Open topic on secured and facilitated crossing of external borders

Opened

Code: 37047 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Civil security for society (Cluster 3) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/06/2025 | End submission calls: 12/11/2025

Under this topic, proposals are welcome to address new, upcoming or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions for improving capabilities of practitioners for the secured and facilitated checks of crossings of external borders. Contexts and scenarios in Europe’s border regions that may in the future be impacted by geopolitical instabilities or tensions from outside the EU, and need sustained and improved surveillance and reaction capabilities, could be particularly considered. Moreover, mechanisms for detecting the presence of threats in travel flows should be investigated. If they relate to some of the topics covered by Horizon Europe Calls Effective Management of EU External Borders 2021-2022 or 2023-2024, the proposals should convincingly explain how they will build on and not duplicate them.

Proposals may also address capabilities related to possible future digitalised travel credentials (DTC), including though not limited to: Type-1 and Type-2 and forward integration with secure digital citizenship wallet(s); identification and verification in the context of border checks; optimisation of resources in the context of border checks.

Strengthening knowledge and skills of advisors and integrating them within Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) via an EU advisory network

Opened

Code: 37046 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-13 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The advisers are best placed to encourage farmers to change their practices to improve the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of agriculture.

They must be able to translate knowledge and provide specific, targeted and practical solutions for farmers, tailored to specific local conditions.

They should be prepared to provide innovation support services based on the interactive innovation model.

They should also be able to use different data sources to analyse farm performance over time, covering the three dimensions of sustainability, and thus provide informed, holistic advice to farmers.

Increasing knowledge flows to practice within Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) via thematic networks

Opened

Code: 37041 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-12 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

Research results, innovative solutions, practical knowledge and best practices are not sufficiently known, disseminated and used in practice, despite continuous investment in R&D to support farmers and/or foresters and/or rural communities to become more competitive, sustainable and resilient.

Enhancing sustainability and resilience of agriculture, forestry and rural development through digital twins

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Code: 37037 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-11 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

Given that around a third of EU citizens live and work in rural areas, it is vital to empower rural communities – farmers, foresters and other rural actors – in the transition towards sustainability and resilience so that no one is left behind.

In this context, digital twin technology has attracted attention over the last decade because of its potential to address challenges in many application areas and to transform the way businesses and public administrations operate.

However, research and innovation related to the use of digital twins in rural areas and related key economic sectors, in particular in agriculture and forestry, is still limited.

Digital twins require further exploration, innovation, testing and demonstration in order to realise their full potential and achieve a higher level of maturity and scalability in different territorial and sectoral contexts.

Improving and integrating polar observation systems in response to user requirements at local, regional, and international level

Opened

Code: 37034 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-10 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

Long-term, integrated and continuous observations, based on common polar observation variables, require the development of a “system of systems”. Proposals should address issues such as the carbon cycle, biogeochemistry, sea ice dynamics, ice shelves, freshwater fluxes altering marine waters and ocean circulation, atmospheric composition and conditions, submarine permafrost, marine habitat degradation and biodiversity.

 

Delivering Earth Intelligence to accelerate the green and digital transition

Opened

Code: 37029 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-09 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

This action is an application-oriented initiative, which responds to the new GEO strategy for the period beyond 2025 and aims to combine and promote existing European Earth observation services and solutions, which have been prototyped under the relevant Horizon, Copernicus and other European and national projects and initiatives, and to extend them to end-users and customers with a view to their widespread adoption.

Strengthening the European Research Area by enhancing the bioeconomy research and innovation ecosystem in BIOEAST countries

Opened

Code: 37026 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-07 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

This theme concerns proposals to align research and innovation programmes on sustainable natural resources, with a particular focus on soil and water resilience, the security of food systems and the sustainable use of biomass in the bioeconomy.

Strengthening and connecting bioeconomy networks

Opened

Code: 37023 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-06 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

There is a need to strengthen a pan-European bioeconomy network to exchange knowledge and promote mutual learning on bioeconomy initiatives and solutions, the transition to a sustainable and circular bioeconomy and its governance, in view of the review of the current EU bioeconomy strategy.

Although some platforms for networking and cooperation in the bioeconomy exist, more can be done toenhance relationship building between European sectors, stakeholder groups, generations, languages, levels of governance or professions and to promote cross-sectoral ideas leading to bioeconomy solutions and improved governance.

Exploring options to resolve land and sea use competition

Opened

Code: 37020 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-05 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

A sustainable and circular bioeconomy is based on management that guarantees the conservation and restoration of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, while providing sufficient biomass to produce the food, materials and energy needed for human well-being.

On the one hand, we see a decline in biodiversity, a gap in carbon storage by ecosystems or a lack of capacity of the biosphere to absorb pollutants.

