The EU Prize for Humanitarian Innovation

Code: 27928 | Identifier Code: The EU Prize for Humanitarian Innovation | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: European Innovation Council-EIC (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 21/03/2023 | End submission calls: 03/10/2023

The European Prize for Humanitarian Innovation celebrates the humanitarian organisations, social enterprises, and companies that are developing technology to deliver better quality assistance to vulnerable people affected by natural disasters and man-made crises such as conflicts.

The European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital)

Code: 27763 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIC-2023-ICAPITAL-PRIZE-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: European Innovation Council-EIC (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/03/2023 | End submission calls: 29/06/2023

The European Capital of Innovation Awards aim to champion inspiring cases of municipality-enabled innovation flourishing in cities. The Awards are a prestigious recognition for city administrators who are courageous enough to open up their governance practices to experimentation, to boost innovation by all means, to be a role model for other cities, and to push the boundaries of technology for the benefit of their citizens. In addition to the monetary reward, the prize brings high visibility in the form of renewed public interest and increased media coverage.

MSCA Feedback To Policy 2023

Code: 27759 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MSCA-2023-FTP-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 07/03/2023 | End submission calls: 06/06/2023

One of the objectives of this action is to support ongoing and planned Commission initiatives which focus on exploiting and assessing the impact of Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects results in relation to thematic and cross-cutting priorities, including the EU Missions. It also aims to assess the extent to which MSCA projects achieve two of the core horizontal policy objectives of the programme: the development of researchers’ training, skills and career and the related promotion of intersectoral collaboration.

Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership’s first joint transnational call (2023): “The way forward: a thriving sustainable blue economy for a brighter future”

Code: 27635 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 13/02/2023 | End submission calls: 13/09/2023

The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership aims to boost the transformation needed towards a climate-neutral, sustainable, productive, and competitive blue economy by 2030 while creating and supporting the conditions for a sustainable ocean for the people by 2050.

This first co-funded call is entitled “The way forward: a thriving sustainable blue economy for a brighter future”.

New European Bauhaus for European startups and scaleups

Code: 27598 | Identifier Code: - | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) | Start submission calls: 24/02/2023 | End submission calls: 13/03/2023

This call promotes the main principles of the New European Bauhaus, sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion, and supports European startups and scaleups in the process of developing innovative solutions with a special emphasis on the aforementioned values.

The Silver Deal - Person-centred health and care in European regions

Code: 27321 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-STAYHLTH-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

This topic aims to implement strategies and actions in line with the Green Paper on Ageing, the EU Long-term care report, the ‘Healthier Together’ – EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative, the new EU Care Strategy, which strive to address demographic change and enable better health and care for Europe’s growing ageing societies, as well as to harness the potential of the Silver Economy. NCD prevention is highly relevant to reduce the need for long-term care. New tools and integrated care models are needed, reinforcing primary, community- and home-based health and long-term care provision, through better early detection and management of diseases among older people in an increasingly ageing society and overburdened health and care systems.

EIC Transition Challenge: Environmental Intelligence 

Code: 27168 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIC-2023-TRANSITIONCHALLENGES-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: European Innovation Council-EIC (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 27/09/2023

Proposals submitted to this Challenge should focus on demonstrating novel devices, sensors or technologies that have a clear and quantifiable advantage with respect to one or several of the key issues mentioned above compared with existing alternatives for similar class of problems or applications.

Deadline dates:
12 April 2023
27 September 2023

EIC Transition Challenge: Chip-scale optical frequency combs

Code: 27163 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIC-2023-TRANSITIONCHALLENGES-03 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: European Innovation Council-EIC (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 27/09/2023

The overall goal of this Challenge is to advance technological developments of the light states in driven nonlinear systems and to develop novel platforms for chip-scale frequency combs.

Deadline dates:
12 April 2023
27 September 2023

Transition Open 2023

Code: 27155 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIC-2023-TRANSITIONOPEN-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: European Innovation Council-EIC (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 27/09/2023

The EIC Transition Open has no predefined thematic priorities and is open to proposals in any field of technology or application. For any chosen field, EIC Transition projects should address, in a balanced way, both technology and market/business development, possibly including iterative learning processes based on early customer or user feedback.

Onsite digital technologies to monitor nutrients and chemical or biological stressors in soil and plants with relevance for food safety and nutrition

Code: 27149 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Onsite digital technologies and applications are emerging in food production and have the potential to detect chemical and biological stressors in soil and plants to help assessing, managing and eventually eliminating potential food safety risks that these stressors may pose. There is a need to improve the development and application of digital tools in primary production and food industries and boost their technological scale-up as a means to address more effectively the soil-food nexus. Moreover, those technologies will help the food industry to track safety and quality of post-harvested food grown in soils.

Innovations to prevent and combat desertification

Code: 27147 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

In 2017, 25% of land in Southern, Central and Eastern Europe was estimated to be at high or very high risk of desertification. The risk is likely to have further increased since then, and to continue increasing because of accelerating climate change and continued pressures from land use and land-use change. Desertification leads to loss of biodiversity, of organic carbon and of other land-based ecosystem services, including reduced agricultural and forest productivity. Desertification further amplifies global warming through the release of CO2 and other greenhouse gases linked with the decrease in vegetation cover. Thus, it has severe environmental, social and economic consequences which need to be urgently tackled.

Back to earth: bringing communities and citizens closer to soil

Code: 27143 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

The Cultural and Creative sectors (CCIs), artists and civil society organisations can play a significant role in promoting a green transition by engaging people and giving visibility to environmental issues. Working together with soil experts, they can contribute to increasing soil literacy by mobilising the population in the protection and restoration of soil health as well as by tackling soil challenges through creative activities.

With regard to soil health, CCIs, artists and civil society organisations have a major role to play in acting as ambassadors and giving visibility to soil related challenges. They are key for raising awareness, for example on the importance of soil and its functions for society (e.g. documentaries, communication campaigns, podcasts, music, artistic performances, exhibitions, literary arts, etc.), and for inspiring and engaging people to take part in a broader debate and in taking actions, including through innovative methodologies and tools, arts and participatory processes. Arts and other creative forms of engagement have shown to be able to mobilise people that would otherwise not easily connect to more scientific or technical information on soils. Existing examples include initiatives to raise awareness on soils in schools by painting with earth colours or citizen projects on collective composting and urban gardening or the production of documentaries and exhibitions for the general public.

Various and innovative methodologies and tools to increase citizens’ awareness and engagement should be tested in different contexts to reach and involve a large number of people with the overall scope of increasing soil literacy across society.

Discovering the subsoil

Code: 27141 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

The term “subsoil” refers to the horizons immediately below the topsoil. The subsoil can have a large impact on soil’s potential for productivity and the supply of ecosystem services. Carbon sequestered in subsoils generally contributes to more than half of the total stocks within a soil profile. In contrast to topsoil, organic matter stored in subsoil horizons is characterised by high mean residence times. Conversely, subsoil degradation (e.g. through compaction, pollution, salinization) may limit root penetration, reduce nutrient uptake and result in plants becoming increasingly susceptible to stress such as from pests and diseases or drought and floods. Reduced water infiltration in subsoils limits plant growth, while increasing surface water runoff and the risk of soil erosion.

Activities under this topic should improve our understanding and knowledge of the links between the subsoil and ecosystem services, and they should promote practices that enhance the health status of subsoils in agriculture, forestry and urban areas, as well as in sites of nature conservation and sensitive landscapes.

Soil-friendly practices in horticulture, including alternative growing media

Code: 27138 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Practices in horticulture can affect soil health and related ecosystem services at different points in the value chain, for example at production sites as well as further upstream. Within horticultural production systems, soils are often subjected to particularly intensive use, which can cause among others soil compaction, soil pollution (e.g. excess nutrients, pesticides or microplastics), and salinization as a consequence of intensive irrigation.
Peat is commonly used in nurseries, greenhouses and amateur horticulture as a growing medium and for soil improvement, as it has an excellent water retention capacity, is highly fertile due to the reduced leaching of nutrients and can improve the soil buffering capacity. The extraction of natural peat, however, is highly contentious as the disturbance of peatlands leads to habitat loss, soil degradation, CO2 emissions and increased flood risks. Therefore, sustainable alternatives to natural peat are required. While various peat-free or peat-reduced growing media have become more widely available in recent years, their performance with regard to environmental and other relevant criteria remains difficult to assess.

Soils in spatial planning

Code: 27136 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Land is a limited resource and needs to be managed carefully to meet the various, sometimes conflicting societal demands on land and soil. Inadequate practices in land management and in land use planning are main drivers of land degradation and result in the loss of important soil functions.
In urban areas for example, soil sealing leads to reduced evaporation and infiltration of water into the soil.
In rural areas, fragmented landscapes lead to a loss of habitats for species and to reduced capacities of soils to perform important functions such as water regulation or carbon storage. At the same time, pressures on rural housing, also call for adequate planning to ensure that soil and land management addresses the manifold needs of rural populations. Spatial planning has a considerable role to play when it comes to steering a more balanced and sustainable use of land and ensuring that net land take is reduced, in particular if applying the principles of a “land take hierarchy“.
Activities under this topic should identify mechanisms and highlight associated benefits that accrue from the increased consideration of soil functions by the spatial planning sector, both in urban and rural environments.

Carbon farming in living labs

Code: 27130 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Carbon farming can be defined as a green business model that rewards land managers for taking up improved land management practices, resulting in the increase of carbon sequestration in living biomass, dead organic matter and soils by enhancing carbon capture and/or reducing the release of carbon to the atmosphere, in respect of ecological principles favourable to biodiversity and the natural capital overall.

Living labs are collaborations between multiple partners that operate and undertake experiments on several sites at regional or sub-regional level. Individual sites could be e.g. farms, forest stands, urban green or industrial areas, enterprises and other entities, where the work is carried-out and monitored under real-life conditions, regardless of the land size, tenure (land ownerships) or the type of economic activity.

Lighthouses are individual, local sites (one farm, one forest exploitation, one industrial site, one urban city green area, etc.) that either can be part of a living lab or be situated outside a living lab.

Co-creating solutions for soil health in Living Labs

Code: 27128 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

More research is needed to restore and maintain healthy soils in the EU. There are three components are recognizable within the now well-established living labs research concept, which include (a) co-creation with a large set of stakeholders, (b) carried out in real-life settings and (c) involving the end-users.

Living labs are collaborations between multiple partners that operate and undertake experiments on several sites at regional or sub-regional level. Individual sites could be e.g. farms, forest stands, urban green or industrial areas, enterprises and other entities, where the work is carried-out and monitored under real-life conditions, regardless of the land size, tenure (land ownerships) or the type of economic activity.

Lighthouses are individual, local sites (one farm, one forest exploitation, one industrial site, one urban city green area, etc.) that either can be part of a living lab or be situated outside a living lab.

Soil pollution processes – modelling and inclusion in advanced digital decision-support tools

Code: 27125 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

The capacity to carry out a comprehensive scenario analysis at EU level on the impact of key drivers on soil pollution (e.g. societal behaviour, changes in emissions, climate, land management practices) is currently lacking. Soil-oriented fate and transport models exist for certain pollutants (e.g. pesticides, radionuclides, nutrients, metals) but they are generally not integrated with each other, often lack a temporal capacity, and do not always provide a quantification of actual risk to human and environmental health. Models that address the extent, fate, and transport, of emerging contaminants (e.g. microplastics, pharmaceuticals, PFAS) are even scarcer.

Environmental pollution modelling is also often compartmentalized despite a clear understanding that soil can be both a recipient of atmospheric deposition (e.g. nitrogen and sulphur) and a source of atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gases (e.g. N2O, NH4, CO2, dust, nutrients). While also acting as a buffer to water bodies from pollutants, soils can be at the origin of some of the main problems affecting terrestrial ecosystems, freshwater and marine ecosystems (e.g. nitrification, eutrophication, pesticides, in both water column and sediment) as well as compromise the production of safe food and human health.

There is a clear need to demonstrate that policy measures that affect air quality or industrial emissions can, over time, have a positive impact also on soils and water bodies.

Atlantic and Arctic sea basin lighthouse – Addressing climate change and human activities threats to marine biodiversity

Code: 27123 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-03 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Proposals will focus on developing and demonstrating ecosystem-based conservation measures and approaches for reducing cumulative pressure from human activities to address marine biodiversity loss at basin/regional level.
Project results are expected to contribute to the implementation of the Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the EU Arctic policy as well as to a basin-scale cooperation in the Atlantic and Arctic, including through transition arrangements that create socially and economically sustainable propositions for local stakeholders.

Cross-basin topic - Analysis of the obstacles and opportunities for repurposing aged/unused offshore infrastructures

Code: 27121 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-07 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

The increasing number of offshore infrastructures to be decommissioned in the near future in the European seas requires a sound assessment of environmental, social and technical impacts that decommissioning processes carry. Alternatives to decommissioning can be viewed as an opportunity to preserve the marine habitats around these platforms and to convert these infrastructures to other potentially valuable uses with environmental, economic and/or scientific benefits.

Proposals under this topic should focus on analysing options to decommissioning offshore platforms, in light of marine conservation and ecosystem protection, identifying possible business models and assessing related implications for policy/decision making and for public acceptance.

Cross-basin topic - Innovative nature-inclusive concepts to reconcile offshore renewables with ocean protection

Code: 27110 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-06 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

The EU offshore renewable energy strategy sets ambitious objectives for renewable energy production at sea, namely in relation to the REPowerEU Communication. These objectives are particularly relevant to quickly move away from our dependency on fossil fuels. Deployment of renewable energy solutions needs to be fast and coherent with the EU biodiversity protection and restoration targets. Offshore renewable infrastructures need to be built in such a way that they do not significantly harm the marine environment (e.g.: facilitating the expansion of invasive species) and even, where possible, contribute to restore marine ecosystems. Offshore infrastructures can already have positive impacts on the surrounding biodiversity and act as reefs and refuges for certain species. Nature-inclusive designs might further decrease the negative impacts and enhance desired effects.
Proposals should focus on truly multidisciplinary approaches for the development of nature-inclusive concept design of offshore renewable energy devices.

Roadmap towards the integration of inland waters into the Digital Twin Ocean

Code: 27107 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-09 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

The Digital Twin ocean will host a digital infrastructure with data services to facilitate data analytics, advanced modelling and high performance computing, development of what if scenarios to assess policies development in a context of resilience to climate change and sustainable development, supporting as well the implementation of local twins addressing specifics requested by stakeholders at all relevant scales from global to local.

