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Call key data

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

Funding Program

Horizon Europe - Cluster 6 - Destination 5: Land, ocean and water for climate action

Call number

HORIZON-CL6-2023-CLIMATE-01-2

deadlines

Opening
22.12.2022

Deadline
12.04.2023 17:00

Funding rate

70% (NPO:100%)

Call budget

€ 10,000,000.00

Estimated EU contribution per project

€ 3,300,000.00

Link to the call

ec.europa.eu

Link to the submission

ec.europa.eu

Call content

short description

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.

Call objectives

The search for affordable, acceptable and reliable solutions is today a common challenge for water supply planners. A changing climate and increasing water scarcity, population growth, urbanisation and intensifying economic activities have put a strain on traditional water resources, which typically rely on available surface and groundwater resources. Ensuring the availability and sustainability of both surface and groundwater is a key element of the new EU strategy on adaptation to climate change.

According to a recent report on the drivers of and pressures arising from selected key water management challenges (EEA, 2021), water abstraction for public water supply, agriculture and industry is the main significant cause of failure to achieve good quantitative status. Over abstraction of surface water bodies can alter freshwater ecosystems and have adverse ecological effects, including decline of biodiversity. In addition, the over abstraction of groundwater bodies can lower groundwater levels with further impacts on groundwater-dependent aquatic ecosystems and cause salinisation of coastal aquifers, making them unusable for drinking water supply.

To address these problems and in order to improve the security of water supply, alternative water resources, such as rainwater harvesting, storm water, water reuse and reclamation, brackish and sea water desalination, aquifer recharge, are increasingly being used by water managers in rural, coastal and urban areas. However, in many case, the implementation of several alternative water resources is not sustainable and not embedded in a strategic integrated water management plan at river basin or regional scale. In many cases the negative environmental impacts and associated infrastructure maintenance and investments costs are not properly assessed, nor the costs associated with meeting the EU water policy related requirements (i.e. WFD requirements). Finally, the public/social acceptance of several alternative water resources is lacking and this prevent their further implementation and market uptake. Further research and innovation is needed for making full use of alternative water resources.

Additionally, assessments and recommendations of how alternative water supply sources and infrastructures can relate to existing - mostly centralized - water utility regimes remain unexplored and there is a need to explore how the regulations around these centralized regimes can support infrastructure diversification.

To achieve the objective the following issues should be addressed:

  • Improve the efficiency, reliability and cost-effectiveness and sustainable design of a wide range of alternative water solutions (e.g., rainwater harvesting, storm water, water reclamation and reuse , brackish and sea water desalination, aquifer recharge).
  • Assess the interaction between choices of the various alternative water supply technologies with the infrastructure design and development, the scale of operation and the water-energy interactions.
  • Assess various alternative water solutions with regards to their potential their innovation, climate mitigation and adaptation and their environmental and health impacts. Explore the potential of digital technologies for appropriate data collection and integration. Attention should be given to reducing the negative impacts of infrastructures to increase water supply in water-scarce areas as well as reducing water demand (rebound effect).
  • Develop a comprehensive framework or guidance tool for selecting specific technologies and management strategies for different water scarcity situations that can be adapted on a case-by-case basis and with a view of developing large-scale deployment strategies, in line with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.
  • Assess the critical factors that hinder the public acceptance of alternative water resources and identify measures and actions (e.g., policy actions, marketing interventions) to encourage their acceptance.

The possible participation of the JRC in the selected project would ensure that the approach proposed can be integrated as a scenario in the tool used by the European Commission for the estimation of water availability.

This action should bring together relevant researchers, technology providers, water utilities, business representatives, investors, policy makers and other water users and citizens. The active participation and engagement of different stakeholders should span the entire project development and implementation to ensure performance and sustainability and maximise the final impact.

Proposals should cover various regions with a balanced coverage reflecting the various biogeographical and climate zones in Europe in a representative way.

The inclusion of relevant SSH expertise would be also needed to ensure the proposed solutions are also socially accepted.

read more

Expected effects and impacts

In support of the European Green Deal and EU water-related policies, successful proposals will contribute to fostering the adaptation of water resources to climate change, in particular the expected impact of the Destination ‘Land, ocean and water for climate action’ to “Advance understanding and science to support adaptation and resilience of natural and managed ecosystems, ocean, water and soil systems and economic sectors in the context of the changing climate”.

Expected results

  • Recommendations on alternative water resources options in water scarce areas to address current and future challenges to water supplies and adapt to climate change, ensuring the water quality for a specific uses;
  • Support for decision makers to integrate alternative water resources supply technologies in their strategic plans for water resources management taking into consideration the relevant EU regulatory frameworks (e.g. water and marine related policies, climate change adaptation strategy, Fit for 55);
  • Increased societal awareness, acceptance of and trust in of several alternative water supply resources for water use in various societal, environmental and economic contexts;
  • Increased market potential of alternative water resources.

Eligibility Criteria

Regions / countries for funding

EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), 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, International organization, Natural Person, 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
  • third 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.

Specific cases:

  • Affiliated entities — 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 — 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 without legal personality — 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.
  • EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
  • 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.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding.

Additional information

Topics

Air Quality, Biodiversity & Environment, Climate & Climate Change, Water quality & management, 
Rural & Urban Development/Planning

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

All proposals 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.

Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.

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.

Call documents

HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 5HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 5(580kB)

Contact

National Contact Points for Horizon Europe
Website

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