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Call key data
Improving and integrating polar observation systems in response to user requirements at local, regional, and international level
Funding Program
Horizon Europe: Cluster 6 - Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Call number
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-10
deadlines
Opening
06.05.2025
Deadline
24.09.2025 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 16,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 8,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
In line with the Green Deal, the EU climate action an adaptation strategy, the EU Arctic policy, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, successful proposals will contribute to the expected impact of this Destination on more accessible and interoperable environmental observations.
Call objectives
Long-term, integrated, and sustained observations, building on shared polar observation variables require the development of a “system of systems”. Proposals should address aspects such as carbon cycle, biogeochemistry, sea ice dynamics, ice shelves, freshwater flows changing marine waters and oceanic circulation, atmospheric composition and conditions, subsea permafrost, degradation of marine habitats and biodiversity.
Expected effects and impacts
Proposals should demonstrate how they will contribute significantly to:
- improving marine and cryospheric observing systems, in particular the non-space-based components, focussing on their optimisation, integration, coordination and governance, building on available technologies or technologies in development, including Artificial Intelligence;
- harmonised, standardised and interoperable of FAIR and CARE Polar Data systems (e.g. data collection, processing and management, incl. also historical data), that are able to provide real time information when necessary; and make them openly available e.g. through the European Marine Observation and Data network (EMODnet)
- supporting the European polar science coordination efforts, including synergies with the objectives of the European Polar Coordination Office (EPCO) and through contributing to the implementation of its work plan;
- the development of strategies on the medium and long term to ensure the sustainability of the observing systems and of the delivery of products and services, taking into account, where relevant, the recommendations of Copernicus polar roadmap.
Proposals are expected to focus their scope on only one of the following region ‘areas’:
- Area A: ‘Arctic Ocean and coastal regions’
Proposals focusing on this region need to additionally take the following into account:
- The improvements of the overall observing systems should include community-based monitoring and the local, traditional and indigenous knowledge and where relevant, be co-designed with local communities and Indigenous peoples and with other relevant stake- and right-holders with view to, inter alia, developing products and services needed for adapting to the changing Arctic.
- The action should support the EU Arctic policy and the implementation of the Roadmap for Arctic Observing and Data Systems Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON-ROADS), strengthen Arctic Ocean observations and their coordination, and ensure complementarities with the activities on societal benefit assessment of Arctic observing systems undertaken by the Joint Research Centre.
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Area B: ‘Antarctic shelves and Southern Ocean’
Proposals focusing on this region should additionally support the establishment of the UN Ocean Decade programme Antarctica InSync and contribute to the activities of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
In addition to the chosen regional scope (Area A or Area B), proposals should strengthen the coupling between the polar regions themselves, both for in-situ and satellite observations, for instance through harmonised observing strategies (including cost-effective and user-friendly methods to assess and optimize the design, investment in and operations of polar observing systems), harmonised measurement methodologies, the development of Shared Essential Polar Variables, and interoperable, Arctic and Antarctic data systems.
The proposal should also establish collaborations with other relevant projects such as HiAAOS, POLARIN, and other projects which are part of the EU Polar Cluster, as well as with relevant European research infrastructures.
It should also take into consideration and support the valorisation of future Sentinel expansion missions: CIMR, CRISTAL, ROSE-L, with the possibility to co-ordinate with pre-launch campaigns like CRISTALair and CIMRair. This topic is part of a coordination initiative between ESA and the European Commission on Earth System Science. which supports complementary collaborative projects funded on the EC side through Horizon Europe and on the ESA side through the FutureEO programme. Proposals should include dedicated tasks, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will collaborate with relevant ESA activities, including projects selected under the under the ESA Polar Science Cluster and under the Invitation to Tender “ESA Sentinel User Preparation Polar Science Foundational Experiment”.
This action offers an opportunity for Europe to continue playing a leading role in Polar research and knowledge provision at the international level, thereby contributing to the implementation of the G7 Future of the Seas and Ocean Initiative priority on Arctic Ocean Observing, GEO Blue Planet Initiative, to the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance, the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). International cooperation is therefore encouraged, also with view to the 5th International Polar Year (2032-33).
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Expected results
Project results are expected to contribute to all following expected outcomes:
- major European contribution to improved and long-term coordination, governance, sustainability, and resilience of international environmental observing systems relevant for polar regions, to better understand their evolution and role in the climate system and the related impact on biodiversity;
- enhanced usability, accessibility, effectiveness, interoperability, and exploitation of environmental observing and data systems, that help improving Earth System and prediction models, as well as digital twins (the European Digital Twin of the Ocean and Destination Earth, and in particular support the evolution of the relevant Copernicus services and the Copernicus Arctic Hub;
- support to sustainable management of the polar regions and to decision-making processes for civil society, local or national authorities and stake- and right-holders, as well as EU and international organisations, thereby supporting the related EU policies.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), 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), 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 45 pages.
To ensure a balanced portfolio covering different regions, grants will be awarded not only in order of ranking but at least also to one proposal that is the highest ranked within region ‘Area A’ and one proposal that is the highest ranked within region ‘Area B’, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.
Call documents
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Cluster 6 - Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and EnvironmentHorizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Cluster 6 - Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment(kB)
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