SoilTribes | Open Call to Support Initiatives Led by Multi-Actor Teams

The SoilTribes project is launching a grant opportunity to support multi-actor initiatives designed to enhance soil literacy and foster community engagement in soil protection and restoration. This initiative aligns with the European Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe,” aiming to bridge the gap between science, arts, and society in addressing soil health issues. The total funding available is €1,750,000, to be distributed through lump sum grants via an open call, with an application deadline of October 10, 2025.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of legal entities such as organizations from creative and cultural industries, non-profit organizations, public authorities, international organizations, think tanks, universities, educational institutions, research centers, and startups. Both single applicants and consortia can apply, with specific collaboration requirements depending on the size of the project. Small projects can be submitted by solo applicants or consortia with at least two members, while medium and large projects necessitate a consortium of at least three entities, ensuring that at least one participating organization comes from the creative and cultural sectors.

The funding is segmented into two distinct lots: Lot 1 supports early-stage innovations, while Lot 2 focuses on scaling existing solutions. The projects should address soil literacy and an additional priority from the European Mission, including themes such as land degradation, soil carbon stocks, and pollution reduction.

Key components of the application process involve an initial admissibility check followed by a two-phase evaluation conducted by an expert panel. The first phase includes the review of a project abstract and a short video presentation, while the second phase entails a comprehensive evaluation of the full application. The selection of projects focuses on the top ten highest-scoring proposals within each grant size category, considering factors like geographic balance.

The call emphasizes a significant interdisciplinary approach, mandating partnerships between various stakeholders, including scientists, educators, artists, and community members. Supported activities encompass communication campaigns for soil awareness, creative soil-related events, and participatory processes fostering citizen engagement.

Overall, this grant represents an opportunity to catalyze innovative projects that creatively engage communities about soil issues, aiming to instill a deeper understanding and active participation in soil preservation efforts, thereby contributing to broader environmental goals.

The SoilTribes project is offering lump sum grants to support innovative, multi-actor initiatives focused on soil literacy, public awareness, and community engagement in soil protection and restoration. The goal is to stimulate behavioral change and innovation by connecting science, arts, and society. The project aligns with the European Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe,” promoting collaborations that translate soil science into practical initiatives.

The opening date for submission is August 11, 2025, and the deadline is October 10, 2025, at 17:00 (Brussels time). This is a single-stage submission model. The total funding available is €1,750,000. The project acronym is SoilTribes, and the full name is Glocal ecosystems restoring soil values, roles and connectivity. The grant agreement number is 101157729. The topic is HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07 - Back to earth: bringing communities and citizens closer to soil.

The call is divided into two lots:
Lot 1: Development of new ideas, supporting new and experimental initiatives in early development stages.
Lot 2: Improvement and scale-up of existing ideas/solutions, supporting initiatives building on prior experience ready for improvement, replication, or scaling.

Applicants must specify the lot and strand their application aligns with:
Communication campaigns: Projects raising awareness and improving soil literacy through strategic messaging and outreach.
Creative soil-related activities and events: Initiatives engaging communities through artistic and cultural practices focused on soil.
Citizens’ engagement: Participatory processes and co-creation activities empowering citizens to act on soil-related issues.

All applications must address soil literacy and at least one additional priority from the European Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”:
Land degradation relating to desertification.
Conservation and increasing of soil organic carbon stocks.
No net soil sealing and increase the reuse of urban soils.
Reduction of soil pollution and enhance restoration.
Soil erosion prevention.
Improvement of soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops.
Reduction of EU global footprint on soils.

Applicants must define the grant size based on the project's scope, ambition, and implementation needs.

