Strengthening taxonomic approaches for biodiversity

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Code: 36741 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-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: 17/09/2025

R&I activities should:

• fill gaps in taxonomic expertise, including in the context of intra-species biodiversity (genetic diversity within and between populations) and habitats/ecosystems;
• establish, pilot and test novel taxonomic approaches on observing and quantifying biodiversity at all levels;
• develop strategies and roadmaps for systematic capacity building and transfer of taxonomic knowledge;
• compile a comprehensive open online catalogue of taxonomic and nomenclatural databases, and encourage the existing databases to align with common standards and FAIR principles, to merge where possible, and to link with or mirror each other. This catalogue should be designed to support the process of taxonomic identification, covering a wide range of databases from genetic information to species classification, and support a common European Taxonomy Initiative contributing to the Global Taxonomy Initiative;
• support development of tools to facilitate taxonomic training, such as reference collections, guidelines, standards and schemes for academic certification (e.g. within the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System ECTS);
• establish an EU network of taxonomy and genomics experts, from taxonomic facilities to universities, including an interconnected network of biodiversity genomics facilities;
• ensure representative coverage of biodiversity across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, including lesser-known taxa and ecosystems and with regard to such taxa and ecosystems that act as climate change indicators, recognising the critical role that biodiversity and ecosystem services play in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Reducing pollution from the food and drink industries

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Code: 36738 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-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: 17/09/2025

 Food systems, on the one hand, are a source of pollution and, on the other, suffer the consequences of pollution. Moving towards zero-pollution food systems can therefore help to increase the resilience of food systems and the natural ecosystems on which they depend.

Contaminants accumulate in food, either through food contact with specific materials at different stages of the food supply chain, such as food processing plants, packaging, or in agriculture with contaminated soil, air and water.

Open Topic: Innovative solutions for the sustainable and circular transformation of SMEs

Closed

Code: 36737 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-01-two-stage | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 05/05/2025 | End submission calls: 04/09/2025

Under this open topic, proposals should address common but also new, upcoming, or unforeseen challenges to the green transition of SMEs through innovative, disruptive and sustainable solutions. Proposals should identify and analyse key barriers for the sustainable and circular transition of SMEs and develop and demonstrate innovative solutions.

European partnership: Forests and Forestry for a Sustainable Future

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Code: 36732 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-15 | 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: 17/09/2025

As the main instrument for cooperation between public organisations from EU Member States and associated countries in forest-related fields , the Partnership will facilitate coordinated research and innovation actions on the diverse forestry challenges in Europe, involving a wide range of stakeholders, thus reducing the fragmentation of relevant R&D.

The Partnership should mobilise key partners and stakeholders, such as ministries responsible for research, forest and environment-related sectors, funding agencies, research organisations, research infrastructures, foresters, industry, NGOs, international networks, etc.

Τhis partnership will mobilise research and innovation to accelerate the transition to a sustainable forest bioeconomy to enhance forest sector value, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

Breeding for resilience: enhancing multi-stress tolerance in crops

Closed

Code: 36730 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-02-two-stage | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 05/05/2025 | End submission calls: 04/09/2025

Crop production faces significant challenges due to climate change and the need to adopt low-input practices, including efficient water use, to reduce the environmental impact while ensuring food security. Issues such as salinity, extreme weather conditions like droughts, waterlogging, high temperatures, and emerging patterns of pests and diseases severely impact crops, resulting in reduced productivity and yield losses. Crop responses to multiple stresses differ from their responses to single stresses. Therefore, attention should be given to enhancing crop tolerance to combinations of multiple abiotic and biotic stresses, thus better reflecting real-life agricultural conditions.

To address these challenges, it is crucial to evaluate local crop varieties, which are often better adapted to specific environmental conditions and stresses. Identifying local varieties with high plasticity enhances crop resilience and agro-biodiversity. Developing agro-ecological practices to improve stress tolerance will further support these efforts, promoting low-input practices and enhancing the overall adaptability of agricultural systems. Additionally, broad-spectrum strategies for improving stress tolerance in crops should be developed. Smart and future-proof breeding programmes need to systematically consider characteristics that enhance crop resilience and adaptation to these demands.

