Third Lump Sum Micro-Grants for Members of the SoilTribes Community of Practice

Third Lump Sum Micro-Grants under the SoilTribes Horizon Europe project offer fixed €750 lump-sum awards to registered individual members of the SoilTribes Community of Practice to support short soil literacy, training, communication or community engagement activities. The scheme has a total envelope of €24,000 (32 micro-grants across four calls) and a per-person ceiling of €1,500 (maximum two micro-grants per individual across the project). Eligible applicants are natural persons established in EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories or Horizon Europe associated countries and must submit proposals in English via the online form. Submission deadline is 14 September 2026 at 15:00 UTC.

What it funds

Scope and purpose

Small, fixed lump-sum grants to support soil literacy, outreach, training and engagement activities by members of the SoilTribes Community of Practice. Activities must align with SoilTribes goals and at least one Soil Deal for Europe mission priority (examples below). ¹

Grant amount:Each award is a fixed lump sum of €750 (VAT included). The project has set €24,000 total for this micro-grant scheme and will award 32 grants. Individual CoP members may receive up to €1,500 across the project (maximum two grants overall, one grant per call).

1. 1Who can apply: natural persons registered in the SoilTribes Community of Practice, established in EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories or Horizon Europe associated countries; registration in the CoP must be completed by the call publication date.
2. 2Eligible activities: dissemination and engagement (speaking at events), short training or communication activities, expert advisory services, equipment and small goods directly linked to soil literacy tasks.
3. 3Application requirements: single-stage online application in English, fixed budget request equal to €750, character limits apply for activity description and alignment statement.

Selection follows an eligibility check and scored evaluation by internal jurors; proposals must reach minimum scores and selection seeks geographic, gender and sectoral balance.

Apply online via the SoilTribes application link provided in the call documentation; questions can be sent to hello@soiltribes.eu or soiltribes@inova.business.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call details including eligibility rules, permitted budget headings (travel, equipment, other goods and services), application form structure and character limits are in the SoilTribes micro-grant guidelines and the call page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal SoilTribes call page.

Call identity and deadlines

Call title:Third Lump Sum Micro-Grants for Members of the SoilTribes Community of Practice. Call identifier: HORIZON-MISS. Project acronym: SoilTribes. Portal reference / opportunity page: ec.europa.eu. Single-stage deadline for submission: 14 September 2026, 15:00 CET. Project start date (for associated project records): 10 August 2026. This is the third of four identical open calls planned within the SoilTribes project timeframe; a fourth call is scheduled for December 2026.

Purpose, scope and objectives

Purpose:Provide rapid, small-scale lump sum financial support to active individual members of the SoilTribes Community of Practice (CoP) to implement soil literacy, communication, education and engagement activities aligned with the SoilTribes mission and the EU Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe'. Scope: Fund individual-led micro-activities that contribute to soil literacy and to at least one other Soil Deal for Europe mission priority (examples: land degradation, soil organic carbon, no net soil sealing, pollution reduction/restoration, erosion prevention, improvement of soil structure, reduction of the EU global footprint on soils). Supported activities include speaking at events, short training courses, expert advisory acquisition, and communication/engagement activities necessary for CoP work (Meetups, Bootcamps).

Available budget and financial modality

Total envelope:€24,000 allocated by the SoilTribes project to the lump sum micro-grants scheme. Individual grant value: fixed lump sum of €750 (VAT included) per micro-grant. Number of awards: up to 32 micro-grants across the project (this call is the third tranche). Maximum per-person ceiling: €1,500 (VAT included) in micro-grants for the whole SoilTribes project, meaning an individual may receive at most two micro-grants in total and no more than one micro-grant per single call.

Funding breakdown required in application:Applicants must present resources mobilised for the fixed lump sum and categorise expenditures under Travel, Equipment and Other goods/works/services (examples: transport, accommodation, AV equipment, workshop materials, advisory fees).

Eligible applicants and geographic scope

Eligible applicant types:natural persons (individuals). Applicants must be active, registered members of the SoilTribes Community of Practice by the publication date of the call (10 August 2026). Residency / establishment: Applicants must be established in one of the Member States of the European Union and its Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) or in a country associated to Horizon Europe that, as of the call publication date, participates in the Horizon Programme. The list of participating and associated countries follows Horizon Europe guidance and is published by the European Commission; applicants should consult the official list for details List of participating countries in Horizon Europe ¹.

