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Call key data
Network on carbon farming and emissions reductions for agricultural and forest lands
Funding Program
Horizon Europe: Missions
Call number
HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-10
deadlines
Opening
06.05.2025
Deadline
30.09.2025 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 3,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 3,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
Activities under this topic contribute to the implementation of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, in particular specific objective 2 “conserve soil organic carbon stocks”. Activities further support the design and implementation of soil health-improving innovative carbon farming practices in Europe, as intended by the implementation of the EU Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation and the European Commission Communication “A Vision for Agriculture and Food”. Activities should also contribute to meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 on Combating climate change and SDG 15 on Life on land. Carbon farming activities should at least generate co-benefits for the objective of protection and restoration of biodiversity and eco-systems, including soil health as well as avoidance of land degradation, thereby contributing to achieving the nature restoration targets set out in Union law.
Call objectives
The success of carbon farming in Europe will be judged on the quantity and quality of the sequestration of carbon in plants and soils and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural soils, as well as on the benefits for sustainability objectives (notably biodiversity) of the activities leading to such carbon sequestration or emission reductions, in a context of increasing impacts from climate change. To upscale carbon farming successfully and to establish long-term business perspectives, it is essential to standardise the methodologies and rules for monitoring, reporting and verifying (MRV) the gains or losses in carbon sequestered. Currently, private schemes apply very different benchmarks and rules to the carbon credits placed on the voluntary markets. With a high degree of transparency, environmental integrity, and methodology standardisation, buyers should have more trust in the quality of the offered carbon farming credits, land managers should also be able to more easily estimate their potential revenues, and policy makers should be keener to allow the use of such credits to warrant compliance with the EU climate regulatory framework, including currently existing 2030 targets (Effort-Sharing Regulation, Regulation on land use, land use change and forestry - LULUCF) and the 2050 climate neutrality goal. Therefore, such a regulated framework should contribute to develop a successful market for carbon farming.
The CRCF was adopted by the EU co-legislators in December 2024. Following the legislative process, the scope of carbon farming was extended to cover the certification of emission reductions from the improved use of fertilisers, in addition to carbon removals and the reduction of carbon release. With the CRCF adopted, it is now a priority for the Commission to advance work on preparing (and also updating in the future) the specific high-quality carbon farming certification methodologies, such as from rewetting of drained peatlands or agroforestry, with the continued assistance of the Commission’s Expert Group on carbon removals. As part of the legislative review of the CRCF in 2026, the Commission will also prepare a pilot methodology for the certification of practices that reduce emissions from livestock management.
The Expert Group is assisting the Commission in the preparation of policy initiatives and non-legislative proposals and covers all carbon removal topics (permanent storage, carbon farming and storage in products). To develop its work, the Expert Group needs the continuous support of a network of key stakeholders to collect and aggregate views on best practice for standards for carbon farming and emissions reductions and to synthesise the state-of-the-art on existing related certification methodologies. Currently, the CREDIBLE project (foreseen to end in June 2026) is building and coordinating this network, developing a platform for knowledge sharing, and establishing data collection networks. The network should remain in a key position to provide input for the discussions as well as to contribute to increased capacities for measuring, monitoring and standardising carbon fluxes, in particular at landscape level, through a robust network for data collection. There is also a need to accompany the implementation of the CRCF by enhancing the uptake of its methodologies and by getting feedback from the actors applying them on how to update these methodologies.
Proposed activities should:
- Coordinate the continuation and expansion of the existing network of key stakeholders drawn from European research facilities, systems developers, solution providers, administrations, farm advisors and managers and others, involved in soils programmes linked to carbon sequestration and emission reductions, in particular at the landscape scale.
- Support the work of the Expert Group on carbon removals by providing concrete, operational and solution-oriented recommendations, based on best practice and identifying the actors (European/national/regional authorities, certification bodies, land managers, etc.) which should implement each specific recommendation.
- Continue developing a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, exchange of experiences, mutual learning, best practices and support to facilitate the development (design, implementation and evaluation) of result-based schemes for carbon farming and the reduction of emissions from agricultural soils and livestock.
- Underpin the expansion of data collection networks (such as carbon flux measurements stations, ground sampling campaigns, etc.), continuing to promote the practice of data sharing and standardisation, retrieval and aggregation of information.
- Identify gaps and opportunities at the landscape level in ecosystem monitoring and soil carbon flux mitigation practices, leveraging EU level geographically-explicit monitoring systems and solutions.
- Support and establish pathways to improve national GHG inventories with the data received from projects (e.g. carbon farming).
- Propose and adopt strategies to ensure that the above-mentioned activities are self-sustainable at the end of the project.