Harmonising and optimising composting plants performances in Europe

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Code: 36729 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-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: 17/09/2025

The Waste Framework Directive allows for the collection of waste that meets the relevant standards for packaging that can be recovered through composting and biodegradation, together with bio-waste. For example, the collection of bio-waste with industrially compostable plastic bags is encouraged (Communication on the “EU Policy Framework for Bio-based, Biodegradable and Compostable Plastics” COM(2022). Harmonisation of the performances of industrial composting plants in the EU would help meeting the targets for bio-waste collection and the quality of resulting compost.

Novel circular business models to enable the just transition to a sustainable and circular economy

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Code: 36725 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-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: 17/09/2025

The green transition and the move to a circular economy will require changes not only in the way materials are used and products are designed, but also in the way businesses operate and business models are shaped. The majority of current business models and the global economic and trading system are based on the linear and unsustainable use of materials and products.

This results in ever-increasing consumption, resource depletion, increased CO2 emissions and environmental degradation, as well as unwanted waste generation.

The transition to a sustainable, competitive and circular economy requires transformational changes in material use and corporate activities, with innovative business models capable of triggering sustainable consumption behaviours and market preferences.

Provide digital solutions tailored to small and medium-sized farms to monitor and sustainably manage agricultural inputs and natural resources

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Code: 36722 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-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: 17/09/2025

A key challenge for the agricultural sector is to provide food in a context of increasing global population, climate change and price volatility while reducing pollution and preserving natural resources and biodiversity for future generations. Farmers should be able to adopt innovative solutions to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of the farming sector while lowering its environmental footprint. However, still many farmers, particularly small and medium-sized ones, do not have easy access to monitoring and decision support systems and tools fed with data reflecting local conditions and farm characteristics.

Digital and data technologies offer solutions to monitor environmental parameters (e.g. soil conditions, water and air quality, nutrients content and availability) in a cost-efficient manner while supporting decision-making of natural resources and inputs management.

Towards a comprehensive European strategy to assess and monitor aquatic litter including plastic and microplastic pollution

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Code: 36719 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-04 | 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: 17/09/2025

The monitoring and assessment of litter including plastic, microplastic and nanoplastic pollution in Europe’s marine and freshwater environment remains fragmented and diverse, although progress has been made under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) for monitoring quantities and impacts of marine litter and harmonised guidance for monitoring has been produced. However, large discrepancies between countries, marine regions, litter types and environmental compartments can still be observed and large data and knowledge gaps persist on the sources, pathways, distribution and concentrations of litter in marine and freshwater, which are impeding comprehensive assessments of the extent of litter pollution including microplastics in EU waters. Different approaches for assessing and monitoring litter pollution in freshwater and marine environments are further hindering such assessments.

Despite the large amount of literature and recent scientific advancements to develop reliable and harmonised analytical research methodologies, guidance, protocols and reference materials, pan-European approaches and strategies that set out what to measure, where to measure, when to measure and how to measure are missing.

Journalism Science Alliance – call 1

Closed

Code: 36706 | Identifier Code: JSA | Programme name: 20613 | Start submission calls: 02/06/2025 | End submission calls: 04/08/2025

The Journalism Science Alliance (JSA) is a programme co-funded by the EU’s Creative Europe Programme. JSA delivers grant funding, training, mentoring and networking to drive the production of local, regional, and transnational investigative journalism backed by science, and enhance cross-sectoral collaboration between journalism and research institutions. Supported by training and mentorship provided by JSA, journalists and scientists will work together to uncover new topics of public interest that will reach and engage (new) audiences for investigative journalism, while serving public interest across Europe. The Journalism Science Alliance is managed by a consortium led by NOVA University Lisbon, in partnership with the European Journalism Centre (EJC).

The scope of the call is intentionally wide and inclusive. Applicants are free to propose projects on virtually any topic of public interest where scientific evidence is relevant, needed, or can add depth and credibility.

EP PerMed Education Call 2025: The EP PerMed Guide to Personalised Medicine for Healthcare Professionals

Closed

Code: 36704 | Identifier Code: EP PerMed | Programme name: 20613 | Start submission calls: 04/06/2025 | End submission calls: 09/09/2025

The objective of this call is to provide grants to support the delivery and development of educational content aimed at health care professionals (HCPs) for the implementation of personalised medicine (PM).