Other eligibility constraints:Applicants must be natural persons (not legal entities). Applicants must be registered in the SoilTribes CoP. All CoP members are encouraged to sign the Soil Manifesto (voluntary). Multiple applications are permitted from the same applicant provided each application proposes a distinct and clearly different activity. A CoP member may not be awarded more than one micro-grant per call.

Eligible activities and thematic alignment

Activities must align with SoilTribes goals, the EU Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe' priorities and comply with EU, international and national law and ethical standards. Proposed activities must address soil literacy plus at least one of the following Soil Deal for Europe mission topic priorities: 1) land degradation/desertification; 2) conservation and increase of soil organic carbon stocks; 3) no net soil sealing and reuse of urban soils; 4) reduction of soil pollution and restoration; 5) soil erosion prevention; 6) improvement of soil structure to enhance habitat quality; 7) reduction of EU global footprint on soils.

1. 1Participation at conferences, seminars or events as speaker or equivalent engagement.
2. 2Short training courses to improve communication skills or soil literacy.
3. 3Acquisition of advisory services by experts in soil science and literacy.
4. 4Communication, education or engagement materials and activities required by CoP work (e.g., Meetups, Design Thinking Bootcamps).

Application and submission process

Application type:open call (public call) using a single-stage, single-document application form submitted electronically. Submission method: online through the provided Application Link on the SoilTribes portal / Microsoft Forms. Paper or email submissions are not accepted. Language: English only. Deadline/time: 14 September 2026 at 15:00 CET. Character limits within the application must be strictly respected.

Application form structure and required content:The Application Form is a single document requesting: contact information; a brief description of the proposed activity (maximum 2,500 characters); a short statement on alignment with SoilTribes goals and support to applicant work (maximum 2,000 characters); estimated costs with brief explanation; a timeline for completion; and declarations confirming eligibility and acceptance of terms. The application must request the fixed lump sum of €750 (VAT included) and show how funds will be allocated in the three budget headings: Travel, Equipment, and Other goods/works/services.

Evaluation, selection and scoring

Evaluation model:single-stage evaluation with two independent jurors (internal SoilTribes consortium Pillar Leaders) assessing each full application using a predefined scoring template. Administrative & eligibility check (Step A) is performed by the SoilTribes Consortium; only admissible proposals proceed to Step B. Evaluation (Step B) awards up to 100 points; applicants must achieve at least 50% on each individual evaluation criterion and an overall minimum score of 50 out of 100 to be considered for funding. Each application will be reviewed by two jurors independently; when score discrepancies of 15 or more points occur, jurors will hold consolidation meetings to harmonise scores. Final Selection (Step C): a ranking meeting will produce the final list. The selection also accounts for representation measures: geographic balance (maximum two selected applicants per country per call), gender representation and sectoral diversity across quintuple helix sectors and CoP pillars. Applications raising ethical issues must either have no ethical issues or must address safeguards.

Number of evaluation stages:2 main decision stages following the submission stage: Step A Administrative & Eligibility Check; Step B Evaluation (technical scoring by jurors); plus Step C Selection/Ranking meeting (consolidation/selection). Overall this is effectively a 3-step process (administrative eligibility, independent scoring, selection/ranking consolidation).

Success rates and competition

Planned awards:32 micro-grants across the whole SoilTribes project. This call is one tranche (third call); the number of grants available in this specific call is not explicitly stated in the provided text but will be drawn from the total envelope. Given the fixed total envelope (€24,000) and fixed award size (€750), the theoretical maximum number of awards across all calls is 32; competition depends on the number of eligible applicants per call. Geographic quotas (maximum two recipients per country per call) and representation measures will influence the final selection. Exact historical or numerical success rates are not provided in the call documentation.

