← All opportunities

Horizon Europe · European Union

Assessing direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity decline of invertebrates

Open

The EU's Horizon Europe programme expects to make 2 awards of €7.5 million each, from a total budget of €15 million. Applications close on 14 Jan 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

Proposals are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• stakeholders involved in biodiversity conservation and restoration activities have an improved understanding of how direct and indirect drivers [1] of biodiversity decline work, considering spatial and temporal scales and dynamics, and their interactions;

• the implementation at different spatial and temporal scales of the EU biodiversity policies and legislation, notably the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) is improved, enabling the prioritisation of actions and the identification of systemic solutions;

• stakeholders, including primary producers, whose business models rely on ecosystem services are better equipped to take strategic decisions that support biodiversity, thereby increasing opportunities while reducing their exposure to risks linked to the decline of these services.

Scope

Biodiversity decline has rippling effects on climate, economy, and human well-being. Focusing on representative groups of invertebrates (including insects, molluscs and crustaceans and, in particular, understudied taxonomic groups) across representative European terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, is crucial for developing effective biodiversity conservation strategies since they are the foundation for healthy ecosystems and their decline has cascading impacts on ecosystem health and services. Understanding the relative impact of the aforementioned drivers at different spatial (from local to global) and temporal (from immediate to long-term) scales and dynamics, is needed to develop effective and coherent biodiversity protection and restoration strategies to implement the EU Nature Restoration Regulation [2] while building a resilient competitive economy.

Proposals should:

• assess and rank the direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity decline based on invertebrates´ cases studies across representative European terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, considering their cumulative impacts, different spatial and temporal scales and dynamics, and their interactions;

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

Biodiversity characterisation Biodiversity conservation Causes and mechanisms of loss Ecosystem services provided by catchment areas Ecosystem services provided by soils Environmental protection Forest biodiversity Forest ecosystem services Fresh water biodiversity Marine biodiversity Soil biodiversity Sustainable development and nature protection Agriculture Aquaculture Biodiversity decline Biodiversity loss Conservation Crustaceans Direct driver Drivers

Timing

Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-01-14. 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.

More from Horizon Europe