["Support to the regions in developing pathways towards climate resilience and corresponding innovation agendas"]

The P2R Second Call for Regions and Communities is a grant program under Horizon Europe aimed at helping European regions and communities develop climate resilience strategies. The call opened on May 15, 2025, and submissions are due by August 20, 2025, at 12:00 Brussels time. The total funding available is €12.81 million, with individual grants of up to €300,000 for each region or community.

Eligible applicants include public authorities at NUTS 1, 2, or 3 levels and Local Administrative Units (LAU) from EU Member States, Outermost Regions, or Associated Countries. Private non-profits and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can participate as consortium partners but cannot be the main applicant.

The program focuses on climate resilience, specifically on developing pathways, plans, and innovation portfolios to address climate change risks. Activities supported may include development of investment plans, capacity building, engagement of stakeholders, and communication related to resilience strategies.

The application process involves three stages: a pre-selection based on vulnerability and population size, an evaluation by independent experts on criteria such as alignment and engagement, and a strategic selection stage to prioritize a diverse portfolio of projects.

Success rates are approximately 10-39%, depending on the total number of applications. There is no co-funding requirement; grants cover 100% of eligible costs. The expected outcomes include increased knowledge on transformative adaptation innovation and boosting access to innovative adaptation finance.

The call is structured to support activities like developing regional pathways, creating investment plans, and promoting stakeholder engagement while ensuring a balanced portfolio that addresses various climate risks. Selected applicants are encouraged to collaborate with the Mission Implementation Platform for further support.

The P2R Second Call for Regions and Communities is an EU funding opportunity focused on co-developing pathways towards climate-resilient regions in Europe. The call falls under the Horizon Europe program, specifically addressing the topic HORIZON-MISS-2021-CLIMA-02-02, which aims to support regions in developing pathways towards climate resilience and corresponding innovation agendas.

The call opened on 15 May 2025, and the deadline for submissions is 20 August 2025 at 12:00 Brussels time. It follows a single-stage submission model. The expected duration of participation is 18 months. The total funding available is 12,810,000.00 EUR. The project acronym is P2R, and the grant agreement number is 101093942.

Eligibility criteria are as follows:

1. Applicants must be regions or communities that are either part of EU Member States (including Outermost Regions) or Associated Countries within Europe’s biogeographical regions.

2a. Applicants must be legal entities (for acting as coordinators and submitting the application) defined as either:

a. Public authorities at Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) 1, 2, and 3 level, and Local Administrative Units (LAU); or

b. Bodies governed by public law in compliance with Article 2.4 of the Directive 2014/24/EU.

2b. The following legal entities may be part of a consortium:

a. Private non-profit bodies

b. Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) following the EU definition by the Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC and in the SME user guide.

3. Applications must define a clear geographical scope (where possible, framed within the NUTS and LAU systems) for the implementation of the P2R frameworks.

The submission and evaluation process involves a pre-selection stage, an evaluation stage, and a strategic selection and award stage.

Pre-selection Stage: A maximum of 120 applications will proceed to the evaluation stage. If there are more than 120 eligible applications, pre-selection will occur in two steps. First, available slots for each country will be allocated based on its vulnerability. Second, pre-selection will be based on the population size of each region, prioritizing the most vulnerable regions.

Evaluation Stage: Applications that advance to the evaluation stage will be assessed by a panel of at least three independent experts using the following criteria: alignment, scope, stakeholder engagement, justice, need for support, actionability, knowledge sharing, and resource usage. Applications must attain a score of 55 points (out of 100) or higher to progress to the Strategic Selection stage.

Strategic Selection and Award: This stage involves a contextual assessment that considers and prioritizes a portfolio of regions/communities based on adaptation priorities and areas of research and innovation in the mission (assessed via Key Community Systems (KCS) and Key Enabling Conditions (KEC) prioritization), geographical coverage, climate risk type, impact, and diversity. The portfolio will take into account the regions selected during the first P2R call. Upon completing the review, 61 applicants will be informed of their selection and will subsequently undergo a due diligence process before the subgrants are officially granted.

Eligible subgrant activities will follow the provisions for activities under Horizon Europe (HE) cost categories and will be organized along the following lines:

Activities to develop regional pathways, plans, and innovation portfolios towards climate resilience, building on existing assessments of trends and projections of future climate change risks.

Activities to develop Investment Plans to translate those pathways, plans, and portfolios into pipelines of bankable projects.

Activities supporting the process of developing the pathways as specified in the scope topic text, including relevant stakeholder engagement and capacity building.

Activities related to communication, dissemination, exploitation, and project management activities.

Expected outcomes include:

Mobilizing regional interest and progressively elevating the ambition and capability of regions.

