Innovative biotechnologies to restore soil health and improve agricultural competitiveness and resilience (HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-05-two-stage)

About

A two-stage Horizon Europe Innovation Action funding consortium projects that develop, validate and bring to market readiness soil-microbiome and bio-based biotechnology solutions for soil health, contamination remediation and agricultural competitiveness.

Benefits

• 💶EU lump-sum grant
  Selected projects are expected to receive an EU contribution of around EUR 6.40 million per project under an indicative topic budget of EUR 12.80 million and an expected two projects, conditional on passing evaluation and signing a grant agreement.
• 🔬Validation and market-readiness support
  Selected projects are expected to advance, validate and bring innovative soil-biotechnology solutions to TRL 5-6 by project end, supporting market readiness and stakeholder uptake.
• 🌱Soil-health and agricultural impact
  Projects are expected to deliver validated biotechnological solutions for soil remediation and soil health improvement, reduced dependency on synthetic chemicals and increased crop resilience and productivity.

Eligibility Criteria

• Mandatory: applicant entities must meet Horizon Europe General Annex B eligibility conditions, including eligible-country rules
• Mandatory: proposals must apply the multi-actor approach
• Mandatory: the consortium must ensure adequate involvement of relevant value-chain actors such as academia, research-technology organisations, SMEs including start-ups, investors, product developers, intellectual property and legal advisers, manufacturing and distribution partners, and end-users such as farmers and practitioners
• Mandatory: entities established in an eligible country but directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China are not eligible to participate
• Applicants from non-EU/non-Associated Countries should verify whether their country has specific funding provisions under Horizon Europe

Participation Commitments

• Two-stage submission: call opens 04 February 2027; first-stage deadline 08 April 2027 17:00 Brussels time; second-stage deadline 14 September 2027 17:00 Brussels time
• Mandatory multi-actor approach and adequate involvement of relevant value-chain actors
• Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources and a plan for collaboration with other projects funded under this topic and relevant topics
• Selected projects should participate in joint activities, workshops, focus groups or social labs and organise common communication and dissemination activities
• Applicants should plan the necessary budget to cover collaboration and joint activities
• Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5-6 by the end of the project
• Eligible costs take the form of a lump sum grant

Target Region

Horizon Europe eligible countries under General Annex B, including EU Member States and Associated Countries, with specific provisions available for some non-EU/non-Associated Countries; applicants from outside the EU/Associated Countries should verify eligibility before applying.

Target Sector

Agriculture & Food