The objective of the CSA is to prepare the development of the inland waters part (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, snow and ice etc.) of the Mission Knowledge system, and address activities to be developed to make it integrated or interoperable with the Digital Twin Ocean for a unified Digital twin of Ocean and waters (addressing the hydrosphere as a whole) for the Mission and the lighthouses.

Different scales shall be addressed from catchment to global perspective of the water cycle.

The targeted inland water digital twin shall support the implementation of the Mission through its different lighthouses and specially supporting the one dedicated to Danube.

European Blue Parks – Protection and restoration of marine habitats

Code: 27104 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Proposals under this topic will develop and demonstrate protection and restoration solutions to address the degradation of coastal and marine ecosystems. Proposals should significantly improve the management of marine protected areas in particular through definition of clear science-based conservation objectives and implementation of the necessary conservation measures to achieve those objectives. Amongst the conservation measures, proposals should entail implementation of passive restoration actions through e.g.: strict protection, either as a newly designated strictly protected areas or as part of the zoning in the existing marine protected areas. Proposals should address the whole marine ecosystem functioning in the designated area, including the seabed and its role in carbon storage and as fish spawning and nursery area. Proposals may address either specific vulnerable species or habitats that are under strong pressures or that have the most potential to capture and store carbon.

European natural lakes: demonstration of integrated approaches for protection and restoration of natural lake ecosystems and their biodiversity

Code: 27101 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-04 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

The proposals under this topic should design and demonstrate integrated and replicable approaches to protect and restore natural lake ecosystems and their biodiversity that result in a significantly improved ecological and chemical status and maintain it in the long-term. The integrated approaches should cover physical and biochemical elements and address in an integrated way all main pressures on the lake ecosystem. Proposals should also consider threats and risks associated to climate change and pressures on biodiversity.

The demonstration activities should combine measures and solutions to reduce pressures and stressors, to restore and protect the lake ecosystem and its biodiversity, in particular using effective nature-based and circular-biobased solutions in the lakes, along shorelines and across their catchments to reduce use of chemicals and retain nutrients. The demonstration sites should be located on natural lakes with a surface area exceeding 1 km2.

Lighthouse in the Baltic and the North Sea basins - Lighthouse in the Baltic and the North Sea basins - Green and energy-efficient small-scale fishing fleets

Code: 27098 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-05 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Proposals under this topic are expected to identify a set of suitable innovative and sustainable solutions, technologies, practices and processes to be tested, validated and demonstrated in real conditions to reduce emissions and fuel consumption of small-scale fishing vessels (length of less than 12 m), to increase energy efficiency in their range of activities and comply with EU regulatory frameworks. Solutions should consider multi-disciplinary approaches and guarantee full integration in the vessels. The integrated solutions need to be tested at sea to ensure fitness for purpose in harsh marine environment and for all range of fishing-related activities. Innovative solutions such as battery/hybrid systems, wind-propulsion vessels as well as use of sensors, predictive analytics, data, etc. can be considered.
Impact assessment on the marine environment and its biodiversity should also be carried out as well as an analysis of the obstacles, opportunities and recommendations about good practices for reducing fuel consumption and emissions from small-scale fishing vessels and improving energy efficiency in their range of activities.

Choose your fish: a campaign for responsible consumption of products from the sea

Code: 27095 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-10 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

The selected proposal under this topic should help citizens to make responsible choices in relation to the seasonality of fishes and to fish population decline and, when relevant, to the sustainability of fishing techniques.

Ocean & water and arts: the contribution of creative sectors to Mission Ocean and waters

Code: 27093 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-11 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Art and creative sectors can play an important role in the mobilisation of citizens, stakeholders and civil society actors for the protection and restoration of the ocean and inland waters, their biodiversity, aesthetic and cultural heritage. In this context, this action should benefit from close cooperation with the scientific community and the philanthropists.
Mobilisation, cooperation and coordination should be envisaged at interregional/transnational level. Proposals are encouraged to build synergies with relevant activities supported under the Creative Europe programme and with other New European Bauhaus projects, notably those based in coastal and maritime regions.

Integration of socio-ecological models into the Digital Twin Ocean

Code: 27090 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-08 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

This call aims to support the necessary actions and tool developments to appropriately include the social-ecological component of the European Digital Twin Ocean, including the links and interactions with other parts of the system (data, underlying models, ecosystem models, local twins, etc.), the necessary social-economic data considerations and the development of models and other applications to simulate and predict the social and economic part of marine and coastal systems linked to the environmental/ecological components, enabling the development of normative (what-if scenarios) and decision-support tools.

Danube river basin lighthouse – Demonstration of effective and sustainable management of sediments in the Danube river-Black sea system

Code: 27084 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Sediments, a key component of river ecosystems, provide habitats to many aquatic organisms, regulate the morphology and shape of river basin and provide key ecosystem services. Effective sediment management at a river basin scale requires trans-national, cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach. Moreover, sediment management accounts for the different demands on sediments; it considers relevant protection aspects and multiple uses of a river and its floodplain (also diverging use interests, conflicts).

The proposals should focus on the demonstration of sustainable and effective solutions for sediment management at river basin scale, including solutions for restoration of sediment balance and flow in the Danube river-Black sea system and measures to improve sediment quality. The demonstration activities should entail a holistic approach to sediment management, involving all relevant actors at a transnational/national scale and across relevant sectors, such as ICPDR, relevant national authorities, riparian communities as well as concerned economic actors.

Mission Climate adaptation, Mission Ocean & waters and Mission Soil Deal for Europe – Joint demonstration of an integrated approach to increasing landscape water retention capacity at regional scale

Code: 27082 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-OCEAN-SOIL-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

This joint topic aims to support at least 75 full-scale deep demonstrations of climate resilience, to the Mission Ocean & Waters’ objective 1, protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, and objective 2, prevent and eliminate pollution of marine and freshwaters. It also contributes to the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), as well as to the freshwater objectives of the Biodiversity Strategy 2030 on the re-naturalisation of rivers and the restoration of floodplains.

Landscape water retention capacity is understood as the ability of water bodies, soils and other ecosystems to retain water after it has fallen as precipitation; it is fundamental for the protection of biological diversity as life depends on water. High landscape water retention capacity prevents accelerated surface run-off, increases water content in soils and surface and ground water availability for vegetation, improves the quantity and quality of groundwater and aquifer recharge, reduces soil erosion and nutrient run off into surface water bodies, and improves local micro-climate by reducing local air and biomass temperature. As such, it has the potential to prevent and mitigate impacts of extreme hydrological events such as floods and to act as a buffer against heat extremes.
Projects should demonstrate socio-ecological approaches and nature-based solutions to increase landscape and soil water retention capacity, leading to improvement of quality and quantity of ground and surface waters in the area where they are deployed, and boosting resilience to climate change impacts.

Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI)’s circular systemic solutions

Code: 27078 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-02-1-two-stage | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 26/09/2023

In the context of this topic, a circular systemic solution is defined as demonstration project for deploying a circular and climate-neutral economy at urban and/or regional scale, involving key stakeholders and, ideally, addressing more than one product value chain. Proposals are expected to implement and demonstrate at large scale circular systemic solutions for the deployment of the circular economy (including the circular bioeconomy) in cities and regions or their groupings. They should form part of the implementation of the European Commission’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) and they should be carried out in close coordination and cooperation with the CCRI Coordination and Support Office (CCRI-CSO).

Novel, sustainable and circular bio-based textiles

Code: 27076 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-02-2-two-stage | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 26/09/2023

Overall, the call addresses the design, demonstration and scale-up of production of sustainable and circular, bio-based textiles for one or more applications: e.g., technical textiles, garments, industrial textiles, home textiles; including also innovative smart textiles and those providing additional functionalities (e.g., antimicrobial or fire resistance properties). Blended, but only bio-based compositions, are included hereby.

Non-plant biomass feedstock for industrial applications: technologies and processes to convert non-lignocellulosic biomass and waste into bio-based chemicals, materials and products, improving the cascading valorisation of biomass

Code: 27070 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-02-3-two-stage | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 26/09/2023

Circular bioeconomy will rely on the availability of diversified and low/no-ILUC (Indirect Land Use Change) sources of biomass but also on the ability to design, develop and scale-up processes to valorise such feedstock towards high-value, sustainable bio-based products. Non-Lignocellulosic Biomass (NLBM), and related residual non-lignocellulosic biomass’, provide options beyond plant biomass. However, NLBM from aquatic and terrestrial sources, often face challenges to reach economies of scale and biorefining production intensification, driven also by a complex and varying feedstock composition.

Supporting the fair and just transition from GHG-intensive economies facing challenges towards circular bioeconomy model regions

Code: 27068 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-10 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Projects results are expected to contribute to the outline widespread best practices showing the economic, social and environmental opportunities and the challenges of transforming GHG-intensive economies, such as coal mining, intensive agriculture such as livestock or crop production, forestry, and fisheries, and peat production, towards circular bioeconomy model regions.

Monitoring the multi-functionality of European forests

Code: 27065 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-14 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

To adequately manage forests and the services they provide, reliable, up-to-date, and coherent European forest information is more important.
This topic addresses the design of a comprehensive forest information system that aligns information on forest state, ecosystem services (including biomass) provision and socio-economic ecosystem services demand.

One hundred circular model households: making European households sustainable through inclusive circular practices

Code: 27063 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-2 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

The transition from a take-make-waste society to sustainability, resource-efficiency and circularity will have to happen on the ground in the living environment, i.e. at the consumers’ homes, or it will not happen at all. We therefore should reduce the environmental footprint of households, and think about an ambitious GHG reduction target for households that could be tested at large scale via research and innovation funding. Areas to be addressed are e.g., household electronics, textiles, food, packaging and the respective waste, furniture, housing, modes of consumption in general, at the level of individual behavioural decisions.

Broadening the spectrum of robust enzymes and microbial hosts in industrial biotechnology

Code: 27061 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-5 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

The overall scope focuses on widening the range of known robust enzymatic catalysts and industrial microbial hosts, as well as on the potential of scaling up their deployment and thus exploring their potential to offer significant gains in bio-based processes and their flexibility against variable process parameters, namely: resource efficiency, energy efficiency and other process metrics. These efforts will then eventually aim for development of novel, or significantly optimised, sustainable (bio-based) processes and products (e.g. chemicals, materials).

Novel culturing of aquatic organisms for blue biotechnology applications

Code: 27059 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-11 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

The biotechnological exploitation of both pelagic and benthic marine and other aquatic (such as the ones living in fresh waters, transitional waters and ice ecosystems) organisms often requires their cultivation and the optimisation of production yield for the compounds of interest. Aquatic biota, and in particular marine ones (bacteria, algae, fungi or invertebrates such as sponges, corals and molluscs), cannot be easily cultured. The potential environmental footprint and impact on health, sustainability and biodiversity aspects need, nevertheless, to be thoroughly assessed and safety established, through risks analysis linked to possible dissemination of newly developed organisms in nature. Culturing methods should be developed in sealed conditions, such completely in vitro or in aquaria and mesocosms, with particular attention to avoid spread of non-indigenous species in the natural aquatic environment.

Symbiosis in the bio-based industrial ecosystems

Code: 27057 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-7 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Industrial symbiosis is instrumental for an effective circularity and zero pollution within the industrial ecosystems in the Union, as it is based on the sharing of resources between facilities when wastes or by-products from an industry or industrial process becomes the raw material for another. A well-developed symbiosis across bio-based facilities aims at zero-waste value chains, ensuring more local supply chains, minimizing the use of input material resources, while reducing all the environmental impacts on soil, water, and air quality, biodiversity and climate, of all the processes involved. Industrial bio-based facilities within the scope of this topic include those producing bio-based materials and products (e.g., paints, coatings, inks and dyes, polymers, construction materials, fibres, personal care products, plasticisers, adhesive, lubricants, platform chemicals, solvents, surfactants, etc.).

Eco-friendly consumer products – low-toxicity/zero pollution construction bio-based materials

Code: 27054 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-8 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Bio-based construction materials offer major opportunities to contribute to the climate-neutral and zero-pollution objectives of the European Green Deal, replacing fossil-based alternatives, and so, reducing the environmental footprint, while offering economic benefits to the actors involved. However, care needs to be taken to ensure sustainability of sourcing and production process, while guaranteeing safety and positive user experience. This calls for high level of innovation and creativity, ensuring full inclusiveness of participation for all actors.

Business models that balance the share of power and profit in the bioeconomy

Code: 27050 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-9 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

The circular use of waste, by-products and residues from agriculture, forestry, and the agri-food industry can lead to the creation of new economic opportunities in rural areas. However, primary producers are often not fully integrated in bio-based value chains, and thus, benefits are not sufficiently distributed among value chain actors.

This topic addresses diverse forms of cooperation among primary producers and suitable business models to create high-value bio-based products in vertically integrated value chains via advanced biorefineries.

Capturing market trends and societal perceptions for tailor-made forest services

Code: 27047 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-13 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Forests provide invaluable benefits to people and the planet. There is an increasing demand on European forests to provide a high diversity of goods and ecosystem services at the same time. Forest owners should consider possible trade-offs and synergies with regards to the multifunctional role of forests, their interaction with climate change and their role for biodiversity. Therefore, there is a need for balanced and integrative approaches to ensure ecosystem services in the long-term and to provide sufficient resources for a sustainable and circular bioeconomy, while at the same time, contributing to GHG emissions reductions and carbon removals to contribute to 2030 and 2050 EU climate targets.
This topic addresses new opportunities for primary producers to diversify the income by developing new sustainable business models.

Land-based bioprospecting and production of bioactive compounds and functional materials for multiple bio-based value chains

Code: 27045 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-01-4 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Global terrestrial biodiversity remains a largely untapped source of natural bioactive molecules and compounds, often combined with interesting potential functional properties of high economic and social value. There are still significant opportunities to improve the biodiscovery process as well as understanding of specific biochemical pathways leading to high-value applications, especially with those with a reduced Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, in various sectors, based on novel biochemicals and functional bio-based materials.
This will increase capacity in the European biotechnology sector and other industries to respond to society’s needs. The challenge is to match sustainable sourcing and processing with efficient and cost-effective use. This calls for close cooperation between industrial and academic partners, with due consideration for health/safety and environmental legislation, and informed public engagement.

Environmental sustainability and circularity criteria for industrial bio-based systems

Code: 27043 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-4 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

The environmental sustainability and circularity assessment of industrial bio-based systems is instrumental to guarantee and monitor that they are developed in a way they can contribute to the just green transition of the EU economy away from a linear fossil-based system. Such knowledge would have an impact on the programming of R&I support initiatives, to save resources and move faster towards the scaling-up of the most promising bio-based technologies, including focussing on the potential environmental hotspots of the emerging technologies.
The assessment of the environmental sustainability and circularity should benefit to the greatest extent possible from existing methodologies and indicators, which can be adapted if needed.

