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Horizon Europe · European Union

Governance, sustainable development and international politics of a future ice-free Arctic

Opens 20 Apr 2027

The EU's Horizon Europe programme expects to make 2 awards of €8 million each, from a total budget of €16 million. Applications close on 23 Sep 2027 (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time). Organisations in EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries such as Türkiye can usually take part; the topic conditions control.

Expected outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• improved knowledge of the processes, feedbacks and impacts of an ice-free Arctic, both locally/regionally and globally, including advanced research on newly emerging aspects of the future regime change in the Arctic.

• enhanced observations and monitoring capabilities of Arctic changes including ocean, land, sea-ice and atmosphere processes and biodiversity in the Arctic, informing the key components covered by the topic, i.e. governance, sustainable development and international politics of an ice-free Arctic.

• knowledge-based recommendations for sustainable development (of ocean-based and blue economy activities), environmental conservation, climate change adaptation and resilience, better-informed planning of resources (with a focus on coastal communities and activities) and enabled evidence-based regional, European, and global decision–making on Arctic Ocean Governance; sustained European leadership in ocean–climate–biodiversity-cryosphere science; significant contributions made to global scientific assessments, such as the IPCC, IPBES, SWIPA (Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic) and WOA (World Ocean Assessments), as well as to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021 – 2030) and Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025-2034), Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement (CAOFA), the International Polar Year 2032-2033, UN SDGs 13 and 14, and the European polar science coordination efforts.

Scope

Proposals should:

• better understand, project and reduce uncertainties linked to the impacts, timing and consequences of an ice-free Arctic. This includes the underlying systems (such as ocean, atmosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere) and processes, strengthening research on key or main drivers of internal variability and their interconnectedness to the climate system, under multi and cumulative and cascading impacts of anthropogenic activities (resource extraction, climate change, shipping and industrial activities, pollution, introduction of NIS, etc.), abrupt, irreversible change/tipping elements and thresholds, including their reversibility. In particular, understanding the nuances of the impacts of occasional daily ice-free conditions, versus frequent monthly ice-free conditions, versus ice-free conditions that occur for several months a year, is needed to assess the true impact of a new seasonal Arctic sea ice regime in a warming world, in particular in and for Europe.

Who can apply

Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule).

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Topics

Climatology and climate change Cryosphere, dynamics of snow and ice cover, sea ice, permafrost and ice sheets International Ocean Governance Marine, Coastal And Ocean Pollution Ocean Observation and Monitoring Ocean and Climate Change Polar Research Risks and vulnerabilities assessment Risks assessment, modelling and impact reduction Arctic ESA ocean-climate-cryosphere nexus

Timing

Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-09-23. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).

How to apply

1. Read the full topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal: expected outcome, scope, type of action and the topic conditions, including any country restrictions.
2. Register each participating organisation in the Funding & Tenders Portal to get a PIC.
3. Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries (Horizon Europe standard rule; Türkiye is associated). Confirm in the topic conditions.
4. Prepare Part A (administrative forms and budget, completed in the portal) and Part B (the technical description on the official template for this type of action).
5. Submit in the portal before the cut-off time on the deadline day. Late submissions are not accepted.

From the call text

Who can apply

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Company stage

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Single applicant or consortium

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Where applicants must be based

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Where to apply

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Read the EU application guide

Where these facts come from

Official sources

Official call page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 14 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.

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