The successful proposal should:

• Establish a network of relevant actors (e.g. artists, soil scientists, researchers, communication and engagement experts, public authorities including local administrations) and projects around art, humanities, cultural and creative industries. The network should carry-out a range of activities and campaigns to elevate the importance and value of soils in the context of citizen’s lives and increase people’s awareness (both as citizens and professionals) on soils, as well as ensure meaningful citizens’ engagement.
• While including relevant actors as beneficiaries from the beginning, the network should gradually expand during the lifetime of the project its activities by providing financial support to third parties. This financial support should be used to fund smaller projects or initiatives (being either transnational, regional or local ones) that contribute to increasing soil literacy across society. In selecting the projects, the consortium should take into consideration quality, geographical balance and coverage aiming at covering a range of Member States and Associated Countries, and include a variety of territories ensuring that both rural and urban areas are covered. The selection process for these projects will be based on principles of transparency, fairness and objectivity.
• Coordinate, monitor (with appropriate indicators and KPIs) and evaluate the actions of the projects and initiatives from third parties receiving financial support. It should also scale up successful initiatives and contribute to the implementation of the third-party activities, in particular in view of supporting innovative communication campaigns and building capacities for interacting with policy makers at different levels on how to best engage people from all walks of life in the protection and restoration of soil health.
• Design and provide tools and material as well as build capacities and skills for supporting public and private institutions at different levels (e.g. European, national, regional and local) in their activities to engage with citizens in creative ways in the protection and restoration of soil health.
• Organise regular festivals (at least two) open to the public with the participation of the projects and initiatives financed through the financial support to third parties to present activities aimed at increasing soil literacy across society to a broader audience. The festival should give visibility to exemplary projects in particular areas, for example (but not exclusively) through awards. In the organisation of the festival, the proposal should consider accessibility, inclusiveness and sustainability. The proposal should also include a long-term plan to ensure the continuity of the festival beyond the life of the Horizon Europe funded project.

The projects and initiatives financed through the financial support to third parties should:

• Run innovative communication campaigns through different tools (e.g. social media, magazines, podcasts, posters, arts, movies, documentaries) to raise awareness on the importance of soil. Furthermore, selected projects should engage with citizens by proposing hand-on activities on proven sustainable practices for soil protection and management. The campaigns should highlight the relevance that soil has in people’s daily lives and link it with people’s values. They should also lift the public profile of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ and promote its eight specific objectives.
• Organise and promote artistic, soil-related activities that target and/or involve the public, such as cultural/arts events, exhibitions, and creative workshops that have at their centre the importance of soils.
• Engage citizens in the protection and preservation of soil as well as in tackling soil challenges (including the ones addressed by the specific objectives of the Soil Deal Mission), through innovative, participatory and creative methodologies (e.g. by applying arts-based methods for transformative engagement, citizen assemblies and collaborative projects (e.g. on composting, greening cities and reducing soil sealing, avoiding soil pollution, promoting soil biodiversity).

The financial support to third parties will provide funding of up to €150 000 per project or initiative. While a substantial amount of the total budget should be allocated to third parties, the support should not exceed 40%.