Biosensors and user-friendly diagnostic tools for environmental services

Code: 27041 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-6 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

A successful proposal will contribute to all Destination ‘Zero pollution’ and in particular impacts related to enhancing circular bio-based systems to operate according to planetary boundaries, replacing fossil-based systems and their carbon footprint, mitigating climate change, restoring biodiversity and protecting air, water and soil quality along supply chain of biological feedstock and industrial value chains within the EU and Associated Countries and across borders. Furthermore, it will contribute to substitute harmful chemicals by safer and more sustainable alternatives notably by boosting innovative biotechnology and other sustainable technologies to create zero-pollution bio-based solutions.

Knowledge and innovative solutions in agriculture for water availability and quality

Code: 27006 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-1 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Water availability and quality is one of the most pressing issues, affecting human health, limiting food production, limiting ecological services, and hindering economic growth.
Agriculture is currently accounting to around one fourth of the total water extraction in the EU, which is leading to tensions and in some cases to conflicts, in particular where illegal abstraction takes place. It is therefore crucial to prepare agriculture to adapt to a new context where water in agriculture is more sustainably and efficiently used, without compromising the water availability for other users or undermining the good status of waterbodies.

Industrial biotechnology approaches for improved sustainability and output of industrial bio-based processes

Code: 27004 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-5 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

A successful proposal under this topic will contribute to all Destination ‘’Zero pollution’ and in particular impacts related to enhancing circular bio-based systems to operate according to planetary boundaries, replacing fossil-based systems and their carbon footprint, mitigating climate change, restoring biodiversity and protecting air, water and soil quality along supply chain of biological feedstock and industrial value chains within the EU and Associated Countries and across borders. Furthermore, it will contribute by substituting harmful chemicals by safer, less toxic and generally more sustainable alternatives notably by boosting innovative biotechnology and other related technologies to create zero-pollution bio-based solutions.

Tackling human and climate change induced pollution in the Arctic - building resilient socio-ecological systems

Code: 27002 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-3 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Main environmental concerns in the Arctic stem from the loss of pristine environment and unique ecosystems. On one hand, ice melting allows for more people and economic activities to enter the area, and on the other hand, transboundary pollution brings into the Arctic contaminants whose sources are thousands of kilometres away.
Arctic economic development is associated with a high risk of air and marine pollution, particularly from oil spills, local mining, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP), heavy metals, radioactive substances, marine litter and plastics. Pollution from Arctic shipping and tourism relying on heavy diesel fuels induce greater ice melting pack and have negative effects on marine life. Pollutants from local and distant sources are taken up by organisms and incorporated into polar food webs, jeopardizing human and environmental health. Another threat to the Arctic environment is the growing prevalence of marine litter, and specifically plastic pollution.

Proposals should aim at developing innovative approaches to address only one of the following options:

• Area A: Local and transboundary Pollutants in the Arctic – risks and challenges in a One Health approach
• Area B: Pollution and health risks linked to permafrost thaw

Safe-and-sustainable-by-design bio-based platform chemicals, additives, materials or products as alternatives

Code: 27000 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-02-2-two-stage | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 26/09/2023

Projects are expected to contribute to:

• Enable circularity(-by-design) of final products, predominantly in applications where recyclability is currently hindered or very challenging, especially due safety implications;
• In addition to fossil-feedstock substitution, reduce the dependency on or replace harmful substances, in particular in materials and formulations, leading eventually to safe(r) (low human and eco-toxicity) final bio-based products, while meeting overall environmental sustainability requirements;
• Build on a portfolio of promising bio-based solutions showing potential for scaled up production and future market uptake of alternative, safe, circular and sustainable bio-based products.

Integrated assessment and monitoring of emerging pollutants in the marine environment

Code: 26998 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-2 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

The projects are expected to develop and test integrated assessment and effect-based monitoring of impacts of contaminants of emerging concern on marine environment, ecosystems and biodiversity, including testing methods that are aligned with the relevant OECD guidance, and where relevant develop new contaminant thresholds. The projects are expected to adopt an integrated and systemic approach to the assessment of impacts, including not only impacts on marine biota but also the circulation, accumulation, magnification, persistence and degradation of the contaminants of emerging concern in marine environment and ecosystems (including marine sediments and deep-sea ecosystems) and their interaction with the changing marine environment. Projects should contribute to the improvement of understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of contaminants of emerging concern in marine environment and should close knowledge gaps as regards the characteristics, occurrence and impacts of those contaminants on marine environment and marine biodiversity. The projects should furthermore contribute to the understanding of impacts of contaminants of emerging concern on marine biota and on marine biodiversity and provide basis for the design of effective future measures for the protection of marine biodiversity from the impacts of such contaminants.

Strategies to prevent and reduce plastic packaging pollution from the food system

Code: 26996 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-7 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

The use of single-use plastics in food packaging has grown significantly in the last decades, leading to increased pollution in the environment and greenhouse gas emissions. While plastic packaging is an enabler for the safety and shelf life of food products, contributing to the reduction of food waste, there is a need for improved solutions that promote the prevention and reduction of excessive packaging in the food industry. Often, the excessive food packaging results in its inappropriate disposal or littering by consumers. This can be reduced through the application of circular models for design and production and the proper disposal and recycling of packaging waste.

Optimisation of manure use along the management chain to mitigate GHG emissions and minimize nutrients/contaminants dispersion in the environment

Code: 26994 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-02-1-two-stage | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 26/09/2023

Reducing the environmental and climate footprint of the livestock farming system is therefore of paramount importance. Furthermore, there is the need to do a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of mitigation strategies along the entire manure management chain and to take into account different GHGs and the pollution swapping effect, i.e. decreasing the emission of one GHG that can cause the increase of another one or the increase of the emission of the same GHG at one of the other stages of manure management. Another important aspect of manure management is to reduce environmental pollution caused among others by ammonia emissions, excess of nitrogen and phosphorus, by nitrate leakages, and by different components of manure, including potential contaminants, on air and water quality, on soil health, on animal health, welfare and productivity and on human health. Therefore, there is the need to develop further strategies and technologies for livestock farming systems to reduce GHG, ammonia and nitrate emissions from manure through an integrated approach for the management of manure, taking into account all steps: feeding, housing, handling, collection, treatment, storage and application.

Better understanding of routes of exposure and toxicological and ecological impacts of chemical pollution on terrestrial biodiversity

Code: 26992 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-1 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

This topic aims at better understanding the routes of exposure and toxicological and ecological impacts of chemical pollution (excluding industrial contamination) on terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems (Area A).
Successful proposals are expected to assess the effects and impact of chemical pollutants, in particular the most dangerous substances from agriculture, on the condition of the biodiversity and ecosystems in natural environment (this may include environmental and host associated microbiomes) and consequently on human health, and identify preventive and mitigation measures. It is important to pay special attention to the fact that the reduction in the population of pollinating insects caused, inter alia, by the excessive use of pesticides in EU agriculture also contributes to reducing the amount of food for birds, reducing the regulation of pests, diseases and invasive alien species. More knowledge is also needed on additional negative impacts from other contaminants of emerging concern, including pharmaceuticals such as hormones and antibiotics, veterinary products and persistent e.g., bio-accumulative substances.

Integrative forest management for multiple ecosystem services and enhanced biodiversity

Code: 26986 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-15 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

This topic addresses integrative forest management strategies that optimise actively managed forest ecosystems in such a way that the ecological and socio-economic functions are sustainable and economic viable.

The aim is to achieve a better understanding how integrative forest management concepts (e.g. close-to-nature forestry, continuous cover forestry, retention forestry, etc.) are currently applied in Europe, their implications on the environment and biodiversity, society, and forest-based economy as well as to accelerate the implementation of innovative approaches through targeted and evidence-based guidelines and tools.

Impact of light and noise pollution on biodiversity

Code: 26984 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-2 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Light pollution is the alteration of natural lighting levels due to artificial light at night. Artificial light at night is a powerful environmental stressor which alters the biological rhythms of living organisms (fauna and flora), modifies species assemblages (e.g. fish in ports) and changes ecosystems at large. There is a broad scientific consensus that it poses a threat to biodiversity and this has led to growing concerns in recent years. Light pollution is specifically known to cause habitat fragmentation, impairing physiology and behaviour in fauna. It is notably thought to be a major factor in the gradual disappearance of insect and bird populations worldwide. Its effects seem to intensify with the use of LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) including outside cities. Another domain of light pollution is the horizontally polarised light reflection of certain artificial surfaces (e.g. roads and photovoltaic solar panels), posing significant threat to polarotactic insects that get trapped in search for water bodies.

Noise is an environmental factor which is also given growing attention. Expansion of human population, transport networks and extraction have a range of impacts upon species, depending on auditory capacities and noise wavelengths. Underwater noises that are due not only to shipping but also to pile drivers, sonars, seismic testing or windfarms are significant marine pollutants. Noise can be particularly problematic for marine organisms. It has been shown for instance that it may modify behaviour and physiology of invertebrates and it is suspected to increase infection risks and alter spawning behaviour of affected species. Evidence of the impact of noise pollution on ecosystems is also growing, like the reduction of the presence of songbirds in cities.

Interdisciplinary assessment of changes affecting terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, building on observation programmes

Code: 26981 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-3 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Project under this topic, are expected to contribute to the attribution of ecosystem changes to direct and indirect drivers, and monitoring of driver effects on ecosystems through time. Projects will also enhance the understanding of the adverse impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, as well as the science base, leading to better design and monitoring conservation and restoration actions for terrestrial, freshwater, and transitional ecosystems, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and increase of carbon removals, and supporting nature-based solutions.

Build up of knowledge on Nature Positive Economy and supporting its scale-up

Code: 26979 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-10 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Nature-based solutions (NBS) can play a particularly key role in leveraging of the economic and societal potential of nature with the development of existing and new market sectors with ‘nature-based enterprises’ (NBEs) at the core.
However, nature-positive economy where such NBEs can thrive is still at its infancy and enabling framework conditions are required to improve market conditions and to unlock investment. The market is encountering many specific difficulties due to market fragmentation, early stage of development and difficulty in assembling the required knowledge, skillset, and governance structures for supplying and maintaining “living solutions” such as nature-based solutions. There is a need at the same time to increase manyfold the investment in NBS.

Biodiversity friendly practices in agriculture – breeding for Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Code: 26976 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-14 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Plant breeders need to consider more systematically characteristics that respond to these demands and contribute to crop resilience and adaptation, particularly to increasing biotic and abiotic stresses, in particular in the context of climate change.
Breeding for integrated pest management (IPM) aims to boost the development of plant varieties with tolerance of or resistance to relevant pest(s) and diseases, adapted to local environmental and pedo-climatic conditions, and diversification approaches with the goal of reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.

Valorisation of ecosystem services provided by legume crops

Code: 26974 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-16 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Τhere is an imperative need to reveal the full potential of diversification of cropping systems, with the aim of improving productivity, and supporting the development of resource-efficient and sustainable value chains. Protein-rich plants, and in particular legumes, play a key role in cross-cutting issues related to crop rotation, sustainable soil management and closing nutrient cycles.
The direct benefits of legume crops as food and feed are usually recognized, their environmental and economic benefits derived from the increase of the provision of the ecosystem services they provide, are less understood and not valorised. The focus of this proposal is on the economic and environmental benefits of the production of legume crops, regardless their cultivation purpose is for food or for feed uses.

Interlinkages between biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystems and the emergence of zoonotic diseases

Code: 26972 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-17 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

This topic aims to identify and understand better the interlinkages between biodiversity loss with the linked ecosystem degradation and the emergence of zoonotic diseases. Further research is needed to better understand how the different drivers that lead to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, and how the protection of biodiversity and the restoration of ecosystems may influence the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases. Also better understanding is needed on how the conservation of animal and microbiome genetic resources may influence the emergence of zoonotic diseases.

Understanding and reducing bycatch of protected species

Code: 26970 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-5 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Proposals under this topic are expected to contribute to the elimination or significant reduction of bycatch is achieved for marine mammals (e.g., up to 8500 dolphins killed each year in the Bay of Biscay), sea turtles (currently ~70 000 killed each year in EU waters) and seabirds (currently ~200 000 killed each year in EU waters) and sensitive or endangered fish species (e.g. elasmobranchs and sturgeons). Also, thea are aiming to impact bycatches (rate of interactions, fate of individuals post-release, by gear and by fishery, impact on population abundance and sustainability) on the conservation status of species are assessed and understood.

Demonstration of marine and coastal infrastructures as hybrid blue-grey Nature-based Solutions

Code: 26968 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-7 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Climate policies trigger the development of several-large scale infrastructures in the marine and coastal environment. Climate adaptation and impacts reduction strategies imply the increase of an already important development of coastal and urban protection from erosion, sea level rise and extreme events. Global trade is supported by enlarging or building new ports. They may cause trade-offs against endemic biodiversity and alter on-going natural eco-evolutionary responses. They may cause trade-offs against endemic biodiversity and ecology, but they could protect, restore or harbour functional ecosystems (even if mostly novel) providing critical functions and services opportunities to biodiversity by mimicking and integrating natural processes and features in their design.

Biodiversity, economics and finance: unlocking financial flows towards reversing of biodiversity loss

Code: 26966 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-9 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Τhe successful proposal will help unlock financial flows needed for reversing biodiversity loss and help better implement the sustainable finance taxonomy, thus contributing to mainstream biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural capital in the society and economy and to build approaches for enabling transformative changes to face societal challenges, including through the deployment of nature-based solutions (NBS).
The EU sustainable finance taxonomy and other similar initiatives are underway with the aim to help guide investments towards more sustainable outcomes, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal.

Crop wild relatives for sustainable agriculture

Code: 26964 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-13 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) – is referred to as the wild cousins of cultivated crops – are a key asset for agrobiodiversity, sustainable agriculture and food security overall. CRWs contain genes for a multitude of useful traits such as tolerance to pest and diseases, resource efficiency and adaptability to more extreme weather conditions or nutritional quality. Their inherent genetic diversity together with the associated diversity of microbiota is a vast resource for developing more productive, nutritious and resilient crop varieties and for diversifying farming systems.
Despite their value, a wide range of CWRs are threatened and face pressures, e.g., from intensive agriculture, urbanisation, pollution and the effects of climate change. As a consequence, knowledge is lacking about the diversity that exists and precisely how that diversity may be used for crop improvement and in farming. More systematic efforts are needed to improve the conservation of CWR in –situ and ex-situ and increase their use in plant breeding and farming.

