Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Citizen engagement is one of the building blocks of the Mission Soil but despite the advances in recognising the importance of soil health and the momentum for soil in the political agenda, active participation in soil protection and restoration and understanding of soil health importance often remain limited among non-experts.
Activities under this topic should involve local and regional authorities in the protection and restoration of soil health and establish participatory processes that take into account citizens’ priorities.
Local and regional participatory processes should result in Territorial Management Agreements aimed at the protection and restoration of soil health for the provision of ecosystem services, including biodiversity, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Proposed activities should:
Proposals should actively involve local and regional authorities as beneficiaries or through the use of financial support to third parties. If making use of financial support to third parties, the support should be provided in the form of grants following an open call of European dimension for local or regional authorities to run participatory processes to co-design with citizens Territorial Management Agreements and launch their implementation.
The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000.
The local and regional authorities involved in the project are expected to engage citizens and stakeholders at the local and regional level for the protection and restoration of soil health.
Proposals should bring together expertise on environmental and soil sciences, as well as transdisciplinary expertise on spatial planning and social sciences and humanities (SSH), including gender studies, to design and organise training and successful capacity building activities for local and regional authorities and support them in the implementation of effective participatory processes. The engagement of citizen and stakeholders in the design of Territorial Management Agreements should be representative of the local community and stakeholders and be inclusive. Thus, proposals must incorporate gender perspectives and give attention to the inclusion of people in vulnerable situations.
100%
Expected EU contribution per project: €5.00 million.
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.
Research and Innovation Foundation
Address: 29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia, P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Mr. Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy
Mr. George Christou
Scientific Officer
Email: gchristou@research.org.cy