Strengthening pathways to alternative socio-economic models for continuous improvement of biodiversity

The funding opportunity "Strengthening pathways to alternative socio-economic models for continuous improvement of biodiversity" falls under the Horizon Europe program, specifically within Cluster 6, targeting biodiversity, climate, and the environment. It is set to open for proposal submissions on May 6, 2025, with a deadline on September 17, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The primary aim is to align with the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Nature Restoration Regulation, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Successful projects will focus on creating innovative approaches to protect and restore biodiversity, enhancing social equity, and fostering climate resilience.

Eligible applicants include consortia composed of universities, research institutions, NGOs, and public-private partnerships, emphasizing a multi-actor approach. The funding type is primarily grant-based under Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), with expected budgets for similar projects in the range of €6 million to €12 million. The nature of support will be monetary, with a single-stage submission process.

The project aims to advance knowledge on socio-economic models that integrate biodiversity conservation into economic activities, addressing issues like the degradation of natural assets and the associated social and economic risks. Proposals are expected to provide analysis of existing models, identify barriers, leverage Generative AI, and develop strategies for scaling up successful solutions.

In addition to addressing the technical aspects, the proposals should engage stakeholders, including end-users, throughout the co-creation process, ensuring that recommendations are actionable for decision-makers at both European and national levels. The call encourages synergies with other Horizon Europe initiatives and incorporates insights from social sciences and humanities.

Specific expected outcomes include the development of valuation methods, metrics for biodiversity assessment, and tools for continuous improvement of ecosystem services. The overall goal is to facilitate systemic change by embedding biodiversity considerations into socio-economic frameworks, ultimately contributing to a nature-positive society. This involves research, innovation actions, and coordination with an emphasis on practical applications and stakeholder engagement throughout the process.

This EU funding opportunity focuses on strengthening pathways to alternative socio-economic models for continuous improvement of biodiversity. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically Cluster 6, and is a single-stage call. The call, designated as HORIZON-CL6-2025-01, includes various topics related to biodiversity, circular bioeconomy, and zero pollution. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 17, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The primary goal is to support the European Green Deal priorities, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Successful projects are expected to enhance the understanding of the biodiversity crisis and ecosystem services, leading to transformative change by influencing policymakers and society to protect and restore biodiversity.

Expected outcomes include:

New knowledge to develop and accelerate pathways towards alternative socio-economic models supporting biodiversity restoration and protection, including adaptive legislative, governance, education, and financing strategies, with potential applications of Generative AI.

Synthesized, systematized, and prioritized knowledge on models that better integrate values of biodiversity and nature for decision-makers, including valuation methods for assessing the benefits of restoration measures and the socio-economic distribution of impacts.

Information, tools, assessment strategies, and metrics for decision-makers to continuously improve biodiversity protection and restoration, alongside climate resilience, integrated into socio-economic analytical frameworks.

The scope of the funding opportunity addresses the degradation of natural assets due to human activities, which has economic and social implications, including risks to macroeconomic and financial stability. It promotes the integration of biodiversity efforts into economic activities, aligning with the EU biodiversity strategy, GBF, and SDGs.

Specific actions expected from proposals include:

Analyzing existing models to evaluate and prioritize alternative socio-economic models for biodiversity protection and restoration.

Identifying and proposing solutions to overcome barriers in scaling up the best available models, including the potential of Generative AI.

Pinpointing gaps in current research, innovation, skills, education, legislation, and technology, and proposing capacity-building strategies.

Advancing valuation methods to develop standardized indicators that reflect broader socio-economic, biodiversity, and natural capital benefits.

Developing and piloting strategies, scenario methods, market and non-market measures, and approaches to scale up the implementation of alternative socio-economic models.

Co-designing pathways with stakeholders towards the implementation of alternative socio-economic models, using innovative technologies and tools to support scenarios that capture the specificities of different ecosystems.

Actively involving end-users in the co-creation process, including the use of Generative AI-based tools to account for diverse views and needs.

Disseminating recommendations, actionable knowledge, and empowerment tools at European and Member State levels, exploring synergies with other European initiatives, policies, and strategies under the EU Green Deal.