Biodiversity loss and enhancing ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban areas

Code: 26961 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-11 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

There is a lack of knowledge and know-how on:

• how to assess ecosystem condition and services in urban and peri-urban areas, and their contribution to the challenges of the cities,
• how to best plan and prioritise the protection, renaturing, and reconnecting of the NBS and green and blue infrastructure so as to optimise the ecosystem services and address the policy priorities of the city while ‘leaving no one behind’ as stressed by the European Green deal (e.g., promote urban and regional resilience, while addressing spatial justice to avoid increased inequality),
• how to combine, connect and manage different re-naturing actions and interventions and the scales of these actions- from an individual intervention to an urban and functional urban area in order to minimise the trade-offs and disservices and optimise the benefits in a cost effective and efficient manner.

Additional activities for the European Biodiversity Partnership: Biodiversa+

Code: 26959 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-18 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

The objective of this action is to continue to provide support to the European Partnership Biodiversa+ identified in the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024.
The scope of the application for this call on the European partnership for Biodiversity Biodiversa+ should focus on the flagship programmes 2023-27 according to the partnership’s co-created strategic research and innovation agenda for seven years, which includes calls for research projects, biodiversity- and ecosystems monitoring and science-based policy advisory activities, and all horizontal activities to allow the Partnership to operate and to achieve its five specific objectives.

Reinforcing science policy support with IPBES and IPCC for better interconnected biodiversity and climate policies

Code: 26956 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-12 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

The European Union must take and demonstrate leadership in this field, notably by increasing its support to the EU and global biodiversity knowledge centres and to IPBES – and to elevate it to the same level as the IPCC.
Besides economic support, this also includes networking efforts to reinforce synergies and cooperation of the work of EU services, scientists and practitioners with CBD, IPBES, regional Multilateral Environmental Agreements, UN organisations and programmes, and other relevant research communities to underpin the implementation, monitoring and review of the post 2020 global biodiversity framework.
This action delivers targeted support to areas of specific interest for European research policy by using as well as contributing to IPBES outputs. It also helps European scientists, in particular those from southern, central and eastern EU countries, and those from the Western Balkans, Central Asia, and from Africa, who remain underrepresented, due to a lack of capacity to participate in meetings, networking or science input at global level, to play their role by contributing to EU and global regular assessments (EU ecosystem assessment, IPBES global assessments, Gap and Stocktake Reports, global biodiversity outlook). Major functions of IPBES still need to be further developed to achieve a proper level of uptake in Europe: knowledge generation, policy support and capacity building functions, including the task forces.

Nature protection: Better methods and knowledge to improve the conservation status of EU-protected species and habitats

Code: 26954 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-4 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Project under this topic, results will contribute to the following impact of destination “biodiversity and ecosystem services”: “to plan, manage and expand terrestrial and marine protected areas and improve the conservation status of species and habitats, based on up-to-date knowledge and solutions”. More specifically, project results will improve the setting of conservation objectives and measures for EU-protected habitats and species, thereby also ensuring that the network of Natura 2000 sites enable the maintenance or restoration of favourable conservation status.

Proposals should address Area A or Area B. Τhe Area should be clearly indicated on the application.

Restoration of deep-sea habitats

Code: 26952 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-6 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Effects of passive restoration (protection measures) may take multiple decades before benefits may be felt. This is even more the case for deep-sea ecosystems. They have low energy density, slower biochemical processes and assemble species with long life cycle / span. Active restoration should be explored to help accelerate the restoration.
The restoration focus should not be only on species traits targets (population, assemblage, genetic diversity, sex determination, etc.), but also on ecosystem functions including adaptation potential.

Addressing biodiversity decline and promoting Nature-based Solutions in higher education

Code: 26946 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-8 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

This topic aims to contribute to education, skills development and awareness raising about biodiversity loss, and how this can be addressed, notably with Nature-based Solutions (NBS), in the higher education sector. This is fundamental to further implement and upscale NBS and to mainstreaming biodiversity, ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, climate resilience and pollution reduction, and natural capital in the society and economy.

Ocean and coastal waters carbon- and biodiversity-rich ecosystems and habitats in Europe and the Polar Regions

Code: 26944 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-3 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Actions should aim at developing innovative approaches to address only one of the following options:

Option A: European and polar blue carbon hotspots and priority areas for climate policy frameworks and effective management – The research actions should map European and polar blue carbon hotspots and priority areas for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation potential, including an estimate of the area/extent of the habitats. In doing so, the successful proposal should rely on the synergistic use of Earth Observation data (in-situ, airborne, satellite) and models to monitor, evaluate and quantify both carbon fluxes and carbon stocks and stock changes in ocean and coastal reservoirs, to evaluate current trends and improve modelling skills and predictions, including using space and in-situ existing datasets and climate records that can be used as proxy (e.g., Copernicus, EMODnet).

Option B: Uncover mitigation opportunities of newly emerging European and polar blue carbon habitats – The research action should conduct exploratory research into potentially new habitats emerging that could yield both mitigation and biodiversity benefits, if appropriately managed. Among the emerging habitats that should be tested in terms of their emerging role in carbon storage and sequestration, with the aim of understanding of carbon sink balances and climate change–feedback variability and reduce uncertainty in model projections, are: blue carbon change with sea ice losses; blue carbon gains from glacier retreat along fjords (fjordic blue carbon, i.e. seabed biological carbon gains as a result of recent rapid glacier retreat along fjords).

Pilot network of climate-positive organic farms

Code: 26942 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-5 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The conservation and enhancement of Earth’s natural terrestrial carbon sinks such as soils and plants, forests, farmed lands and wetlands is crucial. The European Green Deal gives research and innovation (R&I) a significant role to play in supporting the design and implementation of policies that will ensure the achievement of the EU’s climate objectives. Organic farming relies on management practices that contribute to climate change mitigation, with additional benefits for the environment and biodiversity.

Additional activities for the European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All)

Code: 26939 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-1 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The objective of this action is to continue to provide support to the European Partnership Water4All identified in the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024 and first implemented under the topic HORIZON-CL6-2021-CLIMATE-01-02: European Partnership Water Security for the Planet, and in particular to fund additional activities (which may also be undertaken by additional partners).

Pragmatic clinical trials on minimally invasive diagnostics

Code: 26909 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CANCER-01-03 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

While cancer research and innovation have generated novel treatment options, cancer patients across Europe need access to minimally-invasive, patient-centred diagnostic interventions which keep up with increasing demand in a complex and fragmented oncology healthcare landscape with increasing healthcare costs.
Pragmatic clinical trials focus on choosing between care options. Pragmatic trials evaluate effectiveness, the effect of diagnostics in routine (real-world) clinical practice.

Maintaining access to regular health and care services in case of cross-border emergencies

Code: 26907 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-CARE-04-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

It is timely to take stock and identify lessons for maintaining care delivery. The goal is to be better prepared for the multiple challenges faced by health and care systems during emergencies, and ensure that necessary access to regular health and care services can be maintained.

It is important to have the right tools for maintaining access to regular health and care services, while also accommodating the more urgent needs of migrants, for example.

Pandemic preparedness and response: Sustaining established coordination mechanisms for European adaptive platform trials and/or for cohort networks

Code: 26905 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-DISEASE-03-05 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

This topic aims at maintaining and strengthening existing strategic coordination mechanisms across adaptive platform trials and across cohort studies in Europe and beyond for avoiding redundancies, promoting complementarities and facilitating cooperation among EU-funded clinical research for infectious diseases. Proposals should strengthen the leading role of the EU in clinical research preparedness for future epidemics and pandemics, through ensuring coordination of the European adaptive platform trials and of the European cohort studies. The coordination mechanisms support the longer-term perspective of preparedness for future infectious disease epidemics and pandemics, where the networks enable the conduct of perpetual platform trials and of perpetual strategic cohorts with the in-built agility to pivot to emerging diseases when an epidemic strikes.

Novel approaches for palliative and end-of-life care for non-cancer patients

Code: 26903 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-DISEASE-03-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

The complexity of health conditions related to life-threatening and chronic diseases, acute and chronic pain, late or long-term side effects as consequences of diseases and also their treatments affect quality of life of patients and their families and pose an immense societal and economic burden. Palliative and end-of-life care approaches improve quality of life of patients and professional and family caregivers through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification, assessment and treatment of pain and other factors such as physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems. Therefore, a need exists to strengthen the evidence base for available patient-centred effective interventions improving quality of life and outcomes of patients of all ages in the domains of palliative and end-of-life care.

Resilience and mental wellbeing of the health and care workforce

Code: 26899 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-CARE-04-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

A resilient workforce in the health and care sectors is essential for the sustainability and prosperity of our societies. This adds to the struggle of health and care systems to attract new people to their workforce, but also to maintain the ones already working. A combination of factors such as changes in work organisation, budgetary and administrative pressures faced by health and care systems, systemic shortages of health professionals, precarious working conditions, structural inequalities and leaps in technological innovation may leave health and care workers with feelings of helplessness, physical or mental vulnerability or moral injury.
Technological innovations (including digitisation, big data and artificial intelligence applications) provide opportunities for a more efficient provision of health and care services, and for lightening the workload of health and care workers.

Interventions in city environments to reduce risk of non-communicable disease (Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases - GACD)

Code: 26897 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-DISEASE-03-03 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

The topic is focused on implementation research with the potential to reduce the risks of NCDs in cities in LMICs and/or vulnerable populations in HICs. Proposals should focus on implementation science around evidence-based interventions that promote healthy behaviours, and that have the potential to profoundly reduce the risk of chronic diseases and multi-morbidity. The proposed implementation research must be focus on addressing NCD risk factors associated with city environments and related health inequities. In all cases, the selected study population(s) must live in cities, which may include informal settlements near urban centres, peri-urban environments, and city centres.

Pandemic preparedness and response: Understanding vaccine induced-immunity

Code: 26895 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-DISEASE-03-17 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Vaccines are a critical component needed to bring infectious disease pandemics under control. The availability of effective vaccines that are able to induce a strong and durable immune response are critical to respond to health threats caused by infectious disease epidemics or pandemics. A proactive approach to understanding the factors that affect vaccine durability and strength is necessary to ensure development of effective vaccines for future infectious disease outbreaks.

European Partnership on Rare Diseases

Code: 26893 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-DISEASE-07-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 19/09/2023

The partnership should contribute to achieving the objectives of the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe, in terms of fulfilling unmet medical needs (e.g. for rare diseases with so called “orphan medicinal products”) and ensuring that the benefits of innovation reach patients in the EU.
The co-funded European Partnership on rare diseases should be implemented based on the priorities identified in the SRIA and through a joint programme of activities ranging from coordinating and funding transnational research to highly integrative and community-driven ‘in-house’ activities such as innovation strategies for the efficient exploitation of research results, EU clinical trial preparedness activities, optimisation of research infrastructures and resources, including networking, training and dissemination activities.

Health impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals: bridging science-policy gaps by addressing persistent scientific uncertainties

Code: 26891 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-ENVHLTH-02-03 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are of increasing importance in chemical regulations in the European Union. This approach would aim at, inter alia, minimising overall exposure of humans and the environment to endocrine disruptors, paying particular attention to exposures during important periods of development of an organism, such as foetal development and puberty, possibly integrating a life course approach, as well as accelerating the development of a thorough research basis for effective and forward-looking decision-making. This includes research for the further management of chemicals (including multi-constituent chemicals as well as chemical mixtures), the understanding of the mechanistic effects of endocrine disruptors and their dose-response relationships (including at the molecular and cellular level through the use of new approach methodologies, such as ‘multiomics’, cheminformatics, in vitro 2D and 3D models, in vivo models and computational approaches), and the collection, sharing, harmonisation and combination of robust data sources.

Development and harmonisation of methodologies for assessing digital health technologies in Europe

Code: 26889 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-IND-06-07 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

The proposals under this topic are expected to develop and harmonise methodologies for assessing digital health technologies (including mhealth apps and telehealth, as well as Artificial Intelligence powered health technologies) in order to facilitate assessment of their added value at individual, health system and society levels and facilitate the cross-border deployment of digital health services within the EU. Existing Health Technology Assessment (HTA) methodology is well developed for health technologies such as medicinal products, but also for some categories of medical devices; however digitalisation raises new methodological challenges to the standardisation of assessment criteria such as privacy, cybersecurity, data storage and handling, interoperability, usability etc. Also including aspects like learning curves, iterative development of innovations, variability between settings, determining optimal timing of evaluations in the development process (maturity) are not yet solved.

Towards structuring brain health research in Europe

Code: 26884 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-DISEASE-03-06 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Member States and Associated Countries have agreed to step up their coordination in the area of brain research, which could take the form of a European partnership on Brain Health in the second Strategic Plan of Horizon Europe.

Evidence-based interventions for promotion of mental and physical health in changing working environments (post-pandemic workplaces)

Code: 26882 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-ENVHLTH-02-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Mental health and ergonomic-related problems affect a significant number of EU workers. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the most common work-related health problems in the EU and workers and managers commonly identify stress, depression and anxiety as serious psychosocial outcomes of workplace exposures. Changes in the organisation of work can bring flexibility that allows more people to enter the labour force, but may also lead to psychosocial problems.
Some workplaces have either become exclusively virtual or they have evolved into a ‘hybrid’ model (e.g. multilocational working, home office), some work tasks and processes performed virtually and others requiring physical presence. A significant number of jobs are performed at clients’ premises or require workers to commute long distances and/or cross borders regularly. Data on how these affect their mental/physical health and well-being is scarce.

Clinical trials of combined Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs)

Code: 26879 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-TOOL-05-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

The subjects of this topic are combined ATMPs (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products). Such combined ATMPs are composed of an ATMP and one or more medical devices or one or more active implantable medical devices, and their cellular or tissue part must either contain viable cells or tissues, or non-viable cells or tissues liable for exerting the primary action on the human body.
Research should focus on advanced stages of clinical development with regulatory work on the Medical Device part completed and safety studies of the combination product in an advanced stage.

Better integration and use of health-related real-world and research data, including genomics, for improved clinical outcomes

Code: 26872 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-TOOL-05-04 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

This topic aims to support proposals focusing on the integration of health data from multiple sources (e.g. electronic health records, genomics, medical imaging, laboratory and diagnostic results, pathogen data, public health registries and other clinical research data) by linking real-world and clinical research data. The data integration should be exemplified in several use-cases, i.e. well-justified groups of diseases (excluding cancer), within and/or across medical domains, and pave the way towards improved health outcomes. At least one of those use cases should build on the use of whole genome sequence data.

