offers significant funding to support projects that can contribute to international biodiversity goals and policy objectives. The application process involves two steps, with specific evaluation criteria at each stage.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are research partners forming transnational research consortia. The consortia must be composed of eligible research partners from a minimum of 3 different countries financially participating in the call and requesting support from a minimum of 3 different Funding Organisations, including at least two different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically an EC co-funded grant for transnational research projects.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. Transnational research consortia must be composed of eligible research partners from a minimum of 3 different countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. At least 36 funding organisations from 29 countries are participating in this call.

Target Sector: The target sector is environment, specifically biodiversity and ecosystem restoration. The call focuses on fostering innovative research to be integrated into nature restoration practices for interconnected and well-functioning ecosystems and habitats. It encompasses all realms (terrestrial, marine, coastal, and freshwater). The call also encourages interdisciplinary approaches involving natural sciences, technical sciences, social sciences, humanities, and art, as well as transdisciplinary approaches including non-academic stakeholders.

Mentioned Countries: At least 29 countries are participating through their funding organisations. The text specifies EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is research, with a focus on innovative research to be integrated into nature restoration practices. The call supports high-quality research and innovation projects.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 40,000,000.00 €. The funding range for individual projects is variable, depending on the scope and requirements of the proposed research.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support their research projects.

Application Stages: There are two application stages: a mandatory submission of pre-proposals at the first step and submission of full proposals at the second step, via the Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS).

Success Rates: The success rates are not specified in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, it mentions that research partners must be financially participating in the call, which may imply a co-funding element. The eligibility rules of national/regional funding organisations should be checked.

Summary:

The Biodiversa+ BiodivConnect call is a funding opportunity for transnational research consortia focused on biodiversity and ecosystem restoration. This is the 5th annual EC co-funded call. The call aims to support innovative research that can be integrated into nature restoration practices, fostering interconnected and well-functioning ecosystems and habitats. The call is open to research partners from a minimum of 3 different countries, including at least two EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, who form a transnational consortium. The total funding available is 40 million euros. The application process involves two stages: pre-proposal and full proposal submission via the Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS). The call covers restoration efforts in all types of ecosystems and habitats, in all regions of the world, encompassing terrestrial, marine, coastal, and freshwater realms. The call is structured around three main topics: setting restoration targets and measuring success; scaling and transferability of nature restoration efforts; and long-term sustainability of restoration efforts. The call aims to support progress towards international biodiversity commitments by and beyond 2030, under the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, and relevant biodiversity policy objectives at different levels in Europe and globally. The opening date for submissions is September 9, 2025, with a deadline of November 7, 2025, for pre-proposals and April 14, 2026, for full proposals.