On the other hand, increasing competition for biomass use between food, materials and energy suggests a possible sustainable biomass gap in Europe.

Improving analytical capacity and understanding of the bargaining power and interactions of farmers with the operators of the value chains

Opened

Code: 37015 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The understanding and capacity to analyse the functioning of the agriculture and food sectors, value chains and market structures remain incomplete and oversimplified.

This contributes to a knowledge gap on the relationships between farm production costs and price transmission, from input prices faced by farmers to food prices faced by consumers.

Market conditions and market and value chain dynamics that affect farmers’ bargaining power are important factors influencing farmers’ decision making and income.

Operationalisation of bioeconomy sustainability principles

Opened

Code: 37012 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-04 | Programme name: 1777 | Sub-program: Τρόφιμα, Βιοοικονομία, Φυσικοί Πόροι, Γεωργία και Περιβάλλον (Πολυτομεακή Προτεραιότητα 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The bioeconomy is a place-based policy framework.

The application of sustainability principles in specific contexts therefore depends on available(environmental and human) assets, challenges and priorities, as well as access to logistics, finance and infrastructure.

It is therefore important that sustainability principles are developed with a high degree of clarity of purpose, but also with sufficient flexibility to allow for their application in different contexts.

It is particularly important to assess the impact of the bioeconomy on ecosystems and to develop options on how to protect/restore ecosystems during the development of the bioeconomy.

Boosting the attractiveness of agriculture and the connection between the farming community and society

Opened

Code: 37009 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

With the current challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, new working patterns and changes in consumer behaviour, there is a need for a more innovative and sustainable agriculture in the EU.

However, the EU agricultural sector has been facing a steady decline in the workforce over the last fifteen years, also dependent on demographic challenges such as the ageing of the farming population.

Therefore, the need to attract and support new and young farmers is critical. The incentives, commercial character and business models of agriculture have changed due to recent climate and environmental challenges and new opportunities offered by technological and digital innovations, but at the same time due to social and economic factors.

Upscaling innovative payments to support farmers in the delivery of agri-environment-climate public goods

Opened

Code: 37006 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

Payments for environmental services are financial incentives that recognise and support farmers for voluntary interventions that contribute to the provision of public goods.

Research and practical experiences from a variety of public and private sector initiatives have provided evidence and guidance on cost-effective and well-contextualized design to support practitioners.

Implementing more outcome-based, collective or spatially coordinated approaches to payment conditionality rules is among the key recommendations for achieving the best possible outcomes.

Reverse local construction supply chains for the beautiful re-assembly of reclaimed construction products

Opened

Code: 37003 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-BUSINESS-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: New European Bauhaus | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 12/11/2025

The move towards increased renovation and the greater reuse of construction products in the built environment has created a growing interest in new business models and approaches centred on modularity, adaptability, disassembly, and sufficiency. Whereas significant research and practice has focused on the disassembly, collection, sorting, and re-processing of construction products, less attention has been directed so far to their later re-assembly.

The re-assembly stage is key for the re-integration of increasing quantities of reclaimed construction products into new applications. Concurrently, the endeavour to transform the built environment along the New European Bauhaus values of sustainability, inclusion, and beauty creates opportunities to re-think how to re-assemble reclaimed construction products safely and creatively in ways that increase the aesthetic and cultural value of buildings and infrastructures, enhancing inhabitants’ well-being and living conditions.

The re-assembly of safe and sustainable reclaimed construction products requires solid knowledge of their historical uses and characteristics as well as traceability of their condition and displacement. Digital tools and technologies such as Digital Product Passports and reverse construction supply chains, following the circular economy’s cascading principle for bio-based materials and 10R-Strategies (refuse, reduce, resell/reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle, recover, re-mine) for non-biobased materials, are key for the effective management, movement and reuse of safe reclaimed construction products.

Local reverse construction supply chains that re-circulate safe construction products as locally as possible have the potential to maximise economic value and resource utilisation, reduce waste, pollution, energy use, procurement costs, and the environmental footprint of construction and renovation activities, and foster creativity and innovation towards greater circularity and the regeneration of social and cultural meanings in the built environment.

Bottom-up social entrepreneurship for the co-creation of neighbourhoods in line with the New European Bauhaus

Opened

Code: 37001 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-BUSINESS-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: New European Bauhaus | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 12/11/2025

Bottom-up social entrepreneurship can act as a key driver of sustainable and inclusive neighbourhood co-creation in line with the values of the New European Bauhaus. Bottom-up social entrepreneurship leverages local expertise to tackle local social and environmental challenges. It can generate local economic value, create new and inclusive employment opportunities, leverage cultural and creative industries, and address the segregation of different community and civil society groups, including marginalised and vulnerable inhabitants.