Harnessing the potential of real-time data analysis and secure Point-of-Care computing for the benefit of person-centred health and care delivery

Code: 26866 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-TOOL-05-05 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

The proposals under this topic are expected to develop and test innovative tools, devices and systems for point-of-care applications, including but not limited to robotics, photonics, bio-sensing, artificial intelligence etc. The proposals should demonstrate advancement and integration of technologies from proof-of-concept to prototype demonstration in operational environment. Devices and systems should be designed, developed and tested vis-à-vis defined use cases, based on the appropriate involvement of clinicians and other stakeholders, ensuring they can be seamlessly integrated into existing digital infrastructures and clinical workflows. The use cases in care settings could include but are not limited to surgery workflows, Intensive Care Unit workflows and integration of remote patient monitoring into clinical workflows. Data quality, integration and interoperability, as well as issues of cybersecurity and data protection have to be addressed. Clinical studies should be an integral part of the work proposed, with developmental iteration steps and consultation of regulators included as appropriate. Establishing synergies with AI Testing and Experimentation Facilities, European Digital Innovation Hubs and other similar initiatives is encouraged. Proposals must include a short description of initial business plan as part of the exploitation activities.

Developing a Data Quality and Utility Label for the European Health Data Space

Code: 26864 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-TOOL-05-09 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

The European Health Data Space (EHDS) will provide a common EU framework for secondary use of health data such as research, innovation, regulatory purposes, policymaking and personalised medicine. It will enable data users to have access to large amounts of health data through health data access bodies empowered with the EHDS legal provisions to overcome existing limitations regarding the processing of health data for secondary uses. To support data users in the discovery and selection of datasets for their purposes, there is a growing need to develop a data quality and utility framework to articulate the characteristics and the potential usefulness of datasets. This framework will also support data holders in identifying and addressing areas of improvement which can, in turn, allow for wider and better use of these datasets. The proposed framework should take into account the various needs of data users whilst at the same time avoid becoming an excessive burden on data holders which will need to produce the data quality and utility label.

Environmentally sustainable and climate neutral health and care systems

Code: 26862 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-CARE-04-03 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Health and care systems are undergoing structural changes, for example by strengthening primary care and community-based care, strengthening digitalisation and making sure patients are treated or cared for at the most efficient level. This offers the possibility to connect structural changes with an environmental transformation.
Research and innovation activities under this topic should be specific to health and care sectors. They should include cost studies when relevant (environmental impacts and benefits to be quantified through the life cycle thinking approach (e.g. LCA/SLCA), to be effectively implemented in line with the European Green Deal and the Zero Pollution Action Plan) and piloting research results onsite in hospitals or other care settings while generating accessible knowledge could be included.

European Partnership on Personalised Medicine

Code: 26860 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-CARE-08-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

The partnership should facilitate exchange of information and good practices among countries, provide robust guidance and tools, will network institutional stakeholders and involve regional ecosystems. It should stimulate service, policy and organisational innovations, as well as the integration of biomedical and technological innovations for the benefit of the European citizens and the European industry. The partnership should bring together a broad range of actors with a common vision of future personalised medicine. Through the objectives of Horizon Europe, the partnership should contribute to achieving the following European Commission priorities:

• Promoting our European way of life
• An economy that works for people
• A Europe fit for the digital age
• A European green deal

Pandemic preparedness and response: Broad spectrum anti-viral therapeutics for infectious diseases with epidemic potential

Code: 26858 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-DISEASE-03-04 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Proposals under this topic should cover viruses for which there are no currently available effective therapeutics or for which the therapeutics available are sub-optimal, and are expected to incorporate state-of-the-art screening technology and innovative approaches to identify new targets for antiviral compound development. Emphasis should be put on the research and development of broad-spectrum antivirals, which may include repurposing of previously approved or in-pipeline drugs. Proposals could also include elucidation of mode-of-action for candidate anti-viral therapeutics.
Proposals should aim to diversify and accelerate the global therapeutic research and development pipeline for emerging and re-emerging viral infections, and to strengthen the current leading role of the EU in therapeutic research and development.

Pandemic preparedness and response: Immunogenicity of viral proteins of viruses with epidemic and pandemic potential

Code: 26856 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-DISEASE-03-18 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Proposals under this topic should identify targets for optimal vaccine design for those pathogens where information on host-pathogen interaction and viral surface structures is already available. It is necessary to determine the extent of genetic variation with a view to develop vaccines with variant efficacy. In addition, it is necessary to develop animal and alternative models for the testing of vaccine candidates and for the kinetics, strength, breadth and persistence of the immune response. Proposals should focus on the following viruses: Hendra and Nipah Virus, Lassa virus, Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, Rift Valley fever virus, Ebola and Marburg virus, Dengue virus, Yellow Fever virus, Zika virus, West Nile fever virus and Chikungunya virus.

Planetary health: understanding the links between environmental degradation and health impacts

Code: 26854 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-ENVHLTH-02-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Planetary health is a concept focused on the interdependencies between human health and the state of earth’s complex natural systems. A key focus is on understanding how the current trend of human-related environmental degradation can affect the health and well-being of current and future generations.
Applicants under this topic are invited to submit proposals providing actionable evidence for policymakers to take preventive actions to protect the human health and wellbeing by exploring the links between human health and environmental degradation in an integrated and comprehensive manner.

Expanding the European Electronic Health Record exchange Format to improve interoperability within the European Health Data Space

Code: 26852 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-IND-06-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Electronic Health Record (EHR) interoperability has yet to become a reality in a number of use cases and health information domains. It is a complex, multi-dimensional challenge. EHRs across the Member States are diverse; so are languages, cultures, and practices in the health sector. Different technical specifications, technologies and clinical terminologies are used, involving a range of stakeholders, within and across care settings.

The Silver Deal - Person-centred health and care in European regions

Code: 26847 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-STAYHLTH-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

This topic aims to implement strategies and actions in line with the Green Paper on Ageing, the EU Long-term care report, the ‘Healthier Together’ – EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative, the new EU Care Strategy, which strive to address demographic change and enable better health and care for Europe’s growing ageing societies, as well as to harness the potential of the Silver Economy. NCD prevention is highly relevant to reduce the need for long-term care. New tools and integrated care models are needed, reinforcing primary, community- and home-based health and long-term care provision, through better early detection and management of diseases among older people in an increasingly ageing society and overburdened health and care systems.

Mapping the hurdles for the clinical applications of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs)

Code: 26845 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-IND-06-05 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

New pioneering treatments called Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), including cell and gene therapies, have the potential to bring new cures to patients affected by diseases with limited or no available treatments. However, several hurdles impede or slow down the access of ATMPs to patients in the EU and Associated Countries. These include e.g. regulatory challenges, underlying scientific uncertainties, differences in assessing the values of ATMPs by the various Health Technology Agencies (HTA), difficulties to perform randomised-controlled clinical trials or to obtain long-term safety and effectiveness data, the lack of harmonised approaches to the reimbursement of the high upfront costs by health systems, manufacturing processes, etc.

Integrated, multi-scale computational models of patient patho-physiology (‘virtual twins’) for personalised disease management

Code: 26842 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-TOOL-05-03 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

This topic will contribute to the consolidation of existing virtual twin models and support research to move towards a more integrated human virtual twin, with the aim to accelerate translational research towards cost-effective development of new health technologies. Furthermore, ‘virtual twin’ patient models hold the potential of transforming clinical processes and healthcare with longitudinal monitoring, making personalised medicine, disease prevention and individualised patient management a reality.

Supporting the uptake of innovative Health Technology Assessment (HTA) methodology and advancing HTA expertise across EU

Code: 26839 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-IND-06-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

HTA bodies have the responsibility to assess the added value of new health technologies and advise on its reimbursement and use within a healthcare system. Due to the rapid pace at which technology advance and in order to support decision making in an appropriate manner, HTA experts have to adapt/revise regularly their methodology. Whilst EU-funded projects in the field of HTA have addressed some of the research needs of the HTA bodies (e.g. methods of analysis, use of real-world data, use of patient reported outcomes), translation of their results/recommendations into HTA work remains limited.
Τhis action could represent an excellent opportunity for both those generating and those using the evidence to come together and discuss the key HTA methodological issues.
Τhe Coordination Group on HTA will have to adopt methodological guidelines for joint HTA work (e.g. joint clinical assessments, joint scientific consultation).

Relationship between infections and non-communicable diseases

Code: 26836 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-DISEASE-03-07 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Proposals under this topic are expected to elucidate and provide a better understanding of causative links between infections and non-communicable diseases onsets, and/or the impact of infections on the exacerbation of existing NCDs or vice versa, in children and/or adults. The analysis of genetics, immune status, immune or inflammatory responses, microbiome, lifestyle and/or other relevant factors (e.g. differences in age, sex/gender, vaccination status, ethnicity) should be integrated to get information for prevention, early diagnosis, risk factors, and to better understand causative links as well as the progression of those non-communicable diseases.

Global coordination of exposome research

Code: 26834 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-ENVHLTH-02-04 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

The concept of the exposome refers to the totality of environmental exposures from conception onwards, including its external (e.g. diet, lifestyle, occupational and environmental factors) and internal components (e.g. epigenomics, metabolomics).Developing a comprehensive Human Exposome Project would present a fundamental shift in looking at health, by moving research away from ‘one exposure, one disease’ understanding to a more complex picture upon which to build solid, cost-effective preventive actions and policies.
The network of projects aims to study the combination of exposures to pollutants and other stressors, across different life stages and socio-economic conditions, via a number of exposure vehicles such as consumption patterns, lifestyle and working and living environment, and their collective effect on human health.

Modelling and simulation to address regulatory needs in the development of orphan and paediatric medicines

Code: 26832 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-IND-06-04 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

The topic will support research and innovation activities focusing on the development of diverse modelling and simulation methods, as tools for addressing some of the regulatory needs in the clinical development cycle of new orphan and paediatric medicinal products. The topic is not intended to implement new preclinical/clinical studies but to use the existing knowledge/data for assessing and optimising the performance of mature in-silico models in the regulatory context with the goal of improving the clinical trial designs for small populations. Availability of the relevant data to address the requirements of the topic is an indispensable condition that must be demonstrated at the proposal submission.
SME(s) participation is encouraged with the aim to strengthen their scientific and technological basis.

Addressing poorly-understood tumour-host interactions to enhance immune system-centred treatment and care interventions in childhood, adolescent, adult and elderly cancer patients.

Code: 26830 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CANCER-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

This topic will contribute to the achievement of the Mission’s objective to better understand cancer by studying tumour-host interactions underpinning the development and progression of cancer, including in advanced localised or metastatic disease. The focus should be on poorly-understood cancers and their subtypes in children, adolescents, adults and the elderly.

Enhance primary cancer prevention through sustainable behavioural change

Code: 26828 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CANCER-01-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The Mission on Cancer and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan aim to exploit the potential of primary cancer prevention by addressing key risk factors and health determinants.
Achieving sustainable behavioural change can play a major role in enhancing the impact of health promotion and preventive measures.
The uptake of policymakers across the EU to effectively change behaviour needs to be enhanced. It is also required a systemic approach involving all the main actors at different levels who can facilitate sustainable behavioural change including public authorities, policymakers, health care providers, employers, educational institutions, industry, non-governmental consumer and patient organisations, citizens and media. Also, investments are needed to establish, scale-up or improve health promotion and cancer prevention programmes through increased awareness among citizens about cancer risk factors and related behavioural change, with a focus on hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups of the population.

Pandemic preparedness and response: In vitro diagnostic devices to tackle cross-border health threats

Code: 26822 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-HLTH-2023-TOOL-05-08 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: The Health (Cluster 1) (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 13/04/2023

Proposals under this topic should aim for delivering results that are directed, tailored towards and contributing to all of the following expected outcomes:

• The scientific and clinical communities, including health care providers and payers, as well as regulators, health systems and patients benefit from innovative diagnostic solutions that are better suited to tackle cross-border health threats.
• The scientific and clinical communities have access to novel and improved methodologies for detection of pathogens with pandemic potential in humans and for timely discovery of other health threats, such as chemical, radiological and nuclear threats, including considerations on detection in animals and environmental conditions.
• A diverse and robust pipeline of in vitro diagnostics is available, increasing options for clinical deployment in case of an epidemic or pandemic.

Establish best practices and tools to improve the quality of life for childhood cancer patients, survivors and their families in European regions

Code: 26810 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CANCER-01-04 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 12/01/2023 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Best practices and tools to improve the quality of life for survivors of childhood cancer exist at national, regional and local level. These practices and tools should be scaled up or deployed in regions in at least three different Member States or Associated Countries in order to serve as demonstrators for wider uptake.
Proposals under this topic should aim to deliver results that should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Childhood cancer patients, survivors and their families benefit from enhanced quality of life through better supportive care, personalised counselling approaches, and digital tools that are accessible and affordable. Consequently, they can better achieve their values and personal life goals.
• Health care professionals, supportive workers and councillors enhance the quality of life for childhood cancer patients, survivors and their families.

Mission Ocean and Waters and Mission A Soil Deal for Europe – Joint demonstration of approaches and solutions to address nutrient pollution in the landscape-river-sea system in the Mediterranean sea basin

Code: 26688 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-SOIL-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Soils are essential for all life-sustaining processes in our planet. If they are healthy and managed sustainably, they provide many benefits to people, nature and climate. However, 60-70% of soils in Europe are in an unhealthy condition.  The presence of nutrients in soil at concentrations higher than plant requirements not only reduces their capacity for providing their vital ecosystem services, but the nutrient runoff contaminates groundwater, streams, rivers, wetlands, lakes and seas, and increases the risk of water and ocean eutrophication. Addressing nutrient pollution is crucial to achieve the objectives of the Water Framework Directive, in particular in relation to nutrient losses in agriculture.

Closing the research gaps on Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) in support of global assessments

Code: 26681 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-8 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Actions should aim at developing innovative approaches to address only one following options:

Option A: Improving the monitoring, understanding, reporting (Essential Variables) and projections of essential physical oceanic processes related to climate and changes over time, and production of related Essential Ocean Variables and indicators, at regional or sea basin scale (sea state, ocean surface stress, sea ice, ocean surface heat fluxes, sea surface and subsurface salinity, sea surface height, sea surface and subsurface temperature, ocean circulation and surface and subsurface currents, ocean layering and density gradient, upwelling).

