Understanding the perceptions of and improving communication on the biodiversity crisis and nature restoration benefits to sustain citizen engagement and democratic governance

The grant opportunity presented is under Horizon Europe, specifically within Cluster 6, focusing on addressing the biodiversity crisis through research in social sciences and citizen engagement. The primary aim is to improve understanding of stakeholder perceptions and facilitate democratic governance related to biodiversity and nature restoration. This initiative is classified under Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and utilizes a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant mechanism.

Eligible applicants generally include universities, research institutes, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, NGOs, and public authorities, typically requiring a consortium approach. This aligns with a multi-actor participation model, emphasizing collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including public authorities and entities in EU member states and associated countries.

The research is slated to address key topics such as the interplay between biodiversity and climate change, citizen engagement in policy development, and effective communication strategies about the biodiversity crisis. Successful proposals are expected to deliver enhanced understanding among policymakers and improve citizen involvement in nature-related initiatives, using innovative co-creation processes.

The funding, while not explicitly stated for this specific grant, aligns with similar Horizon Europe projects, suggesting amounts may typically range from €1 million to €5 million. The application process is single-stage, and lump-sum grants are provided based on project specifications. The success rates for applications in Horizon Europe typically range from 10% to 39% due to high competition.

The call encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, including disciplines from social sciences and humanities, and integration of AI for analysis where beneficial. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may also be involved, offering non-monetary support like networking and capacity building.

The application timeline opened on May 6, 2025, with a deadline set for September 17, 2025. Overall, this grant aims to foster a deeper understanding of the biodiversity crisis and enhance citizen engagement in environmental governance through targeted research and innovation initiatives.

This EU funding opportunity focuses on understanding perceptions and improving communication related to the biodiversity crisis and nature restoration. The goal is to sustain citizen engagement and bolster democratic governance in these areas. The program falls under Horizon Europe, specifically Cluster 6, and is a single-stage call. The type of action is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (RIA), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant agreement.

The expected outcomes of successful proposals include:

Enhanced understanding among policymakers of stakeholder and citizen perceptions regarding the biodiversity crisis, its conflicts, and the impacts of related policies, leading to better-informed and more inclusive decision-making.

Implementation of innovative co-creation and deliberative processes by policymakers, involving citizens throughout the policymaking cycle to improve policy-making and mobilize collective action for nature restoration, protection, and climate mitigation and adaptation.

Increased understanding across all societal sectors of the biodiversity crisis, its impacts, the interplay with climate change, and the critical role of nature restoration, empowering citizens to contribute effectively.

The scope of the research and innovation activities includes:

Comprehensive research to understand civil society's perceptions of the biodiversity crisis, its conflicts, and links to climate change. This involves identifying key concerns and perspectives, quantifying the relevance of stakeholder groups and population segments based on various factors like gender, age, socio-economic status, and cultural origins. The research should build upon existing studies on the relationship between people and nature, including cultural heritage and the impact of nature experiences on environmental attitudes.

Addressing various cases, such as stakeholders dependent on ecosystems for their livelihoods, rural communities, and urban communities with limited nature access.

Analyzing stakeholder perceptions of the EU's commitment to ecosystem protection and restoration, investigating whether it's seen as a top-down approach or a societal necessity, and exploring solutions to address related issues.

Piloting citizen engagement through case studies around ecosystem protection and restoration, potentially involving nature-based solutions, with the participation of public authorities to implement the results of citizen deliberation and create best practice models.

Developing tailored communication strategies for different groups to enhance knowledge dissemination about the biodiversity crisis and its implications, including climate change, to improve understanding of nature restoration benefits and empower informed decision-making.

The funding opportunity emphasizes a multi-disciplinary approach, requiring relevant biodiversity expertise and the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines, including gender studies. It also stresses the involvement of SSH experts and institutions to enhance the societal impact of research activities.

Proposals should involve public authorities with legal competence in biodiversity and nature restoration, include them in pilots, and on advisory boards. Collaboration with previous relevant projects and initiatives is encouraged, such as HORIZON-CL2-2023-DEMOCRACY-01-05, H2020-SC6-GOVERNANCE-2020, the Green Deal Call, and the projects PHOENIX and REAL DEAL.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate, offering contributions from its Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, including networking activities, capacity building, and access to the JRC Makerspace. Cooperation with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and the Science Service project BioAgora is also expected. International cooperation, particularly with Latin American and Caribbean countries, is encouraged. The use of AI for analyses is also suggested.

The call opened on May 6, 2025, with a deadline of September 17, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum.

The indicative budgets and number of grants for the different topics are as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-06: EUR 16,000,000, 3 grants.

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

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

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

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-10: EUR 11,000,000, 2 grants.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Applicants are encouraged to consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and the FAQ section for detailed guidance. National Contact Points (NCPs) and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) are available for support and advice.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to fund research and innovation projects that enhance our understanding of public perceptions of the biodiversity crisis and improve communication strategies to promote citizen engagement and effective policy-making in nature restoration and protection. It seeks to bridge the gap between scientific evidence and societal understanding, fostering a more inclusive and participatory approach to environmental governance. The call encourages multidisciplinary collaboration, international cooperation, and the use of AI to address these complex challenges.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls, eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, non-profit organizations, and public authorities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium. The proposals must apply the multi-actor approach.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily grant-based, specifically HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND). Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium, as the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding and the proposals must apply the multi-actor approach.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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. International cooperation is encouraged, in particular with Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: biodiversity, climate, environment, policy-making, citizen engagement, nature restoration, climate mitigation, climate adaptation, agriculture, food, bioeconomy, natural resources, democratic governance, social sciences and humanities (SSH), gender studies, and potentially artificial intelligence (AI).

Mentioned Countries:
Ireland
Latin American countries
Caribbean countries
Italy (Ispra, where the JRC Makerspace is located)
Gothenburg

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be focused on research, development, and piloting citizen engagement, suggesting a focus on development and demonstration.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €2,000,000 for Coordination and Support Actions to €30,000,000 for Programme Cofund Actions. Individual RIA and IA projects have budgets ranging from €6,000,000 to €24,000,000, with indicative grant amounts typically between €3,000,000 and €12,000,000, although some have ranges such as "5000000 to 6000000".

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may also offer non-monetary services such as supporting networking activities, capacity building on citizen engagement, and offering the use of the JRC Makerspace in Ispra, Italy.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, some topics indicate only 1 grant will be awarded, while others suggest 2 or 3. The HORIZON-COFUND actions have a very high budget and are expected to have a very large impact, but only one grant is awarded.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding may be required for HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND), as these actions are designed to support existing programs and require financial commitment from the participating member states or associated countries.

Summary: This Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call focuses on "Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment" and aims to address the biodiversity crisis, climate change, and zero pollution goals through various research and innovation actions, coordination and support actions, and co-funded programs. The call seeks to improve understanding of citizen perceptions, promote citizen engagement in policy-making, and develop mechanisms to raise awareness about biodiversity and nature restoration. It encourages a multi-disciplinary approach, international cooperation, and the involvement of public authorities. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and the application process is a single-stage submission. The call includes a wide range of topics related to biodiversity, circular bioeconomy, and zero pollution, each with specific budgets and expected outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with existing projects and initiatives, and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate in selected projects. The call is open to a wide range of eligible entities from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU countries with specific funding arrangements.