The evaluation process includes:
Admissibility and Eligibility Check: Conducted by the SoilTribes Project Team.
Evaluation: A panel of nine independent jury members evaluates admissible and eligible applications. Jurors have expertise in soil science, sustainability, and interdisciplinary collaboration, with an understanding of the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe.” The panel includes diverse professional backgrounds in research, policy, practice, and community engagement. Each application is assessed by two jury members in a two-stage process:
1st Phase Assessment: Jurors review the abstract and presentation video, scoring alignment with SoilTribes objectives from 0 to 5. Proposals scoring 3-5 proceed to the next phase.
2nd Phase Assessment: Jurors review the full applications, evaluating based on a 100-point score considering criteria and weighting as per the Guidelines.
Ranking: The SoilTribes Project Team and jury panel hold a Ranking Meeting to present numerical rankings from the 2nd Stage Assessment. Three separate rankings are established for each grant size category, with the top 10 highest-scoring applications in each category selected for funding. Tie-breaking criteria include:
Final score in the Relevancy criterion.
Final score in the 1.5 Cross-Cutting Issues sub-criterion.
Final score in the Impact and Sustainability criterion.
Geographic balance: A maximum of three selected applicants per country per grant size.

Submission requirements:
The application form, a single document, must include administrative information, a project description aligned with evaluation criteria, a short presentation video, formal declarations, and a projected budget.
The application must be complete, containing all requested information and supporting documents, including a 5-minute presentation video and, for “development and prototyping of innovative artistic-driven proposals, as well as pilots for testing and upscaling artistic-driven innovative solutions”, an artistic portfolio.
Include the Ethics Self-Assessment.
Submitted by October 10, 2025, at 17:00 CET.
Submitted electronically through EU Survey.
Submitted in English.
Respect the character limits in each section.
Submitted by an eligible applicant.

Eligible applicants must represent a legal entity, either public or private, such as:
Organizations from creative and cultural industries and sectors, including legal artistic entities.
Non-profit organizations (private or public).
Public authorities (national, regional, local).
International organizations.
Non-governmental organizations.
Universities.
Educational institutions.
Think tanks.
Research centers.
Startups and SMEs.
Organizations must be established in a Member State of the European Union and its Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe that participate in the Horizon Programme. Other entities may participate as associated partners, subcontractors, or third parties giving in-kind contributions.

For small projects, single applicants are allowed, as well as consortia of at least 2 applicants. For medium and large projects, consortia must be composed of at least three entities. Both mono-beneficiary and consortium applications must ensure at least a leading or partner organization is from cultural and creative industries and sectors.

Eligible activities include:
Awareness-raising/communication activities (including production and distribution of print, multimedia or audiovisual material, web and social media outreach activities, media events, conferences, seminars, workshops).
Capacity-building actions (education, training, mentoring, conferences, seminars, workshops).
Campaigning and advocacy activities.
Participatory processes aimed to engage with different groups of people.
Development and prototyping of innovative artistic-driven proposals, as well as pilots for testing and upscaling artistic-driven innovative proposals.
All supported actions must demonstrate a strong creative and artistic component, reflect the values of the New European Bauhaus (sustainability, inclusion, aesthetics), and foster collaboration across disciplines and sectors. Supported actions must also demonstrate the nexus between science, technology, the arts, and society.

The total budget is €1,750,000, distributed through a single open call. The budget requested must equal the fixed lump sum defined in the call. Cost estimations must be provided in the application form, including the estimated total budget per category:
Personnel costs: Estimated expenses for staff working on the project.
Subcontracting: Costs for external providers.
Purchase costs.
Travel and accommodation-related expenses.
Equipment: Costs for purchasing or using essential equipment.
Other goods, works, and services: Expenses for other items or services directly linked to the project (e.g., consumables, dissemination materials, printing, translations).

For questions, contact the SoilTribes team at hello@soiltribes.eu.

The SoilTribes project aims to increase soil literacy and promote its preservation through a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach. It addresses soil degradation by promoting innovative communication campaigns, creative activities, and citizen engagement in sustainable practices. The project provides financial support for collaborative initiatives involving science, art, and society, aiming to transform behaviors regarding soil protection and restoration. SoilTribes is rooted in the European Union mission "A Soil Deal for Europe" and aligns with its goals to restore soil health, engage communities, and increase soil literacy. The project is driven by a consortium of 25 partners from 11 countries, including scientific institutions, artists, and civil society groups.