Option B: Improving the monitoring, understanding, reporting (Essential Variables) and projections of essential biogeochemical oceanic processes related to climate and changes over time at regional or sea basin scale (oxygen, nutrients, inorganic carbon, transient tracers, nitrous oxide, ocean colour, particulate matter, dissolved organic carbon, elemental and isotopic tracers, stable carbon isotopes, marine debris)

Option C: Improving the monitoring, understanding, reporting (Essential Variables) and projections of essential biological and ecosystem oceanic processes related to climate and changes over time at regional or sea basin scale (marine habitat properties, calcifying organisms, phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, nekton migration, marine turtles, birds and mammals, hard coral, seagrass, mangrove, macroalgal canopy, microbe, invertebrate, ocean sound)

Improve the reliability and effectiveness of alternative water resources supply systems and technologies

Code: 26679 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-2 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The search for affordable, acceptable and reliable solutions is today a common challenge for water supply planners.
Assessments and recommendations of how alternative water supply sources and infrastructures can relate to existing water utility regimes remain unexplored and there is a need to explore how the regulations around these centralized regimes can support infrastructure diversification.
The objective of this action is to improve the sustainability of various alternative water supply resources in the context of climate change and water scarcity adaptation.

Demonstration network on climate-smart farming – linking research stations

Code: 26677 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-4 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

A wide adoption of practices contributing to mitigation of climate change and enhanced carbon storage by farmers is a priority to ensure that the EU reaches GHG mitigation objectives by 2030 and climate-neutrality for land use by 2035 and for the overall economy by 2050. Farming is also vulnerable to impacts of climate change; hence adaptation is of utmost importance. Project implementation is expected to contribute to mitigation of and adaptation to climate change and help achieve climate-neutrality.

Analysing fossil-energy dependence in agriculture to increase resilience against input price fluctuations

Code: 26673 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-6 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Successful proposals are expected to contribute to a better analytical tools and capacity to integrate the use of fossil energy and energy-intensive inputs in mineral fertilisers from the farming sector.

Enhancing the sustainable production of renewable energy at farm-level

Code: 26671 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-7 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

A variety of different forms of renewable energy are produced in rural areas. Between these renewable energy sources and the environment, there can be trade-offs (e.g. land use change, biodiversity loss, air pollution) and synergies. Small and medium scale installations can provide opportunities for new cooperation in production, sales and distribution of renewable energy, and thus, can provide agricultural communities (conventional and organic sectors) with an extra source of income, while contributing to clean energy supply for society.
The variety of options result in complex considerations, as the potential, performance and impacts of renewable energy technologies depend on natural conditions, size and type of farm, approaches designed and implemented, management techniques, degree of mechanization, geographic location, and socio-economic factors, such as awareness ,about technologies and their implementation, investment and advice support for farmers, as well as the surrounding energy system and energy infrastructure.

Enhancing social inclusion in rural areas: focus on people in a vulnerable situation and social economy

Code: 26668 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-COMMUNITIES-01-1 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Projects funded under this topic will contribute to build more inclusive, social resilient and prosperous European rural areas by improving the understanding of social inclusion and social economy challenges in rural areas, by taking stock of existing policies responses, and solutions for the provision of adequate services to the population in a vulnerable situation and for enhancing social economy and entrepreneurship.
Projects will address these challenges by piloting innovative solutions that foster social economy and improve social inclusion of people in a situation of vulnerability.

EIC Transition Challenge: Full scale Micro-Nano-Bio devices for medical and medical research applications

Code: 26662 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIC-2023-TRANSITIONCHALLENGES-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: European Innovation Council-EIC (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 17/01/2023 | End submission calls: 27/09/2023

The scope of the Challenge is the maturation of Micro-Nano-Bio technologies developed in previous EU-funded projects to enable their transition to market, and the creation of the business plans to guide their next steps.

Deadline dates:
12 April 2023
27 September 2023

A European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage – Innovative tools for digitising cultural heritage objects

Code: 26649 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Culture, Creativity & Inclusive Societies (Cluster 2)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 21/09/2023

This topic aims at designing and implementing innovative tools and methods for digitisation of

• visible characteristics
• non-visible characteristics of cultural heritage objects, to be incorporated into the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH).

A European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage

Code: 26647 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Culture, Creativity & Inclusive Societies (Cluster 2)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 21/09/2023

This topic aims at designing and establishing a European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH) and demonstrating its basic capacities.
The overall goal is to define, extend and accelerate the development of a platform for multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral collaboration on cultural heritage, focusing on users’ requirements and ease of use, as well as underpinning an open digital ecosystem that provides the tools and services needed to enable and scale-up future research and innovation in the field.

European Partnership on Innovative SMEs

Code: 26641 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIE-2023-INNOVSMES-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE) | Start submission calls: 11/01/2023 | End submission calls: 22/03/2023

The overall objective of this initiative, is to implement a co-funded European Partnership for Innovative SMEs to stimulate economic growth and job creation by enhancing the competitiveness of innovative SMEs while contributing to deliver a positive economic, societal and environmental impact in Europe and beyond.
The objective of this action is to continue to provide support to the European Partnership of Innovative SMEs and in particular to fund additional activities (which may also be undertaken by additional partners) in view of its intended scope and duration.

European Excellence Initiative

Code: 26638 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-03-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The European Excellence Initiative aims to raise excellence in science and in knowledge valorisation of Europe’s universities through cooperation. Cooperation of universities will be supported to create critical R&I mass and pursue specific objectives that contribute to accelerating key R&I areas of own choice, for instance, one or more Mission areas.

Hop on Facility

Code: 26635 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-06-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 28/09/2023

The Hop On Facility integrates one additional participant from a Widening country to an ongoing project under Pillar 2 or the EIC Pathfinder scheme while topping up a relevant task or work package and the cost incurred by the additional participant. Applications with activities that contribute to the policy objective of the transition towards a green and digital economy are especially encouraged.

International benchmarking of rural and territorial policies and delivery mechanisms

Code: 26633 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-COMMUNITIES-01-3 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The project funded under this topic should contribute to increase policymakers’ understanding of rural challenges and strengthen their capacities to implement adequate policy responses to these challenges in order to increase inclusive and sustainable well-being in rural areas, considering also climate change mitigation and adaptation. Proposals are expected to work by adopting a holistic vision to rural development and/or revitalisation, avoiding a sectorial approach (e.g. rural development should not be limited to agricultural development, but overarch several aspects of the rural life).

Assessing urban farming impacts

Code: 26630 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-COMMUNITIES-01-5 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Projects results are expected to contribute in the improved knowledge on impacts and risks of various types of urban farming from the economic, environmental and social perspective, with a particular focus on spill-over effects into rural and peri-urban areas.

Improving rural future through better territorial governance and rural-urban synergies

Code: 26628 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-COMMUNITIES-01-2 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Rural and urban areas are interdependent and can mutually benefit from a territorial planning that takes into consideration their interactive relationship.
Proposals should aim at improving rural-urban cooperation, connections and planning for an integrated territorial development that adopts equitable measures to respond to socio-environmental disparities and foster sustainable growth.

Investigating the contribution of geographical indications (GIs) to sustainable development and optimising support for newly established schemes

Code: 26626 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-COMMUNITIES-01-4 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The EU is renowned for its high quality food products having specific characteristics or farming attributes that distinguish them in the marketplace, and particularly those labelled under registered geographical indications (GIs).
Quality schemes can benefit the rural and coastal economy. This is particularly the case in disadvantaged areas, in mountain areas and in the most remote regions where the farming sector already takes a significant part of the economy and production costs are high. They can create value for local communities through products that are deeply rooted in tradition, culture and geography.

Inclusive and smart ways to communicate sustainability of food

Code: 26620 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-COMMUNITIES-01-6 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The sustainability food labelling framework can help consumers in making sustainable food choices. An improved understanding of the drivers of food choices and the role of sustainability can support in using EU and national policy makers and government actions and funds most efficiently and using the best approaches. Information itself may not be enough to change citizens’ perception and actions, it should be addressed “in the right way” (emotional cues…etc.) and consider their current knowledge and information needs. Citizens’ food choices are subjective largely by food environments and there is a need to understand the influence of marketing and media as part of the environment, sometimes creating adverse effects.

Microbiomes fighting food waste through applicable solutions in food processing, packaging and shelf life

Code: 26615 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-16 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Proposals should aim for a holistic approach to realize the full potential that microbiome innovation has in terms of addressing food, health, environmental challenges and related economic problems and opportunities, to extend food shelf life and provide sustainable solutions in food processing and packaging.

Support for the implementation of a sustainable platform for the EU-African Union cooperation under the Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) partnership

Code: 26613 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-18 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Food and Nutrition Security and the Sustainability of Agriculture (FNSSA) are top priorities in the ‘Green Transition’ of the EU and Africa. The EU and the AU have adopted an enhanced Research & Innovation cooperation as their core strategy and approved a 10-year FNSSA Roadmap. The aim is to translate R&I efforts into tangible business, development and employment opportunities in Africa and Europe.

Support to the markets and trade of agroecological food products under the Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) partnership

Code: 26605 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-19 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Agroecology is a holistic approach that relies on and maximises the use of ecological processes to support agricultural production. By working more with nature and ecosystem services, it has the potential to increase farms’ circularity, diversification and autonomy, while preserving/enhancing biodiversity, and drive a full transformation of farming systems and agricultural value chains, from input substitution and beyond. Agroecological farming systems therefore have great potential to enhance the sustainability performance of agriculture and agricultural value chains that contribute to the objectives of the EU farm to fork strategy and the FNSSA partnership.

Cultured meat and cultured seafood – state of play and future prospects in the EU

Code: 26597 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-13 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Cell-based agriculture, and especially cultured meat (also called in vitro meat, lab-grown meat, artificial meat, cellular meat or cell-based meat) and cultured seafood, could be considered as a promising and innovative solution for promoting fair, safe, healthy and environmentally-friendly food systems.
Few studies have been developed to understand the impact of the cultured meat cycle (production, consumption, waste) on the environment, and its link to social and cultural aspects. Rough estimates based on a life cycle assessment suggest lower GHG emissions, land requirements and water use compared to conventional meat. Cultured meat and cultured seafood also face social and cultural challenges.

Fostering resilient European food systems in a changing world

Code: 26595 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-15 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Understanding what drives our food system, both externally and internally, on a short-term basis and in the long-term, and how we can measure or monitor the drivers of change and their impacts on the food supply and food security is vital if we want to give policymakers and businesses better tools for making food systems more sustainable and more resilient to diverse shocks and stresses (such as pandemics, geopolitical disruptions, conflicts and economic sanctions, extreme climatic conditions, environmental changes, natural disasters or energy price increase). The project should point to some serious vulnerabilities, (inter)dependencies and critical infrastructure of the food systems, but also offer indications for policymakers and businesses about where to direct efforts and investments to improve resilience.

European partnership on animal health and welfare

Code: 26593 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-2 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The partnership should address terrestrial livestock and aquatic animals. Wildlife and companion animals will be addressed when there is a potential threat to public health or health of production animals. Therefore, the partnership’s co-created strategic research and innovation agenda, should include calls for research projects and integrative activities.
The partnership should coordinate research programmes and activities on animal health and welfare between the EU and its Member States and Associated Countries and trigger combined action.

Towards research and innovation beyond farm to fork strategy targets for pesticides after 2030

Code: 26590 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-4 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The use of chemical pesticides in agriculture harm non-target organisms including humans, contaminates the soil, water and the wider environment, and cause biodiversity decline in agricultural areas.

Research has shown that well-designed integrated pest management programmes can control weeds and pests in an ecologically friendly manner. A stronger R&I ecosystem should be put in place that would be able to contribute with sustainable solutions, assess the challenges of further reductions or phasing out chemical pesticides on food systems, including food security and affordability, and connect the different ongoing efforts and initiatives.

Advancing vaccine development for African swine fever

Code: 26588 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-5 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

A successful proposal will support research and innovation to help policy makers and economic operators reduce the burden of African swine fever (ASF), thus contributing to a safeguarding animal health and the economic resilience of the sustainable livestock industry.

ASF is a devastating viral disease that has showed its potential for very serious and rapid spread, not only in Europe, but throughout the world. Global research efforts are starting to show some promising results, but further work on the development of effective and safe ASF vaccines is needed, as an additional tool to re-inforce control and eradication strategies currently in place.

New detection methods on products derived from new genomic techniques for traceability, transparency and innovation in the food system

Code: 26585 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-11 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The successful proposals should contribute to ensuring traceability and authenticity, enhancing transparency and promoting innovation in the area of new genomic techniques.

The European Network of GMO Laboratories (ENGL) report, refers to the gene editing derived plant products, concluded that validation of an event-specific detection method and its implementation for market control will be feasible only for products carrying a known DNA alteration that has been shown to be unique, (i.e. the alteration should be specific for the gene edited organism/product). The report notes that several issues regarding the detection, identification and quantification of genome-edited products will require further consideration, as its findings are currently based on theoretical assessments.

EIC Accelerator Open 2023

Code: 26581 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIC-2023-ACCELERATOROPEN-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: European Innovation Council-EIC (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 04/10/2023

The EIC Accelerator focuses in particular on innovations, building on scientific discovery or technological breakthroughs (‘deep tech’) and where significant funding is needed over a long timeframe before returns can be generated (‘patient capital’).

Deadline dates:
11 January 2023
22 March 2023
07 June 2023
04 October 2023

Teaming for Excellence

Code: 26579 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-01-01-two-stage | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The Teaming action is designed to support the creation of new centres of excellence or upgrading the existing ones in low R&I performing countries (except those centres of excellence that have already benefitted from previous Teaming calls). It is building on partnerships between leading scientific institutions in the European landscape and the main beneficiary institutions in low R&I performing countries that display the willingness to engage together for this purpose.

EIC Pathfinder Open

Code: 26569 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDEROPEN-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: European Innovation Council-EIC (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 07/03/2023

The overall objective of the EIC Pathfinder for advanced research is to develop the scientific basis to underpin breakthrough technologies, with potential to create new markets and/or to address global challenges. It provides support for the earliest stages of scientific, technological or deep-tech research and development. Pathfinder projects aim to build on new, cutting-edge directions in science and technology to disrupt a field and a market or create new opportunities by realising innovative technological solutions.

Testing and demonstrating transformative solutions to build resilience towards health risks caused by the effects of climate change

Code: 26566 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-01-03 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

Projects results are expected to contribute to the following:

regions, local authorities and communities have been involved in development and testing of a whole range of transformative solutions, will help to mitigate the effect of climate change on health and human wellbeing, including making the public health sector more climate resilient and better prepared to mitigate the climate change related health challenges.

Testing and demonstrating transformative solutions increasing climate resilience of the agriculture and/or forestry sector.