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Expected effects and impacts
Proposals should cover carbon removals and GHG emission reductions (e.g. due to fertilisers) in all relevant LULUCF categories, including at least croplands and grasslands under various farming systems management / approaches (e.g. agroforestry, agroecology, organic farming), and forest land categories, regardless of their accountability in either the Agriculture or LULUCF sectors of the GHG inventories. Activities must contribute to supporting the knowledge base for addressing emissions from livestock through inter alia improved farm management and stocking densities. A systemic approach considering both removals and emission reductions by implementing whole-farm management approaches, including livestock, would be desirable. Proposals should aim to cover emissions reductions in the different nutrient and mass-flow chains (e.g. crop, feed, stable, biogas plant, fertilisers, root and crop residues, biogas, root uptake of nutrients, humus reproduction, etc.) as well as value creation chains (including processes, business options, carbon storage and multifunctional ecologic aspects).
A substantial part of the budget should be dedicated to co-creating with stakeholders the project’s tools and services, enhancing communication, raising awareness and engaging with stakeholders, thereby ensuring co-ownership of the project’s results and outputs and supporting the interest in, knowledge about and uptake of carbon farming.
Special attention should be given to the promotion and integration of existing databases and datasets, the application of digital technologies, and the combination of Earth observation techniques (drones, airborne, satellite based) with in-situ monitoring for (enhancing) the provision of robust, timely and accurate GHG removals/emissions’ estimates.
Proposals must include dedicated tasks and appropriate resources for:
- Building on other relevant EU programmes, projects and initiatives (which will have finished at the start of the project) on carbon farming and soil carbon monitoring: e.g. CREDIBLE; MRV4SOC; EJP Soil- including the project Road4Schemes-; ClieNFarms; HOLISOILS; ORCASA; SEPLA and the work of the JRC within the Administrative Arrangement “Carbon Removal on Land”; relevant LIFE projects; relevant data from the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) initiative as well as from countries GHG inventories.
- Collaborating on measures and joint activities with other relevant projects and initiatives (or build on them, if they have finished by the start of the project): e.g. MARVIC; ESA World Soils; LILAS4SOILS; HORIZON-MISS-2024-SOIL-01-07: Development of high spatial-resolution monitoring approaches and geographically-explicit registry for carbon farming; HORIZON-CL6-2024-CLIMATE-02-1: New knowledge and innovations for climate-smart farming - connecting research stations; HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-04: Monitoring, reporting, verification and mitigation of non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions and related air pollutants from agriculture; Climate Farm Demo; OrganicClimateNET; the Horizon Europe Partnership on Agroecology; relevant LIFE projects.
- Engaging with the relevant Mission Soil cluster activities and ultimately feeding into the Expert Group.
Proposals should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and SoilWise.
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Expected results
Project results should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Consolidated knowledge and descriptions of the state-of-the-art on practices for carbon farming and for the reduction of emissions from agriculture, forestry and livestock, in support of, but not limited to, the implementation of the CRCF, are available for land managers, farmers and forest owners and the Commission’s Expert Group on carbon removals.
- Enhanced uptake by land managers of carbon farming and practices for the reduction of emissions (mentioned in the previous bullet) in Europe, and development of standards to support these practices.
- Increased capacities of land managers for measuring, monitoring and standardising carbon fluxes, in particular at landscape level, through a robust network for data collection and facilitated improvement of (new) data collection.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Canada, Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
other eligibility criteria
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- Legal entities created under EU law (EU bodies) including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are eligible to receive funding for ‘Training and mobility’ actions or when provided for in the specific call/topic conditions. Other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding, unless provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.
- Joint Research Centre (JRC)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.
- EU restrictive measures — Entities subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) as well as Article 75 TFEU, are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any).
- Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine — Given the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the involvement of Belarus, there is currently no appropriate context allowing the implementation of the actions foreseen in this programme with legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine. Therefore, even where such entities are not subject to EU restrictive measures, such legal entities are not eligible to participate in any capacity. This includes participation as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any). Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for justified reasons.
With specific regard to measures addressed to Russia, following the adoption of the Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745 of 24 June 2024 (amending Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014) concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, legal entities established outside Russia but whose proprietary rights are directly or indirectly owned for more than 50% by a legal person, entity or body established in Russia are also not eligible to participate in any capacity. - Measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary — Following the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506, as of 16 December 2022, no legal commitments can be entered into with Hungarian public interest trusts established under the Hungarian Act IX of 2021 or any entity they maintain. Affected entities may continue to apply to calls for proposals and can participate without receiving EU funding, as associated partners, if allowed by the call conditions. However, as long as the Council measures are not lifted, such entities are not eligible to participate in any funded role (beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors, recipients of financial support to third parties, etc.).In case of multi-beneficiary grant calls, applicants will be invited to remove or replace that entity in any funded role and/or to change its status into associated partner. Tasks and budget may be redistributed accordingly.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Applications must be submitted using the forms provided inside the electronic submission system (not the templates available on the topic page, which are only for information). The structure and presentation must correspond to the instructions given in the forms.
Applications must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 33 pages.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). It is mandatory to submit a detailed budget table using the template available in the Submission system.
Call documents
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 - MissionsHorizon Europe Work Programme 2025 - Missions(1773kB)
Contact
RTD-HORIZON-EUROPE-MISSIONS@ec.europa.eu
Website
National Contact Points for Horizon Europe
Website
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