In summary, this opportunity is a call for proposals under the SoilTribes project, which aims to boost soil literacy and promote soil preservation across Europe. It offers lump sum grants to multi-actor teams from various sectors like science, arts, and technology, encouraging them to develop and implement innovative projects. These projects should raise awareness about soil health, engage communities in sustainable practices, and contribute to the goals of the EU's "A Soil Deal for Europe" mission. The call is structured around two lots, one for developing new ideas and another for scaling up existing solutions. Applicants need to form consortia, especially for larger projects, and their proposals must include creative and artistic elements, reflecting the values of sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics. The evaluation process is rigorous, involving expert jurors and a two-phase assessment. Ultimately, this initiative seeks to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of soil, driving behavioral change and promoting its protection and restoration through collaborative and creative endeavors.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are organizations from creative and cultural industries and sectors, including legal artistic entities, non-profit organizations (private or public), public authorities (national, regional, local), international organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities, educational institutions, think tanks, research centers, startups, and SMEs.

Funding Type: The funding type is a lump sum grant.

Consortium Requirement: For small projects, applications by single applicants are allowed, as well as proposals submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants. For medium and large projects, proposals must be submitted by a consortium composed of at least three entities. Both mono-beneficiary and consortium applications must ensure at least a leading or partner organization is from cultural and creative industries and sectors.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility for applicants is organizations established in one of the Member States of the European Union and its Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe, that, on the date of the publication of the call, participate in the Horizon Programme.

Target Sector: The target sectors are soil literacy, environmental protection, arts, culture, science, technology, sustainability, and community engagement. The program targets initiatives at the intersection of science, arts, and society, focusing on soil-related issues.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity is open to entities established in the Member States of the European Union and its Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe. The SoilTribes project itself is driven by a consortium of 25 partners from 11 different countries.

Project Stage: The call is structured around two lots, reflecting the maturity and development stage of the proposed initiatives: Lot 1 supports new and experimental initiatives in early stages of development, while Lot 2 supports initiatives that build on prior experience and are ready to improve, replicate, or scale up. Therefore, the project stages targeted are development and scale-up.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €1,750,000. The call defines a fixed lump sum, and the budget requested by applicants must be equal to this amount. The grant size is determined by the scope, ambition, and implementation needs of the project, but the specific amounts for small, medium, and large projects are not detailed in the provided text.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants.

Application Stages: The application process involves several stages: Admissibility and Eligibility Check, 1st Phase Assessment (Summary & Presentation Video), 2nd Phase Assessment (In-Depth Full Application Evaluation), and Ranking. So, there are 4 stages.

Success Rates: The top 10 highest-scoring applications in each grant size category will be selected for funding. The success rate is not explicitly stated, but it depends on the number of applications received in each category.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

The SoilTribes project is offering lump sum grants to support initiatives that promote soil literacy and engage communities in soil protection and restoration. This initiative is part of the European Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe" and aims to foster collaboration between science, arts, and society. The call is open to a wide range of organizations, including cultural and creative entities, non-profits, public authorities, universities, and SMEs, located in EU Member States, their Overseas Countries and Territories, and Associated Countries to Horizon Europe.

The call is divided into two lots: one for developing new ideas and another for improving and scaling up existing solutions. Applicants must address soil literacy and at least one additional priority from the European Mission, such as land degradation, soil organic carbon stocks, soil sealing, soil pollution, soil erosion, soil structure, or the EU's global footprint on soils.

The application process involves an eligibility check, a two-phase evaluation by a panel of experts, and a ranking based on the evaluation criteria. The evaluation includes a review of the abstract, a presentation video, and the full application dossier. The final selection will consider geographic balance, with a maximum of three selected applicants per country per grant size.

The total budget for the call is €1,750,000, and the grants will be distributed as fixed lump sums. Applicants need to provide cost estimations to justify the grant amount. Eligible activities include awareness-raising, capacity-building, campaigning, participatory processes, and the development of innovative artistic-driven proposals. The supported actions must demonstrate a strong creative and artistic component, reflect the values of the New European Bauhaus, and foster collaboration across disciplines and sectors.

In summary, this is an opportunity for organizations to receive funding for projects that creatively and innovatively address soil-related issues, promote soil literacy, and contribute to the goals of the European Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe." The projects should involve a multidisciplinary approach, combining science, technology, arts, and community engagement to drive behavioral change and sustainable practices in soil management.