Development of climate resilience pathways and connected innovation portfolios with the support of the RRJ framework (and supporting services).

Development of an investment plan using the AIC framework to support the implementation of the climate resilience strategy.

Activating engagement of citizens and diverse stakeholders in the co-creation of the pathways.

Increasing knowledge on transformative adaptation innovation across KCS and KEC.

Boosting literacy and access to innovative adaptation finance.

Baselining and monitoring regional resilience capabilities through the Resilience Maturity Curve (RMC).

Subgrantees awarded through this call are encouraged to establish operational links and collaboration with MIP4Adapt, the Mission Implementation Platform, and its Community of Practice.

Full information about the call, information sessions, restriction measures, eligible countries, and how to apply can be found at https://www.pathways2resilience.eu/second-open-call. For call-related questions, contact pathways2resilience@climate-kic.org.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to support European regions and communities in developing and implementing pathways towards climate resilience. It provides financial support and a framework for regions to create climate resilience plans, innovation portfolios, and investment plans. The call emphasizes stakeholder engagement, knowledge sharing, and the mobilization of regional capabilities to address climate change risks. The selection process prioritizes vulnerable regions and ensures a diverse portfolio of projects across different geographical areas and climate risk types. Successful applicants are expected to contribute to increasing knowledge on adaptation innovation, boosting access to adaptation finance, and monitoring regional resilience capabilities.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are regions/communities that are part of EU Member States (including Outermost Regions) or Associated Countries within Europe’s biogeographical regions. The legal entities that can act as coordinators and submit the application are public authorities at Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) 1, 2 and 3 level, and Local Administrative Units (LAU); or bodies governed by public law in compliance with Article 2.4 of the Directive 2014/24/EU. Private non-profit bodies and Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) following the EU definition by the Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC and in the SME user guide may be part of a consortium.

Funding Type: The funding type is a subgrant, which falls under cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is allowed, with specific types of entities eligible to be part of it, but it is not explicitly stated whether a single applicant is also allowed. The text specifies which entities can be part of a consortium, implying that a consortium is a possible structure, but it does not exclude single applicants that meet the other eligibility criteria.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States (including Outermost Regions) and Associated Countries within Europe’s biogeographical regions.

Target Sector: The target sector is climate resilience, focusing on developing pathways, plans, and innovation portfolios for regions and communities to adapt to climate change risks. This includes activities related to developing investment plans, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, communication, dissemination, and exploitation.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the eligibility extends to EU Member States and Associated Countries within Europe’s biogeographical regions.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be focused on development and planning, specifically developing regional pathways, plans, and innovation portfolios towards climate resilience, and translating these into investment plans. It also includes stakeholder engagement and capacity building, suggesting a move towards validation and demonstration.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €12,810,000. The number of subgrants to be awarded is 61, which suggests that the funding amount per subgrant is variable, but on average around €200k.

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 subgrants.

Application Stages: There are three stages: pre-selection, evaluation, and strategic selection and award.

Success Rates: A maximum of 120 applications will proceed to the evaluation stage out of all eligible applications. Out of these 120, 61 will be selected for funding. This suggests a success rate of approximately 50% for those who make it to the evaluation stage, but a lower success rate overall depending on the total number of applications received.

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

Summary:

The P2R (Pathways2Resilience) Second Call for Regions and Communities is a funding opportunity aimed at supporting regions and communities within the EU Member States and Associated Countries in Europe's biogeographical regions to develop climate resilience. The call seeks to mobilize regional interest and enhance the capability of regions to create climate resilience pathways and connected innovation portfolios. The program encourages the development of investment plans to translate these pathways into bankable projects, engaging citizens and stakeholders in the co-creation process. The call is open to public authorities at NUTS 1, 2, and 3 levels, Local Administrative Units (LAU), and bodies governed by public law. Private non-profit bodies and SMEs can participate as part of a consortium. The application process involves three stages: pre-selection based on vulnerability and population size, evaluation by independent experts based on criteria such as alignment, scope, and stakeholder engagement, and a strategic selection stage that prioritizes a portfolio of regions based on adaptation priorities, geographical coverage, climate risk type, impact, and diversity. The total funding available is €12,810,000, and the expected duration of participation is 18 months. The call aims to support activities such as developing regional pathways, plans, and innovation portfolios, creating investment plans, supporting stakeholder engagement and capacity building, and conducting communication, dissemination, and project management activities. The expected outcomes include increased knowledge on transformative adaptation innovation, boosted literacy and access to innovative adaptation finance, and baselining and monitoring regional resilience capabilities. Selected subgrantees are encouraged to collaborate with MIP4Adapt, the Mission Implementation Platform, and its Community of Practice. The opening date for submissions is May 15, 2025, and the deadline is August 20, 2025.