Code: 26563 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

The proposal under this topic should develop and test at least one innovative solution, combining technological, social and business innovation, leading to an increase of the resilience and adaptation capacity to climate change in the involved regions and communities of the agriculture sector and the related value chains. Nature based solutions and the restoration of cropland and grassland should be explored as priority and at the very heart of the development whenever possible.

Testing and demonstrating transformative solutions to protect critical infrastructure from climate change, mainstreaming nature based solutions.

Code: 26561 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-01-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 20/09/2023

The proposal should identify weaknesses and interlinkages of critical infrastructures, in order to develop and test innovative solutions.
The proposal should address the local vulnerabilities in order to mitigate the potential risks on the infrastructure being it as potential natural disasters, extreme weather events or long-term changes in average climate, as well as their potential negative impacts on critical assets and infrastructures and the interdependencies between those.
The proposal should design and test solutions with the potential to reduce negative impacts both of long terms climate change and also of sudden extreme events attributable to climate change.

Positive clean energy district (PED) digital twins – from modelling to creating climate neutral Cities

Code: 26559 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CIT-01-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 27/04/2023

Proposals are expected to develop a digital twin that goes beyond the virtual representation of the built environment, by integrating a comprehensive modelling layer of the local energy systems as well as mobility and transport solutions in the project defined district boundaries. The digital twin should support scenario analysis with different boundary conditions to help define the optimal solution matrix. It should draw on existing components and use open standards, technical specifications and open source software where possible.
Proposed projects are expected to go beyond the creation of a digital twin and the integration of (technical) PED solutions.

Urban greening and re-naturing for urban regeneration, resilience and climate neutrality

Code: 26557 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-CITIES-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 27/04/2023

The objective of this topic is to explore and demonstrate how to operationalize collaborative climate mitigation and adaptation urban planning approaches deploying “greening” and renaturing solutions for regeneration, re-purposing, rehabilitation and pollution abatement purposes.
It invites for demonstration actions in at least four ‘lead’ cities accompanied by at least four ‘replicator’ cities, representing good geographical, climate and socio-economic diversity across Europe and situated each in a different Member State or Associated Country, where existent urban structure and fabric allow rehabilitation, regeneration, re-purposing or (re)conversion of areas such as large scale social housing districts, deprived districts and neighbourhoods, neglected or abandoned areas and brownfields, derelict industrial sites or dysfunctional urban places through greening and renaturing.

Co-designed smart systems and services for user-centred shared zero-emission mobility of people and freight in urban areas (2Zero, CCAM and Cities’ Mission)

Code: 26554 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2023-CIT-01-01 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 10/01/2023 | End submission calls: 27/04/2023

Urban mobility is a key sector that cities need to address for accelerating their transition to climate neutrality.
This requires a mutual understanding and alignment of the opportunities of technical solutions from the CCAM and 2Zero partnerships and of needs identified by users and cities striving for the Mission target of climate neutrality.
Proposals under this topic, are expected to develop, test and demonstrate innovative solutions for mobility of people and freight exploiting the combined potential of electrification, automation and connectivity. Proposals must consider and explore the opportunities for technology transfer and synergy potentials with the respective other domain to fully cover passenger and goods mobility, although a primary focus on either people or goods mobility is possible.

EU-Africa Union – food safety

Code: 26533 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-20 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Food safety is a pre-condition for food trade. It aligns with the recent AU decision to establish the Africa Food Safety Agency to ensure the coordination of food safety at the continental level.

Innovations in plant protection: alternatives to reduce the use of pesticides focusing on candidates for substitution

Code: 26531 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-7 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The use of chemical pesticides in agriculture contributes to soil, water and air pollution, biodiversity loss and can harm non-target plants, insects, birds, mammals and amphibians.

For Plant Protection Products (PPPs) containing these active substances, Member States are required, when assessing an application for authorisation, to evaluate if these PPPs can be replaced (substituted) by other adequate solutions (chemical or non-chemical). Proposals should target one or more pesticides candidates for substitution in the EU and those pesticides which have been reported to be losing their efficiency due to the emergence of resistant pests.

Eradicate micronutrient deficiencies in the EU

Code: 26528 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-10 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The main objective of this topic is to contribute to the eradication of micronutrient deficiencies and reduction of nutrition inequalities across EU and Associated Countries at different levels (e.g. countries, regions, urban/rural/coastal areas) and for different communities of vulnerable groups such as infants, elderly, pregnant women, people with food intolerances/allergies, people with metabolic disorders on the one hand, and migrants and low income groups on the other hand.

EU-African Union cooperation – linking the activities of the Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) partnership and those of the Pan-African Network for Economic Analysis of Policies (PANAP)

Code: 26526 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-17 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

In line with the European Green Deal priorities and in particular the farm to fork strategy, and in support of the African Free Trade Area, the successful proposal will contribute to the African Union (AU)-EU High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on Science, Technology and Innovation, and its priority on Green Transition (and the respective R&I partnerships on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change and Sustainable Energy), as well as to the implementation of the short-term actions outlined in the working document of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, aiming to translate R&I efforts into tangible business, development and employment opportunities in Africa and Europe.

Towards sustainable livestock systems: European platform for evidence building and transitioning policy

Code: 26524 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-6 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The current debate on positive or negative impact and values of animal production is based on abundant contradictory data and on the difficulties in quantifying natural processes linked to agricultural production and land use. Negative and positive impacts and externalities, including potential trade-offs, should be deeply investigated in different types of farming systems, practices and environments. The project will build on a wide range of scientific information, reports, expert opinions and other available material such as databases.
The successful proposal will support policy makers with science-based evidence on the impacts and externalities of livestock farming as part of the food system and wider ecosystem.

European partnership on accelerating farming systems transition – agroecology living labs and research infrastructures

Code: 26522 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-1 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Agroecology living labs are characterised by very strong local embeddedness, multi-stakeholder involvement by a large diversity of origins, and knowledge intensiveness in the pursuit of and the innovations needed and produced.
Research infrastructures provide a wide range of services for research communities working in a long- term perspective.

The partnership’s co-created Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) should include calls for research projects and activities to boost place-based and multi-stakeholder co-creation of solutions. As such, it should boost fundamental research on agroecology through to applied research, and should give rise to ready-to-use solutions for scaling up in real-life environments. The partnership should cover issues pertaining to the transition to agroecology in all agricultural production systems, including but not limited to conventional agriculture, organic farming, agroforestry, permaculture, regenerative agriculture, urban farming, etc.

Thematic network ensuring food safety by translating research and innovation into practice

Code: 26520 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-12 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

In line with the farm to fork strategy the successful proposals will support food safety in the food system. Despite the continued generation of new knowledge and innovative solutions through funded European projects on how to ensure food safety in the food supply chain, they are often insufficiently exploited/known and widely applied by end-users for different reasons (official control authorities, food business operators, food safety risks assessors, etc.). Innovative ideas from practice are also insufficiently captured, exchanged and spread. Food safety knowledge and innovation ecosystems are insufficiently connected.

Providing marketing solutions to prevent and reduce the food waste related to marketing standards

Code: 26518 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-14 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

Food marketing standards are standards individuals and businesses comply with to be able to put food on the market or to sell to a particular buyer. These standards include or may include requirements about technical definitions, classification, presentation, marking and labelling, packaging, production method, conservation, storage, transport related administrative documents, certifications and time limits, restriction of use and disposal, …

As these standards focus on quality, they are different from food safety standards (foods that do not comply with marketing standards can still be safe to eat).

Improving yields in organic cropping systems

Code: 26516 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-3 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

One of the obstacles that hinders conversion to organic farming is the fact that several crops grown under organic conditions achieve lower yields per hectare as compared with those produced under conventional farming practices. Closing the yield gap is therefore important in order to further improve the economic competitiveness and resilience of the sector, as well as to increase farmers’ adoption of organic production.
Closing of the yield gap should not compromise the principles and objectives of organic farming, in particular with regard to the recycling of nutrients. Moreover, it is important that approaches and strategies aiming at bridging the yield gap in organic farming are holistic and take into consideration the implications on the entire farming system.

European partnership on sustainable food systems for people, planet and climate

Code: 26514 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-9 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The way in which food is produced on land, in fresh water and in oceans, as well as in aquaculture systems, fished, processed, packaged, distributed, valued, prepared, consumed, wasted and recycled should change to ensure that environmental, social and economic sustainability of food become core assets of EU’s food systems, along with food safety and food security. The prime condition for success is that a wide diversity of actors join forces in a Partnership.
This Partnership will provide a food systems R&I platform connecting local, national and European platforms, R&I programs and combining in-cash and in-kind resources in support of the transition to sustainable European food systems by 2030.

Using automatic species recognition and artificial intelligence to fight illegal fish discards and revolutionise fisheries control

Code: 26512 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-8 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 12/04/2023

The farm to fork strategy and the common fisheries policy aim to ensure that fishing and aquaculture are ecologically, economically and socially sustainable and provide a source of healthy food for EU citizens. The successful proposals should unequivocally contribute to phase out the practice of discarding unwanted fish and improving catch-reporting data by using automatic species recognition and artificial intelligence to analyse data sources, such as video footage, rapid DNA-based assays and sensor data in real-time through, for example, internet of things or similar monitoring systems.

To ensure that fisheries are ecologically, economically and socially sustainable and provide a source of healthy food, the EU needs to have in place a technologically advanced and effective fisheries monitoring and control system and the digitisation of fisheries is a key element.

Digital technologies supporting plant health early detection, territory surveillance and phytosanitary measures

Code: 26510 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-16 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

Pest monitoring is typically performed through costly and time-consuming on-site visits, resulting in certain cases in limited spatial and temporal resolution. Consequently, there is a need for more cost-effective approaches to detect and discriminate infested plants, including trees, at large spatial scales and within reasonable time frames. The advent of new technology in remote sensing, sensor technologies, robotics, remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS), the internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI), opens opportunities for monitoring continuously, more widely, and remotely. These technologies have the potential to guide and help to target on site surveillance and early detection activities and other phytosanitary measures.

Advancing analytical capacity and tools to support EU agri-food policies post 2027

Code: 26508 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-2 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

Successful proposals will advance analytical capacity and tools to support future evidence-based policies to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems. While the focus is on agri-food policies, European Green Deal actions relating to climate and environment should also be integrated in the assessment/approaches where relevant.

Integrated assessment of land use and biomass demands to contribute to a sustainable healthy and fair bioeconomy

Code: 26505 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-7 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

In line with the European Green Deal priorities, the EU’s climate ambition for 2030 and 2050 and the bioeconomy strategy vision of an economic system that acts within environmental and social boundaries, the successful proposal will aim to develop or improve land use models and tools, enabling sustainability assessments to support better-informed policy- and decision-making processes, particularly on a national and regional level.

Data-driven solutions to foster industry’s contribution to inclusive and sustainable food systems

Code: 26503 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-17 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

This topic will enhance the sustainability performance and competitiveness in the domains covered by Cluster 6 through further deployment of digital and data technologies as key enablers.
Specifically, projects are expected to contribute in the increase of the insights into the potential benefits and feasibility of data and technology employed by the private sector together with public stakeholders to drive sustainable food system transformation while respecting the relevant legal and policy frameworks.

Developing EU advisory networks on the optimal fertiliser use

Code: 26501 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-22 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

This specific topic focuses on the important role advisors can play in relation to the soaring fertilizer prices and the ambition of the of the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies for 2030 to reduce nutrient losses to the environment from both organic and mineral fertilizers by at least 50%; and hence reduce the use of fertilisers by at least 20%, while ensuring no deterioration in soil fertility.

Revitalisation of European local (rural / peri-urban) communities with innovative bio-based business models and social innovation

Code: 26496 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-5 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

Proposal results are expected to contribute for a higher impact of bio-based innovation to accelerate the transition from a linear fossil-based economy, which leads to overuse and depletion of natural resources, into a resource-efficient and circular bio-based systems operating within safe planetary boundaries. Also it will contribute for the public awareness, governance and especially social innovation contributing to reduced resource consumption and increased innovation capacity of all actors, in respect to circular bio-based sectors, reduced risk of leaving anyone behind, particularly in the areas and communities in need of revitalization (focus on rural and peri-urban areas).

Coordination and supporting action to increase synergies in the dissemination and exploitation of climate observations by World Meteorological Organization and its affiliated bodies

Code: 26494 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-9 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

This coordination and supporting action (CSA) is intended to support WMO, its affiliated bodies GCOS and IPCC, together with GEO in their common endeavours to establish a global system for standardised, open and interoperable climate observations and to exploit them so that they become available as services to the societies and citizens of the world to support their actions to adapt to climate change.
In general a successful proposal will be contributing to the further deployment, uptake and exploitation of Environmental Observation data and products in the context of the European Green Deal.

Support to EuroGEO initiative coordination/establishing a EuroGEO secretariat

Code: 26492 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-10 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

This action aims to prepare the transition of the existing EuroGEO initiative into a sustainable endeavour, by setting up a secretariat.

Towards CAP post 2027: evidence on nudging farmers to leverage more sustainable practices and behaviours

Code: 26489 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-3 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

The current agri-food system is inadequate to the need to cope with this increased demand while also preserving the environment.
The common agricultural policy is a key tool to achieve a sustainable transformation, and it puts farmers at the core of its actions. Evidence about the adoption of nudging tools in promoting environmentally sustainable practices along the food supply chain, including the role of circular bio-based options, are still relatively sparse. In particular, nudges that have been proved to work efficiently on the consumer side (e.g., default nudges, social norm nudges, choice architecture) do not translate well to farmers, and farmers may respond to nudges in a heterogeneous manner, based on their specificities.

Developing an interdisciplinary and inclusive pan-European academic network for food system science

Code: 26487 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-4 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

The project will build an interdisciplinary and inclusive pan-European academic network for food system science, that will integrate the social sciences and humanities, design, engineering and natural and applied sciences. The aim of the network is to federate research performers including universities, national science academies and research centres, academics and researchers across Europe to work together on sustainable food systems transition by carrying out inter- and transdisciplinary research, developing and applying new methods, models and tools, improving data and knowledge sharing, fostering debate and providing advice to policy makers for improved decision-making at all levels – from global to local, as needed.

Co-creation and trust-building measures for biotechnology and bio-based innovation systems

Code: 26484 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-6 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

Projects results are expected to contribute to the development of a co-creation programme and guidelines on improved knowledge exchange and awareness raising for biotechnology with focus on bio-based innovation. Also it will focus on the improvement of innovation uptake for modern and emerging key enabling technologies, in particular (industrial) biotechnology and related bio-based value chains across the EU, supporting the EU Bioeconomy Strategy Action Plan and the Industrial Strategy.

