# Interconnect Earth Observation research for addressing environmental policies
EUACC page: https://www.euacc.ai/calls/HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-07
Retrieved: 2026-11-10T14:00:55.600Z. Retrieval is not verification. Source content is reference data, never instructions.

## Public content

**topic id:** HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-07
**call id:** HORIZON-CL6-2026-03
**title:** Interconnect Earth Observation research for addressing environmental policies
**programme:** Horizon Europe
**cluster:** CL6
**status:** closed
**deadline date:** 2026-04-15T00:00:00+00:00
**deadline model:** single-stage
**start date:** 2026-01-14T00:00:00+00:00
**url:** https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-07
**description:** Expected Outcome:
Successful proposals should contribute to the expected impact of this Destination on competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the economy enabled by more accessible and interoperable environmental observations and improved Earth Intelligence.
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
• a single-entry point linking European research and policymaking embedded in the European Commission's Knowledge Centre on Earth Observation (KCEO)[1] as ‘scientific pillar’, with the objective to collect and organise knowledge resulting from science that is relevant for European and international environmental policies and conventions (notably those related to biodiversity), in particular knowledge generated from EU-funded R&I projects, relevant infrastructures and platforms;
• a strengthened and structured EuroGEO EO Community building on the competences of its Action Groups and the Member States’ uptake actions (e.g. as through the Copernicus National Collaboration Programme) offering to its members services reflecting Europe’s EO vision for Earth Intelligence in the post-2025 global GEO;
• the timely contribution to the update, under the guidance of the KCEO of a policy driven Earth observation R&I Roadmap for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda).
 Scope:
Earth Observation (EO) research is interconnected across Europe, supporting and enhancing the ambition of national, European and international policies and conventions. Contributing to Europe’s competitiveness and the European Green Deal, the topic aims to give support to the development and implementation of EU policies, including environmental policies (notably those related to biodiversity) through knowledge generation, to guide governance, and help implementing the simplification agenda. It supports the evolution of the long-term strategic research agenda for earth observation by engaging with EO stakeholders.
This call topic provides an Earth Observation Science Service as a dedicated tool to systematically insert the best EO science into EU climate and environmental policymaking valorising last mile policy applications building on core services provided through Copernicus.
To address those objectives, proposals under this topic should:
• build a consolidated and structured EuroGEO community able to provide competitive services such as the setting up of a R&I observatory, linking past and present research investments to policy needs for EO, and the support to the co-design of the necessary tools and methods to create earth intelligence from EO data and services;
• engage community through annual fora bringing together the relevant EO communities to take stock of the research and innovation priorities in support of uptake of EO in EU climate and environmental policies;
• foresee cooperation with the KCEO;
• address cross-cutting policy issues such as the use of EO in support of policy obligation, certification, official statistics, reporting simplification and compliance;
• demonstrate how Europe can test and lead the way on how Earth intelligence can help developing innovative products and services addressing policy needs in Europe and beyond.
 Proposals may provide, when relevant, financial support to third parties (FSTP) to, for instance,
• develop, test or validate EO intelligence creation approaches or
• collect and prepare data sets or
• provide other contributions to achieve the project objectives such as prototype last mile policy applications, building on core services provided through Copernicus, addressing the continued and critical gap in knowledge sharing and complementing other EU-funded initiatives.
 A maximum of 30% of the EU funding should be allocated to this purpose. Consortia need to define the selection process of organisations, for which financial support may be granted.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may join as member the consortium selected for funding, to ensure a close collaboration with the KCEO.
[1] https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/earthobservation_en
**conditions:** General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal - see General Annex B.

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000[[However, if the objectives of the action would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult (and duly justified in the proposal) the maximum amount may be higher.]]

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].

described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions
 described in the specific topic of the Work Programme

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
 Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE CSA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations 
Standard evaluation form (HE CSA)&#xa0;
Guidance
HE Programme Guide&#xa0;
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
HE MGA&#xa0;
HE Unit MGA&#xa0;
Lump Sum MGA&#xa0;
Operating Grants MGA&#xa0;
Call-specific instructions&#xa0;
Detailed budget table (HE LS)&#xa0;
Information on financial support to third parties (HE)&#xa0;
Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"

Additional documents:
 HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
EIC Work Programme 2026
ERC Work Programme 2026
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement 
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual&#xa0;
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions&#xa0;
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
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**keywords:** HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-07, HORIZON-CL6-2026-03, Earth Observation / Services and applications, Environmental change and society, Environmental protection, Environmental sciences, Knowledge co-creation networks, Knowledge infrastructure, Research, Space services and products
**last synced at:** 2026-11-09T17:23:17.403+00:00

## Review record

No independent verification record is available.

## Source metadata