Form of support, contractual and reporting obligations

Nature of support:monetary (fixed lump sum payment of €750 VAT included) granted to the successful applicant as a micro-grant. Payment and contracting: selected applicants will sign a contract/award agreement with the SoilTribes project consortium; the call documentation includes contract signing procedures and reporting obligations (standard for SoilTribes micro-grants). GDPR and data usage: personal data collected will be used for call administration and will be deleted at the end of the project; successful applications and certain non-sensitive results will be published before the end of the project. Applicants can exercise GDPR rights per Art.12–22. Contact for data and privacy: hello@soiltribes.eu.

Co-funding and financial rules

Co-funding requirement:none explicitly required beyond the expectation that applicants justify how the fixed lump sum will cover the activity and may declare additional non-funded resources (in-kind or other). The call uses a fixed lump sum modality: applicants request exactly €750 and must describe how that fixed amount will be used; no additional EU co-funding from applicants is mandated. However, applicants must ensure the budget is realistic and compliant with the categories provided.

Applicant responsibilities, restrictions and limits

Applicant restrictions:must be natural persons; established in an eligible country; registered in SoilTribes CoP; each individual may receive up to €1,500 across the project (maximum two micro-grants total and one micro-grant per call). Multiple submissions allowed only when proposals are distinct. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures or disallowed under Horizon rules cannot participate. Activities must respect ethical standards and applicable laws.

Contact, support and references

For queries about the call and the application process contact:hello@soiltribes.eu and soiltribes@inova.business (form owner contact shown in some materials). Recommended resources: SoilTribes Community of Practice Guide (detailed CoP rules and micro-grant guidance) available on the SoilTribes website; the Horizon Europe list of participating and associated countries to verify national eligibility List of participating countries in Horizon Europe ¹.

Templates, form guidance and application checklist

Application form format:single-document online form with predefined fields and character limits. Required sections and suggested contents to prepare in advance:

1. 1Contact information: full name, gender, address, email, telephone (including international code), institution or affiliation (if any).
2. 2Activity description (max 2,500 characters): concise summary of the activity, objectives, expected outcomes, target audience and how it will be implemented.
3. 3Alignment statement (max 2,000 characters): explain how the activity supports SoilTribes goals, soil literacy and at least one Soil Deal mission priority; indicate CoP pillar(s) relevance (Academy, Business, Government, Society, Environment).
4. 4Budget justification: show the requested fixed lump sum of €750 and provide a short breakdown into Travel, Equipment and Other goods/works/services with brief cost explanations.
5. 5Timeline for completion: list main milestones and expected completion date within the project timeframe.
6. 6Declarations and confirmations: eligibility, GDPR consent, acceptance of terms, confirmation that the activity has no unresolved ethical issues or that ethical safeguards are in place.
7. 7Attachments or links where permitted: supporting documents, evidence of registration in the SoilTribes CoP, event invitations or letters of support (if relevant).

Evaluation criteria (structure and pass thresholds)

Evaluation uses a 100-point scale. Specific criterion weightings are provided in the Guidelines document (applicants should consult the micro-grant guidance PDF for full criterion breakdown). Pass thresholds: at least 50% on each individual criterion and a minimum overall score of 50/100. Each application is reviewed by two jurors; consolidation occurs when reviewer scores differ by 15 or more points.

Confidentiality, data protection and publication

GDPR compliance:applicant personal data will be processed lawfully and only for purposes of administering the call and executing SoilTribes objectives; personal data will be deleted at the end of the project. The Consortium will publish information about successful funding support applications (non-sensitive information) before project end. Privacy policy and detailed contact points are provided on the SoilTribes website and in the call documents.

Mentioned countries and geographic references

Explicit region and country references in the call materials:European Union Member States and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT); Horizon Europe associated countries (list available in the official Horizon Europe participating countries document). The Horizon list includes numerous associated third countries (examples across versions include Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Egypt, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and others); applicants must consult the official list for exact and up-to-date eligibility List of participating countries in Horizon Europe ¹.

Project maturity and target sector

Project stage:activities funded are implementation-level micro-actions for engagement, capacity building, communication, training and local demonstration—these are in the development, demonstration and dissemination stages rather than basic research. Target sectors / thematic areas: environment, soil health, agriculture/food systems, education and outreach, science communication and policy engagement. The opportunity supports transdisciplinary actions at the intersection of science, technology, arts and society aimed at improving soil literacy.