Gaps in HCPs’ knowledge and skills in PM have been identified as one of the key barriers to PM implementation. This initiative will strengthen HCPs’ ability to integrate PM into their daily practice by ensuring that they have the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies.

The scope of this call includes general and specialized training on PM and its application in clinical practice, interdisciplinary collaboration among HCPs, and effective communication between HCPs and patients. The courses will be designed and implemented in collaboration between selected consortia and EP PerMed.

Innovative and advanced monitoring and modelling systems for revised air quality policies

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Code: 36698 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-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: 17/09/2025

The revised Air Quality Directive (AAQD) complements the European Green Deal and is a key action in the Commission’s Zero Pollution Action Plan.

It aims to bring EU air quality standards more closely in line with WHO recommendations and to better support national and local authorities in achieving cleaner air by strengthening air quality monitoring and modelling and improving air quality.

To achieve these objectives, several challenges will need to be overcome in the coming years, in particular in terms of improving the accuracy, comparability and character of real-time monitoring and modelling for air quality assessment in Member States and associated countries, in relation to already regulated air pollutants subject to stricter limit values (the main pollutants include PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, benzene and O3) and air pollutants of concern (such as ultra fine particles – including nanoparticles of all kinds, black carbon, volatile organic compounds, ammonia, oxidising potential of particles) and the distribution of their sources.

Development and testing of Extended Producer Responsibility schemes (EPR) within the priority Circular Economy Action Plan value chains

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Code: 36694 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-04 | 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: 17/09/2025

The 2020 circular economy action plan introduces measures that aim at making sustainable products the norm, contributing to the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target and to halt biodiversity loss. It focuses on resource-intensive sectors with the highest circularity potential such as textiles, plastics, packaging, electronics including ICT products, furniture and construction products.

EPR schemes can contribute to improve circularity gaps in key product value chains with high circularity potential, given its full lifecycle approach. They make producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of the products made available on the market, from the design-phase up to their end of life, including waste collection and recycling.

Consumption patterns and environmental awareness as enablers of transition to circular economy

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Code: 36692 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-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: 17/09/2025

The transition to a circular economy is key to reducing pressures on natural resources. It is also a prerequisite to achieve the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target and to halt biodiversity loss. Sustainable consumption and production are key elements in the societal transition to a competitive circular and sustainable economy. Decoupling economic activities and human well-being from natural resource use and environmental impacts is essential and necessary. As part of the transition, with the emergence of circular and sustainable products, consumers will play an even more important role in making sustainable choices. Consumer empowerment encourages sustainable choices, which in return contribute to pollution reduction and climate neutrality.

#BeActive EU Sport Awards

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Code: 36675 | Identifier Code: ERASMUS-SPORT-2025-EU-AWARDS | Programme name: 2918 | Start submission calls: 11/06/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The #BeActive EU Sport Awards 2025 (hereafter referred to as the ‘Awards’) aim to reward and give visibility to activities that have successfully promoted sport and physical activity as means to support health, inclusion, inter-generational dialogue, volunteering and peace across Europe. Amongst others, the competition contributes to the promotion of sustainable and green sport.

Depending on the prize category, activities may focus on educational establishments, workplaces or local communities. Initiatives can also aim to overcome barriers to sport participation for people with fewer opportunities. Additionally, the competition welcomes initiatives that support inter-generational connections through the practice of sport and physical activity and is also open to actions that address social challenges, empower disadvantaged groups and foster community engagement through volunteering in sport.

Besides rewarding specific organisations, the awards will also give visibility and support the dissemination of innovative ideas, activities and best practices throughout Europe.

BioAgora – Second BioAgora Cascade Funding Call: Co-design of the SPSI Methodological Infrastructure of the Future Science Service for Biodiversity (SSBD)

Closed

Code: 36673 | Identifier Code: BioAgora | Programme name: 20613 | Start submission calls: 27/05/2025 | End submission calls: 31/08/2025

BioAgora is a collaborative European project funded by the Horizon Europe programme that aims to connect research results on biodiversity to the needs of decision-making in a targeted dialogue between scientists, other knowledge holders and policy actors. Its main outcome will be the development of a fair and functional Science Service for Biodiversity (SSBD), which will orchestrate processes and initiatives at the science‐policy society interface (SPSI) at the European level by providing the scientific pillar of the EU’s Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity.