European partnership of Agriculture of Data

Code: 26479 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-1 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

A successful proposal will contribute to the objectives of the Agriculture of Data partnership proposal including the strategic research and innovation agenda. This partnership aims to enhance climate, environmental and socio-economic sustainability and productivity of agriculture and to strengthen policy monitoring and evaluation capacities through exploiting the potential of Earth and environmental observation and other data, in combination with data technologies.

Developing EU advisory networks to reduce the use of pesticides

Code: 26477 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-21 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

This specific topic focuses on the important role advisors can play in relation to reducing pesticide use and risks to reach the associated target of the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies by promoting, for example, more sustainable farming techniques (e.g., integrated pest management and agroecology), carbon farming practices, and the use of non-chemical or biological methods for pest control.

Mobilising BIOEAST networks for the development of national bioeconomy action programmes in support of the European Green Deal

Code: 26471 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-8 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

The successful proposal will support R&I to strengthen the national bioeconomy networks in BIOEAST countries for the development of national bioeconomy action programmes and engage relevant stakeholders in the development of the action plans. Also it will contribute to the expected impacts of Destination ‘Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal’, and the European policies it supports, by supporting the establishment of the innovative governance models notably to achieve better informed decision-making processes, social engagement and innovation.

Developing an EU advisory network on organic agriculture

Code: 26468 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-20 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

This topic focuses on the important role that advisors can play in relation to boosting organic farming towards reaching the target of at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land under organic farming by 2030. In particular, advisors can play a key role in encouraging conversion to organic farming and in facilitating this process to farmers, and overall in tackling the challenges of organic farming.

Reducing observation gaps in the land-sea interface area

Code: 26466 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-11 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

Digitalisation in agriculture and forestry: markets for data, and digital technologies and infrastructure – state of play and foresight in a fast changing regulatory, trade and technical environment

Code: 26456 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-15 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

The potential of digital and data technologies in the agricultural and forestry sectors to enhance their sustainability and economic performance and working conditions has been acknowledged.
Policies and the regulatory framework directly or indirectly influencing the deployment of digital and data technologies in the EU are evolving in a fast pace and will continue to do so. For stakeholder in the agricultural, forestry and the digital sectors to invest in digital and data technologies, it is important to be able to assess the possible implications of changing regulatory and market conditions on the development, purchase and use of data, and digital and data technologies. This is also supported by an increase in information on markets and related actor networks, and information on the storage and the flows of goods and data, through increased transparency and a strengthened position of users and consumers.

Open source solutions for edge, cloud and mixed model applications to strengthen production and administrative capacities in agriculture

Code: 26454 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-13 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

Digital and data technologies can improve the sustainability performance and competitiveness of the agricultural sector.
Digital solutions following the open-source principle can lead to reduced prices for digital applications and enhance transparency in production advice based on digital applications. Edge solutions may facilitate real-time applications also in areas with weak connectivity; they may, however, be run with less and/or other input data potentially resulting in another performance than cloud-based solutions or solutions following a mixed model of edge and cloud components. As data storage, processing and transfer goes along with energy consumption, the overall environmental performance of the different models for digital applications also varies and is also influenced by the number of users of a certain application.

Empowering citizens to monitor, report and act in partnership with relevant public authorities to protect their environment in the context of environmental compliance assurance

Code: 26451 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-12 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

Successful proposals are expected to support citizen engagement in particular by encouraging the validation and uptake of citizen observations by relevant public authorities for environmental compliance assurance.

Broaden EIP Operational Group outcomes across borders by means of thematic networks to compile and share knowledge ready for practice

Code: 26443 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-18 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

Project results are expected to contribute to the cross-cutting objective of the CAP on modernising the sector by fostering and sharing of knowledge, innovation and digitalisation in agriculture and rural areas, and encouraging their uptake, as well as to the European Green Deal and farm to fork Strategy objectives and targets. It will also focus on the maintenance of practical knowledge in the long-term – beyond the project period – in particular by using the main trusted dissemination channels which farmers/foresters most often consult as well as on the increase of the practical information between farmers/foresters in the EU in a geographically balanced way.

Thematic networks to compile and share knowledge ready for practice

Code: 26441 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-19 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

In support of the European Green Deal, the EU’s climate policy, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the goals and objectives of the farm to farm strategy, successful proposals will focus on sharing knowledge in a language that is understandable and aimed at farmers and foresters. The results of the project are expected to contribute to the objective of modernizing knowledge exchange, innovation and digitization in agriculture and rural areas as well as the European Green Deal. The projects will focus on the increased flow of practical information between farmers/foresters in the EU in a geographically balanced way, creating spillover effects and taking into account differences between regions.

Digital and data technologies for livestock tracking

Code: 26439 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-14 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 23/03/2023

Livestock and its attributes are tracked for instance in the context of implementing the CAP, for disease prevention and mitigation, as well as to facilitate production and the management of supply chains. Livestock tracking may also e.g. support climate mitigation by assessing livestock density against land carrying capacity and reduce soil disturbance and compaction. It may also facilitate the provision of information to consumers on the products offered and enhance transparency along the supply chain and offer a means to against legal commitments of livestock densities, e.g. in the context of CAP strategic plans.
In general it is expected to indirectly support the enhancement of the sustainability performance and competitiveness in agriculture, the development of innovative governance models, and strengthened capacities for implementing, monitoring and evaluating common policies through research and innovation and through interlinking actors and relevant initiatives.

Technologies for processing and refining of critical raw materials (IA)

Code: 26434 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-03 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 20/04/2023

Actions under this topic should demonstrate new or improved systems integrating relevant processing and refining technologies for better recovery of raw materials from low grade and/or complex ores from extractive wastes, reduction of waste, higher energy efficiency. The actions should target minerals and metals, particularly critical raw materials.

Innovative technologies for sustainable and decarbonised extraction (RIA)

Code: 26431 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-02 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 20/04/2023

Actions under this topic should develop new sustainable concepts and technological solutions, including alternative approaches, for mining of complex or difficult to access mineral deposits, including mining wastes and abandoned mining sites, particularly addressing the challenges of accessibility, industrial viability, safety and environmental impacts, including water use and GHG intensity of extraction.

Coordination and knowledge sharing across materials development communities (CSA)

Code: 26428 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-39 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 20/04/2023

There is a need to integrate and unify digital and materials competences and resources, including data, ontologies, characterisation and modelling, as well as robotics and machine learning, to accelerate the design, development, production and application of advanced materials with the desired manufacturing processes, properties, durability, and end of life. The lack of integration is a major challenge for the advanced materials design and development serving the innovation markets, including the related value chains. Such collaboration should be extended to the manufacturing industries and their digital marketplaces so that data and information to design new materials can be shared by all interested stakeholders in a faster way.

Expert network on Critical raw materials (CSA)

Code: 26423 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-07 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 20/04/2023

Projects outcomes will enable achieving the expected impacts of the destination by increasing access to primary raw materials and secondary raw materials, in particular critical raw materials (CRM) for EU industrial value chains and strategic sectors.

Integrated approach for impact assessment of safe and sustainable chemicals and materials (RIA)

Code: 26420 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-22 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 20/04/2023

Proposals should aim to develop integrated approaches for the assessment of health and environmental impacts together with the social and economic sustainability aspects of a chemical or material, all along their life-cycle. The proposals should also aim to foster the acceptance and effective uptake of the developed approaches within different sectors.

Recyclability and resource efficiency of Rare Earth based magnets (IA)

Code: 26418 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-09 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 20/04/2023

Projects outcomes will enable achieving the expected impacts of the destination by increasing access to primary raw materials and secondary raw materials, in particular critical raw materials for EU industrial value chains and strategic sectors.
Actions are expected to contribute to the implementation the EU action plan on Critical Raw Materials and the action plan on Rare Earth Magnets and Motors from the European Raw Materials Alliance.

Future Space Ecosystem and Enabling Technologies

Code: 26415 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-12 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

This topic aims at enabling efficient in-space services (e.g. maintenance, assembly, manufacture, logistics, warehousing and disassembly/reuse/recycling) by focussing on target-oriented development and qualification of innovative, game-changing technologies, key technology building blocks as well as new applications and services for the future space ecosystem.

Low cost high thrust propulsion for European strategic space launchers - technologies maturation including ground system tests

Code: 26410 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-21 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Copernicus for Atmosphere and Climate Change, including CO2

Code: 26408 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-31 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service evolution: the objective is to develop new and advanced modelling and data assimilation in CAMS global and regional systems in order to keep modelling and data assimilation aspects at the international state-of-the-art and benefit fully from ground-based and satellite observations, in particular from active remote-sensing networks with profiling capabilities (e.g. lidars, ceilometers, radars).

Copernicus Climate Change Service evolution: the objective is to develop innovative methodologies to characterise compound and cascading extreme weather events, including determining the potential frequency, intensity and impacts of these events in a changing climate.

The main objective of the research activities, is to perform R&D activities identified as priorities for the Copernicus CO2MVS capacity as identified by the European Commission’s CO2 monitoring Task Force

Copernicus for Marine Environment Monitoring

Code: 26405 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-34 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 22/12/2022 | End submission calls: 28/03/2023

The objective is to implement an advanced and seamless monitoring and forecasting of the ocean from global/regional to coastal scales representative of high-resolution and high-dynamics phenomena (physics, biogeochemistry) to better constrain the coastal applications and models developed at national to local level for several applications.

Versatile light sources and systems as tools for manufacturing and medical application (Photonics Partnership) (RIA)

Code: 26401 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-53 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 29/03/2023

Proposals should address new versatile light sources and lasers, concept and systems for extended and new fields of applications.

Advanced imaging and sensing technologies (IA)(Photonics Partnership)

Code: 26397 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-57 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 29/03/2023

Innovative hardware and software approaches, or to explore novel techniques with potential to outperform the current standards.

Drivers and success factors for progress towards Industry 5.0 (RIA)

Code: 26395 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-52 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 29/03/2023

Fostering knowledge valorisation through societal and cultural interactions (CSA)

Code: 26393 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-33 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 29/03/2023

This action aims to strengthen and further develop existing or new schemes promoting arts-industrial technologies-citizens interactions, that increase uptake of new technologies and innovative solutions through better societal understanding and acceptance, as well as co-creation delivering economic and societal benefits. While arts and technology are the main drivers, citizens and communities are empowered to develop, test, co-create and share the benefits of new innovative solutions that address their needs.

R&I cooperation with Sub-Saharan Africa (CSA)

Code: 26390 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-92 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 29/03/2023

The scope of this topic fosters cooperation and prepare ground for joint research and innovation and raise greater awareness of R&I cooperation opportunities between the EU and sub-Saharan Africa.

Pilots for an innovative human-centric industry (RIA)

Code: 26388 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-51 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 29/03/2023

The human-centric approach implies placing core human needs and interests at the heart of processes in industry, rather than taking the technology and its potential for increasing efficiency as a starting point.
A human-centric industry recognises and leverages the capabilities and creative potential of its workers through the synergistic combination with advanced (digital) technologies.

Affordable Housing District Demonstrator (IA)

Code: 26382 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-44 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 20/04/2023

Industrial symbiosis needs to be fostered amongst most relevant partners engaged in construction and renovation of social housing facilities. So the ultimate objective of the proposed action is to obtain a set of lighthouse affordable housing districts that each have followed a different approach, focussing on one or a combination of different innovative strands.

Bioinspired and biomimetic materials for sustainable textiles (IA)

Code: 26189 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-32 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 07/03/2023

This topic refers to the innovation market for Sustainable Textiles and will support citizens and their needs. Several materials specifications and related innovations needs will support this topic such as renewable and recyclable materials, alternative active ingredients, design for circularity.

Intelligent data acquisition and analysis of materials and products in existing built works (RIA)

Code: 26183 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-11 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 07/03/2023

There is a need to research new digitally powered techniques and technologies that would rapidly and accurately identify, analyse and record existing construction materials, products and components, facilitating their use in a circular economy and reducing life cycle impacts including embodied carbon.

Green and digital skills and training needs for a just transition (CSA)

Code: 26181 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-54 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 29/03/2023

Coordination and Support of Cognitive Computing Continuum research and policy (CSA)

Code: 26177 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-DATA-01-06 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 29/03/2023

This topic will focus on the Coordination and Support of Cognitive Computing Continuum research and policy. It will
support the structure for the European Computing ecosystem: networking events and vision workshops for the academic and industrial computing community.

Toolbox for efficient IP licensing for market uptake and societal value creation (CSA)

Code: 26175 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-31 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 29/03/2023

In line with the EU IP action plan and the Report on an intellectual property action plan to support EU’s recovery and resilience by the European Parliament, this action will promote better intellectual property management in research and innovation in view to materialise excellent research into innovation that is benefitting the society and businesses in the EU and beyond.

International Hub for Digital Partnerships in the Indo-Pacific (CSA)

Code: 26173 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-91 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 29/03/2023

This topic focuses on the support of R&I activities and concrete pilot projects (e.g. AI, digital identity) that are linked to the implementation of Digital Partnerships with Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore as well as in the context of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) with India with a view to drive technology development and standardisation, or regulatory/legislative approaches. It will also support the digital dialogues with international partners, facilitate exchange of views and best practices, regulatory cooperation and where appropriate development of common principles regarding regulation, legislation and standards, developed bilaterally or agreed in international fora.

Advanced (nano and bio-based) materials for sustainable agriculture (RIA)

Code: 26171 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-34 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 07/03/2023

This topic refers to the innovation market for sustainable agriculture. The next generation of fertilisers, biocides and plant protection products for agriculture should need to be based on new delivery systems made from advanced (nano)materials (nanosubstances and nanoformulations of conventional substances) or and/or bio-based materials, to enable target-specific, precise and slow release of the product, reduction of load of active substances, ease of application, reduced risk for non-target organisms and operator exposure, reduced wash-off, reduced costs for farmers, etc.

Advanced materials for magnets in applications for the New Energies Market (RIA)

Code: 26169 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-37 | Programme name: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) | Sub-program: Digital, Industry & Space (Cluster 4)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 08/12/2022 | End submission calls: 07/03/2023

This topic refers to the innovation markets for New Energy and for Sustainable Transportation. Several materials specifications and related innovation needs will support this topic such as renewable energy and efficiency, renewable and recyclable materials, sustainable additives and catalysts, advanced surfaces, design for circularity. The topic should address several key policies of the European Union such as Circular Economy Action Plan, Zero Pollution Action Plan, A New Industrial Strategy for Europe also in view of critical and strategic raw materials for energy storage and conversion.

Adaptive multi-scale modelling and characterisation suites from lab to production (RIA)