Research is required on the various aspects of using bottom-up social entrepreneurship for the co-creation of neighbourhoods.

Renovating the built environment through design for adaptability and disassembly

Opened

Code: 36998 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-BUSINESS-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: New European Bauhaus | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 12/11/2025

Design for adaptability and disassembly is a concept for the design of buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures integrating circular economy principles for greater economic, environmental and social sustainability. It presents significant potential for the renovation of the built environment by allowing for easy adaptation of spaces and structures to changing needs and uses or technological advancements.

Renovating with modular components and elements that can be dis- and re-assembled and thereby repurposed across different applications further supports the long-term use, adaptation, and repurposing of buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures. This maximises their economic value (by retaining the embedded value of construction materials, components, and elements), improves their environmental performance (by reducing waste and the extraction of new raw materials and resources), and avoids their demolition as well as the construction of new structures.

The application of design for adaptability and disassembly has focused on new constructions. However, most structures and spaces in urban, peri-urban and rural areas have already been built and require adaptation and repurposing for new and updated uses and functions. Therefore, research should address design for adaptability and disassembly for the renovation of existing buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures.

Innovative approaches for sustainable, inclusive and beautiful social and affordable housing

Opened

Code: 36995 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-REGEN-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: New European Bauhaus | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 12/11/2025

An increasing number of new building technologies and construction methods became available on the market in recent years that can make construction and renovation more sustainable. Current policies and regulations set ambitious standards (e.g., in terms of energy efficiency and carbon footprint), which come with higher initial investment costs, making the provision of sustainable, high-quality social and affordable housing in many European neighbourhoods a challenge.

Innovative approaches are necessary to make the best use of available building technologies and construction methods to improve climate adaptability and resilience and reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions and resource use in social and affordable housing while delivering housing that is affordable, inclusive and improves well-being, in line with the European Commission’s Affordable Housing Initiative.

Sufficiency measures in the built environment

Opened

Code: 36993 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-REGEN-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: New European Bauhaus | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 12/11/2025

Sufficiency is a set of policy measures and practices which reduce the demand for energy, materials, land, water, and other natural resources, while delivering well-being for all within planetary boundaries. It represents an integrated approach to sustainability and circularity, acknowledging and balancing the interplay of decarbonisation and equity.

In the built environment, floor space is considered as a resource. Sufficiency measures seek to optimise the use of existing (vacant and under-utilised) spaces, buildings, and infrastructures. These measures lead to an absolute reduction in demand for new-built floor space, reducing resource consumption, embodied and operational carbon emissions, and other environmental impacts in the built environment. By alleviating strain on land resources, sufficiency measures can help address social issues, such as housing shortages, and reduce infrastructure costs for municipalities.

The potential of sufficiency measures in the built environment is yet under-explored due to data constraints, limited understanding of their impacts, and insufficient knowledge exchange.

Bio-fabricated materials for sustainable and beautiful construction

Opened

Code: 36991 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-REGEN-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: New European Bauhaus | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 12/11/2025

Along with the current paradigm shift towards a sustainable and circular bioeconomy and the use of circular design principles in the built environment, new materials and innovative technologies are emerging to help reach zero-waste goals and the lowest environmental impact. Bio-fabricated materials open new avenues for reaching higher ambitions in terms of sustainability, especially if associated with high-technological solutions that can accelerate and simplify their manufacturing, retrofitting and renewal.

Bio-fabricated materials and their potential as an alternative to conventional materials are still underexplored. The widespread integration of bio-fabricated materials in the built environment^[1] faces several barriers, from technical and regulatory hurdles to high production costs, limited knowledge and expertise among construction professionals, and low acceptance by the construction ecosystem. Bio-fabricated materials and their potential as an alternative to conventional materials are underexplored.

Research is required to investigate new ways to address the main technical challenges of bio-fabricated materials.

Applying regenerative design to the built environment in neighbourhoods

Opened

Code: 36989 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-REGEN-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: New European Bauhaus | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 12/11/2025

Regenerative design aims to actively restore, revitalise and enhance ecosystems, contributing to both human and planetary health, in line also with the ‘One Health’ approach. Regenerative design thus contributes to creating sustainable, thriving environments for local communities and ecosystems. This involves principles such as circularity, waste reduction, resource and energy efficiency, promoting biodiversity, and the use of carbon-storing materials.

Regenerative design offers pathways to develop construction and renovation methods and designs that go beyond conventional approaches. However, the potential and application of regenerative design in the built environment is still under-explored due to the novelty of the solutions, the complexity of inter-related factors, the limited understanding of their impacts, and insufficient knowledge exchange and technology transfer.