The European Commission is looking for strategies for land decontamination and reuse, and innovative ideas on how to implement carbon-farming practices. The deadline to apply is 27 September 2022.

The 2022 Mission Soil call for proposals opened on 12 May. The total available budget is €95 million. The deadline to submit proposals for Horizon Europe funding is 27 September 2022.

What kind of projects does the EU aim to fund?

The 2022 soil mission call for proposals seeks to advance soil literacy and societal appreciation for the vital functions of soil health across Europe. It aims to ensure that land managers, consumers and society at large are better informed and work together to take effective action on soil health. Protecting and restoring soils is vital to the achievement of several EU policies and Green Deal targets.

Topics open for proposals focus on the role of soil biodiversity, strategies for land decontamination and reuse. Topics also encompass how to better preserve and increase soil carbon and enhance soil relevant education and access to information.

In total, there are 10 different topics open for the submission of proposals. A few require the “multi-actor approach” to ensure that the Research and Innovation process and its outcomes are more demand-driven and relevant for society.

Horizon Europe and the EU Mission: A Soil Deal for Europe

Research and innovation is crucial to co-creating knowledge and demonstrating scale up to replicate existing and new solutions. Horizon Europe will invest €320 million from 2021 to 2023 to support the implementation of the mission. REA will be at the forefront of its implementation, managing EU-funded research and innovation projects and suggesting solutions to the EU’s current soil challenges.