Citizen engagement for sustainable land management through local and regional authorities
Horizon Europe Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe'
Funding Amount
Up to €5.0M
Deadline
30/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Citizen engagement for sustainable land management through local and regional authorities Call?
Grant Description
This coordination and support action supports local and regional authorities across Europe to improve soil literacy and capacity for soil protection and restoration. Activities include training, peer-to-peer learning, technical support and grants to co-design and launch at least forty Territorial Management Agreements with citizens for sustainable land management. Projects must foster inclusive participatory processes, integrate gender and vulnerable groups, coordinate with existing Soil Deal fo...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Project results are expected to contribute to:
1. Substantially increased awareness and understanding among citizens and local/regional policy makers of soil value, soil health challenges and drivers (biophysical and socio-economic) across Europe.
2. A higher number of European regions and municipalities adopting co-designed Territorial Management Agreements to foster sustainable land management practices.
3. Improved access for local and regional authorities to capacity-building activities on implementing soil protection/restoration solutions and enhancing citizen engagement in sustainable land management.
1. Substantially increased awareness and understanding among citizens and local/regional policy makers of soil value, soil health challenges and drivers (biophysical and socio-economic) across Europe.
2. A higher number of European regions and municipalities adopting co-designed Territorial Management Agreements to foster sustainable land management practices.
3. Improved access for local and regional authorities to capacity-building activities on implementing soil protection/restoration solutions and enhancing citizen engagement in sustainable land management.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must:
1. Involve local and regional authorities (NUTS 2/3 legal entities) as beneficiaries or via financial support to third parties.
2. Establish participatory processes that integrate citizens’ priorities and result in co-designed Territorial Management Agreements aimed at protecting/restoring soil health to deliver ecosystem services, biodiversity and climate benefits.
3. Commit to launching at least 40 TMAs (one per authority), providing guidelines and resources for their long-term monitoring and sustainability.
4. Organise capacity-building (training, peer-to-peer, knowledge-sharing) for authority representatives to adopt soil restoration solutions at governance level.
5. If using financial support to third parties, follow an open European-dimension call, grant max EUR 60 000 per third party.
6. Engage citizens and stakeholders actively throughout co-design and implementation.
7. Assemble a transdisciplinary consortium combining environmental/soil sciences, spatial planning, social sciences and humanities (including gender studies).
8. Incorporate gender perspectives and ensure inclusion of vulnerable groups.
9. Allocate tasks and resources for coordination, joint activities and clustering with other Mission projects and initiatives.
10. Provide a clear route to open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of outputs via collaboration with EUSO and Soil Wise.
1. Involve local and regional authorities (NUTS 2/3 legal entities) as beneficiaries or via financial support to third parties.
2. Establish participatory processes that integrate citizens’ priorities and result in co-designed Territorial Management Agreements aimed at protecting/restoring soil health to deliver ecosystem services, biodiversity and climate benefits.
3. Commit to launching at least 40 TMAs (one per authority), providing guidelines and resources for their long-term monitoring and sustainability.
4. Organise capacity-building (training, peer-to-peer, knowledge-sharing) for authority representatives to adopt soil restoration solutions at governance level.
5. If using financial support to third parties, follow an open European-dimension call, grant max EUR 60 000 per third party.
6. Engage citizens and stakeholders actively throughout co-design and implementation.
7. Assemble a transdisciplinary consortium combining environmental/soil sciences, spatial planning, social sciences and humanities (including gender studies).
8. Incorporate gender perspectives and ensure inclusion of vulnerable groups.
9. Allocate tasks and resources for coordination, joint activities and clustering with other Mission projects and initiatives.
10. Provide a clear route to open access, longevity, sustainability, and interoperability of outputs via collaboration with EUSO and Soil Wise.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
- Financial support to third parties may only be provided as grants and capped at EUR 60 000 per third party.
• Third-party grants must be awarded through an open call with European dimension targeting local/regional authorities.
• Proposals must use the terminology “Territorial Management Agreements” consistently.
• Regional authorities are defined as NUTS 2/3 legal entities with their own representation/government.
• Projects must adhere to the Horizon Europe admissibility, eligibility, financial capacity, and evaluation rules as described in the Work Programme General Annexes (Annexes A–G).
• Proposals must include multi-actor approach: genuine involvement of end-users (researchers, land managers, advisors, NGOs, citizens, etc.) across all project phases.
• Must produce ‘practice abstracts’ in the EIP-AGRI format for CAP-related topics; where outside CAP remit, use similarly effective dissemination channels.
• Projects are expected to liaise closely with the Mission Secretariat, EUSO (JRC), Soil Wise, Mission Soil Platform, and other ongoing Mission projects to avoid duplication.
• Third-party grants must be awarded through an open call with European dimension targeting local/regional authorities.
• Proposals must use the terminology “Territorial Management Agreements” consistently.
• Regional authorities are defined as NUTS 2/3 legal entities with their own representation/government.
• Projects must adhere to the Horizon Europe admissibility, eligibility, financial capacity, and evaluation rules as described in the Work Programme General Annexes (Annexes A–G).
• Proposals must include multi-actor approach: genuine involvement of end-users (researchers, land managers, advisors, NGOs, citizens, etc.) across all project phases.
• Must produce ‘practice abstracts’ in the EIP-AGRI format for CAP-related topics; where outside CAP remit, use similarly effective dissemination channels.
• Projects are expected to liaise closely with the Mission Secretariat, EUSO (JRC), Soil Wise, Mission Soil Platform, and other ongoing Mission projects to avoid duplication.
Important dates
Open from: 06/05/2025
Deadline:30/09/2025
Application period has ended
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