Soil Salinity in Europe: Drivers, indicators, current levels and temporal changes

The European Commission is offering funding through the Horizon Europe program specifically under the "Soil Deal for Europe" mission. This call, identified as HORIZON-MISS-2025-05, focuses on addressing the critical issue of soil salinity across Europe. It aims to halt and reduce secondary salinization, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action and sustainable land management.

Funding for this call is allocated across multiple topics, each with specific budgets and goals, falling under two main categories: Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The submission window opens on May 6, 2025, with a deadline of September 30, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. All submissions are required to follow a single-stage process.

The budget allocation for various topics is as follows:
- HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative grants: 1
- HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 11,000,000 EUR, Indicative grants: 2
- HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-03 to HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-07: HORIZON-RIA, each with a Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative grants: 1
- HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-08: HORIZON-CSA, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative grants: 1
- HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-09: HORIZON-CSA, Budget: 5,000,000 EUR, Indicative grants: 1
- HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-10: HORIZON-CSA, Budget: 3,000,000 EUR, Indicative grants: 1
- HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-11: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative grants: 1

Successful projects should aim to provide policymakers and stakeholders with improved indicators, knowledge, and quantitative data about soil salinity in Europe. Goals include understanding impacts on ecosystem services, drivers of soil salinization, and formulating innovative land management strategies. Projects are encouraged to assess the relationship between soil salinity and various environmental factors, develop harmonized assessments using advanced technologies, and promote sustainable practices in collaboration with stakeholders.

Eligible applicants can include a diverse range of organizations such as universities, research institutes, small and medium enterprises, and large enterprises from EU member states and associated countries. Potential participation from non-EU/non-associated countries with specific funding provisions is also considered.

The application process demands compliance with specific conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme, including admissibility, eligibility of countries, evaluation criteria, and financial regulations. The funding will be provided as a lump sum, and extensive support services, such as partner search tools and guidance from National Contact Points, are available to assist applicants.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call presents a significant opportunity for various organizations to contribute to improving soil health in Europe by tackling the challenges of soil salinity, fostering collaboration, and developing innovative solutions for sustainable land management practices.

The European Commission is offering funding through the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting the "Soil Deal for Europe" mission. The call, HORIZON-MISS-2025-05, focuses on supporting projects that address soil salinity issues across Europe. The primary goal is to halt and reduce secondary salinization, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action and life on land.

The funding is divided into multiple topics, each with its own budget, and falls under two main types of actions: Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 30, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. All actions are single-stage.

Here's a breakdown of the topics and their respective funding:

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 11,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-03: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-04: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-05: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-06: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-07: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-08: HORIZON-CSA, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-09: HORIZON-CSA, Budget: 5,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-10: HORIZON-CSA, Budget: 3,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1

HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-11: HORIZON-RIA, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1

The expected outcomes of successful projects include providing policymakers and stakeholders with improved indicators, knowledge, and quantitative data on soil salinity levels in Europe. This includes understanding the impact on ecosystem services, the primary drivers and mechanisms of soil salinization, and temporal shifts in salinity levels with future trend projections. The goal is to accelerate the adoption of sustainable land management strategies to prevent, minimize, and remediate soil salinization.

The scope of the projects should address the following:

Investigate the relationship between soil salinity, vegetation, soil biodiversity, and drought across various land use types, including agriculture, considering crop production and resilience.

Develop a harmonized assessment of soil salinity in Europe, integrating high-resolution remote sensing data with quantification techniques, harmonizing laboratory procedures and monitoring systems, and testing statistical methods for combining data collected by different protocols.

Develop a quantitative model to predict future soil salinization in Europe under changing climate conditions.

Assess the impact of saltwater intrusion on soil salinity and soil health in coastal regions.

Identify hotspots of soil salinization and areas at risk across Europe.

Formulate innovative land management strategies in collaboration with stakeholders.

Projects should include coordination with other relevant initiatives under the "Soil Deal for Europe" mission and ensure open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of knowledge and outputs, aligning with FAIR data principles. Collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and SoilWise is encouraged.

The general conditions for participation include:

Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligibility of countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Other eligible conditions as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

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

Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial setup of the grants, with eligible costs taking 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.

Applicants must use the application form templates available in the Submission System and adhere to the guidance provided in the HE Programme Guide and Model Grant Agreements (Lump Sum MGA). Additional documents such as the HE Main Work Programme 2025 and EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 are also relevant.

The European Commission provides various support services, including an Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk. Partner search tools are also available to help applicants find collaborators.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to address the critical issue of soil salinization in Europe by funding research and innovation projects that improve understanding, monitoring, and management of soil salinity. The call encourages collaborative projects that involve various stakeholders and contribute to the goals of the "Soil Deal for Europe" mission and the Sustainable Development Goals. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and applicants must adhere to specific eligibility and submission requirements. The European Commission offers extensive support and guidance to help applicants prepare successful proposals.

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 Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations. The call is open to legal entities from eligible countries as defined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the Horizon Europe Programme. The actions are either Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) or Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

Consortium Requirement: The content does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the scope and nature of the activities, it is highly likely that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, if not required, to ensure a comprehensive approach and diverse expertise. Partner search announcements are available, suggesting that consortia are common.

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 target sector is primarily environment and agriculture/food, focusing on soil health, climate action, and sustainable land management. The specific focus is on addressing soil salinity in Europe.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on soil salinity in Europe, implying that the activities are geographically relevant to European countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries are also mentioned as potentially eligible.

Project Stage: The project stage is geared towards research, development, and validation, with an emphasis on developing quantitative models, harmonized assessments, and innovative land management strategies. The call aims to accelerate the uptake of sustainable land management practices, suggesting a focus on validation and demonstration as well.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. For Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), the funding ranges from approximately €6 million to €12 million per project. For Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), the funding ranges from approximately €3 million to €6 million per project.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant to support their research and innovation activities.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic suggests that the competition is likely to be high.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe projects often encourage or require some level of co-funding, which would be detailed in the specific call documents.

Summary:

This is a Horizon Europe call under the mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe', focusing on addressing soil salinity issues across Europe. The call aims to support projects that will contribute to the mission's target of halting and reducing secondary salinization, as well as contributing to Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action and life on land. The call is structured around several topics, each with a specific budget and expected outcomes. The primary goal is to improve the understanding of soil salinity drivers, indicators, current levels, and temporal changes, and to develop sustainable land management strategies to mitigate and remediate soil salinization.

The call includes both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), with funding ranging from approximately €3 million to €12 million per project, depending on the action type and topic. The projects are expected to develop improved indicators, quantitative models, and harmonized assessments of soil salinity, as well as to formulate innovative land management strategies in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations, such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, and large enterprises, from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries with specific funding provisions. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of September 30, 2025. The funding will be provided as a lump sum grant.

In essence, this call is a significant opportunity for researchers and innovators to contribute to the European Union's mission of improving soil health and addressing the environmental and economic challenges posed by soil salinity. It seeks to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of practical solutions for sustainable land management in Europe.