Testing and evaluation of solutions for monitoring the state and multifunctionality of Europe’s forests

The opportunity presented is a grant under the Horizon Europe program titled "Testing and evaluation of solutions for monitoring the state and multifunctionality of Europe's forests." The project, known as MoniFun, aims to co-create a blueprint for a harmonized European Forest Multifunctionality Monitoring System, addressing critical challenges posed by climate change and other environmental stressors on European forests.

The total funding budget for this grant is €180,000, and the project is set to start on December 4, 2025, with the closing date also on December 4, 2025. The application deadline is February 15, 2026, providing a single-stage submission process. The anticipated duration of the project is 12 months.

Eligible applicants are likely to include research institutions, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, and potentially non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in forest monitoring and ecosystem services assessment. The project requires the formation of a consortium, emphasizing collaborative development and integration of fragmented data from diverse stakeholders.

The target sectors of the project encompass environmental monitoring, forestry, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation, specifically focusing on forest monitoring and multifunctionality assessment. The opportunity is designed to be applicable EU-wide, addressing all member states without specific country restrictions.

The project stage involves research, validation, and testing of monitoring solutions, rather than full implementation of operational systems. The grant supports testing and evaluation activities rather than providing infrastructure investment. There's no explicit co-funding requirement specified, and success rates for applications remain undisclosed.

This grant represents a significant initiative to enhance the understanding and governance of European forests through a comprehensive, interoperable monitoring system. It aims to consolidate previously scattered qualitative and quantitative information, facilitating evidence-based policymaking and effective climate change mitigation strategies.

The opportunity is a cascade funding grant related to the Horizon Europe project MoniFun, which aims to co-create a blueprint for a harmonized European Forest Multifunctionality Monitoring System. The project seeks to address the challenges posed by climate change, intensive forest management, and other environmental stressors on Europe's forest ecosystems and their ability to provide multiple ecosystem functions, including biodiversity and ecosystem services. The grant focuses on testing and evaluating solutions for monitoring the state and multifunctionality of Europe’s forests.

The opening date for submissions is December 4, 2025, and the deadline for submission is February 15, 2026, at 23:00 (Brussels time). The deadline model is single-stage. The expected duration of participation is 12 months. The total funding available is 180,000.00 €. The project acronym is MoniFun, and the full name of the EU-funded project is "Co-creating a blueprint of a harmonised European Forest Multifunctionality Monitoring System - MoniFun." The grant agreement number is 101134991. The relevant topic is HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-14 - Monitoring the multi-functionality of European forests.

The task description highlights the increasing pressure on European forest ecosystems due to climate change, intensive forest management, and air pollution, which impacts their ability to provide multiple ecosystem functions, including biodiversity and ecosystem services. The relationship between forest resilience, forest management, protection, restoration, and diverse forest ecosystem services is not fully understood due to limited data availability and scattered information. The lack of harmonized monitoring hinders the consolidation of knowledge needed for evidence-based policies and mitigation/adaptation measures. MoniFun aims to address this by creating a blueprint for a monitoring system that consolidates fragmented information into a comprehensive, interoperable system that integrates existing platforms and is applicable to diverse stakeholders, policies, certification schemes, and society.

Further information regarding the submission and evaluation process can be found at https://efi.int/grants-training/grants/G-08-2025. Additional details about the grant can also be found at the same URL.

In summary, this opportunity is a call for proposals to test and evaluate solutions for monitoring the state and multifunctionality of European forests, under the umbrella of the Horizon Europe project MoniFun. The project aims to develop a harmonized monitoring system to address the challenges faced by European forests due to climate change and other stressors. The grant provides funding for a 12-month participation period, with a total budget of 180,000.00 €. Applicants should focus on developing and testing solutions that contribute to the creation of a comprehensive and interoperable information system for monitoring forest multifunctionality. The project is relevant to stakeholders involved in forest management, policymaking, certification schemes, and research related to forest ecosystems and their services.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. Further information would be needed from the grants website to determine the eligible applicant types.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically cascade funding, as indicated by the phrase "GrantCascade funding."

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. Further information would be needed from the grants website to determine the consortium requirements.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The project focuses on Europe's forests, suggesting that the geographic eligibility is likely within the EU or potentially wider Europe. Further information would be needed from the grants website to determine the exact geographic eligibility.

Target Sector: The target sector is environment, specifically related to forests, climate change, and biodiversity. The program targets monitoring the multifunctionality of European forests and the ecosystem services they provide.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on Europe.

Project Stage: The project aims to test and evaluate solutions for monitoring the state and multifunctionality of Europe's forests. This suggests the project stage is at the validation or demonstration phase, requiring existing solutions to be tested and evaluated.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 180,000.00 €.

Application Type: The deadline model is single-stage, implying a one-stage application process. The application is submitted through an open call, as the opportunity is "Open For Submission."

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money, as it is a grant with a total funding amount specified.

Application Stages: The deadline model is single-stage, so there is 1 application stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This opportunity is a cascade funding grant under the Horizon Europe program, specifically related to the topic HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-14, which focuses on monitoring the multi-functionality of European forests. The MoniFun project aims to co-create a blueprint for a harmonized European Forest Multifunctionality Monitoring System by consolidating fragmented information into a comprehensive, interoperable information system. The grant, totaling 180,000.00 €, is intended to support the testing and evaluation of solutions for monitoring the state and multifunctionality of Europe’s forests. The application process is a single-stage process with a deadline of February 15, 2026. The project seeks to address the challenges posed by climate change and intensive forest management on Europe's forest ecosystems and improve the understanding of the relationship between forest resilience, management, and ecosystem services. The expected duration of participation is 12 months. Further details regarding eligible applicant types, consortium requirements, and specific geographic eligibility can be found on the grants website provided.