Filter Search for grants
Call Navigation
Deadline expired
The deadline for this call has expired.
Call key data
Invasive alien species
Call number
HORIZON-CL6-2024-BIODIV-01-1
deadlines
Opening
17.10.2023
Deadline
22.02.2024 17:00
Funding rate
70% (NPO:100%)
Call budget
€ 12,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 6,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
In line with the European Green Deal and in particular with the objectives of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, projects will contribute to the following impact of destination “Biodiversity and ecosystem services”: “Understand and address direct drivers of biodiversity decline… invasive alien species…”.
Call objectives
Invasive alien species are one of the five main direct drivers of biodiversity loss. Besides inflicting major damage to nature and the economy, many invasive alien species also facilitate the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases, posing a threat to humans and native wildlife. The rate of new introductions of invasive alien species has increased in recent years. Without effective control measures, risks to our nature and health will continue to rise. Climate change and land-use changes facilitate the spread and establishment of many alien species and create new opportunities for them to become invasive. This topic is therefore contributing to the adaptation to climate change.
Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on invasive alien species (IAS) entered into force on 1 January 2015. It establishes a list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union list). The IAS Regulation provides for a set of measures to be taken across the EU in relation to invasive alien species included on the Union list. EASIN (European Alien Species Information Network) facilitates information on Alien Species and officially supports the EU Regulation 1143/2014.
Successful proposals should:
- Develop models based on dynamic data, accessible to end users, to prioritise species, manage pathways and sites most vulnerable by the introduction of invasive alien species;
- Develop methods for the identification, early detection and surveillance of invasive alien species, such as sensors for biophysical signals (sounds, ultrasounds, volatile organic compounds, thermal etc.), DNA-based including barcoding and application of environmental DNA, artificial intelligence, sentinel plants in ports, airports, railway stations, and logistics platforms. The use of robotics (both aerial and non-aerial), especially in marine environments, could be considered.
Proposals should address Area A: terrestrial ecosystems or Area B: aquatic (including marine) ecosystems. The Area should be clearly indicated on the application.
Proposals should build synergies with on-going projects supported under Horizon 2020 and other projects supported under Horizon Europe. The project “Natural Intelligence for Robotic Monitoring of Habitat” could provide hints about the usage of mobile robotic sensors.
Cross-articulation with the other data spaces, and notably with the European Open Science Cloud shall be foreseen, exploiting synergies and complementarities of the different approaches.
Participatory approaches, such as citizen science, could be appropriate modes of research for this action.
In area B in particular, projects results funded under the following topics should be considered: HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-03: Understanding and valuing coastal and marine biodiversity and ecosystems services, Topic HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-04: Assess and predict integrated impacts of cumulative direct and indirect stressors on coastal and marine biodiversity, ecosystems and their services and HORIZON-CL6-2022-BIODIV-01-01: Observing and mapping biodiversity and ecosystems, with particular focus on coastal and marine ecosystems. In addition, in area B, projects should coordinate their activities with objective 1 of the Mission “Restore our ocean and waters”.
Proposals should include specific tasks and allocate sufficient resources to coordinate with existing platforms and information sharing mechanisms, in particular the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity. Collaboration with the European partnership on biodiversity Biodiversa+ should be explored, as needed.
This topic should involve contributions from the social sciences and humanities disciplines.
The possible participation of the JRC in the project would ensure that the approach proposed is compatible with the IAS policy implementation and that data and information generated is shared through EASIN.
International cooperation is encouraged.
read more
Expected results
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- The establishment of alien species accidently introduced in the EU environment is minimised and where possible they are eradicated,
- Early warning systems to inform relevant stakeholders of the introduction of invasive alien species, building upon EASIN,
- The introduction of invasive alien species is effectively prevented and established ones are systemically managed,
- Public awareness, literacy and engagement, on invasive alien species monitoring and management are supported and improved,
- Pressure on species on the Red List threatened by invasive alien species is reduced, contributing to the following key commitment of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 “ a 50% reduction in the number of Red List species threatened by invasive alien species”.
Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan), Belarus (Беларусь), 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), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
Education and training institution, International organization, 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.
other eligibility criteria
Activities should reach TRL 6-7 by the end of the project.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding.
To ensure a balanced portfolio, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to one project within the area A that is the highest ranked, and one project highest ranked within the area B, provided that the applications attain all thresholds. Proposals shall clearly indicate the area they are applying to.
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
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 1HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 1(2669kB)
Contact
To see more information about this call, you can register for free here
or log in with an existing account.
Log in
Register now