Strengthening taxonomic approaches for biodiversity

The grant opportunity titled "Strengthening taxonomic approaches for biodiversity" is part of the Horizon Europe program under Cluster 6, focused on biodiversity and environmental conservation, specifically targeting research and innovation. The eligible applicant types primarily include universities and research institutions, with the potential inclusion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as partners within a consortium. Although it is common for Horizon Europe grants to favor collaborative projects, the specific requirement for this call is not explicitly stated.

This funding opportunity provides monetary support in the form of grants, categorized under Research and Innovation Actions (RIA). The expected EU contribution per project is approximately €12 million, with two projects anticipated, cumulatively totaling €24 million, which indicates a typical funding range of €1 million to €5 million per project.

The geographic eligibility for beneficiaries encompasses EU member states, European Economic Area (EEA) countries, and associated countries. The project aims primarily at advancing methodologies in the environmental and biodiversity sectors, including taxonomic challenges that involve genetic mapping and species conservation.

The call involves a single-stage open application process, with a deadline set for September 17, 2025. While specific success rates for this call are not provided, typical competition rates for similar Horizon Europe projects range from 10% to 20%. There is no explicit co-funding requirement detailed; however, collaborative projects often involve some level of institutional financing.

In summary, this Horizon Europe grant aims to enhance taxonomic research crucial for addressing biodiversity loss, targeting academic and research institutions within the EU/EEA. It supports innovative methods in monitoring biodiversity and species identification, with significant funding allocated to practical solutions for ecosystem restoration, aligning with broad EU biodiversity strategies. The application process encourages collaboration and innovation within the framework of European environmental policies.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals under Cluster 6, specifically targeting biodiversity and circular bioeconomy, and aiming for zero pollution. The call includes several topics, each with its own budget, type of action (Research and Innovation Actions, Innovation Actions, Coordination and Support Actions, or Cofund Actions), and indicative number of grants. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 17, 2025.

The overarching goal is to support the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Successful proposals are expected to contribute to improved knowledge, innovations, methods, and tools for protecting and restoring ecosystems, ensuring the provision of ecosystem services, and supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Key elements of the call include:

Taxonomic Expertise: Strengthening the taxonomic community and its capacity to support policy decisions related to biodiversity and climate change. This includes developing strategic approaches for training and capacity building in taxonomy, including the use of genomics.

Novel Taxonomic Approaches: Establishing, piloting, and testing new methods for observing and quantifying biodiversity at all levels.

Data and Catalogues: Compiling a comprehensive online catalogue of taxonomic and nomenclatural databases, encouraging alignment with FAIR principles, and supporting a common European Taxonomy Initiative.

EU Network: Establishing an EU network of taxonomy and genomics experts, including an interconnected network of biodiversity genomics facilities.

Ecosystem Coverage: Ensuring representative coverage of biodiversity across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, including lesser-known taxa and ecosystems that act as climate change indicators.

Area A and Area B: Proposals should address either Area A (integrating and maximizing the impact of taxonomic work) or Area B (widening participation and accessibility of genomic data). Both areas allow for financial support to third parties, with a maximum of 30% of the EU contribution allocated for this purpose, focusing on reinforcing taxonomy and genomics in expertise and data lacking areas like Central and East European, Mediterranean, and outermost regions. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000.

Collaboration and Coordination: Proposals should foresee cooperation with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and the Science Service project BioAgora. They should also use existing platforms and information sharing mechanisms, build on results from relevant projects, and collaborate with other projects selected under related topics. Coordination and collaboration with relevant organizations such as CETAF, GBIF, EASIN, and the EU Biodiversity Observation Coordination Centre (EBOCC) are also expected.

Data Management: Concrete efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable), exploring workflows that can provide “FAIR-by-design” data, and considering the use of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) for data storage and access.

Citizen Science: A citizen science approach is encouraged as a research methodology.

International Cooperation: International cooperation is encouraged, particularly with countries and partners that support global efforts such as the Global Taxonomy Initiative, iBOL, GBIF and COL.

Use of AI: The use of AI could be considered for the analyses needed under this topic.

The call includes several specific topics under the broader themes of Biodiversity (BIODIV), Circular Bioeconomy (CIRCBIO), and Zero Pollution (ZEROPOLLUTION). Each topic specifies the type of action (RIA, IA, or CSA) and has an indicative budget and number of grants.

The types of actions are:

Research and Innovation Actions (RIA): Activities primarily consisting of research, development, and testing, including small-scale prototype development.

Innovation Actions (IA): Activities directly aimed at producing plans and arrangements or designs for new, altered or improved products, processes or services. These may include prototyping, testing, demonstrating, piloting, large-scale product validation and market replication.

Coordination and Support Actions (CSA): Activities contributing to the objectives of the Horizon Europe programme, excluding research and innovation activities.

Cofund Actions: Actions with the primary objective to provide financial support to individual projects through calls for proposals managed by bodies other than the Union.

