The call addresses topics identified under the Biodiversa+ Flagship programme “Better knowledge to develop, deploy and assess nature-based solutions”. Specifically, it focuses on biodiversity and nature-based solutions (NBS) for biodiversity, human well-being and transformative change to achieve sustainability.

The Biodiversa+ Partnership is one of the actions included in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 to ‘make the bridge between science, policy and practice, and make nature-based solutions a reality on the ground’ (https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en). Thirty-four countries are contributing to the funding of this joint call (see the updated list of countries and participating Funding Organisations).

This call aims at supporting research on biodiversity to gain a better understanding of the tipping points and trade-offs and underlying mechanisms affecting Nature-based Solutions(NBs) and their successful implementation with respect to the benefits for nature, human well-being and societal transformation. NBS aim at benefitting human well-being by enhancing biodiversity and recognizing their interconnectedness. Actions have to be beneficial for biodiversity and must be designed and implemented with the full engagement and consent of indigenous people and local communities where appropriate. NBS can be a powerful tool to address global challenges.

To do so, it will support transnational, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral research projects in all parts of the world addressing one or more of the three (non-exclusive) themes below:

• THEME A. Synergies and trade-offs of NBS in the context of human well-being: This theme focuses on multiple links between the different goals of NBS, with a focus on jointly improving the well-functioning of the ecological system with human well-being, including physical and mental health, food and water security, as well as risk avoidance/prevention.
• THEME B. NBS mitigating anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity loss: This theme will address cross-sectoral approaches to direct and indirect drivers which negatively affect biodiversity (by loss or by change) including climate change, habitat destruction and fragmentation, invasive species, pollution, etc.
• THEME C. The contribution of NBS for just transformative change. This theme will address the contribution of NBS as drivers for just transformative change and just livelihoods, with specific regard to identification of barriers to transformation.

Note that these call themes are overlapping and non-exclusive, and each project can address one or several themes. The role of biodiversity shall underpin the research in all theme, adopting ‘do no harm’ approaches and enhancing biodiversity benefits in accordance with the concept of NBS. Similarly, the pluralistic valuation approach (IPBES 2022) is central across all themes.

Eligible applicants & Consortium composition: 

The call is open to any eligible research organisations. National / regional eligibility criteria apply to research entities and for private sector organisations (profit and non-profit).

The main applicant (project coordinator) must be employed by an eligible organisation in 1 of the countries participating in the call.

Compliance with Funding Organisations’ eligibility criteria and rules (e.g. eligible budget items) is mandatory; applicants are strongly advised to approach their respective Funding Organisation Contact Point to make sure they respect all the eligibility criteria and rules.

 All national / regional eligibility and rules and associated information including the Funding Organisation Contact Point are available here on the Biodiversa+ website.

Instructions regarding general eligibility, submission, evaluation criteria and other relevant information are also published in the official Call Announcement Documents.

In order to be eligible, transnational research consortia must be composed of eligible research partners from minimum 3 different countries financially participating in the Call and requesting support from minimum 3 different Funding Organisations; including at minimum 2 different EU Member States or EU Associated Countries.

Czechia participates in the call and the funding organisation is the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic.

Budget & Duration:

For this call a total amount of over €30 000 000 has been provisionally reserved by the participating Funding Organisations (see the list in the table 1, pages 18-21 at the call document).

The indicative total call budget is €40 000 000, including the EC contribution. The European Commission (EC) will also provide funding for the funded projects depending on the final total funding amount for research proposals committed by the participating Funding Organisations eligible for EC-funding.

The total indicative budget for each Funding Organisation are available at the list in the table 1, pages 18-21 at the call document). Please note that Funding Organisation may have defined maximum requested budget per project.

The reserved budget for Czechia is €680 000.

Each participant in a funded project will be preferentially funded by his or her Funding Organisation(s) participating in the call.

The additional funding provided by the EC for the funded project will be distributed through the EC-eligible Funding Organisations.

The aim of the call is to fund medium size projects (with a total budget of typically €1 200 000 – €1 500 000 on average; but note that this constitutes an indication rather than a formal limit).

The project duration is 3 years. Projects are expected to act as transnational project and not as a mosaic of national projects; to this end, as far as possible Partners should participate in the project for its entire duration. However, as needed, position of some team members can be requested for only part of the project’s duration, as long as at least one member of each Partner remains involved for the whole project duration.

Deadline: The first-stage deadline for the submission of pre-proposalsis 10 November 2023, 15h00 (Brussels time). The second-stage deadline for the submission of full proposals is 09 April 2024, 15h00 (Brussels time).

More information is available at the following links: call website, Funding Organisations rules, FAQ and call document.

For any questions on the general Call process and proposal submission, please contact the Call Secretariat: biodiversa.cs@agencerecherche.fr

Please note that you can also consult the EPSS General Data Policy and the Biodiversa+ Pricacy and Data Policy. 

For technical questions regarding the Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS), please contact the EPSS technical helpdesk: Taavi Tiirik: epss.biodiversa@g.etag.ee

For budgetary questions and other national/regional issues, please contact the relevant Funding Organisation Contact Point (FCP) – who are listed and updated at www.biodiversa.eu/research-funding/open-call/participating-funding-organisations.