Horizon Europe Nature 2027: €230 million for biodiversity, €10 million living labs, deadline 14 January

On 2 October 2026 the European Commission announced a new Horizon Europe call dedicated to nature, with a budget of €230 million, for research and innovation in biodiversity. The HORIZON-NATURE-2027 topics open on 13 October 2026, and the submission deadline is 14 January 2027, in a single stage. European consortia that include companies, universities, research institutes, public authorities and NGOs, including from Romania, can apply.

In brief

• Programme: Horizon Europe, Work Programme 2026–2027, Horizontal Activities – the "Nature" call (HORIZON-NATURE-2027-01 and HORIZON-NATURE-2027-02)
• Authority: European Commission, DG Research and Innovation, through the Funding & Tenders Portal
• Beneficiaries: international consortia of companies, research organisations, public authorities and civil society organisations
• Total budget: approximately €230 million for the Nature call
• Value per project: from €4 million (coordination projects and systemic analysis projects) up to €13 million (combating wildlife trafficking); living labs for ecosystem restoration: €10 million per project
• Submission period: 13 October 2026 – 14 January 2027, in a single stage
• Status: announced; on the portal, the topics appear as "Forthcoming" until they open

Which topics are funded?

On the Commission's portal, the topics with a deadline of 14 January 2027 are grouped into two calls:

• HORIZON-NATURE-2027-01-01 – the effects of PFAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services (research and innovation action, 2 projects expected, lump-sum funding);
• HORIZON-NATURE-2027-01-02 – the benefits and impact of clean and digital industries on biodiversity: €18 million, €6 million per project, 3 projects; at least five different industrial activities must be analysed, with industry partners;
• HORIZON-NATURE-2027-01-03 – systemic approaches to transformative change in biodiversity: €12 million, €4 million per project, 3 projects;
• HORIZON-NATURE-2027-02-01 – the causes of invertebrate decline: €15 million, €7.5 million per project, 2 projects;
• HORIZON-NATURE-2027-02-02 – living labs for ecosystem restoration: €60 million, €10 million per project, 6 projects;
• HORIZON-NATURE-2027-02-03 – the European network of living labs for nature restoration: €4 million, a single project (coordination and support action);
• HORIZON-NATURE-2027-02-04 – solutions against wildlife trafficking and invasive species: €13 million, a single project (innovation action);
• HORIZON-NATURE-2027-02-05 – effective biodiversity monitoring for EU policies (pollinators, soil biodiversity, freshwater): €16 million, €5–6 million per project, 3 projects.

The Commission's announcement also mentions topics on the link between biodiversity and health and on the Global Ocean Observing System. These form part of the total budget of €230 million, but are not detailed in this article.

Who can apply?

As throughout the Horizon Europe programme, projects are submitted by consortia. The eligible countries are set out in Annex B of the General Annexes to the Work Programme, and entities from Member States, including Romania, are eligible. For local authorities, the most interesting topic is 02-02. Each project must create three new living labs, each with 8–15 experimental sites, in at least three Member States or associated countries. Competent public authorities (ministries, agencies, regional or local administrations) must be actively involved. The multi-actor approach is mandatory. Up to 30% of the budget can go to third parties (land managers, SMEs, civil society), with a maximum of €60,000 for each third party.

How and by when do you apply?

Applications are submitted electronically on the Funding & Tenders Portal, in a single stage, between 13 October 2026 and 14 January 2027. Several topics use lump-sum funding: the budget is fixed at contracting, and payment is tied to the completion of work packages, not to the reimbursement of costs. The Commission has announced an information day and a brokerage event on the B2match platform for finding partners. The National Contact Points for Cluster 6 can offer support.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: for most organisations in Romania, the realistic route is to join a consortium as a partner rather than to coordinate it. Three months is short for a project of €4–13 million, so partnerships need to be sought now.

• City halls, county councils, protected area administrations: topic 02-02 specifically requires the involvement of authorities. A degraded plot of land, a wetland or a riverbank can become an experimental site. Prepare a short site sheet (area, ownership, problems, existing data).
• Companies in clean energy, mining, data centres or networks: topic 01-02 calls for industrial partners to test solutions for reducing the impact on biodiversity.
• SMEs in environmental monitoring, environmental DNA or sensors: topic 02-05 calls for scalable, automated solutions.
• Pitfalls: no clear role in the work packages, a personnel budget that is too low, and no letter of commitment from the competent authority.

If you are not sure where your organisation fits, you can start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can a city hall in Romania take part in the Nature call?

Yes. The living labs topic (HORIZON-NATURE-2027-02-02) explicitly requires the active involvement of competent public authorities, including local and regional administrations. The city hall takes part as a partner in a consortium covering at least three Member States or associated countries.

How much does a living labs project receive?

On the Commission's portal, the EU contribution is €10 million per project, and the topic budget is €60 million, for roughly six projects. The amount is shared among all the consortium partners. Up to 30% of the budget can be redistributed to third parties, with a maximum of €60,000 for each.

What is the submission deadline?

The HORIZON-NATURE-2027-01 and -02 topics open on 13 October 2026 and have a deadline of 14 January 2027, with single-stage submission on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Can an SME apply on its own?

No. Research and innovation, innovation and coordination actions under Horizon Europe are submitted by international consortia, in line with the General Annexes to the Work Programme. An SME can be a partner or can receive financial support as a third party in living labs projects.

Official sources

• European Commission – Horizon Europe launches a new research and innovation call on nature (2 October 2026)
• Funding & Tenders Portal – HORIZON-NATURE-2027-02-02, living labs for ecosystem restoration
• Funding & Tenders Portal – HORIZON-NATURE-2027-01-02, clean and digital industries
• Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027 – Horizontal Activities (PDF)

Information verified on 12 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority – check the applicant's guide in force before submitting.