The indicative budgets and number of grants for each topic are as follows:

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01 (HORIZON-COFUND): EUR 20,000,000 in 2025, 2026 and 2027, 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-02 (HORIZON-CSA): EUR 4,000,000, 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-03 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 24,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-04 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 22,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-05 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 18,000,000, 3 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-06 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 16,000,000, 3 grants (EUR 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 per grant).

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-07 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 12,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-08 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 14,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-09 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 6,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-10 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 11,000,000, 2 grants (EUR 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 per grant).

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-01 (HORIZON-IA): EUR 10,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-02 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 8,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-03 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 8,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-04 (HORIZON-IA): EUR 10,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-05 (HORIZON-IA): EUR 12,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-06 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 8,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-07 (HORIZON-IA): EUR 18,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-08 (HORIZON-IA): EUR 11,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-09 (HORIZON-IA): EUR 10,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-10 (HORIZON-CSA): EUR 2,000,000, 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-11 (HORIZON-IA): EUR 11,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-12 (HORIZON-CSA): EUR 2,000,000, 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-13 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 8,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-14 (HORIZON-IA): EUR 12,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-15 (HORIZON-COFUND): EUR 30,000,000 in 2025 and 2026, and EUR 10,000,000 in 2027, 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 10,000,000, 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-02 (HORIZON-CSA): EUR 2,000,000, 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 8,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-04 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 6,000,000, 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05 (HORIZON-RIA): EUR 12,000,000, 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-06 (HORIZON-IA): EUR 8,000,000, 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-07 (HORIZON-IA): EUR 12,000,000, 2 grants.

This EU funding opportunity aims to bolster efforts in understanding, protecting, and restoring biodiversity across Europe, aligning with key environmental policies and frameworks. It seeks to strengthen the taxonomic community, promote innovative approaches to biodiversity observation, and improve data accessibility and management. By encouraging international cooperation and citizen science, the call aims to create a comprehensive and collaborative approach to addressing biodiversity challenges and supporting a sustainable future.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The mention of Associated Countries and non-EU/non-Associated Countries suggests a broad eligibility encompassing various international entities.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily grant-based, utilizing Horizon Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Horizon Innovation Actions (IA), and Horizon Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). Additionally, Horizon Programme Cofund Actions are used, which involve co-funding from other sources. Financial support to third parties is also provided in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, the encouragement of international cooperation and collaboration with various organizations suggests that consortia are likely favored, although single applicants might be eligible depending on the specific topic requirements.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be focused on EU member states and Associated Countries. However, the mention of non-EU/non-Associated Countries with specific provisions for funding suggests that participation from these countries is possible under certain conditions, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. The Central and East European, Mediterranean and outermost regions are specifically mentioned as areas where expertise and data are lacking.

Target Sector: The program targets the biodiversity sector, with a focus on strengthening taxonomic approaches, promoting nature-based solutions, and restoring degraded ecosystems. It also touches upon climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental management, genomics, and citizen science. Specific areas include terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, including lesser-known taxa and ecosystems. The program also addresses the circular bioeconomy and zero pollution goals.

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions Central and East European countries, Mediterranean countries, and outermost regions. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stages vary depending on the type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) suggest projects at the research, development, and validation stages. Innovation Actions (IA) imply projects at the demonstration, commercialization, or scale-up stages. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) focus on networking, coordination, and dissemination activities.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary significantly depending on the specific topic and type of action, ranging from EUR 2,000,000 for Coordination and Support Actions to EUR 30,000,000 for Cofund Actions. Individual RIA and IA projects have indicative funding amounts ranging from EUR 6,000,000 to EUR 24,000,000, with individual grants typically ranging from EUR 4,000,000 to EUR 12,000,000. Some topics specify funding ranges for individual grants, such as EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 6,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is primarily through open calls, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants. Beneficiaries may also provide financial support to third parties, with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 per third party, to cover specific needs/taxa/ecosystems and/or issues.

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 into the competition level.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is specifically required for Horizon Programme Cofund Actions. For other types of actions, co-funding requirements are not explicitly stated but may be part of the general conditions described in the referenced annexes.

Summary: This Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call focuses on strengthening taxonomic approaches for biodiversity, promoting the circular bioeconomy, and achieving zero pollution goals. It encompasses a range of topics, including biodiversity observation, taxonomic expertise, genomics, citizen science, and innovation in bio-based industries. The call is structured around different types of actions Research and Innovation Actions, Innovation Actions, and Coordination and Support Actions with varying funding levels and expected outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to form consortia, collaborate with relevant organizations, and ensure that their projects contribute to the European Green Deal, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, and the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework. The call aims to improve knowledge, develop innovative tools, and strengthen the capacity of the taxonomic community to support policy and decision-making related to biodiversity and climate change. The geographical focus is primarily on EU member states and Associated Countries, with possibilities for participation from non-EU/non-Associated Countries under specific provisions. The application process involves a single-stage submission, and the funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action, ranging from EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 30,000,000 per project.