EU LIFE Programme - Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience

Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-10 13:30

EU LIFE Strategic Projects supporting evidence-based NbS, including marine and coastal environments. Aims to mainstream NbS towards nature-positive and climate-resilient economy, aligned with EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030.

Source: https://euro-access.eu/en/calls/2673/Mainstreaming-and-scaling-up-evidence-based-Nature-Based-Solutions-towards-a-nature-positive-and-climate-resilient-economy

Funding Details

Funder

European Commission - Horizon Europe (Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment)

Funding Goal

Fund large-scale research and innovation projects to mainstream and scale up evidence-based Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) toward a nature-positive and climate-resilient economy. Projects must co-design, develop, and implement large-scale NbS pilots using a land/sea-scape approach addressing climate adaptation, mitigation, water resilience, and biodiversity loss. Includes marine ecosystem NbS, coastal resilience, and integration of NbS into policy frameworks.

Funding Amount

Estimated EU contribution per project: approximately €6 million. Total call budget: €18 million. Funding rate: 100%. (6.000.000 € – 6.000.000 €)

Deadline

2026-04-16 (Fixed)

How to Apply

Two-stage application process. Call number: HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-04-two-stage. Submit via EU Funding and Tenders Portal: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl6-2026-01-biodiv-04-two-stage. Opening: 12 February 2026. Deadline: 16 April 2026 at 17:00.

Target Region

EU Member States and associated countries (including UK, Norway, Denmark, Germany, etc.)

Contact

Via EU Funding and Tenders Portal

Official Page

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl6-2026-01-biodiv-04-two-stage

Last Checked

2026-03-15 09:41

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Mandatory partnership required — single organisations cannot apply alone
• Lead applicant must be established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country (including UK, Norway, Denmark)

Project Scope

• Project must use a land/sea-scape approach for large-scale NbS implementation
• Must demonstrate alignment with EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Green Deal, EU Ocean Pact
• Financial support to third parties (FSTP) permitted to support active involvement of actors
• Multi-actor approach required: researchers, policymakers, practitioners, SSH disciplines

Required Documents

• Two-stage application: short concept note first, then full proposal by invitation only
• Submit via EU Funding and Tenders Portal by 16 April 2026, 17:00 CET

Constraints

• Project must include coordination with EU NbS Task Forces and EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity

Summary

This Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-04-two-stage) funds large-scale research and innovation projects to scale up evidence-based Nature-Based Solutions (NbS). With a total budget of €18 million and an estimated €6 million per project, this is a significant funding opportunity for multi-partner consortia working on NbS for climate resilience and biodiversity. The call explicitly includes marine ecosystems — proposals must use a land/sea-scape approach and demonstrate positive outcomes for climate adaptation, water resilience, and biodiversity. Specific mentions include the EU water and marine acquis and the European Ocean Pact as alignment requirements. Marine and coastal NbS such as seagrass, kelp, and coastal wetland restoration would be highly relevant. Eligible applicants include NGOs, universities, research institutions, SMEs, and public bodies established in EU Member States or associated countries including the UK, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland. Mandatory partnership is required — this is a consortia grant, not suitable for single organisations. A multi-actor approach involving researchers, practitioners, and policymakers is strongly encouraged. The deadline is 16 April 2026 at 17:00 CET. The two-stage process means Stage 1 short proposals are evaluated before full proposals are invited. Projects must coordinate with the EU NbS Task Forces and the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity.

Historical Context

Part of the Horizon Europe 2021-2027 framework programme, Cluster 6. This is a specific topic call within the 2026 work programme. Aligned with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, European Green Deal, EU Climate Adaptation Strategy, and the European Ocean Pact.

Why it was added

EU LIFE funding for NbS including marine/coastal components, aligned with EU Biodiversity Strategy and Ocean Pact.

Sources

• https://euro-access.eu/en/calls/2673/Mainstreaming-and-scaling-up-evidence-based-Nature-Based-Solutions-towards-a-nature-positive-and-climate-resilient-economy
• https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl6-2026-01-biodiv-04-two-stage

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