Summary: what this opportunity is and how to explain it

This open call provides quick, standardised lump sum micro-grants of €750 to individual members of the SoilTribes Community of Practice to run short, targeted activities that enhance soil literacy and contribute to EU Mission Soil priorities. It is aimed at natural persons who are registered CoP members and established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries. The application is a single-stage online form in English with strict character limits and a required fixed budget of €750 described across predefined headings. Evaluation is competitive and transparent: after an eligibility check, two internal jurors score applications against published criteria; selection includes representation rules (geographic, gender, sectoral). The scheme is designed to rapidly support grassroots communication, training, advisory and engagement activities that strengthen the SoilTribes network and contribute to the larger EU Mission to improve soil health across Europe.

How to apply in practice:1) ensure you are a registered SoilTribes CoP member before the call publication date (10 August 2026); 2) draft concise activity and alignment statements respecting character limits; 3) prepare a simple budget allocation for the €750 fixed lump sum within Travel, Equipment and Other goods/works/services; 4) submit electronically in English by 14 September 2026, 15:00 CET via the official application link; 5) await administrative check, evaluation by two jurors and final ranking informed by representation measures.

Key contacts and resources:SoilTribes call queries: hello@soiltribes.eu; form owner: soiltribes@inova.business. Read the SoilTribes Community of Practice Guide and the call Guidelines (micro-grant PDF) for full application rules and templates. Check the official Horizon Europe list of participating and associated countries before applying List of participating countries in Horizon Europe ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full list of participating and associated countries for Horizon Europe and details about third-country eligibility are published by the European Commission: ec.europa.eu

This is a small cascade funding scheme under SoilTribes, a Horizon Europe Mission Soil project, designed to help members of the SoilTribes Community of Practice carry out short activities that strengthen soil literacy, knowledge transfer, and community engagement.[1][3][14][26] The scheme is structured as four micro-grant rounds with 32 awards in total, and the project documentation identifies this as the third call within that sequence.[3] The current opportunity metadata lists a submission deadline of 14 September 2026 at 15:00 UTC.

Purpose and eligible activities

The grants support activities such as attending or organising events, using advisory services, taking part in trainings, and running communication, education, or peer-learning initiatives that contribute to soil literacy.[1][6][14] The project documents say activities should align with the Soil Mission and at least one Soil Deal for Europe priority such as land degradation, soil organic carbon, soil sealing, soil pollution, soil erosion, or improved soil structure.[1][4][6]

• Attend or organise soil-related events, workshops, or festivals.[1][14]
• Access advisory or mentoring services.[1][6]
• Deliver communication, education, or awareness-raising actions focused on soils.[1][4][6]
• Run peer-learning or other small community-based initiatives that improve soil literacy.[1][6]

Eligibility

Available sources describe eligible applicants as natural persons who are registered members of the SoilTribes Community of Practice and established in an EU Member State, an Overseas Country and Territory, or a Horizon Europe Associated Country participating in the Horizon Programme.[4][10] The same scheme also indicates applicants should be of legal age and that proposals must be in English.[10][3]

• Applicant must be an individual, not an organisation.[4][10]
• Applicant must already be a registered SoilTribes CoP member at submission.[4][10]
• Applicant must be established in an eligible geography linked to EU Member States, OCTs, or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.[4][10]
• Applicants should be of legal age.[10]

Funding and budget

The call uses a lump sum model, so the requested budget must equal €750, and the grant is not presented as a reimbursement of actual eligible costs.[3] Project documentation says each activity should be completed within six months of receiving the grant, and payment follows approval of a final report submitted within two months after completion.[6]

Application rules

1. 1Submit electronically through the online form rather than by paper or email.[3]
2. 2Write the proposal in English and respect the character limits in the application form.[3]
3. 3Set the budget request exactly to the fixed lump sum amount of €750.[3]
4. 4If you submit more than one proposal, each one must concern a clearly different activity.[3]
5. 5Expect only one award per call and a maximum of two awards over the project lifetime.[1][3][4]

The most relevant applicant takeaway is that this opportunity is suited to a narrowly defined, short-duration activity that clearly improves soil literacy and community engagement, rather than a larger project or a multi-part workplan.[1][6]