Strengthening rural communities' resilience to shocks

The HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-COMMUNITIES-01 is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program dedicated to strengthening the resilience of rural communities against various types of shocks, such as climate, environmental, social, and economic disruptions. This Horizon Research and Innovation Action (RIA) call opens on April 20, 2027, with a submission deadline of September 23, 2027. The total budget for this initiative is €15 million, anticipated to fund approximately three projects with each grant around €5 million.

Eligible applicants include a diverse consortium of stakeholders, such as research organizations, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), local authorities, and civil society, emphasizing a mandatory multi-actor approach that encourages collaboration among different actors to co-design solutions. The initiative does not specify co-funding requirements, and it is primarily structured as a lump-sum grant mechanism, easing administrative burdens for awarded projects.

The project scope targets several interconnected sectors including agriculture, forestry, disaster risk management, and climate adaptation. Proposals should aim to assess vulnerabilities in rural communities and develop strategies for enhancing resilience, fostering inclusive governance, and mobilizing local resources. Successful projects are expected to contribute to the EU's long-term vision for rural areas by 2040, focusing on climate preparedness and sustainability.

The application process is single-stage, necessitating comprehensive proposal submissions from applicants without a preliminary expression of interest. Success rates are not explicitly provided, though they are generally expected to fall within the usual Horizon Europe range of 10 to 39%.

Overall, the funding seeks to enable research and innovation projects that improve rural community resilience while promoting participatory governance and international collaboration to meet the challenges posed by 21st-century disruptions.

This is a description of a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, specifically focusing on strengthening rural communities' resilience to shocks. The call, identified as HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-COMMUNITIES-01, is a Horizon Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is April 20, 2027, and the deadline for submissions is September 23, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget allocated to this topic is 15,000,000 EUR, with an indicative grant contribution of around 5,000,000 EUR per project, expecting to fund approximately 3 projects.

The expected outcomes of successful projects include:

 Increased resilience of rural communities to climate, environmental, and socio-economic shocks.
 Strengthened and more inclusive local governance with active involvement of young people.
 Improved understanding of rural specificities in crisis preparedness and management at all governance levels.

The scope of the projects should align with the long-term vision for EU rural areas, aiming for stronger, connected, resilient, and prosperous rural areas by 2040. It also supports the vision for agriculture and food, focusing on fair living and working conditions, climate adaptation, and preparedness.

Specifically, proposals should:

 Assess various types of shocks impacting rural communities, including infrastructure disruptions, economic crises, socio-cultural and demographic changes, and environmental phenomena.
 Measure rural communities' resilience using appropriate indicators to evaluate the impact of shocks and recovery capacity.
 Foster inclusive governance by engaging women, youth, and vulnerable populations in disaster risk reduction and management plans.
 Identify and mobilize local resources to strengthen community-based adaptation and resilience.
 Support governments at all levels in understanding rural vulnerabilities and designing effective response and recovery strategies.

Proposals are expected to build upon existing results, collaborate with other Horizon Europe projects, contribute to rural proofing the Resilience Dashboards developed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), involve diverse expertise including territorial planning, disaster risk management, emergency response, and participatory governance, and effectively contribute Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts. A multi-actor approach is mandatory, involving researchers, local authorities, rural communities, and other stakeholders like civil protection, to co-create solutions addressing local needs. International cooperation is encouraged.

The admissibility conditions require adherence to the proposal page limits and layout 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 listed 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. Additional eligibility criteria include the mandatory application of the multi-actor approach.

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

Eligible costs will be reimbursed as a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. The specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme, and Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application forms are available in the Submission System, with standard forms for HE RIA and IA actions. Evaluation form templates will be adapted as necessary. Guidance documents include 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, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and various rules and agreements related to legal entities, financial capacity, and grant management.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header. The Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ provide detailed guidance. Support services include the Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks. Partner search tools and the European Charter for Researchers are also available.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to enhance the resilience of rural communities in the face of various shocks by supporting research and innovation projects that foster sustainable development, inclusive governance, and effective crisis management strategies. It requires a collaborative, multi-actor approach and encourages international cooperation to address the challenges posed by climate change and geopolitical instability in rural areas. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and applicants should consult the provided guidance and support resources for detailed information on eligibility, application procedures, and evaluation criteria.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the call's focus and the required "multi-actor approach," eligible applicants likely include researchers, local authorities, rural communities, civil protection organizations, and other stakeholders operating at the local level. The call also mentions the Enterprise Europe Network which focuses on SMEs. Therefore, eligible applicant types likely include research institutions, local governments, NGOs, and SMEs, and possibly larger enterprises involved in relevant sectors.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a "HORIZON Lump Sum Grant" under the Horizon Europe Programme. The call includes HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: The call emphasizes the "multi-actor approach," indicating that a consortium of multiple applicants is strongly preferred, if not explicitly required. The description specifies collaboration between researchers, local authorities, rural communities, and other stakeholders.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be EU member states and associated countries, given that it 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," suggesting that some third-country participation is possible.

Target Sector: The program targets several interconnected sectors: rural development, agriculture, food, climate adaptation, disaster risk management, territorial planning, emergency response, and participatory governance. It also touches on social sciences and humanities (SSH).

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on EU member states and associated countries participating in the Horizon Europe program. The call also mentions "non-EU/non-Associated Countries" with specific funding provisions.

Project Stage: The program supports a range of project stages, including research (HORIZON-RIA), innovation (HORIZON-IA), and coordination and support (HORIZON-CSA). This suggests that projects from the research and development stage through to demonstration and implementation could be considered.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €6,000,000 to €22,000,000. The "indicative number of grants" suggests that the funding per project will typically be between €5,000,000 and €11,000,000, although some Coordination and Support Actions may receive smaller grants around €6,000,000 to €7,000,000.

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

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

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic suggests that only a small number of projects will be funded out of all applications received.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call focuses on strengthening the resilience of rural communities to various types of shocks, including climate, environmental, economic, social, and infrastructural disruptions. The call aims to foster sustainable, balanced, and inclusive development in rural areas, aligning with the EU's long-term vision for rural prosperity by 2040. Projects should assess vulnerabilities, measure resilience, promote participatory governance, and support effective response strategies. The call encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and international cooperation. Funding is provided as lump-sum grants, with project budgets ranging from approximately €6 million to €22 million depending on the specific action type (RIA, IA, or CSA). Eligible applicants include researchers, local authorities, rural communities, and other relevant stakeholders, with a strong emphasis on the "multi-actor approach" requiring consortia. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of September 23, 2027. The call is structured around several topics related to climate, communities and farm to fork strategies.