Investigating how traditional economic models contribute to biodiversity loss, climate change, and other socio-economic challenges, and identifying pragmatic actions and strategies to address these issues.

The proposals should support the practical implementation of the EU biodiversity strategy and the GBF, build on synergies across multiple SDGs, leverage knowledge from IPBES assessment reports, consider ethical implications, and address specific challenges faced by different ecosystems and communities.

Synergies with Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects are encouraged, along with cooperation with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and the Science Service project BioAgora. Proposals should involve contributions from social sciences, economics, sociology, educational science, and humanities disciplines.

The admissibility conditions include 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. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Additional eligibility criteria require the application of the multi-actor approach.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are detailed in Annex D, Annex F, and the Online Manual. The legal and financial setup of the grants is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreements are available in the Submission System. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and other related guidelines and regulations.

The budget overview includes various topics under the call, with opening dates on May 6, 2025, and deadlines on September 17, 2025. The topics cover HORIZON COFUND actions, HORIZON CSA actions, and HORIZON RIA actions, with budgets ranging from 2,000,000 EUR to 30,000,000 EUR per topic.

This funding opportunity aims to foster research and innovation that leads to the adoption of alternative socio-economic models, leveraging technologies like Generative AI, to protect and restore biodiversity, enhance climate resilience, and promote social equity across Europe and beyond. It seeks to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and practical implementation by engaging stakeholders and providing actionable tools for policymakers and citizens.

In summary, this is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program aimed at addressing the biodiversity crisis by developing and implementing alternative socio-economic models. It encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, the use of innovative technologies, and the active involvement of stakeholders to achieve transformative change and contribute to a nature-positive society. The call provides funding for research and innovation actions, coordination and support actions, and co-fund actions, with a focus on creating new knowledge, overcoming barriers, and disseminating actionable knowledge to decision-makers and citizens.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls, eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, non-profit organizations, and governmental organizations. The text mentions the multi-actor approach, suggesting that diverse types of actors are encouraged to participate.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily grant-based, utilizing Horizon Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Programme Cofund Actions. The Model Grant Agreement is a Horizon Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a multi-actor approach, which suggests that a consortium is preferred, if not strictly required. The multi-actor approach is an additional eligibility criteria.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries. The text also mentions that non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific provisions for funding their participants.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: biodiversity, climate, environment, agriculture, food, bioeconomy, natural resources, social sciences, humanities, economics, sociology, educational science, technology, governance, and innovation. It also focuses on alternative socio-economic models, nature-based solutions, and the use of Generative AI in these contexts.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity details mention Europe, EU member states, and non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) focus on research and development, while Innovation Actions (IA) focus on demonstration and validation. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) support networking, coordination, and dissemination. The call aims to support projects from research to implementation.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary significantly depending on the specific topic and type of action.
HORIZON-COFUND actions have budgets of 10,000,000 to 70,000,000 EUR.
RIA actions have budgets ranging from 6,000,000 to 24,000,000 EUR.
IA actions have budgets ranging from 8,000,000 to 18,000,000 EUR.
CSA actions have budgets of 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR.

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 grants to support their research, innovation, coordination, and support activities.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding may be required for COFUND actions, but this is not explicitly stated for all actions.

Summary: This Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call focuses on "Strengthening pathways to alternative socio-economic models for continuous improvement of biodiversity." It aims to support projects that develop and implement innovative approaches to protect and restore biodiversity, promote climate resilience, and ensure social equity. The call includes various types of actions, including Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), and Programme Cofund Actions, each with different funding levels and objectives. The call encourages the use of Generative AI and the involvement of diverse stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, businesses, and citizens. The geographic scope is primarily focused on the EU and associated countries, but non-EU/non-associated countries may also be eligible. The overall goal is to contribute to the European Green Deal, the EU biodiversity strategy, the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals by fostering a nature-positive society. The call addresses the degradation of natural assets due to human activities, emphasizing the need for alternative socio-economic models that integrate biodiversity efforts into economic activities. It seeks to overcome barriers in education, technology, society, economy, and governance to achieve ambitious biodiversity targets. The call also promotes the dissemination of knowledge and the development of actionable tools for policymakers and citizens.