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

Closed

Code: 36719 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

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

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

Journalism Science Alliance – call 1

Closed

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

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

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

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

Closed

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

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

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

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

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

Closed

Code: 36698 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

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

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

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

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

Closed

Code: 36694 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

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

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

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

Closed

Code: 36692 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-05 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

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

#BeActive EU Sport Awards

Closed

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

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

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

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

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

Closed

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

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

 

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

Closed

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

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

Projects can be national or transnational.

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

Closed

Code: 36669 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-08 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

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

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

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

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

Closed

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

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

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

Objectives:

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

Dedicated action to reinforcing hospitals and healthcare providers

Closed

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

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

Demonstration of reduced energy use and optimised flexible energy supply for industrial bio-based systems

Closed

Code: 36661 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-11 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

Scope: Key elements of circular economy applicable to industrial bio-based processes and technologies include increasing their energy and resource efficiency. In fact, on one side, industrial bio-based systems may be affected by a higher energy consumption; on the other side, energy supplies may experience shortage and/or price fluctuations that make the most energy-intensive sectors more vulnerable. Industrial bio-based systems within the scope of this topic do not include food/feed, biofuels, bioenergy and cultural/recreation sectors.

Environmental biotechnology applications in service of remediation of polluted ecosystems

Closed

Code: 36659 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

The degradation of soil, sediment, and water is mainly caused by human activities, such as pollution and unsustainable exploitation, as well as by sudden accidents. This degradation is often worsened by extreme climatic events such as wildfires, floods, and erosion. When degrading factors and vulnerability are high, and resilience is low, the situation can escalate into an environmental disaster. The topic focuses on the remediation and restoration of polluted areas affected by hazardous chemicals, pharmaceutical waste, plastics, and other litter. It also includes addressing the consequences of accidents and environmental crises. The funded projects will support European policies aimed at reducing pollution and restoring ecosystems. At the same time, they will help Member States implement climate adaptation strategies that promote nature-based and ecosystem-based solutions. In this way, they contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development.

Large-scale in situ biodiversity observations for better understanding of biodiversity state, drivers of its decline and impacts of policies

Closed

Code: 36655 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 aims to restore ecosystems and improve the conservation status of species and habitats, with a target to restore 20% of land and sea areas by 2030. However, the lack of reliable biodiversity data hinders progress monitoring. High-quality in situ data collection is needed to assess the current state, identify causes of degradation, and support the green transition.

Bioprospecting and optimised production of the terrestrial natural products: new opportunities for bio-based sectors

Closed

Code: 36652 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-08 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

The aim of this action is to broaden the range of novel compounds, lowering the production costs, quicken the development pipeline, and enable more innovation for the industrial operators, with clear-cut benefits for the final users (consumers and industries).

The scope covers immense diversity of terrestrial micro- and macro-organisms and their communities, which represents a rich and largely unexplored reservoir of natural products and their base ingredients (e.g. plants, fungi, microorganisms etc. are in scope).

Demonstration, deployment and upscaling of circular systemic solutions in cities and regions (Circular Cities and Regions Initiative)

Closed

Code: 36650 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-07 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

Proposals are expected to implement and demonstrate circular systemic solutions for the deployment and upscaling of the circular economy in cities and regions. The main objective is to stimulate social innovation through new circular innovative technologies, novel governance and business models in order to contribute to climate mitigation and help reduce pressures on natural resources, whilst increasing Europe’s competitiveness.

This CCRI-related topic does not target specific technologies or industrial sectors, but supports the implementation of a systemic approach. This means that the implemented circular systemic solutions should involve relevant circular economy stakeholders in the targeted cities/regions, and address several (at least two) sectors and value chains – as set out in the 2020 circular economy action plan.

Supporting the implementation of nature restoration measures for sustainable farming systems

Closed

Code: 36648 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-10 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 17/09/2025

Farmers play a pivotal role in addressing biodiversity loss while ensuring food production and quality, thereby contributing to overall food security. To support biodiversity-friendly agriculture, it is essential to first list demonstrated farming practices and ecosystems that benefit biodiversity. Next, there is a need to assess the socio-economic impact of nature restoration measures on the agricultural sector and the individual farm, as well as develop and improve existing incentives and their interplay. A key element for a wide adoption of such practices by farmers is demonstrating production and labour benefits, or at least maintaining economic competitiveness in the implementation of nature restoration measures. Moreover, specific targets for agricultural ecosystems outlined in the EU Nature Restoration Regulation necessitate that applied research lays the foundation for Member States to effectively comply and design appropriate and successful strategies. Therefore, environmental, economic, and social benefits, as well as potential trade-offs between nature restoration measures and food security and quality (production and availability) should be demonstrated over different time frames. These should be developed with farmers in mind: short-term and immediate impact on production, their businesses, and nature, as well as medium and long-term.

Hop-on facility

Closed

Code: 36646 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-03-ACCESS-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 04/09/2025

The Hop-on Facility allows for legal entities from low R&I performing countries to join already funded Horizon Pillar II ‘main’ Work Programme and EIC Pathfinder collaborative R&I actions, subject to the agreement of the respective consortium and provided that legal entities from such countries are not yet participating as beneficiary, associated partner, or affiliated entity. The scheme aims to improve the inclusiveness of Horizon Europe.

European Partnership on Innovative SMEs

Closed

Code: 36643 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIE-2025-01-INNOVSMES-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 19/06/2025

The overall objective of the 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.

In order to address that objective, the initiative should:

• Enable innovative SMEs to develop all forms of innovation, including breakthrough innovation, and strengthen market deployment of innovative solutions;
• Foster the internationalisation of European innovative SMEs;
• Connect national programmes to unlock the potential of all partners.