 

Promote civil society organisations’ awareness of, capacity building and implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

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Code: 36671 | Identifier Code: CERV-2025-CHAR-LITI | Programme name: 2926 | Start submission calls: 27/05/2025 | End submission calls: 18/09/2025

This is a call for proposals for EU action grants in the field of Union Values under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV). This call for proposals will promote the founding rights and values of the Union by building primarily civil society organisations’ awareness on and capacity to apply the Charter and to carry out activities to ensure that the fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter are upheld.

Projects can be national or transnational.

Strengthening pathways to alternative socio-economic models for continuous improvement of biodiversity

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Code: 36669 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-08 | 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: 17/09/2025

Biodiversity loss is increasingly recognised as a risk to macroeconomic and financial stability, affecting key institutions, countries and regions.
Protecting and restoring ecosystems not only benefits biodiversity but also contributes to broader socio-economic objectives, such as human health and wellbeing, climate resilience, and particularly climate adaptation.

To address these trends, alternative socio-economic models can integrate biodiversity efforts into economic activities. The EU biodiversity strategy, GBF, and SDGs set ambitious biodiversity targets, but achieving them requires overcoming barriers in education, technology, society, economy, and governance. Numerous socio-economic models exist to achieve the necessary ecological, climate, economic, financial and social transition for biodiversity. These models need further analysis and development to be widely accepted and implementable.

To contribute effectively to transformative change, it is crucial to deepen our understanding of the pathways to alternative socio-economic models. This includes better valuing the economic and social benefits that nature protection and restoration bring, beyond monetary valuation, and assessing the cost of inaction. Where possible, the actions should incorporate both quantitative and qualitative research, and the use of Generative AI could integrate new socio-economic data, aiding in model interpretation and action implementation.

Framework partnership agreements to support EU level Networks active in the area: “Rights of persons with disabilities”

Closed

Code: 36665 | Identifier Code: CERV-2025-OG-DISA-FPA | Programme name: 2926 | Start submission calls: 17/06/2025 | End submission calls: 26/08/2025

This call will support networking at Union level and dialogue with and among relevant stakeholders in the policy area of disability and build up the institutional capacity of these stakeholders to contribute actively to the development and implementation of all relevant policies.

This call aims to set up 3-year framework partnership agreements with EUlevel networks and organisations whose statutory aim is to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities and which will implement among others activities in the areas of:
policy advice, support and analysis, training and capacity building, mutual learning and exchange of good practices, awareness raising, as well as information and dissemination with EU added value.

Objectives:

• Promoting, protecting and monitoring the rights of persons with disabilities by providing financial support to EU-level networks of civil society organisations active in this area at local, regional, national and transnational level.
• It will in particular contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 (ESRPD) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD);
• Supporting the Commission in putting the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 into practice;
• Delivering on the European Pillar of Social Rights and related initiatives such as the ESRPD is a shared responsibility of the EU institutions, national, regional and local authorities, social partners and civil society. Civil society organisations are expected to:
  • support its implementation at EU, national and local level notably by collecting and exchanging data and good practices and cooperating with public authorities in the design and implementation of relevant policies; implementing different mutual learning activities on concrete policies (mutual learning event/peer learning and other similar activities);
  • organise communication and engagement activities to raise awareness of the ESRPD and promote the rights of persons with disabilities in Europe. The ultimate goal is to build a stronger social Europe and ensure that people with disabilities can fully enjoy their rights.

Dedicated action to reinforcing hospitals and healthcare providers

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Code: 36663 | Identifier Code: DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08-CYBERHEALTH | Programme name: 15593 | Start submission calls: 12/06/2025 | End submission calls: 07/10/2025

This action aims to strengthen the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers. The goal is to ensure that hospitals and healthcare providers, which are crucial operators in the health sector, can effectively detect, monitor, and respond to cyber threats, particularly ransomware, which pose significant risks, thereby enhancing the resilience of the European healthcare system.